GB2116527A

GB2116527A - Controlling discharge of, e.g. powders, from a hopper

Info

Publication number: GB2116527A
Application number: GB08305582A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jan Bjarne Norheim; Jostein Eikeland
Original assignee: SERIGSTAD AS
Current assignee: SERIGSTAD AS
Priority date: 1982-03-10
Filing date: 1983-03-01
Publication date: 1983-09-28
Also published as: DE3307544A1; FI830793A0; GB8305582D0; FI76988B; DK112683A; NO151856B; DK151521B; FI830793L; NO820755L; NO151856C; DK112683D0; FI76988C; GB2116527B; DK151521C; DE3307544C2

Abstract

Powdered or granular material, or especially preservative salt for adding to fodder is discharged through the bottom of a hopper (8), via one or more sets of feed plates (10, 19), each plate being formed with one or several orifices therein (12, 18). Starting from a position in which the feed plates (10, 19) together form a solid bottom in the hopper (8), the plates are adapted, in response to impulses from one or several pivotable sensing means (4) or other impulse transmitters, to be displaced in relation to one another until a preset, larger or smaller portion of the orifices (12, 18) in the upper and lower feed plates (10, 19) correspond with each other, after which the feed plates (10, 19) are moved synchronously, preferably to and fro. A stirring means, preferably in the form of one or more curved rods, is secured, preferably in detachable manner, to the upper feed plate (10) and/or optionally to a rotatable shaft (13). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for feeding powders, granular solids and similar masses from a hopper The present invention relates to an apparatus for feeding powders, granular solids and similar masses from a hopper. The apparatus of the invention can be utilized in numerous applications, but it is especially intended for use in adding preservative salt to animal fodder which is to be converted into silage in a silo. Normally, the preservative is added by sprinkling the salt on the fodder by hand, but this provides poor distribution and admixture of the salt in the fodder. Automatic feeders for this purpose are also known in the prior art, but they are relatively complicated, require electric motors, and are too expensive to have found general application. In such prior art apparatus, the feed flow is regulated in steps, and the spacing between the various settings is too wide.Moreover, in such an apparatus the salt is liable to arch formation, and this may cause salt flow to cease unless the apparatus is used on or in connection with machines which provide a certain vibration.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective apparatus which can meter out powders, granular solids and similar masses in a uniform, continuously variable flow. The apparatus is preferably intended for use on various types of animal fodder harvesters or conveyor means for harvesting or transporting fodder for preservation and conversion into silage.

This object is obtained with the features recited in the appurtenant patent claims.

An embodiment example of the invention is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows part of a fodder harvester together with an apparatus in accordance with the invention, in cross section, and Figure 2 is a diagram showing most of the movable parts of the apparatus, in plan view.

In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 designates part of a fodder harvester, on which' an apparatus 2 has been mounted. The apparatus 2 contains a salt feeder means 3 operated by a rotatable sensing means 4 which passes through the grass in front of the harvester. The salt is released into a channel 5 which carries it to a nozzle 6, where the salt flow joins the animal fodder flow 7 and the two are mixed together.

The hopper 8 of the apparatus has a sieve 9 to prevent clumps of salt from entering and clogging the feed device 3. The feed device 3 has an upper feed plate 10. This is provided with a stirrer means 11 to prevent the salt from forming an arch in the hopper 8 that would prevent flow. The upper feed plate 10 is formed with a feed orifice 1 2 and is connected to a central rotatable shaft 13, which in turn is connected to one end of a first arm 14.The other end of the arm 14 is pivotally connected to one end of a rod 15, whose other end is pivotally connected to the sensing means 4, which is held in an initial position by a spring 1 6. When the fodder harvester is driven forward in the direction of the arrow 1 7, the grass on the ground will cause the lower end of the sensing means 4 to pivot backwardly, and this will cause the connecting rod 1 5 to puch against the arm 14 and rotate the upper feed plate 10. This will cause the stirrer means 11 to agitate the salt mass in the hopper 8 and break up any arch that may have formed, while at the same time the orifice 12 in the upper feed plate 10 is moved to a position above an orifice 18 in a lower feed plate 19 which produces the desired feed flow rate.The stirring to keep the salt mass in motion and prevent arch formation continues because the sensing means 4 moves to and fro as long as the harvester is in motion. The salt mass flows down into the channel 5 and is introduced into the harvester machine through the nozzle 6, which at the bottom is disposed at a given angle a in relation to the machine wall 1 in order to guide the harvested fodder past the nozzle 6 without clogging the nozzle and to facilitate good admixture of the salt mass in the fodder. A pipe 20 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 13, and at the top the pipe 20 is attached to the lower feed plate 1 9. Secured to the lower end of the pipe 20 is one end of a second arm 21. An adjustment screw 22 formed with a handle 23 is screwed through the opposite, free end of the second arm 21.In the initial position, the second arm 21 is held against a fixed stud 24 on the lower part of the apparatus by a spring 25. Also attached to the lower end of the rotatable shaft 13 is one end of a third arm 26, whose opposite, free end is formed with a stop means 27 adapted to cooperate with the adjustment screw 22 on the second arm 21.

