GB2249250A - Apparatus and method for feeding livestock - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for dispensing a particulate material, notably an animal foodstuff having a minimum dimension of 10 mms or more, which apparatus is characterised in that it comprises: a. a container, for example a hopper 3 with a basal outlet, for the particulate material; b. a metering conveyor 4 adapted to receiving particulate material from the container and to transport that material as a substantially uniform load per unit length of the load-bearing face of the metering conveyor, notably a belt or slat conveyor providing a planar load-bearing surface adapted to travel linearly and upon which the particles from the container form a bed of substantially uniform depth; c. means for causing travel of the load-bearing face of the metering conveyor means; d. means for selecting the extent of the travel of the load-bearing face of the metering conveyor means whereby the amount of particulate material conveyed by the conveyor means can be selected; and e. means adapted to receive the particles conveyed by the metering conveyor means and for discharging the particulate material from the apparatus, said discharge means 10 preferably being driven by means independent from that used to drive the metering conveyor means whereby the metering conveyor and the discharge means can be operated at independently controlled speeds. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: APPARATUS AND METHOD The present invention relates to an apparatus and method, notably to an apparatus for dispensing controlled amounts of a particulate solid animal feedstuff and to a method for using the apparatus of the invention.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION: Animals are often fed with a pelleted feedstuff. Where the animals are free range, for example in a field or paddock, it is desirable to ensure that the pellets are scattered widely over the ground to reduce competition for the feedstuff. However, it is also desirable to use as large a pellet size as possible to minimise trampling of the pellets into the ground by the animals. Typically, such large pellets are from 10 to 35 mms diameter, for example 15 to 25 mms diameter, and from 15 to 50 mms long; and are usually in the form of cubes or extruded blocks or rods of material.

Whilst such large pellets can be handled manually, for example with a shovel, it is difficult to handle them mechanically. Specifically, it has not been considered possible to meter the amount of such pellets flowing from a hopper or other storage container so as to regulate the amount of the pellets to be dispensed over the land by a mechanical scattering device. Due to their size and angular shape, the pellets either jam in the operating mechanism of a conventional auger, rotary valve or other metering device; or, if they do not jam the mechanism, they are broken up as they pass through the mechanism, defeating the object of using large pellets.

We have now devised a form of metering system which enables large pellets to be handled with reduced risk of jamming of the mechanism or break down of the pellets within the mechanism. The metering system of the invention provides a simple and effective means by which accurately measured quantities of the pellets can be dispensed onto a device for throwing the pellets over the land to provide the desired rate of distribution of the pellets to animals ranging over that land.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus for dispensing a particulate material, notably those having a minimum dimension of 10 mms or more, which apparatus is characterised in that it comprises: a. a container, for example a hopper with a basal outlet, for the particulate material; b. a metering conveyor adapted to receiving particulate material from the container and to transport that material as a substantially uniform load per unit length of the load-bearing face of the metering conveyor, notably a belt or slat conveyor providing a planar load-bearing surface adapted to travel linearly and upon which the particles from the container form a bed of substantially uniform depth; c. means for causing travel of the load-bearing face of the metering conveyor means; d. means for selecting the extent of the travel of the load-bearing face of the metering conveyor means whereby the amount of particulate material conveyed by the conveyor means can be selected; and e. means adapted to receive the particles conveyed by the metering conveyor means and for discharging the particulate material from the apparatus, said discharge means preferably being driven by means independent from that used to drive the metering conveyor means whereby the metering conveyor and the discharge means can be operated at independently controlled speeds.

The invention also provides a method for feeding animals ranging over the ground, which method comprises feeding particulate material, notably one having a particulate minimum dimension of 10 mms or more, onto a metering conveyor means of an apparatus of the invention, causing the metering conveyor to travel a predetermined distance whereby a predetermined total amount of material is metered onto the discharge means, and discharging the particulate material, preferably as it is discharged from the metering conveyor, over the ground.

Preferably, the particulate material is a pelleted or cubed animal feedstuff, notably any of the commercially available cubed foodstuffs having particles with a minimum dimension which is 10 mms or greater, for example cubes in the size range 15 to 25 mms. The particulate material is preferably carried in a conventional hopper having a bottom outlet mounted on a trailer frame or the like, so that it can be carried and/or towed over the land by a tractor. The tractor preferably also provides the power drive for the metering conveyor and the discharge means in the apparatus of the invention, for example through the power take off from the tractor or from the tractor hydraulics.

Alternatively, the trailer or other support frame for the hopper can carry an appropriate separate power source to drive the apparatus of the invention.

If desired, the hopper can have a shutter or other means for regulating the rate of discharge of material from the hopper and this can be manually pre-set or can be regulated from the cab of the tractor using conventional means.

