A novel and improved open-top sample collector which is especially adapted for placement on, and removal from, a horizontal or inclined moving endless belt; and incorporates means which very effectively cause it to refrain from undesirable relative movement with respect to the moving endless belt conveyor at all times including those when the endless belt conveyor and the sample collector are moving beneath and receiving particulate material which is freely falling from above.
The distribution of flowable material falling onto a lower surface containing goods which are in the process of being baked can be periodically determined by disposing a multi-sectioned sampling device below the device that is distributing the flowable material to collect a representative sample of the flowable material, and then to analyze the amount of flowable material in each section of the multi-sectioned sampling device. When the flowable material is a solid or a liquid the multi-sectioned device is a multi-chambered device. When the flowable material is a viscous liquid the multi-sectioned device is an array of plates held in a framing.
