Apparatuses and methods for bulk dispensing
AssigneeSyngenta Participations AG
InventorGary W. Wietgrefe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatuses and methods relating to hoppers and the dispensing of bulk therefrom are provided. The hopper can include hopper walls that form a product storage receptacle. The hopper can also include a hopper door that includes a frame and a slide gate disposed within the frame. The slide gate is retractable between an open position and a closed position. A set of fingers projects from the slide gate to dislodge material proximate to the hopper door. Further, a port can be provided through at least one of the fingers of the set of fingers with the port configured to inject a fluid into the hopper.
Claims5
A method of supplying material through a hopper, the method comprising:
- providing a hopper that comprises hopper walls that form a product storage receptacle and a hopper door, the hopper door including a frame, a slide gate disposed within the frame and retractable between an open position and a closed position, and a set of fingers projecting from the slide gate, the hopper door further having a port through at least one of the fingers of the set of fingers;
- opening the slide gate of the hopper door such that the fingers dislodge material within the hopper proximate to the hopper door;
- injecting fluid through the port in the at least one finger into the hopper to dislodge material within the hopper above the fingers;
- and
- injecting solid material with the fluid through the port to facilitate the dislodging of the material within the hopper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.