CA1129274A - Animal-feeding device - Google Patents
Animal-feeding deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA1129274A CA1129274A CA338,328A CA338328A CA1129274A CA 1129274 A CA1129274 A CA 1129274A CA 338328 A CA338328 A CA 338328A CA 1129274 A CA1129274 A CA 1129274A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- drum
- feed
- hopper
- filling
- receiving
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 238000005192 partition Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 241001465754 Metazoa Species 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000010008 shearing Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000000875 corresponding effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000008188 pellet Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012544 monitoring process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K5/00—Feeding devices for stock or game ; Feeding wagons; Feeding stacks
- A01K5/02—Automatic devices
- A01K5/0275—Automatic devices with mechanisms for delivery of measured doses
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Birds (AREA)
- Animal Husbandry (AREA)
- Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
- Feeding And Watering For Cattle Raising And Animal Husbandry (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Two dosing chambers of adjustable volume are provided in a drum rotatable about a horizontal axis. Filling and emptying holes for the chambers are provided in the periphery of the drum each for connecting with a feed supply hopper in one position of the drum and with an outlet funnel leading to a delivery channel and a feed trough in another position of the drum. The arrange-ment is such that one chamber can be filled while the other empties. The outlet funnel is provided with a partition and separate outlet channels so that one dosing chamber empties into one channel and the other into another channel. The drum is arranged to be driven from the first position to the second at preset-table times, and to return to the first position after the dosing chamber becomes empty, preferably by an electric motor of the kind used in windshield wipers. Seals are provided between the hopper and the drum, so that the bottom of the hopper is closed when the opening into the dosing chamber is out of the filling position.
Two dosing chambers of adjustable volume are provided in a drum rotatable about a horizontal axis. Filling and emptying holes for the chambers are provided in the periphery of the drum each for connecting with a feed supply hopper in one position of the drum and with an outlet funnel leading to a delivery channel and a feed trough in another position of the drum. The arrange-ment is such that one chamber can be filled while the other empties. The outlet funnel is provided with a partition and separate outlet channels so that one dosing chamber empties into one channel and the other into another channel. The drum is arranged to be driven from the first position to the second at preset-table times, and to return to the first position after the dosing chamber becomes empty, preferably by an electric motor of the kind used in windshield wipers. Seals are provided between the hopper and the drum, so that the bottom of the hopper is closed when the opening into the dosing chamber is out of the filling position.
Description
7~
This invention concerns equipment for feeding animals by dispensing loose feed, especially for horses, comprising a supply hopper for the feed, at the discharge opening of which a dosing device for measuring out a pre-determined amount of feed is connected, from which the measured-out portion of the feed is automatically dispensed at predetermined moments of time into at least one feed trough or the like.
An animal-feed device is known, for example, from United States Patent 3,962,997 in which the dosing device connected to the hopper has a motor-driven feed screw which moves the loose feed flowing out of the hopper either during various predetermined time periods directly into the feed trough or into a dosing chamber which automatically flops over and empties its contents into the feed trough after a certain degree of fullness is reached.
The provision of a feed screw represents a disproportionately large machinery expense, quite apart from the fact that a considerable series of feedstuffs exist that are not directly usable with screw-type conveyors be-cause with them the screw channels become stopped up or the feed screw becomes damaged or jammed by hard particles.
The known animal-feed equipment shown i.n French Patent 2,287,850 operates without such a feed screw and provides a dosing chamber of adjustable volume having a bottom closed by a flap, this chamber being laterally connect-ed to the supply hopper. After the filling of a predetermined quantity of the loose feed into the dosing chamber, the discharge opening of the supply hopper is shut off by the fall of a sliding shutter which simultaneously sats free the bottom flap of the dosing chamber, so that the measured out feed portion can run out into the feed trough.
This device indeed has a relatively simple construction, but the accurac~ of measuring out the feed portions with it is, however, relatively llZ~;~7~
sm.lll ~ p.lrticll].lrly if the sul-ply hopper is not completely filled with feed.
