MXPA94003017A - An apparatus for cutting and mixing fibrous products - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus adapted to reduce animal feed material from a gross size to a smaller finished size, including this apparatus: A hopper having an internal chamber adapted to receive the animal feed material; the inner chamber including a part of the smililindrical bottom, a first end wall, a second end wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall, the first side wall projecting upward in a substantially vertical plane from the bottom part the second side wall projecting at an oblique angle to the first side wall, cutting sheets to reduce the size of the raw material to the smallest finished size, and a circulation element that includes an auger to circulate the food positioned inside the part of the semi-cylindrical bottom, this bit having a first series of auger blades and a second one rotor of auger blades, and an intermediate division adapted to disperse the material of food inside the internal chamber, joined the intermediate division to the auger, in such a way that the division separates the first and second series of blades of barre

Description

AN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND MIXING FIBROUS PRODUCTS Messrs. GIUSEPPI SGARIBOLDI, JOHN BYL, of Italian and North American nationality, respectively, domiciled in Camairago (Milan) WA, Vallicella, Strada Provinciale 27 N. 8-20072, Italy, and 154 7th Street, NE, city of Sioux Center, State of Iowa, United States of North America, inventors, cede, sell and transfer to SIOUX AUTOMATION CENTER, INC., American company, with address at 877 First Avenue, NW, City of Sioux Center, State of Iowa, United States of America, All rights to the invention that is described below: SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An apparatus for cutting and mixing fibrous products for the preparation of animal feed, which includes a hopper, where equipment is installed to cut and mix the fibrous product. Based on the present invention, this mixing and cutting equipment is constituted by an auger that is separated into two equal (welded) sections by a division that joins the arrow of the auger itself. The auger is equipped with a first section of auger blades, which rotate in the clockwise direction, and a second section of auger blades that rotate in the counterclockwise direction. The hopper has a lower part that is partially cylindrical, where the auger is installed, and a vertical wall extends, and the opposite wall extends obliquely from the bottom.

* * * * * FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting and mixing fibrous products. More particularly, it refers to an apparatus that employs a single auger to cut and mix the fibrous product used in the preparation of animal feed. The apparatus can be assembled for stationary use, or it can be adapted for towing or self-propelling.

BACKGROUND The equipment used to cut and mix the fibrous product in the preparation of animal feed typically includes a hopper. In this hopper, there are different equipment installed, such as types of cutting mechanisms and bits to cut and mix the fibrous products, such as dry hay, silage, straw and alfalfa, which are loaded in the upper part of the hopper. The equipment for cutting and mixing the fibrous product used in the preparation of animal feed, most often employs augers that are positioned, either horizontally or vertically inside the hopper. After the fibrous product is cut and sufficiently mixed by the auger mechanism, it is discharged out of a door. The equipment that has horizontal augers has a height and width smaller than the equipment that has vertical augers. However, it is practical to use equipment that has horizontal augers only for limited production work, or in places where there is limited space. The horizontal cutting and mixing equipment of the prior art contains a plurality of bits. For example, one or two bits can be located on the bottom of the hopper, and two or three bits can be located above them. The drills operate in a cooperative way to cut and mix the product, in such a way that the product is compressed and released so that it does not stagnate. The prior art equipment made with different spindles configured, either side by side, or one on top of the other, is very expensive to build and operate, and requires complicated transmission systems connected with the augers and the impulse shaft. Moreover, the known equipment manufactured with several augers, does not satisfactorily perform the mixing and cutting of the fibrous product. Inside the hopper, there are dead spots where the material stagnates, and it is not cut or mixed. The known types of equipment using several vertical augers, have larger dimensions than the horizontal auger equipment, and therefore, are more difficult to operate in an economical manner. Accordingly, there is a need to eliminate the difficulties of the prior art of the known equipment. The present invention is extremely functional, and can be constructed in an economical manner and in smaller sizes. However, the present invention, although employing a single horizontally