Method and apparatus for high speed delivery of particulate material

A method of repetitively dispensing a predetermined amount of flowable material into spaces defined between spaced apart articles, said method comprising repetition of the steps of:

• establishing a stream of the flowable material in a first direction along a stream path;
• establishing a procession of the spaced apart articles in a second direction along a processional path;
• moving a first plurality of spaced apart receptacles along a first endless path, said first endless path including a first endless path portion in proximity to said material stream path, said step of moving said first receptacles including the step of moving said first receptacles along said first endless path portion in a direction correlating with said direction of said material stream;
• drawing a portion of said material from said material stream into said first receptacles by communicating a vacuum to each first receptacle as each first receptacle moves along said first endless path portion;
• after said drawing step, further applying vacuum to said first receptacles to hold the drawn, predetermined amount of material in said first receptacles while moving said first receptacles from said first endless path portion to a transfer location along said first endless path and interrupting said application of vacuum adjacent said transfer location;
• moving a second plurality of spaced apart receptacles along a second endless path, said second endless path including a second endless path portion in proximity to said procession path of said articles in a direction correlating with said direction of said procession of spaced apart articles, said step of moving said second receptacles further including the step of converging said second receptacles into an opposing, adjacent relation with said first receptacle as the first receptacles are being moved through said transfer location, said adjacent second receptacles moving in a direction correlating with the direction of said first receptacles being moved through said transfer location;
• drawing charcoal from the first receptacles at said transfer location to the opposing second receptacles by communicating a vacuum to said second opposing receptacle;
• after said drawing step at said transfer location, further applying a vacuum to said second receptacles to retain the predetermined amount of transferred material in said second receptacles while moving said receptacle from said transfer location to said second endless path portion;
• releasing said material from said second receptacles into said spaces defined between said spaced apart articles as said second receptacles move along said second path portion;
• during said releasing step, drawing said material into said spaces with a vacuum;
• and
• subsequent to said releasing step, cleaning said spaced apart articles.