HOPPER Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC B65D88/54 

FIELD: instrument making.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to appliances designed to store and unload loose hard-running materials susceptible to doming and caking, and to metre out material from the hopper. The proposed hopper comprises a vertical hollow housing with top part provided with a loading opening and bottom part narrowing downward towards the central release opening furnished with a gate. Aforesaid top part accommodates a composite funnel with outlet opening facing the release opening and made up of several elements. The latter have their upper parts hinged and their lower parts driven apart towards the housing sidewalls to be moved back, into initial position, by means of a drive. The said drive comprises a rope embracing all elements of the said funnel and interacting with rollers fitted on outer surface of the lower part of every funnel element. The rope ends are crossed over to make a loop around the funnel and separately passed via the vertical through slits in the housing opposite walls. The proposed hopper incorporates also a deflecting roller and a dual roller behind which the jointed rope ends are connected to the tensioning device. Note that the funnel can be lifted and lowered inside the housing.

EFFECT: efficient control over material proportioning, hopper readjustment for storage and metering out materials with different volume weight.

10 cl, 4 dwg