The hopper is located above the metering conveyor, which meters the feed of material to the discharge means. The metering conveyor is preferably a simple belt or slatted conveyor which provides a planar load-bearing surface which travels linearly between the hopper and the discharge means. The material discharging from the hopper forms a bed of substantially uniform depth on the conveyor as it discharges from the hopper outlet. However, other forms of conveyor may be used, for example cup or bucket conveyors, provided that they carry a substantially uniform quantity of material per unit length of the conveyor and do not cause break up of the particles. The metering conveyor can be provided with upstanding side walls, for example flexible rubber upstands, to retain the particles upon the belt surface.

The particles will usually be fed onto the load-bearing surface of the metering conveyor by gravity feed direct from the hopper outlet and will tend to form a substantially uniform depth bed upon the metering conveyor surface. However, if desired, a doctor blade or other means for ensuring a uniform depth of particles upon the metering conveyor may be used.

The metering conveyor is provided with a drive means so as to transport the material from the hopper discharge to the discharge means. The drive means can be an hydraulic motor driven from the tractor hydraulics, or an electric or other motor deriving its power from a source carried by the apparatus of the invention. It is preferred that the motor advance the load-bearing surface of the metering conveyor at a uniform linear rate of travel so that the particulate material is carried at a known and uniform rate and thus gives a uniform rate of discharge to the discharge means.

However, this need not be the case as described below. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the conveyor is driven by a low voltage, for example 12 or 24 volt, electric motor powered by a battery carried by the tractor or the trailer frame supporting the apparatus.

The metering conveyor serves to transport a pre-determined weight or volume of material from the hopper to the discharge means. This can be assessed in terms of the time for which the metering conveyor is operated. However, this requires that the metering conveyor travels at a known and uniform linear rate. In order to overcome problems in achieving this, it is preferred that the metering conveyor be provided with means for giving a pulsed signal output for a given unit of linear travel of the conveyor. From a knowledge of the depth of the bed of particles on the conveyor surface and the nature of the particles, this unit of linear travel can be equated to a weight or volume of material transported by that unit of travel. The linear travel can be determined by any suitable means.For example by optical or mechanical means counting the passage of teeth, apertures or crenellations on or in the metering conveyor surface. However, a particularly preferred method is to detect rotation of a drive or idler shaft supporting part or all of the metering conveyor. For example, the rotation of the drive shaft of a conventional belt conveyor can be determined by a shaft encoder or by means of a cam on the shaft which makes and breaks a switch or proximity sensor or switch.

The output from the travel sensor is preferably a pulsed electrical signal, each of which pulses records when the surface of the metering conveyor has travelled a given distance and hence has discharged a given weight or volume of material to the discharge means. The weight or volume of the material discharged can be determined by calculation from a knowledge of the operation of the conveyor and the physical characteristics of the material, or more preferably by simple calibration tests which measure the amount of material discharged over say ten to twenty pulses of the sensor.

The material from the metering conveyor discharges onto a discharge means by which the particles are projected over the ground or other surface adjacent the apparatus.

Typically, the material falls under gravity from the discharge end of the metering conveyor directly or via a suitable chute or the like onto a spinning disc or other discharge means. Thus, the discharge means can be a second slatted or belt conveyor travelling at a greater linear speed that the metering conveyor. Such a mechanism will discharge the particles to one side of the apparatus and thus provides a simple means whereby the apparatus can be carried down one side of an area of ground so as to discharge particles over the ground without the need to disturb animals grazing thereon. The surface of the discharge conveyor can be provided with transverse ribs or the like to assist the forward transport and ejection of the particles.

In an alternative form of discharge means, the metered particles fall onto the surface of a roller or cylinder rotating about its horizontal longitudinal axis so that the particles are flung laterally of the apparatus by the fast moving surface of the roller or cylinder. Typically, the roller or cylinder rotates at from 750 to 1500 rpm and has a diameter of 100 to 200 cms. In order to enhance the action of the roller or cylinder and to assist the projection of the particles in the desired direction, the roller or cylinder is preferably mounted within a housing having an inlet to receive material from the metering conveyor and a radial outlet opening or chute.It is also preferred that the roller or cylinder carry two or more radially projecting rigid or flexible axial ribs or blades to assist the transport of particles by the roller or cylinder and the projection of those particles through the outlet to the housing. It is particularly preferred to use two radial flexible blades which sweep the annular gap between the roller or cylinder surface and the inner surface of the housing. Typically, such radial ribs or blades will extend from 150 to 300 cms radially from the surface of the roller or cylinder.

The discharge means is preferably driven by a motor or other means independently from the metering conveyor means so that the two can be operated at independently adjustable rates. Preferably, the discharge means is driven mechanically from the power take off point of the tractor or other vehicle towing the apparatus over the land.

Alternatively, the discharge means could be driven by an hydraulic motor driven from the hydraulics of the tractor and can have its own speed control mechanism.

