Apparatus and methods for storing and dispensing solid material

1. A dispensing device for storing and dispensing at least one material in solid form, the device comprising housing defining a compartment for storing a material, a gate valve with a variable gate valve opening operable to vary the rate at which the material is dispensed from the compartment, and at least one interface operable to releasably connect the dispensing device to at least one control unit having a corresponding interface and operable to control the gate valve in response to a signal of at least one weighing apparatus to control the amount of material dispensed.

2. The dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein the compartment has a tapered lower section and the gate valve opening is at a bottom of the tapered lower section.

3. The dispensing device according to claim 2 wherein the gate valve opening is closed by a gate, said gate being supported by a rim of the gate valve opening.

4. The dispensing device according to claim 3 wherein the gate is guided in a notch extending radially with respect to the gate valve opening.

5. The dispensing device according to one of the claims 3 or 4 wherein the gate comprises an elastic material.

6. The dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weighing apparatus is integrated in the dispensing device.

7. The dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein the dispensing device comprises an agitator operable to agitate the material stored in the compartment.

8. The dispensing device according to claim 7 wherein the agitator comprises an interface to interconnect the agitator to said at least one control unit.

9. A dispensing device according to claim 7 wherein the agitator is in the compartment.

10. The dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein the dispensing device comprises at least one storing device operable to hold information about the material stored in the compartment.

11. A dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein the housing has a longitudinal axis and the gate valve opening is closed by a gate having an end, the end of the gate being moveable generally longitudinally of the housing to open and close the gate valve opening.

12. A dispensing device according to claim 11 wherein the end of the gate is interconnected to a bushing that is moveable generally longitudinally of the housing.

13. A dispensing device according to claim 11 wherein the gate valve opening extends generally laterally outward with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

14. A dispensing device according to claim 11 further comprising a spring, the gate being biased toward its closed position by the biasing member.

15. A dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein the housing has a longitudinal axis and the gate valve opening has an inclined orientation relative to said longitudinal axis.

16. A method for dispensing material, the method comprising the following steps:

a) Interconnecting a dispensing device comprising a material in a compartment sealingly closed by a gate valve to a control unit using an interface;

b) Moving a gate of the gate valve to open a gate valve opening and dispense material stored in the compartment through the gate valve opening;

c) Adjusting the position of the gate as a function of a signal from a weighing device operable to measure a weight of the material dispensed from the gate valve opening until a predetermined amount of material has been dispensed and the gate valve opening is closed by the gate.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising using an agitator in the compartment to agitate the material stored in the compartment.

18. The method according to claim 16 further comprising using a storing device to store information about the material contained in the dispensing device and providing said information to the control means.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the information is exchanged via the interface.