GB2304336A - Apparatus for Dispensing Material - Google Patents
Apparatus for Dispensing Material Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2304336A GB2304336A GB9617505A GB9617505A GB2304336A GB 2304336 A GB2304336 A GB 2304336A GB 9617505 A GB9617505 A GB 9617505A GB 9617505 A GB9617505 A GB 9617505A GB 2304336 A GB2304336 A GB 2304336A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- granular material
- hopper
- dispensing
- outlet
- dispensing unit
- 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.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G65/00—Loading or unloading
- B65G65/30—Methods or devices for filling or emptying bunkers, hoppers, tanks, or like containers, of interest apart from their use in particular chemical or physical processes or their application in particular machines, e.g. not covered by a single other subclass
- B65G65/34—Emptying devices
- B65G65/40—Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top
- B65G65/46—Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top using screw conveyors
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Feeding And Watering For Cattle Raising And Animal Husbandry (AREA)
Abstract
A dispensing unit for dispensing granular material from a hopper (1, Fig 4) includes an upwardly inclined conveyor housing 5 having a conveyor housing inlet 17 of substantially rectilinear shape. An auger 20 for conveying granular material upwardly from the housing inlet to a dispensing outlet 21 is mounted in the housing. The auger has an upper end which is spaced rearwardly along the conveyor housing from the dispensing outlet. The hopper may include two separate hopper outlets (Fig 8 or 9), each having an associated dispensing unit attached thereto. Preferably, the conveyor extends past the outlet 21 and has a motor 30 separated from the granular material by a sealing plate 34. Preferably, the screw stops short of the outlet to prevent the material from being compressed during dispensing. Preferably a chute 33 is provided for the outlet 21. The material dispensed may be animal feed.
Description
Apparatus for Dispensing Material Introduction
The invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing material, especially animal feed.
In this specification the term "granular material" includes grain, animal feed-stuffs such as dairy nuts or pulp nuts, rice, sugar, crushed stone and the like relatively free-flowing materials.
Animal feed dispensers are known and generally comprise a hopper with an outlet of circular cross section feeding a dispensing apparatus such as a screw conveyor. There are a number of problems with these devices. Firstly, the screw conveyor regularly becomes blocked leading to increased pressure at the inlet of the conveyor and resulting in crushing of the material and motor overload problems. Secondly, the dispensing of material is usually difficult to control. It is an object of the invention to overcome at least some of these problems.
Statements of the Invention
According to the invention there is provided a granular material dispensing unit for dispensing granular material from a hopper, the dispensing unit comprising a conveyor housing having a conveyor housing inlet and a conveyor mounted in the housing for delivery of granular material to a dispensing outlet, wherein the conveyor housing inlet is of substantially rectilinear shape.
Ideally the conveyor housing is upwardly inclined and granular material is transferred generally upwardly towards the dispensing outlet.
Typically the conveying means comprises an auger.
Preferably the conveying means has an upper end which is spaced rearwardly along the conveyor housing from the dispensing outlet.
Preferably the dispensing outlet includes a dispensing chute.
Ideally the dispensing chute is generally downwardly inclined with respect to the conveyor housing.
In another aspect the invention provides a granular material dispensing apparatus comprising a hopper and dispensing unit according to the invention, the hopper having a hopper inlet for receiving granular material and at least one hopper outlet, the hopper outlet being connected to the conveyor housing inlet.
Preferably the hopper outlet is of generally rectilinear shape to substantially conform with at least portion of the conveyor housing inlet.
In one embodiment of the invention the hopper has two separate hopper outlets, each having an associated dispensing unit attached thereto.
In a preferred arrangement the hopper is generally funnel shaped having opposed front and rear walls and two downwardly conveying side walls.
Preferably the granular material dispensing unit is arranged along an associated side wall of the hopper.
In one arrangement a granular material dispensing unit is arranged along each side wall of the hopper.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a side, partially cut-away view of a granular
material dispensing unit according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of the dispensing unit
of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view, taken from above, of the
dispensing unit of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an apparatus for
dispensing granular material according to the
invention;
Fig. 5 is a front partially cross sectional view of the
apparatus of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the apparatus in
the direction of the arrow X in Fig. 5;;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an apparatus for
dispensing material according to an alternative
embodiment of the invention; and
Fig. 9 is a perspective partially cut-away view of the
apparatus of Fig. 8.
Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 7 thereof, there is illustrated an apparatus for dispensing granular material, in this case animal feed, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The apparatus 1 comprises a hopper 2 having a hopper inlet 3 and a hopper outlet 4. A dispensing unit 5 dispenses material from the hopper outlet 4. In this case the hopper 2 is generally funnel-shaped having a rectangular cross section and includes front and back walls 9, 10 and downwardly converging side walls lla, llb. The hopper outlet 4 is provided by a rectilinear, in this case a generally square opening 14 at a lower end of the side wall llb.
In more detail, the dispensing unit 5 comprises a conveyor housing provided by a chute 18 with an open top defining a conveyor housing inlet 17 which is of generally rectilinear shape. The dispensing unit 5 has a pair of end walls 19a, 19b, and conveying means, which in this case is provided by an auger 20, for transferring material from the hopper outlet 4 along the chute 18 to a spaced apart dispensing outlet 21 adjacent an upper end of the chute 18. In this embodiment, the chute 18 is attached by bolts 23 to the front and rear walls 9, 10 of the hopper 2 and is upwardly inclined so that animal feed is transferred generally upwardly towards the dispensing outlet 21. The auger 20 has a lower end beneath the hopper outlet 4 and an upper end which is spaced rearwardly along the chute 18 from the dispensing outlet 21. This is best illustrated in Fig. 2.
The auger 20 discharges the animal feed through the dispensing outlet 21 into a dispensing chute 33 which in this case is generally downwardly directed. The chute 33, a part thereof or an extension piece therefor may be adjustable to direct the animal feed as required. For example, the chute 33 may include a section of flexible material.
An auger axle 29 is driven by a motor 30 which is mounted in the conveyor housing adjacent the end wall 19b. A partition plate 34 is mounted between the motor 30 and the chute 18, the plate 34 having a through hole (not shown) for passage of the auger axle 29. Mounting plates 35 are attached to the chute 18 for mounting of the apparatus 1 to a desired mounting location.
In use, the hopper 2 is filled with animal feed until nearly full, the animal feed passing through the hopper outlet 4 until a lower end of the chute 18 is full. The apparatus is positioned so that the dispensing outlet 21 is directly over a feeding trough (not shown). The motor 30 is then operated to rotate the auger 20. As the auger 20 rotates, it pushes animal feed up along the inclined chute 18 until it reaches the dispensing outlet 21. The animal feed falls vertically through the dispensing outlet 21 and into the feeding trough. When sufficient animal feed has been dispersed, the motor 30 is switched off.
Because the upper end of the auger 20 is spaced back from the dispensing outlet 21, the auger 20 pushes a plug of animal feed up the chute and into the dispensing outlet 21. Thus, when the motor 30 is stopped, the plug stops almost immediately. Accordingly, the apparatus provides improved control over the dispensing of material. This is in contrast to previous dispensing devices where the screw is not spaced back from the dispensing outlet.
A further advantage of the apparatus of the invention is the provision of an enlarged rectilinear hopper outlet 4 which takes the pressure off the lower end of the conveyor housing. Because previous devices usually include funnel shaped hoppers with circular cross sections, these devices tend to increase pressure on the inlet section of the conveyor housing sufficient to break up the constituents of the animal feed, such as nuts or the like. This increased pressure also causes motor overload problems.
These problems have been overcome by the apparatus of the present invention.
A further advantage of the present apparatus is the provision of the upwardly angled chute which prevents spillage if the apparatus is hit by an animal.
Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, illustrated generally by the reference numeral 40, and in which like parts to the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4 are assigned the same reference numerals. In this case, an enlarged hopper outlet 41 is provided, the enlarged hopper outlet 41 feeding into two dispensing chutes 18.
The use of this apparatus is similar to that described for the previous apparatus except that double the amount of material can be dispensed and two separate troughs can be filled at the same time.
It is understood that the auger may be manually operated.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied both in construction and detail without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Claims (14)
1. A granular material dispensing unit for dispensing
granular material from a hopper, the dispensing
unit comprising a conveyor housing having a
conveyor housing inlet and a conveyor mounted in
the housing for delivery of granular material to
a dispensing outlet, wherein the conveyor housing
inlet is of substantially rectilinear shape.
2. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in
claim 1 wherein the conveyor housing is upwardly
inclined and granular material is transferred
generally upwardly towards the dispensing outlet.
3. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in
claim 1 or 2 wherein the conveying means comprises
an auger.
4. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in
any preceding claim wherein the conveying means
has an upper end which is spaced rearwardly along
the conveyor housing from the dispensing outlet.
5. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in
any preceding claim wherein the dispensing outlet
includes a dispensing chute.
6. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in
claim 5 wherein the dispensing chute is generally
downwardly inclined with respect to the conveyor
housing.
7. A granular material dispensing unit substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
8. A granular material dispensing apparatus
comprising a hopper and a dispensing unit as
claimed in any preceding claim, the hopper having
a hopper inlet for receiving granular material and
at least one hopper outlet, the hopper outlet
being connected to the conveyor housing inlet.
9. A granular material dispensing apparatus as
claimed in claim 8 wherein the hopper outlet is of
generally rectilinear shape to substantially
conform with at least portion of the conveyor
housing inlet.
10. A granular material dispensing apparatus as
claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the hopper has two
separate hopper outlets, each having an associated
dispensing unit attached thereto.
11. A granular material dispensing apparatus as
claimed in any of claims 8 to 10 wherein the
hopper is generally funnel shaped having opposed
front and rear walls and two downwardly conveying
side walls.
12. A granular material dispensing apparatus as
claimed in claim 11 wherein the granular material
dispensing unit is arranged along an associated
side wall of the hopper.
13. A granular material dispensing apparatus as
claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein a granular
material dispensing unit is arranged along each
side wall of the hopper.
14. A granular material dispensing apparatus
substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IE950630 | 1995-08-21 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB9617505D0 GB9617505D0 (en) | 1996-10-02 |
GB2304336A true GB2304336A (en) | 1997-03-19 |
GB2304336B GB2304336B (en) | 1999-04-07 |
Family
ID=11040853
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB9617505A Expired - Fee Related GB2304336B (en) | 1995-08-21 | 1996-08-21 | Apparatus for dispensing material |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2304336B (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN110402873A (en) * | 2019-09-03 | 2019-11-05 | 乐开秀 | A kind of feed for large-scale farming feeds device automatically |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB826453A (en) * | 1957-02-04 | 1960-01-06 | Ballach Ltd | Improvements in and relating to hoppers |
GB1371103A (en) * | 1972-02-17 | 1974-10-23 | Bentall Co Ltd E H | Vertical mixers |
US4030593A (en) * | 1976-03-16 | 1977-06-21 | Regis Pierre Deboffles | Loading apparatus |
GB1498225A (en) * | 1975-04-07 | 1978-01-18 | Riecken H | Combination of a container and apparatus for discharge of a conservation commodity stored therein |
US4529085A (en) * | 1983-06-23 | 1985-07-16 | H. F. Johnson, Inc. | Self-cleaning and anti-bridging grain receiving and transporting device |
US5178507A (en) * | 1991-09-09 | 1993-01-12 | Friesen Abraham S | Discharge arrangement for a transport apparatus |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB9107876D0 (en) * | 1991-04-12 | 1991-05-29 | T F Holdings Limited | Feeding powders |
-
1996
- 1996-08-21 GB GB9617505A patent/GB2304336B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB826453A (en) * | 1957-02-04 | 1960-01-06 | Ballach Ltd | Improvements in and relating to hoppers |
GB1371103A (en) * | 1972-02-17 | 1974-10-23 | Bentall Co Ltd E H | Vertical mixers |
GB1498225A (en) * | 1975-04-07 | 1978-01-18 | Riecken H | Combination of a container and apparatus for discharge of a conservation commodity stored therein |
US4030593A (en) * | 1976-03-16 | 1977-06-21 | Regis Pierre Deboffles | Loading apparatus |
US4529085A (en) * | 1983-06-23 | 1985-07-16 | H. F. Johnson, Inc. | Self-cleaning and anti-bridging grain receiving and transporting device |
US5178507A (en) * | 1991-09-09 | 1993-01-12 | Friesen Abraham S | Discharge arrangement for a transport apparatus |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN110402873A (en) * | 2019-09-03 | 2019-11-05 | 乐开秀 | A kind of feed for large-scale farming feeds device automatically |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2304336B (en) | 1999-04-07 |
GB9617505D0 (en) | 1996-10-02 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20140821 |