IE48748B1 - Improvements in and relating to dispensers for granular materials - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to dispensers for granular materials and other reasonably free flowing materials.

With the trend in agriculture towards larger farm holdings, animal herd sizes are tending to increase and in particular cattle herd sizes. This has in turn led to the development of “intensive methods for rearing and fattening cattle which in general require feeding of a considerable number of animals at one time in a relatively confined space.

Broadly speaking there are two types of systems used for the intensive rearing and fattening of cattle. One type requires that the cattle be kept in a partly covered compound while in the other type the animals are housed in an animal house having slatted floors. In both types of systems elongated troughs are used which generally run either the length of the compound or the length of the slatted floored house. Access for the animals is generally provided to both sides of the trough through a barrier rail which prevents the animals from walking into the trough which would cause waste of animal feed.

Presently animal feed is delivered to these troughs either manually where the feed is brought in buckets and distributed throughout the trough or by a tractor using a hydraulic or mechanical shovel mounted on the tractor. Both these methods tend to be inefficient as the manual method requires the excessive use of labour which could be employed more productively elsewhere on the - 3 farm, and the latter method requires the use of a tractor for long periods of time which similarly could be used more procutively elsewhere.

There is, therefore, a need for an efficient dispensing method and 5 apparatus for delivering feed and in particular granular type feeds such as grain, dairy nuts, pulp nuts and rice which possesses fluent characteristics together with other free flowing materials such as for example, turnips and other root vegetables which are often fluent and indeed may have a liquid added to improve their flow characteristics.

Such materials while not strictly speaking granular materials are considered substitutes for such materials and any reference in this specification to granular materials is also referring to such materials. The present invention is directed towards providing an apparatus for granular materials.

According to the invention there is provided a granular material dispensing unit for an elongated feeding trough including a hopper having a closable delivery mouth, the delivery mouth being closed by a clamshell door pivotal from a position where the delivery mouth is closed and spring biased to a position below the hopper where the delivery mouth is open, the hopper being movable from a loading position with the delivery mouth closed along the trough with the delivery mouth open to deliver feed into the trough.

In one embodiment of the invention the hopper is provided with a pair of closable delivery mouths on opposite sides of the hopper to deliver feed to both sides of the trough, a pair of clamshell doors are v, 48748 -4provided to close the delivery mouth, the clamshell doors being pivotal from a position where the delivery mouths are closed and spring biased to a position below the hopper where the delivery mouths are open.

Additionally, the invention provides for a feeding apparatus for animals including the dispensing unit suspended over the feed trough by a pair of wheel carrying axles mounted on end plates, said end plates being pivotally mounted on the ends of the hopper, said wheels engaging a pair of guide rails mounted above the sides of the feed trough and extending beyond the feed trough to the loading position below a silo with a closable bottom outlet, stabilising wheels mounted on the end plates projecting outwardly to engage the inside of the guide rails, a pair of control rails mounted between and below the guide rails are provided adjacent the loading position, said control rails engage and raise a pair of levers connected to the clamshell doors to close the delivery mouths as the dispensing unit moves into the loading position.

In another embodiment of the invention a silo clamshell door is provided to close the bottom outlet of the silo, the silo clamshell door being spring biased towards the closed position and pivotal from the closed position to an open position beside the outlet, a projecting lug being provided on the silo clamshell door to engage a corresponding lug on the top of the dispensing unit for opening the silo clamshell door as the dispensing unitmoves into the loading position. -5The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some preferred embodiments thereof given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front eievational view of the feeding apparatus for 5 animals according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a side eievational view of a detail of the silo of the feeding apparatus of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front eievational view of a dispensing unit of the feeding apparatus of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a side eievational view of the dispensing unit of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing another embodiment of the invention, ' Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows V-V of Fig. a,and Fig. 7 is an eievational cross-sectional view of the bottom of a hopper forming portion of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, there is provided a feeding apparatus for animals including a mobile granular material dispensing unit, -6hereinafter for brevity called a dispenser and indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The dispenser 1 is suspended over a trough 2 on a pair of guide rails 3 and movable from a loading position indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1 along the trough 2. A silo 4 for storing granular material having an outlet 5 is mounted over the dispenser 1 at its loading position on a base integral with and extending from one end of the trough 2.

