Device for disentangling and spreading short steel fibers

Apparatus for disentangling and spreading short steel fibers, said apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for holding the short steel fibers, said hopper having a constricted opening at the bottom thereof and being configured with an aperture below said opening oriented generally perpendicularly with respect to the vertical axis of the hopper;
• a nozzle mounted to said aperture wherein the interior of said hopper communicates with the interior of said nozzle through said aperture, said nozzle being oriented in a direction generally in alignment with said aperture, substantially perpendicular to said axis of said hopper;
• a disc mounted for rotation at the base of said hopper, the plane of said disc being below said opening and being substantially perpendicular to said axis of said hopper and aligned with said nozzle;
• a motor connected to said disc for rotation thereof;
• a plurality of upstanding plate-shaped members mounted to said disc and oriented generally in a radial direction from the axis thereof;
• a central boss mounted on the axis of said disc and extending upwardly into and parallel to said axis of said hopper;
• a first set of vanes mounted to and radially extending from said boss and spaced from said disc;
• a second set of vanes mounted to and radially extending from said boss and spaced from said disc, said second set of vanes being spaced from said first set of vanes by a predetermined distance, the vanes of said first and second set of vanes alternating circumferentially around said boss, being located in the vicinity of said constricted opening, and having a combined vertical projection surface area between 70% and 100% of the surface area of said disc;
• and
• a plurality of rigid arms pivotally mounted to the top of said boss, said arms pivoting outwardly upon rotation of said boss, said arms hanging downwardly when said boss is not rotating;
• whereby short steel fibers are disentangled by said arms, fed in a measured manner to said disc by said vanes and distributed evenly through said nozzle by said plate-shaped members on said rotating disc when said disc is rotated, said vanes preventing the steel fibers from dropping onto said disc when said disc is stopped.