According to the presellt invention there is provided an animal feed apportiolling and dislensing device comprising: a feed supply hopper having a discharge opening in a lower portion thereof; receiving and delivering means subdivided into two separate portions for receiving feed from above, each portion comprising an individual outlet channel for delivering feed received to an animal-feeding container; a rotatable drum for measu-ring out feed portions, mounted below said discharge opening of said hopper and above said receiving and delivering means; said drum being a cylindrical drum mounted on a horizontal axis and containing two separate dosing chambers, each of which is connected with a respective one of two filling and emptying openings, said two filling and empty-ing openings being offset from each other circumferentially on the surface of said drum, such that in a first position of said drum one of said filling and emptying openings is directed towards said hopper discharge opening, while the other filling and emptying opening is directed towards one portion of said receiving and delivering means, and, in a second position of said drum, said one receiving and emptying opening is directed towards the other portion of said receiving and delivering means, while said other filling and emptying opening is directed towards said hopper opening, said drum having a wall portion for temporarily closing off said hopper discharge opening when said drum is rotated; and selectively controllable driving means coupled to said drum for rotating said drum from each of said first and second positions of said drum to the other, and control means for automatically operating said driving means at predetermined moments of time.
The rotatable drum makes it possible to pick up from the hopper a prescribed quantity of feed determined by the dosing chamber volume, the magnitude of which is independent of the filling condition of the supply hopper if the latter contains at least that quantity. Since the feed portion contained in the . ~
, ~- .¢
7~
dosing chan1ber ancl thcreby measured out is dispensed out by a simple turning of the dosing drum, wl1ile at the same ti111e a wall portion of the drum seals off the discharge opening of the hopper, the feeding device of the invention has the benefit of very simple construction that provides a reliable maintenance-free operation even with feedstuffs that are difficult to handle.
There are cases in which it is desired either to serve an animal alternately feed portions of different sizes or to serve two or more animals from the same supply hopper, with, if necessary, feed portions of different sizes.
Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the dosing chambers has a device for changing its volume. It is thus possible to adjust the volume of the chambers so as to apportion the amount of feed to the particular animal to be fed in accordance with requirements and to do this conveniently and at any value desired.
The arrangement for adjusting the volume of each chamber may consist of a floor adjustable to the desired height. It is, furthermore, practical for the dosing drum to be positioned in the casing enclosing it on all sides to which the supply hopper is affixed and from the bottom of which the receiving and delivering means lead downwards. The casing can have an outlet funnel forming at least a part of its bottom, and to which the outlet channels are connected, so that in the outlet region the necessity for supplementary individual seal devices between the dosing drum and the casing is eliminated.
The drum can, furthermore, be sealed by brush strips against the hopper discharge opening. It is also possible for this purpose to use elastic seal strips or the like. For example, in the case of pellet-type feed, in order to assure that no feed pellets or grains would jam between the outer drum wall and the rim of the hopper discharge opening, it is advantageous if the drum in the region of its filling and emptying opening is provided with a shearing edge ~lZ5~
cooperatillg with a sharp shearing edge or blade of the hopper in the region of its discharge opening, so that any pellets or other particles of feed remaining suspended at this location will be cut through.
The drive for the drum can comprise an electrical drive motor with automatic return into the initial position, such as are economically available, for example, in the form of windshield wiper motors.
For monitoring the operating conditions of the dosing device, it is advantageous for the dosing drum to be made at least partly transparent. If it should be mounted in a casing, the casing should accordingly have at least one inspection window giving a view of a transparent part of the dosing drum.
The invention is further described by way of illustrative example with reference to the annexed drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an animal-feeding installation having two animal-feed devices according to the invcntion;
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view in a vertical section of the feeding device of the feed installation of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the dosing section of the feed device of Figure 2; and Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sections on the line IV - IV of Figure 3, respectively showing two different orientations of the dosing drum.
The animal-feed installation shown in Figure 1 has two feed devices 1 controlled by a central control unit 2 that at predetermined points of time, set by a time switch unit 3, sends out control pulses to the individual feed devices 1 over condutors 4, in response to which the feed device dispenses the predetermined feed portions.
Each feed device 1 has a boxlike supply container 5 with a hopper bottom for holding feed 6 that is loose enough for release by gravity from the hopper bottom 7 that terminates in the discharge opening 8. At the hopper . ~s opening 8 there is connected a dosing device 9 that in common with the supply hopper 5 is enclosed in a casing ll having a removable front cover lla and capable of being affixed to a wall or the like. The hopper 5 can be closed by its hinged cover 10.