The dispenser 1 includes a hopper 6 pivotally mounted between a pair of end plates 8 by stub axles 9. Axles 10 are mounted on plummer blocks 11 which are fixed to the end plates 8. Four wheels 12 with pneumatic tyres 13 engage the axles 10 and support the dispenser 1 on the guide rails 3. It will be appreciated that the pivotal mounting of the hopper between the end plates compensates for any non-linearity of the guide rails 3.

Four stabilising wheels 15 are provided to maintain the wheels 12 in contact with the guide rails 3. The stabilising wheels 15 are in contact with the inside of the guide rails 3 and are mounted on brackets 16 connected to the end plates 8 (see Fig. 3).

A pair of hopper delivery mouths are provided by openings 20 on each side of the hopper 6. Clamshell doors 21 are provided to close the openings 20. The clamshell doors 21 are pivotally mounted to the end walls of the hopper 6 by brackets 22 at pivot points 24. -7Two projecting side plates 23 project outwardly from the sides of each opening 20 to form a sealing seat with the clamshell doors 21 when closed. A spring 25 connected between the brackets 22 biases the clamshell doors into the open position.

Two levers 26, pivotally mounted at the side of the hopper 6 by pins 27, are connected to the clamshell doors 21 by a link bar 28. A roller 29 is provided at the end of each lever 26. The roller 29 engages a pair of control rails 30 with inclined portions 31 mounted at the loading positions of the dispenser below the silo 4. It will be noted that the control rails 30 cause the levers 26 to raise thereby closing the clamshell doors 21 of the hopper 6 when the dispenser 1 is in the loading position. The size of the openings 20 is adjustable by plates 32 which can be adjusted to any predetermined position to control the rate of flow of granular material through the openings 20. The plates 32 are connected to adjusting bars 33 which slide in a hollow box section bracket 34. A winged clamping screw 35 is provided to clamp the adjusting bar 33 in the desired position.

The bottom of the silo 4 is provided with a funnel section 40 at the bottom of which is the outlet 5 (see Fig. 2). A silo clamshell door 42 to close the outlet 5 is pivotally mounted to the funnel section at 43 by a pair of brackets 44. A spring 45 connected to the silo 4 by a bracket 46 biases the door Into the closed position. One of the brackets 44 projects below the door to form a lug to engage a 487 48 -8corresponding lug 47 on the side of the hopper 6 so that as the dispenser 1 is moved into the loading position beneath the silo the two lugs engage to open the silo clamshell door 42.

To drive the dispenser 1 a wire rope 50 is connected by a bracket 5 51 to one end of the hopper 6 and is led over a pulley 52 at one end of the trough 2, indicated by the reference letter 8, under a tensioning pulley 53, a drive wheel 54, back beneath, but not in contact with the pulley 53 to another bracket 55 on the hopper 6, thus forming an endless drive. The drive wheel 54 is driven by an electric motor 56 through a gearbox 57.

In operation, the dispenser 1 is driven by the electric motor 56 along the guide rails 3 towards the loading position shown by the broken lines in Fig. 1. As the dispenser 1 approaches the loading position the rollers 29 come in contact with the inclined portion 31 of the control rails 30, thereby raising the levers 26 which in turn closes the clamshell doors 21 to prepare the hopper 6 for loading.

The lug 47 engages the projecting bracket 44 and opens the silo clamshell door 42. The granular material in the silo flows into the hopper 6. When the hopper 6 is full the dispenser 1 is moved away from the silo in the direction of the arrow A, and the lug 47 releases the bracket 44 causing the silo clamshell door 42 to close. When it is desired to dispense granular material into the feeding trough 2 the dispenser 1 is driven further along the guide rails 3 in the direction of the arrow A by the electric motor 56. The tensioning pulley 53 keeps adequate -9tension on thewire rope 50 to prevent it getting entangled with the dispenser 1.

