Material loader and spreader attachment

Abstract

An air plenum is located within a conduit forming a spout for a granular material supply tube, and air is fed through the air plenum while granular material flows around the plenum and out of the spout. The moving air carries the material away from under the spout and permits the receiving compartment to be completely filled. A material flow control valve is constructed in the annular space around the air plenum by using a fixed plate and a rotatable plate, each with matching holes. If material accumulates to a height blocking the spout, a level sensor within the spout activates a pneumatic cylinder which causes the material flow valve to close by misaligning the holes. The continuing air flow then distributes the material throughout the receiving compartment, and when the level sensor is free of material the flow valve reopens. A pressure sensor in the air system also controls the granular material flow to shut off the flow when the air pressure builds up because the receiving compartment is full.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.