The front cover lla carries on its inner side a lock 42 that co-operates with an extension plate 5b so that the cover lla can be locked. It also carries upper and lower positioning strips llb and llc that respectively grip over the top edge of the hopper 5 and over an angle strip 5a at the bottom of the casing near the front. The apportioned amounts of feed dispensed by the dosing device 9 run through outlet channels 12a and 12b to a feed trough 13.
The dosing device 9 has a cylindrical dosing drum 14 which as shown, for example, in Figure 3, has a hub 15 affixed to the center of one drum face by a flange and mounted to rotate with the shaft 16 of a drive motor 17 which is mounted on a housing 19 enclosing the drum 14. The drum 14 is closed off on its other face by a transparent synthetic plastic disk 20 that is removable by means of a knob 22, for example, for adjustment of the portion size or for cleaning of the inside of the drum 14, after removal of a likewise transparent fixed part housing 21 that forms an observation window.
The dosing drum 14 contains two separate dosing chambers 25a and 25b, each of which has its own filling and emptying opening 23a, 23b. The two chambers are separated from each other by a partition 34. Each chamber 25a, 25b is closed below by a floor piece 26 that is selectively adjustable in height.
The chambers 25a and 25b can respectively have different filling volumes set by corresponding adjustment of the adjustable floor pieces 26. Their filling and emptying openings 23a and 23b are offset from each other on the circumference of the dosing drum 14 and the funnel 32 at the bottom of the casing 19 has a partition 35 that separates from each other the feed collecting spaces corre-sponding to two separate run-out channels 12a and 12b.
For adjustmcnt of each bottom piece 26, there are provided two series of holes 27 in each of the side walls 24 in which holding studs 28 for the bottom yiece 26 can be inserted.
In the first position of the dosing drum, as represented in Figures 3 and 4, tlle filling and emptying opening 23b is connected and sealed to the discharge opening 8 of the supply hopper 5. For this purpose, an elastic circular seal strip 29 is provided on the housing 19 that slides on the periphery of the dosing drum 14, while as shown in Figure 4 straight brush strips 30 affixed to the housing 19, together with a brush strip 31b set on the dosing drum 14 adjacent the rim of the filling and emptying opening 23b, complete the sealing of the gap between the peripheral surface of the dosing drum 14 and the neighboring wall of the casing 19. A further brush strip 31a is located in the neighborhood of the rim of the filling and emptying opening 23a.
In the first position of the dosing drum 14 illustrated in Figure 4, the left dosing chamber 25b is connected with the supply hopper 5, so that the dosing chamber 25b is completely filled with feed through the hopper discharge opening 8 and the filling and emptying opening 23b of the drum. The feed enters in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 4. The amount of feed going into the dosing chamber 25 is determined by the level of the bottom piece 26.
As the left dosing chamber 25b is filled, the right-hand dosing chamber 25a is emptied through the run-out channel 12a, and the two feed collecting spaces relating to the two run-out channels 12a and 12b are sealed from each other by the brush strip 31a.
At a predetermined moment, the control unit 2 provides an electrical pulse to the drive motor 17 which in response rotates the dosing drum 14 into the second position illustrated in Figure 5, in which the feed contained in the dosing chamber 25b goes into the left hand feed collecting space in discharge funnel 32, then into the run-out channel 12b. At the same time, as is :
particularly to be seen :in rigure 5, the dosing chamber 25a is filled from the supply hopper 5. In this positioll the brush strip 31b provides the seal against the collecting space for the run-out channel 12a. As the drum is being rotated from one position to the other, opening 8 is closed by a wall portion of the dosing drum 14 together with the brus~l strip 30 and the sealing flap 29~ so that no feed can come out of the feed hopper 5.
After the feed contained in the dosing chamber 25b has flowed out, and when it is time to supply feed to run-out channel 12a, the drive motor 17 rotates the dosing chamber 14 back into the position shown in Figure 4 in which chamber 25a is emptied and chamber 25b is again automatically filled with feed from the supply hopper 5, so that it stands ready in position for the next feeding command.
Each feeding device 1 can, morever, if desired, also be provided with a supplementary control unit which permits giving commands to the drive motor 17 according to an individual program or by hand.
