Aeration device for assisting in aeration of material from containers

An aeration device for assisting discharge of materials from containers comprising a generally conical skirt member formed of flexible resilient material and having an inner conical surface and an axially aligned outer conical surface;

• anchor means for securing said skirt member to an inside surface of a container wall with a base end of said shirt member opposing said inside surface and with said anchor means drawing said skirt member axially toward said wall to prestress said skirt member with said prestressed skirt member presenting a generally convex inner surface cooperating with said inside wall to define a pressure chamber between said skirt member and said inside wall;
• said base end of said skirt member having an outer periphery shaped to direct a flow of material away from a seam defined by a juncture of said base end and said inside surface of said container wall when said skirt member is prestressed;
• means for supplying a flow of a pressurized gas from a source to said chamber;
• said base end of said skirt member being free of rigid attachment to said anchor means for flexing movement of said base end toward and away from said inside wall of said container to alternatively close and open gas flow communication between an interior of said container and said pressure chamber;
• whereby flow of pressurized gas from said source into said chamber induces flexation of said base end of said skirt member away from said inside wall whereby said gas flows radially from said pressure chamber into said container interior along said inside wall and into material stored within said container to aerate said material and said outer periphery of said base end directs material away from said seam to avoid contamination of said pressure chamber.