Importance

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Abstract

A horticultural container filling apparatus has a hopper to selectively dispense soil through an exit. A two-tier strip conveyor assembly has a plurality of narrow conveyor belts coupled to a motor for translating the narrow conveyor belts in a first direction along a first plane below the exit of the hopper. The narrow conveyor belts spaced apart, defining one or more gaps. A plurality of support rails support and guide the narrow conveyor belts along the first plane and are configured to support and convey a container on the narrow conveyor belts in the first direction. The container receives a portion of the soil dispensed from the exit of the hopper, and the gaps pass a remaining portion of soil not received by the container to a second plane below the first plane. A catch conveyor belt along the second plane receives and translates the remaining portion of soil in a second direction along the second plane. A return conveyor assembly has one or more inclined conveyor belts for receiving the remaining portion of the soil from the catch conveyor belt returns the remaining portion to the hopper. The inclined conveyor belts are substantially flat belts, and an incline angle of the inclined conveyor belts is configured to generally prevent slippage of the remaining portion of the potting material.

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First Claim