In order to prevent granular or pellet-like feed particles from jamming between the rim of a filling and emptyi.ng opening 23a or 23b and the corresponding rim of the hopper discharge opening 8 when the dosing drum 14 is rotated, in each case an edge 40 of the filling and emptying opening 23a, 23b is constituted as a sharp knife or cutti.ng edge that cooperates with an opposed cutter 41 provided on the hopper bottom 7 or the casing 19 in such a way that any feed particles sticking or somehow held will be cut through.
Although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood that modifications and variations are possible within the inventive concept and that features of one illustrated em-bodiment may be applicable to or incorporated in other illustrated embodiments.
This invention concerns equipment for feeding animals by dispensing loose feed, especially for horses, comprising a supply hopper for the feed, at the discharge opening of which a dosing device for measuring out a pre-determined amount of feed is connected, from which the measured-out portion of the feed is automatically dispensed at predetermined moments of time into at least one feed trough or the like.
An animal-feed device is known, for example, from United States Patent 3,962,997 in which the dosing device connected to the hopper has a motor-driven feed screw which moves the loose feed flowing out of the hopper either during various predetermined time periods directly into the feed trough or into a dosing chamber which automatically flops over and empties its contents into the feed trough after a certain degree of fullness is reached.
The provision of a feed screw represents a disproportionately large machinery expense, quite apart from the fact that a considerable series of feedstuffs exist that are not directly usable with screw-type conveyors be-cause with them the screw channels become stopped up or the feed screw becomes damaged or jammed by hard particles.
The known animal-feed equipment shown i.n French Patent 2,287,850 operates without such a feed screw and provides a dosing chamber of adjustable volume having a bottom closed by a flap, this chamber being laterally connect-ed to the supply hopper. After the filling of a predetermined quantity of the loose feed into the dosing chamber, the discharge opening of the supply hopper is shut off by the fall of a sliding shutter which simultaneously sats free the bottom flap of the dosing chamber, so that the measured out feed portion can run out into the feed trough.
This device indeed has a relatively simple construction, but the accurac~ of measuring out the feed portions with it is, however, relatively llZ~;~7~
sm.lll ~ p.lrticll].lrly if the sul-ply hopper is not completely filled with feed.
According to the presellt invention there is provided an animal feed apportiolling and dislensing device comprising: a feed supply hopper having a discharge opening in a lower portion thereof; receiving and delivering means subdivided into two separate portions for receiving feed from above, each portion comprising an individual outlet channel for delivering feed received to an animal-feeding container; a rotatable drum for measu-ring out feed portions, mounted below said discharge opening of said hopper and above said receiving and delivering means; said drum being a cylindrical drum mounted on a horizontal axis and containing two separate dosing chambers, each of which is connected with a respective one of two filling and emptying openings, said two filling and empty-ing openings being offset from each other circumferentially on the surface of said drum, such that in a first position of said drum one of said filling and emptying openings is directed towards said hopper discharge opening, while the other filling and emptying opening is directed towards one portion of said receiving and delivering means, and, in a second position of said drum, said one receiving and emptying opening is directed towards the other portion of said receiving and delivering means, while said other filling and emptying opening is directed towards said hopper opening, said drum having a wall portion for temporarily closing off said hopper discharge opening when said drum is rotated; and selectively controllable driving means coupled to said drum for rotating said drum from each of said first and second positions of said drum to the other, and control means for automatically operating said driving means at predetermined moments of time.
The rotatable drum makes it possible to pick up from the hopper a prescribed quantity of feed determined by the dosing chamber volume, the magnitude of which is independent of the filling condition of the supply hopper if the latter contains at least that quantity. Since the feed portion contained in the . ~
, ~- .¢
7~
dosing chan1ber ancl thcreby measured out is dispensed out by a simple turning of the dosing drum, wl1ile at the same ti111e a wall portion of the drum seals off the discharge opening of the hopper, the feeding device of the invention has the benefit of very simple construction that provides a reliable maintenance-free operation even with feedstuffs that are difficult to handle.
There are cases in which it is desired either to serve an animal alternately feed portions of different sizes or to serve two or more animals from the same supply hopper, with, if necessary, feed portions of different sizes.
Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the dosing chambers has a device for changing its volume. It is thus possible to adjust the volume of the chambers so as to apportion the amount of feed to the particular animal to be fed in accordance with requirements and to do this conveniently and at any value desired.
