Rotary feeder

Claim 1

A ROTARY FEEDER COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL CASING HAVING AN ANNULAR BODY PORTION, A TOP END SECTION AND A BOTTOM END SECTION, SAID END SECTIONS WITH SAID ANNULAR BODY PORTION THEREBETWEEN DEFINING A CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER IN SAID CASING, A SHAFT AXIALLY POSITIONED IN SAID CHAMBER AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID CASING, A UNITARY ANNULAR ROTOR MEMBER COAXIALLY POSITIONED ON SAID SHAFT WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER, SAID ROTOR MEMBER SECURED TO SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID ROTOR MEMBER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL AND A PAIR OF SPACED END WALLS, SAID ROTOR MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER WITH SAID END WALLS ABUTTING THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CASING END SECTIONS, SAID ROTOR MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF AXIAL PASSAGEWAYS ARRANGED IN A CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR MEMBER, SAID PASSAGEWAYS SPACED INWARDLY FROM SAID ROTOR MEMBER CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL, SAID TOP END SECTION INNER SURFACE HAVING A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC RECESSES THEREIN ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION, SAID BOTTOM END SECTION INNER SURFACE HAVING A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC RECESSES THEREIN ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION, SAID CASING TOP END SECTION HAVING A SOLIDS INLET OPENING IN OVERLYING RELATION WITH SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAYS AND ARRANGED TO FEED PARTICULATE MATERIAL TO SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAYS, SAID CASING TOP END SECTION HAVING A FLUID INLET OPENING IN OVERLYING RELATION WITH SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAYS AND DIAMETRICALLY SPACED FROM SAID SOLIDS INLET, SAID CASING BOTTOM END SECTION HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING ALIGNED WITH SAID FLUID INLET OPENING, SEAL MEANS POSITIONED IN ALL OF SAID RECESSES IN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM END SECTION INNER SURFACES, MEANS TO URGE SAID SEAL MEANS AGAINST SAID RESPECTIVE CYLINDRICAL ROTOR END WALLS, SAID SEAL MEANS ARRANGED TO REDUCE LEAKAGE OF SAID FLUID ENTERING THROUGH SAID FLUID INLET INTO SAID CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER OF SAID CASING AND TO PROVIDE A PRESSURE SEAL FOR ANNULAR AREAS BETWEEN SAID RESPECTIVE SEALS, SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAYS ARRANGED TO FIRST COMMUNICATE WITH SAID SOLIDS INLET OPENING AND RECEIVE PARTICULATE MATERIAL THEREIN AND THEREAFTER UPON FURTHER ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR TO COMMUNICATE WITH SAID ALIGNED FLUID INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS SO THAT SAID FLUID ENTERING THROUGH SAID FLUID INLET DISCHARGES SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL FROM SAID PASSAGEWAYS THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING IN SAID CASING, SAID TOP END SECTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL PRESSURE EQUALIZING PASSAGEWAYS ARRANGED IN A CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION IN OVERLYING RELATION WITH SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAYS, EACH OF SAID VERTICAL PRESSURE EQUALIZING PASSAGEWAYS HAVING A HORIZONTAL PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, MEANS CONNECTING A FIRST PAIR OF SAID HORIZONTAL PASSAGEWAYS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AND ADJACENT TO SAID FLUID INLET PASSAGEWAY TO EQUALIZE THE PRESSURE IN SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAYS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST PAIR OF PRESSURE EQUALIZING PASSAGEWAYS, AND OTHER MEANS TO CONNECT OTHER HORIZONTAL PASSAGEWAYS EQUALLY SPACED FROM SAID FLUID INLET TO THEREBY EQUALIZE THE PRESSURE IN SAID ROTOR PASSAGEWAYS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INTERCONNECTED VERTICAL PRESSURE EQUALIZING PASSAGEWAYS.