When the first arm 14 is moved by the sensing means 4 via the rod 15, the first arm 14 will rotate the shaft 13 and thereby the upper feed plate 10 and the third arm 26. The stop means 27 on the third arm 26 will come into abutment against the adjustment screw 22, and by pushing against the screw it also pushes against the second arm 21,the pipe 20 and the lower feed plate 19. This will cause a larger or smaller part of the orifice 12 in the upper feed plate 10 to come into alignment with the orifice 1 8 in the lower feed plate 19, after which the upper and lower feed plates 10 and 19 begin to rotate synchronously, according to the set of the adjustment screw 22.It can easily be seen that the throughflow opening through the upper and lower feed plates 10 and 1 9 can be regulated by means of the adjustment screw 22 without restricting the motion of the sensing means 4. It will be set for a small feed flow opening when small amounts of fine-grained material are being fed, and for a larger feed flow opening when larger quantities of the material are to be fed. If one desires to increase the feed flow capacity, the feed plates 10 and 1 9 may be made with several orifices 12 and 18. The orifices 12 and 18 may also be sector-shaped to provide greater maximum feed capacity.

The sensing means 4, owing to varying resistance in the grass, will constantly move to and fro somewhat and thus constantly move the stirrer means 11 without changing the throughflow opening between the upper and lower feed plates 10 and 19. To obtain a suitable counterpressure on the sensing means 4, its height can be regulated by moving it up or down in a holder 28.

To facilitate easy disassembly of the apparatus 2 from the fodder harvester 1, for example for emptying excess contents from the apparatus 2, the apparatus 2 is secured to the harvester 1 by means of a fastening plate 29 to which the apparatus 2 is secured by pressure clamps 30 and a spring-loaded locking bolt 31 which can be released manually. A sealing ring 32 ensures a seal between the apparatus 2 and the harvester 1. By withdrawing the locking bolt 31, the apparatus can be tipped forward while at the same time the rod 1 5 which is held up by a hook 33 will automatically become disengaged from the first arm 14, and the apparatus 2 can then be removed from the harvester 1.

If the apparatus 2 is utilized in connection with other machines, the movements of the sensing means 4 could be replaced by a connection to a means which will provide a similar pulsating movement. An eiectric motor or actuator could also be used which by means of automatic impulses will provide the desired pulsating movement and will cause the movement to cease when the current is disconnected. As a sensing means to indicate the presence of fodder, a mechanical switch or photoelectric sensors could also be utilized.

Claims

1. An apparatus (2) for feeding powders, granular solids and similar masses from a hopper (8), especially but not exclusively intended for use for adding preservative salt to animal fodder which is to be converted into silage in a silo, characterized in that one or several sets of feed plates (10, 19) are provided at the bottom of the hopper, each such plate being formed with one or several orifices (12,18), wherein said feed plates (10, 19), from an initial position in which they together form a solid bottom in the hopper (8), are adapted in response to impulses from one or more pivotable sensing means (4) or other impulse transmitters to be displaced in relation to each other such that a larger or smaller portion of said orifices (12, 18) in the upper and lower feed plates (10, 19) are brought into alignment with each other, after which the feed plates (10, 19) are moved synchronously, preferably to and fro, and wherein a stirrer means, preferably in the form of one or several curved rods (11), is secured, preferably in a detachable manner, to the upper feed plate (10) and/or optionally to a rotatable shaft (13).

2. An apparatus (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper feed plate (10) is attached to the shaft (13) which is pivotally mounted within a pipe (20), which in turn is pivotally mounted preferably at the lower part of the apparatus (2), the upper end of said pipe (20) being attached to the lower feed plate (19) which lies against the upper feed plate (10), and one end of a first arm (14) also being attached to the rotatable shaft (13), the free end of said arm (14) being pivotally connected to one end of a rod (15) whose other end is pivotally connected to the sensing means (4), which is preferably held in an initial position by a first spring (16), one end of a second arm (21) also being attached to said pipe (20) and the free end of said arm (21) being provided with adjustment means such as, e.g., an adjustment screw (22), said second arm (21) being held in an initial position against a fixed stud (24) on the lower part of the apparatus (2) preferably by a second spring (25), one end of a third arm (26) also being attached to the rotatable shaft (13) and the other end of said third arm being formed, for example, with a stop means (27) adapted to cooperate with the adjustment means (22) on the second arm (21) when the sensing means is actuated and pivots backwardly in opposition to the spring force (16, 25) and thereafter maintains a preferably to-and-fro pivoting motion.

3. An apparatus according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the height of the sensing means (4) can be adjusted, said sensing means being adapted to be moved up or down in a holder (28).

4. An apparatus (2) according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the apparatus (2) is adapted to be mounted on a fodder harvester (1) or other machine by means of a fastening plate (29) to which the apparatus (2) is secured preferably by pressure clamps (30) and a springloaded locking bolt (31) which can be released manually, such that the apparatus (2) can be tipped forward at the same time as the rod (15) then automatically becomes disengaged from the first arm (14), said rod (15) being held up by a hook (33), whereupon the apparatus (2) can be removed from the harvester (1) or other machine on which the appartus (2) is installed.

5. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus (2) is provided with a nozzle (6) mounted on the inner wall of the harvester (1) by means of an opening in said wall that communicates with the output channel (5) of the apparatus (2), the noule (6) at the bottom being disposed at a given angle (a) in relation to the machine wall (1) for guiding the harvested fodder past the nozzle (6) without clogging the nozzle and also to provide good admixture of the mass from the hopper (8) in the fodder.