GB2076678A - Mixing and dispensing machine for animal feed - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine consists of a part- cylindrical container 14 having a horizontal shaft 17 extending axially of the container and carrying a set of rigid members 18 extending outwards from the shaft to the container wall. The upper part of the container is open and a discharge conveyor 32 extends along the side edge of the opening. An adjustable plate or shield 45 extends along the side edge and the shaft rotates during mixing and discharge, discharge onto the conveyor being achieved by lowering the shield. The speed of rotation of the shaft and the arrangement of the container and the rigid members is such that material only leaves the container during discharge onto the conveyor. <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 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 part-cylindrical form and having a rotor shaft extending axially of the container, a plurality of rigid mixing and discharge members attached to, axially spaced along and extending in an outwards 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, a filling and discharge opening in the upper part of the container, the shaft speed, the container and the rigid members being arranged so that unintentional discharge of the material through the opening is prevented while the opening remains open, discharge conveyor means located externally of and adjacent a side edge of the opening, and an adjustable shield adjacent said side edge which is selectively movable to prevent or permit discharge of the material from the container to the conveyor means.

Preferably the machine comprises dispersal members mounted on the machine to extend inwardly of the container into the path of material carried by the rigid members.

Conveniently 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.

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: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mixing and dispensing machine; Fig. 2 is an end view showing the machine container in section on the line 2-2, and Fig. 3 is a plan view.

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 1 3 in which feed material is contained and a side plate 14 extending upwards from one side edge of the portion 1 3. Thus there is defined an upper opening 1 5 through which feed material may be introduced into and discharged from the container 10, the opening 1 5 normally being open during mixing and discharge. 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 end walls 1 6 is a rotor shaft 1 7 consisting of a cylindrical tube. Rigid members 1 8 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 and carrying resilient paddles 1 8A.

The shaft 1 7 is conveniently formed with a series of pairs of aligned bores through which a shank portion of each member is engageable to be fixed by a nut 19. The pairs of bores are arranged so that the members are spaced axially on the shaft from one another at spacings of 5-15 cm and preferably 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 1 8 are in three axial rows and in groups of three, each group including a member 1 8 of each row 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 1 7 with respect to the direction of travel A the shaft is connected to drive transmission means whereby the shaft is drivable at a speed of 3-1 5 r.p.m., typically 5 r.p.m.

The transmission means is driven by the power take off shaft of the towing tractor which is drivingly connected to a chain sprocket 22. A chain 23 passes around the sprocket 21 to a further sprocket 26 carried on a jack shaft supported on the end wall 1 6 of the container 1 0.

Drive is taken to the shaft 1 7 through change speed means 27 whereby the drive ratio to the shaft 1 7 can be altered according to the material being mixed.

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 a side edge of the opening 1 5 parallel to the container. The conveyor 32 includes a rotary auger 33 which is driven from the rear end of the rotor shaft 1 7 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 side 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 side of the container opening 1 5 opposite the plate 14 is a cut-off and metering plate 45 which is vertically movable by hydraulic rams 46. The plate 45 is movable from a position in which its upper edge is level with the lower edge of the opening 1 5, which is a fully open position, to a position in which the upper edge is level with the upper edge of the shield 40, which is a fully closed position. In the closed position the shield 40 and plate 45 is bridged by a cover 47, part 47A of which is hinged to pivot upwards. In the fully closed position material is prevented from leaving the container and is mixed in the container. As the plate 45 is lowered by the rams 46 a progressively greater discharge rate is achieved.

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 37 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.

During mixing and during discharge the rotor rotates in the direction indicated by arrow B in Fig. 2 so that the members 18 move upwards in approaching the side edge of the opening 1 5 at which the conveyor 32 is located.

For unloading and mixing materials, such as dry materials. which would tend to flow around the members, the paddles 1 8A are attached to the outer ends of the members 1 8. The paddles extend between pairs of members 1 8 lying in the same plane. The rotor shaft 1 7 may be replaceable in order to fit rotor shafts having members 1 8 arranged to suit different materials.

