Measuring and dispensing apparatus

Abstract

A measuring and dispensing device includes a cylinder divided by radial vanes into a plurality of passages. At the top of the cylinder is arranged a disc segment which is capable of closing off a plurality of the aforesaid passages. A disc segment is also arranged at the bottom of the cylinder to close off a greater number of the passages. The upper disc segment is staggered relative to the lower disc segment with which it overlaps so that no clear and direct passage is afforded through any of the passages in the cylinder. A bin of material such as rice, flour, metal parts or the like is superposed over the cylinder. The aforesaid disc segments are driven by a manually operated spring loaded belt such that the belt can be displaced for the discharge of a selectable number of passages. Upon displacement of the belt, a spring is loaded to return the belt for driving the disc segments. The disc segments are driven by the belt through the intermediary of a ratchet arrangement or the like so that the discs are driven in one direction only.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus comprising a source of flowable material, passage means having a sequence of parallel passages adapted for being fed by said source, said passages having inlets and outlets, first blocking means displaceable to obturate selected of said inlets whereby to prevent feeding of the associated passages from said source while the remainder of said inlets are open so that the corresponding passages can be fed from said source, second blocking means to obturate selected of said outlets constituting less than all of the same but including at least those of said outlets associated with the passages whose inlets are not obturated by said first blocking means, and drive means for the concomitant driving of said first and second blocking means to displace the same relative to said sequence of passages whereby said material can flow into selected passages and out of selected passages but is prevented from flowing from said source directly through any of the passages; said drive means including control means displaceable through distances corresponding to selectable numbers of said passages, storage means to store energy corresponding to the displacement of said control means, coupling means effective on release of said control means and responsive to said storage means to drive the first and second blocking means across said inlets and outlets to release material from the selected number of passages and to permit the recharging of the passages from said source, and scale means cooperatively related to said control means whereby displacement of said control means can be related to selectable amounts of said material, said control means including a drive mechanism, means for manually displacing said drive mechanism, a shaft driven by said drive mechanism, and a spring loading said shaft to return the same to a normal position of rest. 
     
     
       2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said passage means is disposed to be fed gravitationally from said source. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said passage means includes a cylinder having a generally vertical axis and a plurality of radially disposed separators in said cylinder dividing the same into said passages which are of generally equal angular extent. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said source is a bin superposed over said cylinder and scraper means in said bin to dislodge the material therein, said scraper means being connected to and driven by said shaft. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said blocking means are disc segments overlaping by an amount equivalent to at least two passages. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein one of said disc segments defines a generally wedge shaped opening which is centered relative to the other said disc segment. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a stop for defining the position of rest for the shaft, said spring loading the shaft against said stop. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for manually displacing the belt includes a grip fixedly on said drive mechanism, said being displaceable to a selectable position relative to said scale means. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling means includes first and second coaxial drive discs, said first drive disc driving by said shaft, unidirectional drive means coupling said drive discs so that said second drive disc is driven only in one direction of rotation of said shaft, and further means coupling said second drive disc to at least one of said blocking means. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said further means includes a belt for driving both said blocking means. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second blocking means are connected for simultaneous movement and are both disc segments which respectively cover an extent of less than and more than 180°. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the angular extents of the segments total over 360°. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the first blocking means has an angular extent of about forty percent that of the second blocking means. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive mechanism includes a rate control means to control the rate at which said blocking means are driven. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising locking means to hold the blocking means in fixed position. .Iadd. 16. Apparatus comprising a source of flowable material, passage means including a plurality of radially disposed vanes defining a plurality of passages adapted for being fed by said source, first means to expose selected of said passages but less than all of the same to feeding from said source, second means to expose selected of said passages but less than all of the same for discharging the contents of the same, and drive means for the relative displacement of said passages relative to said first and second means whereby said material can flow into selected passages and out of selected passages but is prevented from flowing from said source directly through any of the passages; said drive means including control means displaceable through distances corresponding to selectable numbers of said passages, coupling means effective on release of said control means to displace said passages relative to the first and second means to charge material into release material from the selected number of passages, and scale means cooperatively related to said control means whereby displacement of said control means can be related to selectable amounts of said material, said control means including a drive mechanism, means for manually displacing said drive mechanisn, a shaft driven by said drive mechanism, and means to return the shaft to a normal position of rest, said vanes being coupled to said shaft. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the last said means is a spring. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said passage means is disposed to be fed gravitationally from said source. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said source is a bin superposed over said passage means in said bin to dislodge the material therein, said scraper means being connected to and driven by said shaft. .Iaddend.