positioned auger, can operate during unlimited production runs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive single auger apparatus, capable of mixing and cutting the raw feed material into a smaller finished product. A further object of the present invention is to provide a mixing and cutting apparatus that cuts the animal feed material in a consistent manner into a smaller finished product, without stagnating the uncut product inside the apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-propelling mixing and cutting apparatus. Yet another additional object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cutting and mixing of heavy or moist feed material into pieces of a consistently smaller size, and more easily digestible for the animals. Broadly, the present invention encompasses an apparatus adapted to reduce the fibrous material of the animal feed from a larger gross size to a smaller finished size. The apparatus of the present invention includes a hopper, a cutting element, and a circulation element. The hopper has an internal chamber adapted to receive the animal feed material. The cutting element is adapted to reduce the gross size of the food material to the smallest finished size. The cutting element includes cutting blades having a plurality of stationary cutting blades operably disposed in the chamber, and positioned to reduce the gross size of the food material to the finished size, when the food material is circulated in the chamber. The circulation element is positioned inside the chamber in a spaced relation to the stationary cutting blades, to circulate the food material against the stationary cutting blades, whereby, the animal feed material is cut from the gross size up to the finished size. More specifically, this apparatus contains a hopper having a lower part connected to a first end wall, a second end wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall, which define an internal chamber adapted to receive the animal feed material. The apparatus also includes a single auger to circulate, mix and cut animal feed into the chamber. The auger includes a first series of auger blades positioned to circulate the animal feed in a clockwise direction, and a second series of auger blades positioned to move the animal feed in a counter-clockwise direction of the watch, whereby the animal feed material is mixed thoroughly and circulated inside the inner chamber. The present invention also includes a cutting element positioned inside the internal chamber for cutting or tearing the animal feed that is circulating. The inner chamber includes a semi-cylindrical bottom portion connected to the first and second end walls, and extending upward to form the first and second side walls. The first side wall projects upwards in a substantially vertical plane from the bottom part, and the second side wall projects at an oblique angle to the first side wall. The present invention includes a cutting element for reducing the size of the raw material to the smallest finished size, and the circulating element for circulating the food cut into the semi-cylindrical bottom part of the internal chamber. The present invention has a first series of auger blades, and a second series of auger blades, and an intermediate division therebetween, which is adapted to disperse the feed material inside the inner chamber. The intermediate division joins the arrow of the auger, in such a way that the intermediate division separates the first and second series of auger blades. The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and their advantages, compared to known techniques, are more clearly defined by the following description, based on the accompanying drawings, which show an example embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: Figure 1 is a lateral elevation in partial cross section, showing the present invention. Figure 2 is a top view of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross section of the present invention, about lines 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the intermediate partition in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the intermediate division of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a planar top view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a rear raised view of the present invention, with a hopper. Figure 8 is a planar top view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a rear raised view of an alternative embodiment mounted in a housing. Figure 10 is a side elevation view of the housing and discharge launcher of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 is a side elevational view of a tractor. Figure 12 is a side elevational view in partial cross section of a self-propelled embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 is a partial cross section of the hopper, showing the placement of the bar. Figure 14 is a perspective view of the bar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to an apparatus that employs a single auger in a hopper to cut and mix fibrous products used as animal feed. Broadly, the present invention includes a hopper, cutting blades for cutting, an auger