While the machine, as thus far described, effects a thorough mixing action on the material in the container with the material tumbling off the members 18 as they move upwardly, with some materials, particularly wet silage, it can be found that discharge of the material is unsatisfactory. To counter the tendency of such material to be retained in the container a series of dispersal members 50 are fitted to the interior of the container adjacent the lower edge of the outlet opening 1 5. The members 50 are secured to the inner surface of the semi-cylindrical base 1 3 of the container and are spaced apart axially of the container so as to lie between the members 1 8.

Each member 50 consists of a backing plate 51 bolted to the base 1 3 and a radially directed rectangular plate 52 which extends some 20-60 mm inwardly of the plate 51.

Surprisingly, the presence of the members 50, which are of relatively small dimensions, is very effective in dispersing the material as it is carried round on the members 18 and the material is freely discharged onto the conveyor 33 during the discharge phase. The use of the members 50 widens the range of materials which the machine can handle and thereby improves the versatility of the machine.

The plates 52 are located in the path of the material carried round by the members 1 8 and the plates can be located at any position around such path. Preferably the plates are in that portion of the path extending over 900 prior to reaching the lower side of the opening 1 5. However the dispersal members 50 may be located in the discharge opening.

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 1 5 with the plate 45 and flap 47A closed until the required quantity is present. Drive to the shaft 1 7 is initiated to cause mixing with the plate 45 still in the upper position. As soon as mixing is completed, which should only take a few minutes, and the machine is in the desired position, for example alongside a manger, the plate 45 is lowered and the members 1 8 discharge the material over the plate 45 into the auger conveyor 32 from where the material passes onto the transverse conveyor 39 for discharge into the manger as the machine travels along the manger.

It will be appreciated that the mixing action is so arranged that the opening 1 5 remains open during mixing and simultaneous mixing and loading can take place.

It will be seen that the upper part of the container remains open during loading, mixing and dispensing of the material. The opening 1 5 extends across the full width of the container from the upper edge of the side plate 14 to the movable plate 45 so that filling of the container can be effected from either side of the machine. Moreover filling and mixing can take place simultaneously.

As a further feature of the machine liquid additives can be introduced into the container for incorporation into the material through an opening 48 in the side of the portion 1 3 of the container, the opening 48 being located at the lower end of a chute 49 defining at its upper end an inlet into which the liquid is discharged.

Claims (11)

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 mixing and discharge members attached to, axially spaced along and extending in an outwards 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, a filling and discharge opening in the upper part of the container, the shaft speed, the container and the rigid members being arranged so that unintentional discharge of the material through the opening is prevented while the opening remains open, discharge conveyor means located externally of and adjacent a side edge of the opening, and an adjustable shield adjacent said side edge which is selectively movable to prevent or permit discharge of the material from the container to the conveyor means.

2. A machine according to Claim 1 comprising dispersal members mounted on the machine to extend inwardly of the container into the path of material carried by the rigid members.

3. A machine according to Claim 2 wherein the dispersal members are located on the inner partcylindrical wall of the container adjacent the said side edge of the container opening at which the discharge conveyor is located.

4. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the shaft is rotated at a speed in the range 3-1 5 r.p.-n.

5. 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.

6. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the drive means includes change speed means for changing the speed of rotation of the shaft.

7. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the rigid members are spaced axially of the container at 5-1 5 cm apart and are in two or more rows circumferentially spaced around the shaft.

8. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the discharge conveyor extends parallel to the axis of the container and is in the form of an auger conveyor.

9. A machine according to Claim 8 wherein the discharge conveyor feeds onto a transverse conveyor arranged to receive material from the discharge conveyor and to convey the material away from the container.

10. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the container includes a part cylindrical base portion at one side of which is the discharge opening and at the other side of which is an upwardly extending side plate.

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