Apparatus for feeding bulk material, such as sand

An apparatus for feeding bulk material into a ditch comprising carriage means (2, 3) continuously movable in a travel direction along the ditch, funnel shaped container means (1) operatively supported by said carriage means for holding a supply of bulk material, said container means having a discharge member (5) at an upper edge of said container means, first feed conveyor means (6) operatively mounted in said funnel shaped container means for transporting bulk material from the bottom of the container means to said discharge member, elongated second conveyor means (7) having an upper end and a lower end, journal means for hinging said second conveyor means (7) about a vertical axis so that said second conveyor means receive at said upper end of the second conveyor means bulk material from said first feed conveyor means when the second conveyor means is in a working position extending normally substantially at a right angle to said travel direction for discharging bulk material into the ditch in said working position of said second conveyor means and for folding the second conveyor means into an inactive position, said apparatus further comprising tension spring means (19) connected with one spring end to said elongated second conveyor means and with its opposite spring end to a fixed point on said apparatus for urging said elongated second conveyor means toward said apparatus, guide means (8) operatively secured to said lower end of said elongated second conveyor means (7) for reaching into said ditch, roller means (9) operatively connected to said guide means reaching into said ditch, said tension spring means cooperating with said guide means for urging said roller means against a wall of said ditch for keeping said lower end of said second conveyor means in alignment with said ditch even when said apparatus is not travelling exactly in parallel to said ditch.