with blades, and an intermediate division for circulating the material inside the hopper interior. The present invention is an energy driven apparatus having a bit mechanism supported by a bearing in the end wall 25 of the hopper. The auger 15 is adapted to force the feed material into the hopper towards the central vane 18, while the food is being cut or torn into small pieces. As the auger 15 rotates, the feed material is cut and forced to the center of the hopper, where it can be discharged to the feed troughs. The present invention, more specifically as shown in Figure 1, has a hopper 11 mounted on the structure 5. The hopper 11 includes first and second wall from end 24, 25, and first and second side walls 27, 28, and the bottom section 14, and located opposite thereto, there is an open upper section 34. One of the first and second side walls 27, 28, is substantially vertical, and forms the vertical wall 19. The other of the first and second walls laterally, it is located opposite the vertical wall 19, and extends upwardly from the bottom section 14 at an oblique angle to the vertical wall 19, thereby forming an oblique wall 20. Extending upwardly from the oblique wall 20, there is an upper wall part 21 which is substantially parallel to the vertical wall 19. The upper wall part 21 terminates in an upper projection 31. In the same way, the vertical wall 19 terminates in an upper projection 31. The vertical wall 19 and the oblique wall 20 are connected to one another by the bottom section 14, and the vertical wall 19 and the oblique wall 20 in the same manner are connected to the first and second end walls 24 and 25, which also terminate in an upper projection 31 to form an internal chamber 33. The upper projection 31 defines an upper entry opening 32 towards the internal chamber 33. The bottom section 14 of the hopper 11 is formed in the general configuration of a half cylinder or a channel 104 that is adapted to carry the arrow of the auger 15 therein. The arrow of the auger 15 remains in the channel 104, and extends between the first and second end walls 24 and 25, such that the arrow of the auger 15 is substantially perpendicular to the vertical wall 19. The end wall 25 carries a bearing 3, where the end 51 of the auger 15 rests. In Figure 3, we can clearly see the arrow of the auger 15 which is located in such a way that it can rotate inside the hopper in an asymmetric position compared to the central longitudinal plane of the hopper 11. The central longitudinal plane of the hopper intersects the midpoints of the upper overhang 31 of the end walls 24 and 25. The positioning of the hopper 15 is important for the operation of the present invention as described below. Installed in the bottom section of the hopper 14, there is the single auger 15 which includes a section of a series of blades in the clockwise direction 16, and a section of a series of blades in the opposite direction to that of the blades. the hands of the clock 17. An intermediate division 18 divides these two sections 16 and 17, with the purpose that will be explained. The circulation element, which includes the auger 15 and sections 16 and 17, is positioned in the internal chamber 33, in a spaced relation to the cutting blades 35, which allow the food material to be cut or torn in smaller sizes by the cutting blades 35. As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 of the first embodiment, there is a cutting element located inside the inner chamber 33. The cutting element includes the cutting blades 35 , which are adapted to reduce the gross size of the animal feed material placed inside the inner chamber 33 to a smaller finished size which is easily digested by the animal. For example, the material, such as corn stems, silage, beans, alfalfa and the like, can be loaded into the inner chamber 33 after being harvested, and the apparatus 10 can be operated to reduce the size of the material to smaller digestible portions. . It should be noted that the size of the finished product will be determined by the animal to be fed, and by the time the material has been processed by the apparatus 10. The cutting blades 35 are located on the vertical wall 19, and they can locate on the vanes 36 that are located on the auger 15. The cutting blades 35 on the vertical wall 19 are formed as counter-vanes 22. These contra-vanes are formed as disks 38 in the first embodiment. The disks 38 only have a part of their cutting surface 39 exposed to the food material in the inner chamber 33. When the exposed part of the cutting surface of the disks 38 becomes blunted, the disks 38 are rotated to expose a new one. part of its cutting surface 39. The use of the disc-shaped counterparts 22, as shown in the first embodiment, includes forming a recessed part 40 in the vertical wall 19. This recessed part 40 is added to the manufacturing cost of the invention 10; however, the use of rotatable discs 38 increases the duration of the cutting time useful for the customer using the present invention. An alternative embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown in Figures 6 and 7. In this embodiment, counter-razors 22 are only disks means 84 that can not