IE950908A1 - Apparatus for dispensing material especially granular material - Google Patents

Abstract

A granular material dispenser for animal feed comprises a hopper and a metering device mounted within the hopper. The metering device includes a metering chamber 21 defined by a flat plate 31 adjacent an opening 16 and first and second partition walls 19, 20. The first partition wall 19 is movable in a translation motion to vary the capacity of the chamber 21 for dispensing animal feed to a high level of accuracy. The capacity of the chamber 21 is varied at a rate which is directly proportional to the movement of the first partition wall 19. <Fig 3>

Description

Apparatus for Dispensing Material especially Granular Material The invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing a preset quantity of material, especially granular material.

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. The term hopper includes all forms of containers and bulk storage devices suitable for materials, especially for granular materials.

There are already on the market a number of relatively 10 inexpensive and easily operated equipment for dispensing granular material. One such apparatus is described in my Irish Patent Specification No. 43812.

There is, however, a need for a relatively inexpensive and easily operated apparatus of this type in which it is possible to vary the volume of material dispensed.

According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for dispensing a preset quantity of material, especially granular material, comprising a hopper and a metering device mounted within the hopper, the hopper having an 20 inlet and a discharge outlet for material, and the metering device comprising a body member having an opening for material and being movable within the hopper from a filling position with the opening receiving material from the hopper inlet, to a dispensing position for discharge 25 of material from the hopper through the discharge outlet, the metering device having first and second partition walls which define a metering chamber, the first partition wall being movable relative to the jiArnnH partition wall to change the capacity of the ir BlOPENgTOdhlalftbtertNSPfidlON UNDER SECTION 28 AND RULE 23 JNL. Νο.../JM........OF - 2 movement of the first partition wall relative to the second partition wall being directly proportional to the change in the capacity of the metering chamber.

In one embodiment of the invention the watering chamber is also defined by a flattened plate portion which is generally parallel to the second partition wall. Preferably, the flattened portion is defined by a flat plate .

Typically the second partition wall is fixed in position.

Preferably the second partition wall is fixed to a central axle extending across the drum.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first partition wall is movable in a translational movement relative to the second partition wall to change the capacity of the metering chamber.

Typically the axis along which the first partition wall is moved is generally parallel to the plane of the second partition wall.

In another embodiment of the invention the first partition wall is mounted to the second partition wall by a mounting means.

Typically the mounting means comprises a first bracket portion carried by the first partition wall and a second bracket portion carried by the second partition wall, the bracket portions having adjustment means for movement of the first partition wall relative to the second partition wall. - 3 Preferably the adjustment means comprises a longitudinal slot in one of the bracket portions which is engageable by a pin on the other bracket portion, the engagement means being lockable in a desired position by a locking means.

Ideally the first bracket portion is graduated adjacent the slot to define predetermined capacities for the metering chamber.

Typically the longitudinal slot is substantially parallel to the plane of the second partition wall.

In a preferred embodiment the locking means comprises a locking nut.

In one embodiment of the invention the axle extends through and is rotatably mounted in the hopper.

In one embodiment of the invention the body member is mounted for pivotal movement within the hopper between the filling and dispensing positions.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the body member comprises a substantially cylindrical drum having a substantially cylindrical wall, the second partition wall extending radially from an axis of the drum and the first partition wall extending between the second partition wall and the cylindrical wall.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :Fig. 1 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of an apparatus for dispensing a preset quantity of material according to the invention in a filling position, - 4 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Fig. in a dispensing position, Fig. 3 is a typical transverse cross sectional view of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2 illustrating the operation of the apparatus, Fig. 4 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of a metering device forming part of the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 3, Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view, on an enlarged scale of portion of the metering device of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another portion of the metering device of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated an apparatus indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 for dispensing a preset quantity of material, in this case granular material such as animal feed. The apparatus 1 comprises a hopper and a metering device mounted within the hopper. The hopper is of a substantially rectangular construction having a pair of end walls 2, side walls 3, a top 4 and a bottom wall 5. The bottom wall, top wall, one end wall and a portion of one side wall are omitted from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings for clarity. A top inlet 6 and a bottom discharge outlet 7 are provided in the hopper. A pair of inclined walls 8 are mounted between the side walls 3 and form a V-shape trough having a bottom opening 9 for delivery of material into the metering device. An arcuate plate 10 is mounted on each side wall 3 to prevent the passage of material between the side walls 3 and the metering device. - 5 Referring particularly to Fig. 4 the metering device comprises a body member, in this case a substantially cylindrical drum 15. The drum 15 includes a pair of end plates 17 and is mounted for pivotal movement between the filling and dispensing positions on a central axle 18 which extends between the end plates 17 and is journalled in the hopper side walls 3. The drum 15 has an opening 16 in a cylindrical wall for delivery and discharge of material. The cylindrical metering device 15 is movable within the hopper from a filling position with the opening 16 in line with the bottom delivery opening 9 of the trough as illustrated in Fig. 1, to a dispensing position with the opening 16 in line with the discharge outlet 7 from the hopper as illustrated in Fig. 2.

