A meter housing comprises a meter space with a material inlet and a material outlet, and a wall portion extending between the material inlet and the material outlet. The wall portion has substantially the form of a cylinder sector. The wall portion has a scraper part, which extends substantially parallel to a central axis of the cylinder sector.

A lifting mechanism for operably attaching to one of the plurality of support legs on a bin is provided where the lifting mechanism is configured to sequentially lift and drop the support leg by a predetermined amount, whereby an impact shock generated by the drop is transmitted to the bin through the support leg and promote dislodging of any of the particulate material that may be in a non-flowable state to enhance dispensing of the particulate material from the bin. A bin assembly incorporating such lifting mechanism on at least one of its plurality of support legs is also disclosed.

A module connector for holding and/or transporting of bulk goods for connecting a first container module to a second container module, the container modules being joined together have an aligned container inner surface, a first seal arranged between the first container module and the second container module, a second seal arranged between the first container module and the second container module, the first seal is arranged in a recess and the second seal in a groove, the first seal forming an inner seal and the second seal forming an outer seal, the second seal produces a sealing of the interconnected container modules especially if the first seal fails, the first seal has at least one crimp region, which is crimped by a first and/or second flange surface such that one end face of the first seal is situated flush and/or aligned with the container inner surface without forming a cavity in the area of the end face of the first seal as well as a seal element for the module connector for the sealing of the container.

A module connector for holding and/or transporting of bulk goods for connecting a first container module to a second container module, the container modules being joined together have an aligned container inner surface, a first seal arranged between the first container module and the second container module, a second seal arranged between the first container module and the second container module, the first seal is arranged in a recess and the second seal in a groove, the first seal forming an inner seal and the second seal forming an outer seal, the second seal produces a sealing of the interconnected container modules especially if the first seal fails, the first seal has at least one crimp region, which is crimped by a first and/or second flange surface such that one end face of the first seal is situated flush and/or aligned with the container inner surface without forming a cavity in the area of the end face of the first seal as well as a seal element for the module connector for the sealing of the container.

A method of dislodging entrapped particulate material from an assembly of a bin and a hopper for dispensing the particulate material is disclosed. The method includes lifting at least one of a plurality of support legs off of the foundation by a predetermined amount by using at least one lifting mechanism that is resting on the foundation and operatively attached to one of the plurality of support legs; and dropping the at least one support leg into a free fall down on to the foundation using the lifting mechanism, whereby an impact shock thus produced is transmitted to the assembly of the bin and the hopper through the support leg and promote dislodging of any of the particulate material that may be in a non-flowable state to enhance dispensing of the particulate material from the assembly of the bin and the hopper.

In an article processing apparatus (1), a plurality of hoppers (12) are disposed in a circular shape and each of the plurality of hoppers (12) causes an article (100) received from an upstream side to temporarily stay and then discharges the article (100) toward a discharge opening (20) on a downstream side. Each of the hoppers (12) includes: a body portion (12A); a slide portion (12B) provided on a downstream side of the body portion (12A), and having a slide surface (120) extending continuously from the body portion (12A); and a gate (12C) provided on the body portion (12A) to switch between a first state where the gate (12C) causes the article (100) to stay in the body portion (12A) and a second state where the gate (12C) releases the staying of the article (100) to cause the article (100) to slide down from the body portion (12A). The slide portion (12B) has a length (L) or an angle (A) with respect to a horizontal direction (H) of a path along which the article (100) slides down the slide surface (120), takes off from a downstream end portion (120E) of the slide portion (12B), freely falls in a space (S) where the slide surface (120) does not exist, and then reaches the discharge opening (20), in the second state.

In an article processing apparatus (1), a plurality of hoppers (12) are disposed in a circular shape and each of the plurality of hoppers (12) causes an article (100) received from an upstream side to temporarily stay and then discharges the article (100) toward a discharge opening (20) on a downstream side. Each of the hoppers (12) includes: a body portion (12A); a slide portion (12B) provided on a downstream side of the body portion (12A), and having a slide surface (120) extending continuously from the body portion (12A); and a gate (12C) provided on the body portion (12A) to switch between a first state where the gate (12C) causes the article (100) to stay in the body portion (12A) and a second state where the gate (12C) releases the staying of the article (100) to cause the article (100) to slide down from the body portion (12A). The slide portion (12B) has a length (L) or an angle (A) with respect to a horizontal direction (H) of a path along which the article (100) slides down the slide surface (120), takes off from a downstream end portion (120E) of the slide portion (12B), freely falls in a space (S) where the slide surface (120) does not exist, and then reaches the discharge opening (20), in the second state.

A module connector for holding and/or transporting of bulk goods for connecting a first container module to a second container module, the container modules being joined together have an aligned container inner surface, a first seal arranged between the first container module and the second container module, a second seal arranged between the first container module and the second container module, the first seal is arranged in a recess and the second seal in a groove, the first seal forming an inner seal and the second seal forming an outer seal, the second seal produces a sealing of the interconnected container modules especially if the first seal fails, the first seal has at least one crimp region, which is crimped by a first and/or second flange surface such that one end face of the first seal is situated flush and/or aligned with the container inner surface without forming a cavity in the area of the end face of the first seal as well as a seal element for the module connector for the sealing of the container.

A spreader, in particular for winter service vehicles, for spreading out solid spreading materials includes a spreading-material container for receiving the solid spreading materials to be spread out, and at least one liquid tank arranged within the spreading-material container and having an at least partly flexible sheath and variable volume for receiving liquid. The spreader furthermore comprises a conveying device in a floor surface of the spreading-material container for conveying the spreading materials out of the spreading-material container. The floor surface of the spreading-material container is horizontal or almost horizontal, with the at least one liquid tank being arranged on or above the floor surface such that, upon an at least partial filling of the liquid tank, there is formed a sliding surface for the solid spreading materials to be spread out that is inclined toward the conveying device relative to the floor surface.

A spreader, in particular for winter service vehicles, for spreading out solid spreading materials includes a spreading-material container for receiving the solid spreading materials to be spread out, and at least one liquid tank arranged within the spreading-material container and having an at least partly flexible sheath and variable volume for receiving liquid. The spreader furthermore comprises a conveying device in a floor surface of the spreading-material container for conveying the spreading materials out of the spreading-material container. The floor surface of the spreading-material container is horizontal or almost horizontal, with the at least one liquid tank being arranged on or above the floor surface such that, upon an at least partial filling of the liquid tank, there is formed a sliding surface for the solid spreading materials to be spread out that is inclined toward the conveying device relative to the floor surface.