be rotated, but instead are connected securely and directly to the vertical wall 19 by welding or other known methods. As can be seen, this eliminates the need for a recess in the wall 19. Consequently, the portions of the food material do not become lodged in the recessed part 40, as can happen with the first embodiment. Figures 1, 2, 6 and 8 show top views and a side view of the blades 36 that are attached to the drill 15. The blades 36 include a first series of blades 16 and a second series of blades 17, which are divided by intermediate division 18 or pallet 18, and preferably the pallet 18 is located at an equal distance between the first series of blades and the second series of blades on the bit 15. The blades 36 are positioned to rotate the material in two patterns flow rates, as shown in Figure 1. The positioning of the two series of blades is adapted to force the feed material towards the center of the auger 15. The vane 18 is shown more clearly in Figures 4 and 5. The intermediate division 18 is assembled and solidly joined to the beam of the drill 15, with a slight double inclination in relation to the X and Y axes, which intersect perpendicularly in the symmetrical center of division 18 (Figures 4 and 5) . as can be clearly seen in Figures 4 and 5, this division 18 is molded or configured with diametrically opposed lobes 41. An angled lobe 41 allows the material to be pushed back and to the left, and the other angled lobe 41 allows that the cut material is pushed back and to the right. In this way, the pallet pulverizes the material on the wall, forcing the material back towards the end walls. The action of the blades then moves the material back towards the center of the pallet 18. Figure 4 shows the pallet 18 without the cutting blades 35; in an alterative manner, Figure 5 shows the blade 18 with the cutting blades 35. The angled shape and the position of the blade 18 are adapted to cooperate with the shape of the bottom section 14, and the oblique and vertical walls. and 19, respectively, to circulate the material in a continuous flow of material towards the center, by means of the action of the first and second series of vanes 16 and 17. The vane 18 operates to collect the material and push it against the side wall, particularly the vertical wall 19, in a manner that disperses the material, so that it pulverizes it backwards, through the first and second series of vanes 16 and 17. Consequently, the vanes and the vane, in combination with the unique shape of the hopper 11, act to allow an easy circulation of the food material without stagnation. Continuous circulation is essential for regular consistent cutting and tearing of the product in reduced size. In addition, the present invention includes another element that assists in the circulation and tearing of the product. In Figure 13, the channel 104 is shown in a partial cross section. Located on the inner part 130 of channel 104, there are metal bars projecting outward, which perform two functions. The first function is to protect the bottom part of channel 104 from excessive wear. The second function is to assist in cooperation with the cutting blades 35 to tear the material. Figure 14 shows that the bars 129 run the length. When positioned in the channel 104 between the end walls, the bars 129 run parallel to the auger 15. The present invention may include one or more series of cutting blades 35. As can be seen in Figure 2, the invention 10 can have discs 38 that cut the circulating animal feed, by causing the food to rotate against the cutting surface by the blade 18 and the blades 36, in a tearing type of action. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the cutting blades may include not only stationary cutting blades, such as the counter-blades 22, shown in Figures 6 and 7, but also cutting elements, such as the rotating blades 23, which they are surely connected with the blades and / or with the pallet 18. The cutting blades 35 can be joined by welding, screws and / or rivets, or by other methods commonly used by experts in this field. The knives 23 are connected with the blades 36, in such a way that they project upwards and / or outwards from them, exposing a cutting edge to the material inside the internal chamber 33. These knives 23 act in a cooperative manner with the bars 129 and the counterblades 22, 84, to cut or tear the material into smaller pieces. The knives 23 may include saw edges to further facilitate the cutting and circulation function of the present invention. The knives 23 and the counterblades 22 are located in a slightly spaced apart relationship to allow the blades 36 to rotate freely without undue friction by contact with the cutting blades 35. Turning to Figures 5 and 8, you can clearly see the cutting blades 35 on the pallet 18. The blades are saw. Figure 5 has saw blades located on the terminal part of the first and second lobes 41 and 42, respectively, of the blade 18. The cutting blades 35 are positioned to have a series of scalloped blades 43, which give primarily to the blade. first end wall 24, and the second series of scalloped sheets 44 that give primarily to the second end wall 25. Additionally, as