The arrangement for adjusting the volume of each chamber may consist of a floor adjustable to the desired height. It is, furthermore, practical for the dosing drum to be positioned in the casing enclosing it on all sides to which the supply hopper is affixed and from the bottom of which the receiving and delivering means lead downwards. The casing can have an outlet funnel forming at least a part of its bottom, and to which the outlet channels are connected, so that in the outlet region the necessity for supplementary individual seal devices between the dosing drum and the casing is eliminated.
The drum can, furthermore, be sealed by brush strips against the hopper discharge opening. It is also possible for this purpose to use elastic seal strips or the like. For example, in the case of pellet-type feed, in order to assure that no feed pellets or grains would jam between the outer drum wall and the rim of the hopper discharge opening, it is advantageous if the drum in the region of its filling and emptying opening is provided with a shearing edge ~lZ5~
cooperatillg with a sharp shearing edge or blade of the hopper in the region of its discharge opening, so that any pellets or other particles of feed remaining suspended at this location will be cut through.
The drive for the drum can comprise an electrical drive motor with automatic return into the initial position, such as are economically available, for example, in the form of windshield wiper motors.
For monitoring the operating conditions of the dosing device, it is advantageous for the dosing drum to be made at least partly transparent. If it should be mounted in a casing, the casing should accordingly have at least one inspection window giving a view of a transparent part of the dosing drum.
The invention is further described by way of illustrative example with reference to the annexed drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an animal-feeding installation having two animal-feed devices according to the invcntion;
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view in a vertical section of the feeding device of the feed installation of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the dosing section of the feed device of Figure 2; and Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sections on the line IV - IV of Figure 3, respectively showing two different orientations of the dosing drum.
The animal-feed installation shown in Figure 1 has two feed devices 1 controlled by a central control unit 2 that at predetermined points of time, set by a time switch unit 3, sends out control pulses to the individual feed devices 1 over condutors 4, in response to which the feed device dispenses the predetermined feed portions.
Each feed device 1 has a boxlike supply container 5 with a hopper bottom for holding feed 6 that is loose enough for release by gravity from the hopper bottom 7 that terminates in the discharge opening 8. At the hopper . ~s opening 8 there is connected a dosing device 9 that in common with the supply hopper 5 is enclosed in a casing ll having a removable front cover lla and capable of being affixed to a wall or the like. The hopper 5 can be closed by its hinged cover 10.
The front cover lla carries on its inner side a lock 42 that co-operates with an extension plate 5b so that the cover lla can be locked. It also carries upper and lower positioning strips llb and llc that respectively grip over the top edge of the hopper 5 and over an angle strip 5a at the bottom of the casing near the front. The apportioned amounts of feed dispensed by the dosing device 9 run through outlet channels 12a and 12b to a feed trough 13.
The dosing device 9 has a cylindrical dosing drum 14 which as shown, for example, in Figure 3, has a hub 15 affixed to the center of one drum face by a flange and mounted to rotate with the shaft 16 of a drive motor 17 which is mounted on a housing 19 enclosing the drum 14. The drum 14 is closed off on its other face by a transparent synthetic plastic disk 20 that is removable by means of a knob 22, for example, for adjustment of the portion size or for cleaning of the inside of the drum 14, after removal of a likewise transparent fixed part housing 21 that forms an observation window.
The dosing drum 14 contains two separate dosing chambers 25a and 25b, each of which has its own filling and emptying opening 23a, 23b. The two chambers are separated from each other by a partition 34. Each chamber 25a, 25b is closed below by a floor piece 26 that is selectively adjustable in height.
The chambers 25a and 25b can respectively have different filling volumes set by corresponding adjustment of the adjustable floor pieces 26. Their filling and emptying openings 23a and 23b are offset from each other on the circumference of the dosing drum 14 and the funnel 32 at the bottom of the casing 19 has a partition 35 that separates from each other the feed collecting spaces corre-sponding to two separate run-out channels 12a and 12b.
For adjustmcnt of each bottom piece 26, there are provided two series of holes 27 in each of the side walls 24 in which holding studs 28 for the bottom yiece 26 can be inserted.
