Apparatus and method for feeding powdered materials

Apparatus for providing substantially dust-free feeding of metal powders and like materials, having a self-compacting tendency resistive of gravity flow, to fill a die cavity associated with a table of a die press of the like, comprising:

• an elevated open-top hopper receptive of a measured quantity of powder subject to atmospheric pressures;
• said hopper having a discharge opening at the lower end thereof;
• shoe means undersupporting and having sealed connection with the lower end of said hopper and enclosing a filling chamber having an open bottom;
• seal means on said shoe means operable to provide sealed engagement of said open bottom thereof with the die table,
• downwardly inclined filling tube means extending between and openly communicating with the discharge opening at the lower said of hopper and the interior of said chamber, said tube means extending into said chamber to a selected level;
• vacuum generating means communicating with said chamber for providing sub-atmospheric pressures within said chamber, said cavity and said filling tube means;
• means for selectively moving said hopper, said tube means and said shoe means to and from a predetermined location on said table for registering said open bottom of said shoe means with the die cavity whereby to place the interior of said cavity in sealed communication with the interior of said chamber;
• and
• means for selectively actuating said vacuum generating means to cause vacuum assisted flow of powder under the influence of gravity and atmospheric pressure from said open top hopper into said evacuated chamber and cavity.