shown in Figure 8, the vane 18 may have the cutting blades 35 located on the lateral edges 45 and 46 of the lobes 41, 42. These additional side edge sheets, due to their position, can not cooperate with the counter-rails 22. However, these side edge sheets 43 do tear the material as it is circulated, and they help prevent the stagnation of the material. The inventor has perceived that when certain types of wet or heavy food material are placed in the inner chamber 33, the material is not always circulated in a uniform manner by the auger 15 and the vane 18. Although the bottom of the channel 104 allows a easy rotation of the material by the auger 15, and the oblique wall 20 allows the gradual upward movement of the material, towards the pallet 18, which then picks the material up and back, to one side or to the other, the weight of the wet or heavy material makes it fall directly down the vertical wall 19 when pushed by the vane 18 against it, instead of pulverizing the wall 19. In response to this circulation problem, the inventor positioned a wedge-shaped projection 82 , shown in Figures 8 and 9 on the wall 19. The projection 82 may be in the form of a pyramid of inverted triangular configuration, or a prism of triangular configuration. Irrespective of the shape, what is essential is that the projection 82 operates to assist the extension of the material thrown by the pallet 18 along the auger 15. The shape of the hopper 11 is such that it can be easily mounted on the an accommodation 91, such as a wagon. As shown in Figure 9, the hopper 11 can be supported by the supports 92 inside a standard car. When the hopper 11 is mounted inside a housing, such as a wagon, the end walls 24 and 25 can be formed by the wagon, or they can be formed as part of the hopper 11. In Figure 9, the end walls are formed by housing 91. As is known to the experts in this field, a wagon can have a variety of entrances to the internal chamber 33. Figure 9 clearly shows that the food material can be charged through the rear entrance 94, or the side entrance 95, or the top 96. The part wall of the hopper 21 extending upwardly from the oblique wall 20, must be modified to contain an access region 97 for food to enter the inner chamber 33 if a side entry 95 is desired. Of course, they can be provided a variety of these access regions. In the same way, the hopper and the housing (if one is used) should contain a discharge region 98. An example of a discharge region 98 is shown in Figures 7 and 10, as the discharge region 102, which includes the launcher 100. The launcher 100 is located on the wall 20 opposite the row of semicircular blades spaced apart 84, which are welded on the wall 19. The launcher 100 can be operated hydraulically as shown in Figure 10, or it can be operate manually. When the door 101 is hydraulically opened to unload the launcher 100, the discharge chain is crimped, and the feed flows out of the launcher 100. The launcher 100 may include a riser extension 103 when in the open position, as shown in Figure 8. There are several discharge launchers known in the art that could be put into practice. The preferred method of operating this apparatus requires the use of a farm vehicle, such as a tractor 50 (Figure 11). The apparatus 10 is structurally formed by a metal hopper 11, which is mounted on a structure 5 with the wheels 12, and operates to be pulled by the equipment, such as a tractor 50 or the like. More specifically, my preferred apparatus includes a structure 5 mounted on the shaft 9 without requiring any drive mechanism. The structure 5 can be operated to be hooked by a tongue 13 or pull rod to a tractor 50 or to a vehicle, such that the present invention can be easily moved between different places. (See Figure 1 and Figure 11). Looking at Figures 10 and 11 in combination, it is easy to see that the tongue 13 on the structure 5 is hooked to the tractor 50 by the usual drawbar 132. The power arrow 133 is connected to the power output 134 of the tractor 50 This arrow 133 is connected to a planetary gear reduction transmission unit 136 which drives the auger 15 when the power output is crimped. Depending on the size of the present invention, the reduction ratio is usually between 25: 1 and 31: 1. The apparatus 10 can be pulled and energized by the tractor 50. Alternatively, my invention may include a self-propelled element, as shown in Figure 12. The self-propelled embodiment includes the structure 105, a motor and steering mechanism 106 , and the directional steering wheels 107, the operator station 108, and preferably, electrical and hydraulic systems. To be a self-propelled system, the structure 105 and the chassis 104 must be securely connected to each other to form the present invention 10. In operation, the different embodiments of the present invention operate as follows. The fibrous material is loaded into the hopper 11 from the top or from the rear opening 26, or from the side entrance. The material is pushed through the leaf section in the clockwise direction 16, and through the leaf section in the counterclockwise direction 17 of the auger 15 towards the center against the central division 18. The material