A flat plate 31 is welded to and extends between the end plates 17 adjacent to the drum opening 16. A metering chamber 21 is defined by the flat plate 31 and by first and second partition walls 19, 20. The second partition wall 20 is mounted to and extends radially outwardly of the axle 18. The first partition wall 19 extends between the second partition wall 20 and the flat plate 31 and is movable in the direction of the arrows Y indicated in Fig. to vary the capacity of the metering chamber 21 at a rate which is directly proportional to the movement of the first partition wall 19. In this way, the volume of the metering chamber can be adjusted very accurately for dispensing granular feed material controlled to a closely defined quantity.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4 to 6, the first partition wall 19 is movable relative to the second partition wall 20 by relative movement between a first bracket portion 29 attached to the second partition wall 19 and a second bracket portion 22. The second bracket portion 22 is attached at one end to the first partition - 6 wall 19 and is connected to the bracket portion 29 for movement of the first partition wall 19 relative to the bracket portion 29 to vary the volume of the chamber 21 in substantially direct proportion to the translational movement of the first partition wall 19. It will be noted that the change in the volume of the chamber 21 does not affect the free flow of material from the inlet trough. In this case, the second bracket portion 22 is provided by a generally U-shaped arm 22 and the first bracket portion 29 is provided by a plate 29 attached to and extending outwardly of the second partition wall 20.

Adjustment means for movement of the first partition wall 19 relative to the second partition wall 20 comprises a longitudinal slot 30 in the plate 29 which is engageable by a pin 28 on the U-shaped arm 22. Because the longitudinal slot 30 is generally parallel to the plane of the second partition wall 20, movement of the pin 28 in the longitudinal slot 30 allows translational movement of the first partition wall 19 relative to the second partition wall 20, in a plane parallel to the second partition wall 20, thus changing the capacity of the metering chamber 21 at a rate directly proportional to the movement of the first partition wall 19. Locking means, in this case a locking nut 30 which engages the pin 28, is provided for locking the U-shaped arm 22 and thus the first partition wall 19 in a desired position. It will be appreciated that guide means in the form of additional guide pins and/or a guide block may be provided to control the movement of the arm 22 relative to the slot 30.

A stop 45 is mounted on the interior of the hopper to engage the second partition wall 20 in the dispensing position and a free edge of the cylindrical body member 15 in the filling position as illustrated in Fig. 3. - 7 The axle 18 extends through at least one side wall 3 of the hopper and has rigidly mounted thereon an operating lever 50. The lever 50 may form a counterweight for biasing the metering device 15 into the filling position illustrated in Fig. 1, or one end of the lever 50 may be connected to the piston of a pneumatic or hydraulic ram (not shown). The U-shaped arm 22 may also be operated by a ram and each ram may be controlled by a valve fed from a main fluid supply, operation of each valve being controlled from one main switch or an individual switch. Further, the lever 50 may be manually operated against the action of a return spring (not shown).

In use, the capacity of the metering chamber and hence the volume of material dispensed is set by moving the first partition wall 19 into a desired position as already described. The lever 50 operated by a pneumatic ram maintains the metering device in the filling or loading position illustrated in Fig. 1 where material passes in the direction of the arrow A from the trough into the opening 16 in the drum 15. Movement of the lever 50 anticlockwise in the direction of the arrow X causes the metering device to rotate in the same direction into the dispensing position illustrated in Fig. 2 at which material is delivered out of the dispenser in the direction of the arrow B.

One advantage of the invention is that it provides a more accurate method of dispensing preset volumes of such material such as granular animal feed material by providing a metering chamber whose volume is directly proportional to the movement of the first partition wall relative to the second partition wall. It achieves this by providing translational movement of the first partition wall. This increased accuracy is especially useful when »50908 - 8 the device is being used to meter out relatively small quantities of material.

Many variations on the specific embodiment of the invention described above will be readily apparent and accordingly the invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (17)

1. An apparatus for dispensing a preset quantity of material, especially granular material, comprising a hopper and a metering device mounted within the hopper, the hopper having an inlet and a discharge outlet for material, and the metering device comprising a body member having an opening for material and being movable within the hopper from a filling position with the opening in position for receiving material from the hopper inlet, to a dispensing position for discharge of material from the hopper through the discharge outlet, the metering device having first and second partition walls which define a metering chamber, the first partition wall being movable relative to the second partition wall to change the capacity of the metering chamber, the movement of the first partition wall relative to the second partition wall being directly proportional to the change in the capacity of the metering chamber.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metering chamber is also defined by a flattened plate portion which is generally parallel to the second partition wall.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the flattened portion is defined by a flat plate.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second partition wall is fixed in position. - 10

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the second partition wall is fixed to a central axle extending across the body member.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first partition wall is movable in a translational movement relative to the second partition wall to change the capacity of the metering chamber.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the axis along which the first partition wall is moved is generally parallel to the plane of the second partition wall.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the first partition wall is mounted to the second partition wall by a mounting means.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the mounting means comprises a first bracket portion carried by the first partition wall and a second bracket portion carried by the second partition wall, the bracket portions having adjustable engagement means for movement of the first partition wall relative to the second partition wall.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the adjustable engagement means comprises a longitudinal slot in one of the bracket portions which is engageable by a guide means on the other bracket portion, the adjustable engagement means being lockable in a desired position by a locking means.

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17. - 11 Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the first bracket portion is graduated adjacent the slot to define predetermined capacities for the metering chamber. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein the longitudinal slot is substantially parallel to the plane of the second partition wall. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12 wherein the locking means comprises at least one locking nut. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 13 wherein the axle extends through and is rotatably mounted in the hopper. Apparatus as claimed any preceding claim wherein the body member is mounted for pivotal movement within the hopper between the filling and dispensing positions. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the body member comprises a substantially cylindrical drum having a substantially cylindrical wall, the second partition wall extending radially from an axis of the drum and the first partition wall extending between the second partition wall and the cylindrical wall. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.