System for transporting and dispensing granular materials

A system for transporting and dispensing fluent particulate materials comprising:

• a shipping container disposed with a supply of fluent particulate material, having a bottom wall with an outlet aperture, said outlet aperture being occluded by a normally disabled transfer valve;
• a base container adapted for sealed attachment to the transfer valve which occludes the outlet aperture in the bottom wall of said shipping container, said base container having a top wall equipped with a sealing cover having means for enabling said normally disabled transfer valve, when said base container is properly attached to said shipping container, and for receiving material from said shipping container when said enabled transfer valve is opened by moving a slide plate to an open position, and a bottom wall which tapers downwardly to an opening having a valve for dispensing particulate material at a controlled rate when said valve is opened wherein the valve for dispensing particulate material comprises:
• a housing having a funnel shaped top inlet, with a narrow inlet seat defined by its lower edge, for receiving fluent particulate material and a bottom discharge nozzle for dispensing said material;
• a solenoid valve below said top inlet, said valve having a conic stop element for seating against the inlet seat and a bellows seal below said stop element for preventing entry of fluent material into the solenoid;
• a flow stabilizing diffuser mounted in the bottom nozzle to eliminate pulsations of material flow due to cycling of said solenoid valve;
• and
• electrical connection means for providing electrical power to said solenoid valve.