Raw material delivery system for compacting press

In a press operable in cycles for compacting raw material in a die to produce a product in each cycle, the press being of the type having a table with a horizontal surface and an opening in the horizontal surface for raw material to be delivered to the die, a system for heating raw material and delivering heated raw material to a die comprising:

• a feed shoe having a central bore, said feed shoe being movable in a direction parallel to the horizontal surface of the table;
• a vertically-fixed transfer element having top and bottom openings and a passage extending between the openings, the vertically-fixed transfer element being supported independent from the table;
• wherein said feed shoe is movable on said table to a retracted position and an extended position wherein the central bore is aligned over the die;
• means for heating said raw material before the raw material reaches said feed shoe;
• and
• an enclosure with a bore through which raw material may pass, said enclosure extending between said feed shoe upper surface and said vertically-fixed transfer element so that when said feed shoe is in said retracted position material may pass from said vertically-fixed transfer element bottom opening to said enclosure and from said enclosure to said feed shoe central bore substantially free from exposure to a cross-flow of air;
• the table being vertically movable and being in a plurality of vertical positions in each cycle, the feed shoe and at least part of the enclosure moving with the vertical movement of the table to be in a plurality of vertical positions in each cycle,
• the vertically-fixed transfer element maintaining a vertically fixed position with respect to the table throughout the cycle.