In operation, material feeds from the hopper to form a uniform depth bed on the metering conveyor. The metering conveyor carries a known amount of material for each unit of travel, as measured by the rotation of the conveyor drive shaft or other means. The signal for each travel unit is fed to a counter or other recording means, preferably carried in the tractor cab or other location where it can be readily observed by the tractor driver.

The driver selects the number of travel units which corresponds to the total amount of material to be discharged from the apparatus and, for example keys that into the counter to which the travel unit signals are fed.

The signal processing and counting can be carried out using conventional electronic techniques.

The material from the metering conveyor discharges onto the discharge means where it is thrown over the land. The rate of application of the material to the land will depend upon the rate of travel of the apparatus over or alongside the land. The total amount dispensed will be determined by the number of travel unit signals set by the operator in the counter mechanism. In this way, the user can apply all the desired amount at a single location by not moving the apparatus, or can dispense the material uniformly by moving the apparatus at a uniform rate over the land.

Furthermore, since the discharge means is driven independently of the metering conveyor, the operator can vary the distance over which the discharge means throws the material without affecting the amount discharged.

The invention thus provides a simple and effective means by which large particulate material can be metered into a discharge mechanism with reduced risk of damage to the particles and the metering mechanism, so as to enable a predetermined total amount of material to be discharged from the apparatus in a wide variety of discharge patterns and rates.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: A particularly preferred form of the apparatus of the invention will now be described by way of example with respect to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus mounted on a tractor; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view through the metering conveyor and its associated discharge conveyor; Figure 3 illustrates a typical discharge pattern obtained using the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view through the device of Figure 2, fitted with an alternative form of discharge mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT: A tractor 1 carries a frame 2 upon its three point linkage.

Where the hopper 3 carried on frame 2 is of less than 1 tonne capacity, the frame 2 may be supported wholly on the tractor. However, where the hopper is larger, it may be necessary to provide the frame 2 with ground wheels (not shown), so that it is wholly or part trailed.

The hopper 3 contains the particulate material to be dispensed, for example 19 mms cube feedstuff for pigs.

This is gravity fed through a basal aperture from the hopper onto a conveyor belt 4 located from 5 to 10 cms below the hopper outlet. The conveyor 4 carries cross slats 5 and travels between side cheeks 6 so that the conveyor carries a bed of the cubes thereof which is of substantially uniform depth. The metering conveyor 4 can be orientated transversely to the line of travel as shown in the drawings, or can be orientated parallel to the line of travel.

The conveyor belt is carried on two transverse rollers 7, one of which is driven by a constant speed 24 volt electric motor (not shown) at from 50 to 100 rpm. The shaft of the driven rotor or the idler roller shaft carries a cam 8, shown dotted in Figure 2, which trips a switch (not shown) on each rotation of the shaft to generate a signal pulse which is fed to a counter device (not shown) located in the tractor cab.

In the form of device shown in Figure 2, the conveyor 4 discharges its load onto a transversely orientated discharge conveyor 10. This is inclined at from 30 to 600 to the horizontal and is driven by the tractor power take off shaft 11 at a linear speed of travel from 10 to 25% greater than that of the conveyor 4. The discharge conveyor 10 preferably also carries transverse slats 12 and travels between side cheeks 13 so that it throws the cubes falling onto it along a substantially linear discharge flight path to one side of the device.

In operation, the discharge conveyor 10 is set running, the tractor driver sets the counter in his cab to the required number of pulses from the switch on the shaft of conveyor 4 and sets conveyor 4 in motion. The number of pulses required to deliver a given weight of the cubes from conveyor 4 will have been determined previously by simple trial and error tests. For example, it may have been established that each pulse corresponds to the delivery of 10 kgs of cubes from conveyor 4. If necessary, the amount delivered can be adjusted by adjusting the depth of the bed of cubes on conveyor 4, for example by means of a scraper blade and/or by varying the height of the slats 5, and/or by throttling the feed of cubes through the hopper outlet, for example by a shutter plate.

The conveyor 4 delivers cubes to conveyor 10. Due to the high speed of travel of conveyor 10, cubes falling onto it are thrown laterally of the tractor and hopper 2 to fall to the ground from 10 to 30 metres to one side, as shown by the shaded area in Figure 3. The tractor can be driven along the side of the grazing area as shown in Figure 3 to lay down a substantially uniform layer of the cubes. If desired, the driver can vary the speed of travel of the tractor to achieve a localised concentration of the cubes on the ground and/or can vary the speed of conveyor 10 so that the cubes are thrown a greater or lesser distance by the conveyor.However, the total amount of cubes discharged will remain set by the number of pulses to be detected by the counter mechanism and this amount will not be significantly affected by changes in the speed of travel of conveyor 4, so that variations in the speed of rotation of the electric motor driving this conveyor can be tolerated.