As the dispenser reaches the trough 2 the rollers 29 disengage the control rail 30 and the levers 26 drop from the raised position to open the clamshell doors 21 of the hopper 6. Granular material is dispensed into each side of the trough 2 as the dispenser progresses along the guideralls 3. Uhen the dispenser reaches the end B of the guiderails 3, the hopper will more than likely be empty. The electric motor 56 can then be reversed and the dispenser 1 returned to the loading position.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 7 parts similar to those described already with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 are identified by the same reference numerals. It should be noted that for clarity one of the sets of wheels 12 is not shown in Fig. 5.

An agitator 60 formed from a framework incorporating a number of blades 61 is mounted in the hopper 6 above the openings 20 on a reciprocating bar 62 which projects through the hopper 6. The bar 62 is pivotally connected to a cranked lever 63 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a support 64. The lever 63 has a roller 65 forming a cam follower adapted to engage a cam 66 on the shaft 10. The lever 63 is spring biased by a spring 67.

In operation, rotation of the shaft 10 causes the cam 66 to move the -10lever 63 thus moving the bar 62 and hence the agitator 60. On disengagement the spring 67 will cause the direction of travel to be reversed.

It will be appreciated that depending on the arrangement of the 5 device it may be necessary to also bias the lever 63 in both directions.

The agitator 60 is particularly useful when it is desired to feed certain less free flowing materials.

Claims (9)

1. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. I. A granular material dispensing unit for an elongated feeding trough including a hopper having a closable delivery mouth, the delivery mouth being closed by a clamshell door pivotal from a 5 position where the delivery mouth is closed and spring biased to a position below the hopper where the delivery mouth is open, the hopper being movable from a loading position with the delivery mouth closed along the trough with the delivery mouth open to deliver feed into the trough. 10
2. 2. A dispensing unit as claimed in claim 1 in which the hopper is provided with a pair of closable delivery mouths on opposite sides of the hopper to deliver feed to both sides of the trough.
3. 3. A feeding apparatus for animals including a dispensing unit as claimed in any preceding claim in which the dispensing unit is 15 suspended over the feed trough by a pair of wheel carrying axles mounted on end plates, said end plates being pivotally mounted on the ends of the hopper, said wheels engaging a pair of guide rails mounted . above the sides of the feed trough and extending beyond the feed trough to the loading position below a silo with a closable bottom outlet, 20 stabilising wheels mounted on the end plates projecting outwardly to engage the inside of the guide rails, a pair of control rails mounted between and below the guide rails are provided adjacent the loading position, said control rails engage and raise a pair of levers connected to the clamshell doors to close the delivery mouths as the dispensing 25 unit moves into the loading position. -124. A feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which a silo clamshell door is provided to close the bottom outlet of the silo, the said silo clamshell door being spring biased towards the closed
4. 4. 5 position and pivotal from the closed position to an open position beside the outlet, a projecting lug being provided on the silo clamshell door to engage a corresponding lug on the top of the dispensing unit for opening the silo clamshell door as the dispensing unit moves into the loading position. 10 5. An apparatus as claimed in claims 3 or 4 in which the size of each deliver mouth of the dispensing unit is adjustable by means of adjustable plates adapted to move across the mouths to increase or decrease the size of the opening.
5. 5. 6. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5 in which the 15 dispensing unit is powered by an electric motor and associated drive means mounted at one end of the trough, the drive means including an endless rope connected to the hopper and mounted between spaced apart pulleys.
6. 6. 7. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6 in which a feed 20 agitator is mounted above the delivery mouths. -138. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which one of the wheel axles has mounted thereon a cam adapted to engage one end of a lever which is pivotally mounted intermediate its' ends on the hopper the other end of the lever being pivotally connected 5 to a bar which in turn is connected to the agitator.
7. 7. 9. A granular material dispensing unit substantially as described herein with refernece to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. 8. 10. A feeding apparatus for animals substantially as described 10 herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
9. 9. 11. A feeding apparatus for animals substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.