Particulate material sample divider

A sample divider for dividing particulate material into two portions, the divider comprising:

• a separation cone having a conical outer surface extending downwardly and radially outwardly from a central apex to an annular bottom edge;
• a hopper supported above the separation cone so as to taper downwardly and inwardly towards a discharge opening at a bottom end of the hopper which is centrally located above the central apex of the separation cone;
• a gate member supported at the bottom end of the hopper so as to be operable relative to the discharge opening between an open position and a closed position;
• a plurality of separator baffles supported on the separation cone to protrude outwardly from the conical outer surface of the separation cone at circumferentially spaced apart positions so as to define a plurality of first channels at circumferentially spaced apart locations about the separation cone relative to one another and a plurality of second channels at circumferentially spaced apart locations about the separation cone relative to one another, in which each of the first and second channels extends downwardly and radially outwardly between a respective adjacent pair of the separator baffles;
• an annular divider wall extending downwardly from the separation cone in proximity to the annular bottom edge of the separation cone so as to define a first collection area adjacent an inner side of the divider wall and a second collection area adjacent an outer side of the divider wall which is generally annular in shape about the first collection area;
• each second channel extending to the bottom edge of the separation cone such that each second channel only communicates with the second collection area;
• and
• an aperture in the separation cone in alignment with each first channel such that each first channel is in communication only with the first collection area through the respective aperture in the separation cone.