GB2049455A - Mixing and dispensing machine for animal feed - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotor shaft 17 rotates at 5-15 r.p.m. to mix material without unintentional discharge of the material through an opening 15 in the top of the container 10 which remains open during mixing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mixing and dispensing machine This invention relates to mixing and dispensing machines, particularly but not exclusively, for mixing and dispensing feed for animals.

In feeding animals it is often necessary to blend together various feed components to provide a mixture which contains the nutrients the animals need. For example, the basic feed components may be silage, treated straw, maize or the like, and additives such as molasses, sugar beet pulp, cereals, fish meal and the like may need to be mixed into the basic component. Once mixed the feed has to be dispensed to the animals, without waste, at the point of consumption which may be in a manger or other receptacle.

Sometimes mixing is by a mixing machine which mixes large batches of feed which is then stored.

Such stored feed is then dispensed by any convenient means. Alternatively machines which both mix and dispense the feed in relatively small batches are used but such machines have either been relatively expensive due to the complicated mixing mechanism or, in dispensing the feed, discharge has been in somewhat random manner. For example, it is known to mix feed in a machine comprising a cylindrical container having a rotor therein carrying a plurality of flail chains so that, as the rotor is rotated, mixing of material in the container is effected. Discharge of mixed material from the container is by opening the upper lid of the container during rotation of the rotor whereby the material is thrown out of the container.

It will be appreciated that with such a manner of discharge the material is not readily deposited in one place and spillage and waste occurs.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine capable of mixing and dispensing feed material which is relatively inexpensive and accurate in distribution of the discharged material.

According to the invention a material mixing and dispensing machine comprises a container of partcylindrical form and having a rotor shaft extending axially of the container, a plurality of rigid members attached to, axially spaced along and extending in a radially outward direction of the shaft so that the outer ends of the members are adjacent the inner cylindrical wall of the container, drive means for rotating the shaft at a speed in the range 5-15 r.p.m., a filling and discharge opening in the upper part of the container, the shaft speed and the arrangement of the container and rigid members being such that the container opening can remain open without unintentional discharge of material during mixing of the material, and conveyor means located externally of and parallel to a side edge ofthe container opening, onto which conveyor means material from the container is discharged during dispensing of the material.

Preferably the machine includes a shield adjacent the conveyor means selectively movable to prevent and permit entry of material to the conveyor.

Conveniently the rigid members rotate in a direction to move upwards on approaching said side edge of the container opening during mixing and discharge ofthe material.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of example only and with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is an end view of the machine of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan view with an upper part of the container omitted for clarity.

Referring to the drawings, a mobile mixing and dispensing machine for animal feed material includes a container 10 constituting the main body of the machine. The container is carried on a pair of wheels 11 and is arranged to be towed behind a tractor by means of a drawbar 12.

The container 10 is of part-cylindrical form having a lower semi-cylindrical portion 13 in which feed material is contained and an upper quadrant-shaped portion 14 attached to or integral with lower portion 13. Thus there is defined a quadrant-shaped opening 15 through which feed material may be introduced into and discharged from the container 10. The container has end walls 16.

Extending along the axis of the container from one end to the other and supported in bearings by the container and walls 16 is a rotor shaft 17 consisting of a cylindrical tube. Rigid members 18 in the form of solid metal bars are releasably fixed to the shaft so that each extends radially of the shaft, the outer ends of the members being spaced a small distance from the inner cylindrical wall of the container. The shaft 17 is conveniently formed with a series of pairs of aligned bores through which a shank portion of each mamber is engageable to be fixed by a nut 19. The pairs of bores are arranged so that the members are spaced axially of the shaft from one another at spacings of about 10 cm and the members are in three sets equally spaced from one another circumferentially of the shaft, i.e. at 1200 to each other.In the axial direction the members 18 are in three axial rows and in groups of three, each group including a member 18 of each set of members. With this configuration it is found that an adequate mixing action is obtained and the members are also able to effect discharge of the material but other configurations may also be suited to this purpose.

At the leading end of the shaft 17 with respect to the direction of travel A the shaft is connected to drive transmission means whereby the shaft is drivable at a lower speed of 5-15 r.p.m., typically 10 r.p.m., which may be a mixing speed, and at a speed of 20-60 r.p.m., typically 35 r.p.m., which is a dispensing or discharge speed.

The transmission means is driven by the power take off shaft of the towing tractor which is driving liy connected to one of two chain sprockets 21 and 22, the appropriate sprocket being selected by a leveroperated dog clutch or the like (not shown). Chains 23 and 24 pass around the respective sprockets 21 and 22 to a further pair of sprockets 25 and 26 carried on a jack shaft supported on the end wall 16 of the container 10. The sprockets 21 and 22 and 25 and 26 are sized to give two drive ratios which are selective ly engageable to give the appropriate rotor speed.

