摘要 |
Feeder mechanism, suitable for use in a high-temperature furnace, comprises a rotatable, height-adjustable flat disc located axially below an outlet of a particulate raw material hopper and above (or within) but mounted on a rotatable funnel. Upon rotation of the disc and funnel, particulate raw material is gravity fed from the hopper onto the disc, then falls off the edge of the disc at a constant rate and is caught by the funnel which transports the raw material to a processing area, e.g. a crystal growing furnace, outside of the high-temperature furnace. A motor-driven, magnetically coupled mechanism for rotating the disc and funnel, and a threaded rod combined with nuts (along with bellows) for adjusting the separation between the disc and the hopper outlet (to control flow rate of the raw material), are provided outside of the space, e.g. high-temperature furnace, in which the combined hopper-disc-funnel are located.
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