Apparatus for dispensing a measured amount of powder, granular and like material, said material delivered from a chute, this dispenser apparatus having a rotated, disk-like assembly that is revolved in a timed relationship to the advancement of a travelling web of packaging material, this dispenser including:
- (a) an outer, disk-like member which has a tubular configuration and in which is formed a plurality of like-sized and shaped pockets having an established volume in each pocket, these pockets arranged in an equally spaced array with each pocket from filling to delivery and to a refill position maintaining said established volume;
- (b) an inner tubular supporting member having means for engaging, positioning and retaining said outer disk-like member, said tubular supporting member having a plurality of radially disposed passageways formed therein and therethrough, each passageway corresponding to a pocket and disposed to be substantially at the midportion of a pocket;
- (c) a bottom spring-like closure member of a generally sheet-like configuration, said member urged toward and to a shaped pocket to provide a bottom closure for said pocket, said bottom spring-like member in engagement with the undersurface of the outer disk-like member while providing a closure thereof;
- (d) resilient side retaining portions formed on and affixed to each bottom spring-like closure member, said side retaining portion sized and adapted to engage the formed side walls of the shaped pocket to preserve the integrity of the pocket against any leakage of material being dispensed and fed from the chute;
- (e) a tubular shaft carried within the inner tubular supporting member and at larger diameter portions adapted to support said inner tubular supporting member and the supported outer disk-like member, this tubular shaft also having radially disposed passageways sized and adapted to communicate with and extend the passageways formed in the inner tubular member;
- (f) a spine shaft carried within the tubular shaft and movable therein, this spine shaft having conical cam portions provided thereon, each conical cam portion corresponding to a disk-like dispenser;
- (g) a plurality of like sized pins, a pin being carried in each radially disposed passageway and each pin at its outer end adapted to engage the inner surface of the spring-like closure member to urge said member outwardly and at its inner end to engage said conical cam portion on the spine shaft;
- (h) a chute disposed to deliver material to a rotary dispenser, each chute having an outlet adapted to feed dispensed material to a pocket when brought in way of said outlet;
- (i) a shroud portion in association with said chute, said shroud disposed to close the filled pocket to further filling from said chute and during rotational advancement of the filled pocket to maintain the integrity of the material in this filled pocket;
- (j) a travelling web of film adapted, at least in part, to retain the material being dispensed, and means to bring and support this web as it is brought in way of a position at the lowermost point of the rotating disk;
- (k) means for rotating and supporting the tubular shaft so that the peripherial speed of the rotated dispenser is at the speed of advance of the travelling web of film, and
- (l) means for moving the spine shaft and any and all conical cam portions thereon so as to move the pins carried in the radially disposed passageway in the inner tubular supporting member and associated therewith to simultaneously alter to a small extent the volume of each pocket.