Drive is taken to the shaft 17 through a further chain 27 which passes around a sprocket 28 carried on the end of the shaft 17 and around a sprocket 29 which is driven by the sprocket 25 or 26.

The container 10 is towed by means of the drawbar 12 with the axis of the container 20 parallel to the direction of travel A.

For dispensing material from the container 10 in a controlled and accurate manner a conveyor 32 in the form of an auger conveyor extends along the side edge of the opening 15 parallel to the container. The conveyor 32 includes a rotary auger 33 which is driven from the rear end of the rotor shaft 17 through a sprocket 34 carried on the shaft 17, a chain 35, and a sprocket 36 on the rear end of the auger 33. The auger 33 is rotated about a horizontal axis during discharge and is located in a trough-shaped member 37, the lower part of which is semi-circular. At one side edge adjacent the container the trough is attached to the container at the level of the lower edge or lip of the opening 15. The opposite side 38 of the trough 37 is extended upwards above the level of said lip to provide a shield 40 to prevent discharge of material from the trough.

At the upper edge of the shield 40 is hinged a lid 45 which is movable to the lowered position, shown by full lines in Figure 2, during a filling operation of the container and is movable to an elevated position, shown by chain lines, during an unloading operation. This arrangement prevents unmixed material entering the conveyor 32 prior to an unloading operation.

At the leading end of the conveyor 32 is a transverse conveyor 39 onto which the conveyor 32 feeds the material. The transverse conveyor 39 is located with its receiving end below the conveyor 32, the base of the trough being omitted in this region to allow the material to fall onto the conveyor 39. The transverse conveyor 39 projects away from the container 10 and may take the form of a belt conveyor or a chain and slat conveyor. The projecting end of the conveyor 39 is spaced sufficiently to enable the material to be discharged into a manger or other receiver and said projecting end may be raised and lowered to clear any barrier or other obstruction between the machine and the manger.

The conveyor 39 is driven off the end of the auger 33 by means of a chain and sprocket drive including a sprocket 41 on the end of the auger, a chain 42, and a sprocket 43 on a shaft 44 from which the conveyor 39 is driven.

For unloading and mixing materials, such as dry materials, which would tend to flow around the members, scraper plates (not shown) may be attached to the outer ends of the members 18. The plates may be secured between pairs of members 18 lying in the same plane. The rotor shaft 17 may be replaceable in order to fit rotor shafts having members 18 arranged to suit different materials.

One mode of operation of the machine is as follows. Batches of different materials to be mixed in the container are loaded in through the opening 15, with the lid 45 closed, until the required quantity is present. Drive to the shaft 17 is initiated with the transmission in the lower speed setting in which the members rotate at a speed sufficient to cause mixing but not sufficient to discharge the material through the opening 15. As soon as mixing is completed, which should only take a few minutes, and the machine in the desired position, for example alongside a manger, the transmission is placed in the higher speed range to drive the rotor shaft at discharge speed. At this speed and with the lid 45 open the members 18 cause the material to be discharged into the auger conveyor 32 from where the material passes onto the transverse conveyor 39 for discharge into the manger as the machine traveis along the manger.

It will be appreciated that the mixing action is so arranged that the opening 15 remains open during mixing and simultaneous mixing and loading can take place.

During mixing and during discharge the rotor rotates in the direction indicated by arrows in Figure 2 so that the members 18 move upwards in approaching the side edge of the opening 15 at which the conveyor 32 is located.

Internally of the upper part of the container there may be located a spray tube through which liquid additives may be introduced into the container during mixing, for example to effect straw treatment.

Claims (10)

1. A material mixing and dispensing machine comprising a container of part-cylindrical form and having a rotor shaft extending axially of the container, a plurality of rigid members attached to, axially spaced along and extending in a radially outwards direction to the shaft so that the outer ends of the members are adjacent the inner cylindrical wall of the container, drive means for rotating the shaft at a speed in the range 5-15 r.p.m., a filling and discharge opening in the upper part of the container, the shaft speed and the arrangement of the container and rigid members being such that the container opening can remain open without unintentional discharge of material during mixing of the material, and conveyor means located externally of and parallel to a side edge of the container opening onto which conveyor means material from the container is discharged during dispensing of the material.

2. A machine according to Claim 1 comprising a shield adjacent the conveyor means selectively movable to prevent and permit entry of material to the conveyor.

3. A machine according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the shaft is operable at a relatively higher speed during discharge of the container compared with the rotor speed during mixing of the material.

4. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive means includes change speed means for changing the speed ratio of the drive means.

5. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rigid members are in three sets equiangularly spaced around the shaft.

6. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rigid members are at axial spacings of 10 cms along the shaft.

7. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein scraper members are secured to the outer ends of the rigid members.

8. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rigid members are in two or more rows disposed axially of the shaft.

9. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rigid members rotate in a direction to move upwards on approaching said side edge of the container opening during mixing and discharge of the material.

10. A material dispensing and mixing machine substantially as described with reference to the drawings.