HOPPER FOR LOOSE MATERIALS Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: mechanical engineering; materials handling facilities. SUBSTANCE: hopper has housing consisting of walls and bottom and provided with discharge branch pipe. Side walls and bottom are made in form of grids and are provided with stiffening ribs. Upper part of housing has charging branch pipe. Flexible container following the shape of housing is placed inside housing. Lower ends of flexible container are secured on discharge branch pipe, and upper ends of container are secured to upper part of housing. Flexible container lifting mechanism is made in form of weight fastened by cables to outer surface of flexible envelope. Cables are passed over rollers found in upper part of hopper. In process of unloading, loose material pressure onto flexible container is reduced, and the latter is lifted under action of weight. Angle between flexible container and bottom plane becomes greater than angle of friction between loose material and flexible container. EFFECT: accelerated gravity discharge of loose material, provision of reliable unloading of hopper. 3 dwg