In the first position of the dosing drum, as represented in Figures 3 and 4, tlle filling and emptying opening 23b is connected and sealed to the discharge opening 8 of the supply hopper 5. For this purpose, an elastic circular seal strip 29 is provided on the housing 19 that slides on the periphery of the dosing drum 14, while as shown in Figure 4 straight brush strips 30 affixed to the housing 19, together with a brush strip 31b set on the dosing drum 14 adjacent the rim of the filling and emptying opening 23b, complete the sealing of the gap between the peripheral surface of the dosing drum 14 and the neighboring wall of the casing 19. A further brush strip 31a is located in the neighborhood of the rim of the filling and emptying opening 23a.
In the first position of the dosing drum 14 illustrated in Figure 4, the left dosing chamber 25b is connected with the supply hopper 5, so that the dosing chamber 25b is completely filled with feed through the hopper discharge opening 8 and the filling and emptying opening 23b of the drum. The feed enters in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 4. The amount of feed going into the dosing chamber 25 is determined by the level of the bottom piece 26.
As the left dosing chamber 25b is filled, the right-hand dosing chamber 25a is emptied through the run-out channel 12a, and the two feed collecting spaces relating to the two run-out channels 12a and 12b are sealed from each other by the brush strip 31a.
At a predetermined moment, the control unit 2 provides an electrical pulse to the drive motor 17 which in response rotates the dosing drum 14 into the second position illustrated in Figure 5, in which the feed contained in the dosing chamber 25b goes into the left hand feed collecting space in discharge funnel 32, then into the run-out channel 12b. At the same time, as is :
particularly to be seen :in rigure 5, the dosing chamber 25a is filled from the supply hopper 5. In this positioll the brush strip 31b provides the seal against the collecting space for the run-out channel 12a. As the drum is being rotated from one position to the other, opening 8 is closed by a wall portion of the dosing drum 14 together with the brus~l strip 30 and the sealing flap 29~ so that no feed can come out of the feed hopper 5.
After the feed contained in the dosing chamber 25b has flowed out, and when it is time to supply feed to run-out channel 12a, the drive motor 17 rotates the dosing chamber 14 back into the position shown in Figure 4 in which chamber 25a is emptied and chamber 25b is again automatically filled with feed from the supply hopper 5, so that it stands ready in position for the next feeding command.
Each feeding device 1 can, morever, if desired, also be provided with a supplementary control unit which permits giving commands to the drive motor 17 according to an individual program or by hand.
In order to prevent granular or pellet-like feed particles from jamming between the rim of a filling and emptyi.ng opening 23a or 23b and the corresponding rim of the hopper discharge opening 8 when the dosing drum 14 is rotated, in each case an edge 40 of the filling and emptying opening 23a, 23b is constituted as a sharp knife or cutti.ng edge that cooperates with an opposed cutter 41 provided on the hopper bottom 7 or the casing 19 in such a way that any feed particles sticking or somehow held will be cut through.
Although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood that modifications and variations are possible within the inventive concept and that features of one illustrated em-bodiment may be applicable to or incorporated in other illustrated embodiments.
Claims (13)
- THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
]. An animal feed apportioning and dispensing device comprising:
a feed supply hopper having a discharge opening in a lower portion thereof;
receiving and delivering means subdivided into two separate portions for receiving feed from above, each portion comprising an individual outlet channel for delivering feed received to an animal-feeding container;
a rotatable drum for measuring out feed portions, mounted below said discharge opening of said hopper and above said receiving and delivering means;
said drum being a cylindrical drum mounted on a horizontal axis and containing two separate dosing chambers, each of which is connected with a respective one of two filling and emptying openings, said two filling and emptying openings being offset from each other circumferentially on the surface of said drum, such that in a first position of said drum one of said filling and emptying openings is directed towards said hopper discharge opening, while the other filling and emptying opening is directed towards one portion of said receiving and delivering means, and, in a second position of said drum, said one receiving and emptying opening is directed towards the other portion of said receiving and delivering means, while said other filling and emptying opening is directed towards said hopper opening, said drum having a wall portion for temporarily closing off said hopper discharge opening when said drum is rotated; and selectively controllable driving means coupled to said drum for rotating said drum from each of said first and second positions of said drum to the other, and control means for automatically operating said driving means at predetermined moments of time. - 2. A device as defined in claim 1, in which each of said dosing chambers is equipped with means for varying the volume of the chamber.
