May 10, 1988

A self-cleaning feeder for particulate material, such as dry lime powder, utilizes a spaced coil helical spring rotating in an upright annular passage between a pair of pipes to convey the material from a stock pile source, such as a drum container supporting the feeder in upright position, to an outlet in controlled amounts. The coil spring projects into the stock pile and has a laterally extended tail or finger stirring or agitating the material to maintain it in contact with the spring. The inner pipe is bottomed on a plate resting on the bottom of the supply container and the outer pipe is carried above the plate by a spider stand on the plate. An inclined chute or tray supported from the outer pipe receives the material to slide it into a tank or apparatus. The top of the inner pipe provides a bottom bearing for a motor driven rotating drive rod receiving the spring therearound and a transverse bolt and nut assembly mounted through the drive rod clamps selected adjacent coils of the spring to the rod to rotate the spring with the rod. The spring can unwind and rewind in operation to free its coils and be raised or lowered on the rod to compensate for any change in length of the spring as it is loaded by the material so that the tail or finger of the spring will ride on or closely adjacent the mounting plate. An electric drive is coupled to the top of the drive rod being carried on a bracket supported on the outer pipe. A solid cylindrical rod may be used in place of the inner pipe.

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May 10, 1988

07/009,887

February 2, 1987

141/256   198/659

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5100367 - Apparatus for circulating and cleaning coin - Owned by Asahi Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo,JP) An apparatus for circulating and cleaning coins in a game machine or the like comprises a coin feeder including a coin recovering hopper set in a game machine or any other machine; a coin recovering duct for recovering coins from the machine to the coin recovering hopper; a coin cleaning and transporting duct having an inlet connected to an outlet chute of the coin feeder; a coin supply hopper connected to an outlet of the coin cleaning and transporting duct for receiving coins from the coin cleaning and transporting duct and supplying coins to be used for the machine; and an overflow coin chute for passing coins from the coin supply hopper to the coin recovering hopper.