| 摘要 |
An apparatus for supplying a granular material particularly a toner in a copying apparatus, comprises a material container which has a cylindrical interior wall with a discharge opening above the bottom of the wall on one side thereof. A rotatable scooping member in the form of a wire member having an elongated portion extending substantially parallel to and closely spaced from the interior wall along the longitudinal axis of the container rotates in the container and causes an agitation of the material so that it remains uniform and does not adhere to a wall of the container and in addition during its rotation it discharges a portion of the material outwardly through the discharge opening. The rotatable movement of the rotatable scooping member is effected through a driving transmission which includes a rotatable drive member having a leaf spring secured at its one end thereto and which projects radially outwardly. The free end of the leaf spring drives a rotatable member which is connected to the rotatable scoop to cause its rotation. During the movement of the spring the outer portion of the free end engages against a holding pin to cause the spring to flex until the rotation is such that the spring is suddenly released by the holding pin. This sudden release causes the spring to rapidly propel the scoop member ahead of it and to cause it to move rapidly and discharge the material picked up on its surface outwardly through the discharge opening. The holding pin is advantageously located so that the spring contacts the holding member just after it moves out of the material of the container toward the upper last quarter of its movement on one side of the container in a direction toward the opposite side having the discharge opening. In this manner the spring causes the scoop member to accelerate rapidly and to cause the material picked up thereby to become dislodged and move through the discharge opening. |