is then pushed up and out through the partition 18 towards the end walls 24 and 25 of the hopper 11, in the direction of the arrows of Figure 1, with a continuous movement, such as a "source". The oblique wall 20 guarantees the continuous downward movement in a sliding movement of the material towards the auger 15. The launching or bucking of the material by means of the vane 18 on the opposite vertical wall 19, it operates to pulverize the material, both to the left and to the right, and stops the stagnation of the material, in such a way that there is always a contact with the auger that transports the material backwards, towards the center, until the material arrives to division 18. Each rotation of the feed material continuously brings the material into contact with the cutting blades 35, which are cutting and tearing the material into smaller and smaller pieces. The cooperation between the blades on the blades 36 and the bars 129 located on the bottom of the channel 104, and the stationary blades 22, 84, effectively cuts and tears the material, by means of which,

Claims (4)

Reduces the size of the raw material to a finished size, which can then be downloaded by the launcher 100, and can be fed to animals or stored for future use. The combination of this unique configuration of the hopper 11 and the single auger 15, results in an optimum mix of the product, and this positively affects the quality of the production of the animal feed. In accordance with the foregoing, the present invention has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that the present invention is defined by the following claims, constructed in the light of the prior art, in such a way that modifications or changes can be made to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, without departing from the concepts inventives contained in this. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the above invention, it is considered as a novelty, and therefore, the content of the following is claimed as property: R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. An apparatus adapted to reduce animal feed material from a raw size to a smaller finished size of the apparatus, which includes: A hopper having an internal chamber adapted to receive the animal feed material; a cutting element including cutting blades to reduce the gross size to the smaller finished size, which includes a plurality of stationary cutting blades operably arranged in the chamber, and positioned to reduce the gross size of the food material to the size finished, when the food material is circulated in the chamber; and a circulation element positioned in the chamber in a spaced relation with the cutting blades, to circulate the food material against the cutting blades, whereby, the animal feed material is cut from the gross size to the size finished.

2. An apparatus adapted to process an animal feed material, which has a first raw size, to form an animal feed material having a second smaller finished size, including this apparatus: A hopper having a portion of the bottom connected with a first end wall and a second end wall, and the first end wall and a second end wall defining an internal chamber adapted to receive the animal feed material; a single auger to circulate, mix and cut the animal feed inside the chamber, including the auger a first series of auger blades positioned to circulate the animal feed in a clockwise direction, and a second series of blades of auger positioned to circulate the animal feed in a counter-clockwise direction, whereby, the animal feed material is mixed thoroughly and circulated inside the inner chamber; and cutting blades positioned inside the chamber to tear the animal feed material that is in the gross size, to form the animal feed material in the second smaller finished size.

3. An apparatus adapted to reduce animal feed material from a gross size to a smaller finished size, including this apparatus: A hopper having an internal chamber adapted to receive the animal feed material; and the inner chamber including a part of the semi-cylindrical bottom, a first end wall, a second end wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall, the first side wall projecting upward in a substantially vertical plane from the side of the wall. bottom, the second side wall projecting at an oblique angle to the first side wall; cutting blades to reduce the size of the raw material to the smallest finished size, and a circulating element that includes an auger to circulate the food positioned inside the semi-cylindrical bottom part, this bit having a first series of auger blades and a second series of auger blades; and an intermediate division adapted to disperse the feed material inside the inner chamber, the intermediate division joined to the auger, in such a way that the division separates the first and second series of auger blades. IN WITNESS WHEREOVER, I have signed the above description and Novelty of the Invention, as representative of SIOUX AUTOMATION CENTER, INC., In the city of Mexico, D.F., on the 26th day of the month of April, 1994. SIOUX AUTOMATION CENTER, INC. and / or SAMUEL DORANTES R. and LORENIA ESPINOSA U,