- 3. A device as defined in claim 2, in which said means for varying the volume of said dosing chambers comprise a floor for each of said dosing chambers which is adjustable in its spacing from the associated filling and emptying opening.
- 4. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said drum is mounted in a housing enclosing it on all sides, which is connected to said supply hopper and from the bottom of which said receiving and delivering means lead downwards.
- 5. A device as defined in claim 4, in which said receiving and delivering means comprise an outlet funnel forming at least part of the bottom of said casing to which the outlet channels are connected.
- 6. A device as defined in claim 5, in which said funnel is provided with an interior partition between said two outlet channels.
- 7. A device as defined in claim 1, in which brush strips are provided for sealing said drum against said hopper discharge opening.
- 8. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said drum is provided with a sharp edge adjacent each of said filling and emptying openings and a stationary shearing edge is provided adjacent said hopper discharge opening, said sharp edge and said shearing edge being disposed for cooperation in a shearing action on particles of feed engaged therebetween.
- 9. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said driving means comprise an electric motor having means for automatically returning the motor to an initial position.
- 10. A device as defined in claim 1, in which said drum is so constructed that it is at least in part transparent.
- 11. A device as defined in claim 4, in which said drum has a transparent part and in which said housing has at least one observation window providing a view through said transparent part of said drum.
- 12. A device as defined in claim 1, in which at least said drum and said hopper are disposed in a common enclosure having a removable cover on at least one side thereof.
- 13. A device as defined in claim 12, including means for holding said removable cover of said enclosure in position and means for locking said removable cover in position on said enclosure and thereby locking said enclosure.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE19782846313 DE2846313A1 (en) | 1978-10-24 | 1978-10-24 | ANIMAL FEEDING DEVICE |
| DEP2846313.0 | 1978-10-24 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1129274A true CA1129274A (en) | 1982-08-10 |
Family
ID=6053006
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA338,328A Expired CA1129274A (en) | 1978-10-24 | 1979-10-24 | Animal-feeding device |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0010700B1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1129274A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE2846313A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB8529955D0 (en) * | 1985-12-05 | 1986-01-15 | Westinghouse Brake & Signal | Inlet arrangement for rotary valve |
| AU5332894A (en) * | 1992-10-27 | 1994-05-24 | Carl-Heinz Kapitz | Animal-feeding apparatus |
| DE19735816C2 (en) * | 1997-08-18 | 1999-08-19 | Poppner | Self-dosing feed dispenser |
| GB9922845D0 (en) * | 1999-09-27 | 1999-11-24 | Allen Peter W | Appartus for supplying animal feed |
| GB2428425B (en) * | 2005-07-15 | 2009-10-07 | Peter William Allen | Apparatus for supplying animal feed |
Family Cites Families (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE1852270U (en) * | 1962-03-26 | 1962-05-24 | Hermann Achterberg | AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE. |
| DE1886080U (en) * | 1962-04-25 | 1964-01-16 | Henning Von Jeinsen | INDEPENDENT FEED DISPENSING DEVICE FOR PIG FASTING SYSTEMS. |
| DE1185116B (en) * | 1962-06-26 | 1965-01-07 | Balthasar Hasselbach | Rotary valve |
| US3606099A (en) * | 1970-01-26 | 1971-09-20 | Procter & Gamble | Apparatus for the uniform delivery of granular material |
| DE2354802A1 (en) * | 1973-11-02 | 1975-05-07 | Erich Borgers | Metered bird-seed food unit for carrier pigeons - holds horizontal notched roller positioned tangentially to side of hopper |
| FR2373227A1 (en) * | 1976-12-07 | 1978-07-07 | Carlou Pierre | Animal feed dispensing machine - has flexible deflectors forming discharge passage between hopper and drum rotated in single revolutions |
-
1978
- 1978-10-24 DE DE19782846313 patent/DE2846313A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1979
- 1979-10-19 EP EP19790104042 patent/EP0010700B1/en not_active Expired
- 1979-10-24 CA CA338,328A patent/CA1129274A/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE2846313A1 (en) | 1980-05-08 |
| EP0010700A1 (en) | 1980-05-14 |
| EP0010700B1 (en) | 1982-12-01 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |