Modulating feeder for transferring discrete materials from a primary conveyor to a secondary conveyor

Claim 1

A MODULATING FEEDER FOR TRANSFERRING DISCRETE MATERIALS FROM A PRIMARY CONVEYOR TO A SECONDARY CONVEYOR COMPRISING (A) A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE, (B) A CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE AND HAVING AN OPEN END ABOVE AND DIRECTING A STREAM OF AIR ACROSS SAID PRIMARY CONVEYOR TO BLOW MATERIAL FROM SAID PRIMARY CONVEYOR ONTO SAID SECONDARY CONVEYOR, (C) SAID CONDUIT HAVING A VENT THEREIN, (D) A VALVE MEMBER IN SAID CONDUIT ADJACENT SAID VENT AND MOVABLE FROM ONE EXTREME POSITION BLOCKING SAID VENT WHILE PERMITTING FULL FLOW THROUGH SAID OPEN END OF THE CONDUIT TO A SECOND EXTREME POSITION BLOCKING THE FLOW OF AIR TO SAID OPEN END OF THE CONDUIT WHILE PERMITTING FULL FLOW THROUGH SAID VENT, (E) POSITIONING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEMBER, (F) AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ACCUMULATIONS OF MATERIAL IN SAID SECONDARY CONVEYOR FOR CONTROLLING SAID POSITIONING MEANS TO POSITION SAID VALVE MEMBER AT EITHER OF SAID EXTREME POSITIONS OR AT ANY POSITION INTERMEDIATE THEREOF WHEREBY THE FLOW OF MATERIAL TO SAID SECONDARY CONVEYOR IS MODULATED IN RESPONSE TO THE ACTION OF SAID SECONDARY CONVEYOR.