The use of the metering conveyor 4 to meter the flow of material onto the discharge conveyor 10 during operation of the latter provides a simple means for handling the large cubes of feedstuff and achieving a controlled application of the cubes to the land without the risk of damage as would occur with conventional rotary valve or other metering mechanisms.

In the form of device shown in Figure 4, the second conveyor 10 of the device of Figure 2 is replaced by a horizontal cylinder 40 rotating about its horizontal longitudinal axis at about 1000 rpm by an hydraulic motor driven off the tractor hydraulics. The cylinder 40 is mounted within a generally cylindrical housing 41 having an inlet 42 to receive material from the metering conveyor 4 and an inclined outlet 43 through which material carried by the fast moving surface of the cylinder is flung. To assist transport of the particles by the cylinder and their projection over a wide distance, the cylinder carries two rubber radial ribs 44 running axially at diametrically opposed positions on the cylinder surface.The ribs 44 sweep the annular gap between the cylinder surface and the inner face of the housing to carry particles away from the discharge from the metering conveyor, thus reducing the risk of blockage, and eject the particles at high speed from the outlet 43 to achieve a broad spread of particles over the land.

The apparatus of the invention has been described above in terms of a device for discharging particles to one side of the line of travel. However, the discharge conveyor 10 or the cylinder 40 can be orientated at right angles to the orientation shown in the drawings so that they discharge the particles parallel to the line of travel. If desired, the metering conveyor and/or the discharge means can be pivotally mounted to spread the particles over an arc of spread rather than along a single line of discharge.

The invention has been described above in terms of the application of large particulate foodstuff to the ground for animals ranging over the ground to collect. However, it will be appreciated that the invention can also be applied to dispensing small and medium sized particles, for example grain, and to apply feedstuff to water to feed fish, for example in the pens of a fish farm. The terms particulate foodstuff and ground are therefore to be construed broadly wherever the context permits to include particles or a wide range of sizes and agglomerates as well as single particles, and to include any generally planar land or water surface not merely the solid ground.

Claims (19)

CLAIMS:

1. An apparatus for dispensing a particulate material, which apparatus is characterised in that it comprises: a. a container for the particulate material; b. a metering conveyor adapted to receiving particulate material from the container and to transport that material as a substantially uniform load per unit length of the load-bearing surface of the conveyor; c. means for causing travel of the load-bearing face of the metering conveyor; d. means whereby the extent of the travel of the loadbearing face of the metering conveyor can be selected so as to determine the amount of particulate material conveyed by the metering conveyor; and e. means adapted to receive the particulate material conveyed by the metering conveyor and for discharging that material from the apparatus.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the discharge means is driven independently from the metering conveyor.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the metering conveyor means comprises a planar load-bearing surface adapted to travel linearly and to receive particulate material from the container so as to form a bed of particles of substantially uniform depth thereon.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the conveyor movement is detected by sensor means adapted to provide a signal corresponding to a given extent of linear travel of the load-bearing surface of the conveyor.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that linear movement of the conveyor is detected by rotation of a drive or support shaft for the conveyor.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the discharge means comprises a second linearly travelling conveyor means adapted to receive material from the conveyor.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the discharge conveyor load-bearing surface is adapted to travel at a linear speed which is from 10 to 25 greater than the rate of travel of the load-bearing surface of the metering conveyor.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the discharge means comprises a cylinder or roller adapted to rotate about its longitudinal axis.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the surface of the roller or cylinder is provided with one or more axial ribs adapted to assist transport of the particulate material.

10. Apparatus as claimed in either of claims 8 or 9, characterised in that the cylinder or roller is mounted within a housing having an inlet adapted to receive particulate material from the metering conveyor and a radially directed outlet through which material is discharged by the action of the roller or cylinder.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the apparatus is adapted to operate with particles having a minimum particle dimension of 10 mms or greater.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described.

13. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with respect to and as shown in any one of the accompanying drawings.

14. A method for dispensing particulate foodstuff, which method is characterised in that it comprises feeding particulate material, notably one having a particulate minimum dimension in excess of 10 mms, onto a metering conveyor of an apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, causing the load-bearing surface of the metering conveyor to travel a predetermined distance whereby a predetermined total amount of material is metered to the discharge means, and discharging the particulate material from the apparatus.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that the material is discharged from the discharge means laterally of the apparatus and its line of travel.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the apparatus is an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 and the roller or cylinder has a diameter of from 100 to 200 cms and rotates at from 750 to 1500 rpm.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that the foodstuff is an animal foodstuff and in that the particles are discharged over the ground over which animals are ranging.

18. A method according to claim 14 substantially as hereinbefore described.

19. A method for applying particulate materials substantially as hereinbefore described with respect to any one of the accompanying drawings.