US3556418A

US3556418A - Feed mixing mill

Info

Publication number: US3556418A
Application number: US620147A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marshall F Hokana
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-03-02
Filing date: 1967-03-02
Publication date: 1971-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-19

Abstract

A feed processing assembly in which the various components of formulas can be stored, metered and thereafter mixed, processed and conveyed to a storage area, all with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator. More particularly, this device comprises a gravity storage bin with compartments for holding the individual feed components such as corn, barley, oats and the like, each compartment terminating at the lower portion in gate means. Each gate means has a moving regulator for metering varying amounts of the particular feed from the compartment to a receiver which directs the feed to selected sections of a hammer mill with screen outlets of different sizes whereby the texture of the milled feed may be controlled. A conveyor with pivotable augers leads from the hammer mill to a storage area.

Description

United States Patent Marshall F. Hokana Ellendale, N. Dak. 58436 [21] Appl. No. 620,147

[22] Filed Mar. 2, 1967 [45] Patented Jan. 19, 1971 [72] Inventor [54] FEED MIXING MILL 5 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 241/60, 222/31 1,241/186 [51] Int. Cl ..B02c 13/06, B02c 13/286, B02c 9/00 [50] Field of Search 241/60,

186, 101, 101.8, 73; 222/31 1, 286, 294, 297, 303, 268(Cursory); 146/111, 134

Primary ExaminerRobert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Donald G. Kelly Attorney-Mason, Mason and Albright ABSTRACT: A feed processing assembly in which the various components of formulas can be stored, metered and thereafter mixed, processed and conveyed to a storage area, all with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator. More particularly, this device comprises a gravity storage bin with compartments for holding the individual feed components such as corn, barley, oats and the like, each compartment terminating at the lower portion in gate means. Each gate means has a moving regulator for metering varying amounts of the particular feed from the compartment to a receiver which directs the feed to selected sections of a hammer mill with screen outlets of different sizes whereby the texture of the milled feed may be controlled. A conveyor with pivotable augers leads from the hammer mill to a storage area.

PATENTED JAN 1 9 I97! SHEET 1 0F 4 INVENTO/E MARSHALL F. HOKANA PATENTEU JAN 1 9197i SHEET 2 OF 4 INVENTOR MARSHALL HOKA/VA W w, WWW! PATENTEU JAN] 91% SHEET 3 [IF 4 /N VE N TOR. MA RSHALL E HOKANA 8) 7/111, %M/%% ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJANIQIHYI. SHEENUM 835565418 mvsu'roa MARSHALL F. HOKANA A TOBNEYS FEED MIXING MILL In my copending application Ser. No. 354,411 filed Mar. 24, 1964, now US. Pat. No. 3,312,329, I have described a system in which a partitioned gravity tank or bin has an inclined bottom so that a number of feed components can be dispensed to common mixing area. The present invention is an improvement on the system previously described. particularly in the control of amounts of feed components metered. In its preferred embodiment. the device described herein includes additional control means for accurately regulating the feed mixture as well as a directional auger conveyor for dispensing the mixed product.

In the drawings, which are schematic:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation showing a preferred arrangement of the assembly;

FIG. 1A is a side elevation showing the adjustable feed arrangement (parts have been omitted for clarity);

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a metering roller;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the ejector and meter roller of FIG. 2 showing its location relative to the bin and receiver;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the ear corn ejector;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the directional auger; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the auger ofFIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the hammermill of FIG. 1 with parts broken away.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the sectional screen of the hammermill. I

In FIG. 1 an elevated bin 1 is divided into a plurality of compartments by one or more partitions 3.

Bin 1 has an inclined bottom or floor 2 so that each compartment terminates in gate means, including trap gates 7, at the lower portion of the compartments.

The gates 7 as well as the configuration of the partitioned bin 1 can be the same as those seen in FIGS. 1-3 in copending application Ser. No. 354,41 1

Immediately in front of each trap gate 7 is a meter roller 9 adjacent each trap gate with individual adjustable covers 8.

Each roller 9 is driven from a common sprocket l1 and shaft 12.

As seen in FIGS; 2 and 3, each roller is provided with sliding covers 8 which can be manually shifted with knobs 10. The shaft 12 has a plurality of vanes 13 for urging the dispensed feed components to a receiving area 15. Included within the gate means is a trough 14 for receiving rollers 9. It will be undeustood that, depending on the amount of exposure given roller 9 by covers 8, feed components are individually dispensed into receiver 15. i

In one of the chambers of bin 1, ears of corn can be stored and an ear corn ejector used to facilitate the removal of com cars from bin 1 to conventional rollers 9. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, ejector 101 is supported on floor 2 of the bin 1. Ejector 101 has a plurality of triangular-shaped fins 103 on rod 105. Red 105 is moved back and forth by disc 109 which is rotated by shaft 110 and sprocket 111. A series of studs 113 are provided on disc 109 that fit into a corresponding hole in rod 105. Depending on the stud l 13 selected, theejectors fins 103 are reciprocated back and forth more or less so that com ears are urged downwards towards gate 7. A U-shaped bracket 107 bolted to floor 2 guides the rod 105 during reciprocation.

From receiver 15, the components flow by gravity into intake spout or receiver 17 of hammer mill 20. The intake spout or receiver 17 leads into a casing 21 housing a conventional hammer mill 20 with blades 201 (FIG. 7) capable of about 2,400 r.p.m with a sectional screen 203 which can be provided with openings of varying sizes in

sections

204, 205 and 206 (FIG. 8) The mill 20 with such a screen affords the operator additional control of the varieties of grain as to texture. Also, intake spout 17 can be made adjustable to lead into that section of the screen so that a regulated flow of feed materials to that section of the screen will take place. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A, a handwheel 207 on a shaft 208 may threadably engage spout or receiver 17 so that the feed path can be adjustably varied as it passes through opening 209 in casing 21 to feed material selectively to any of the screen sections therebelow. Receiver 17 can be. adapted to slide by means of a tongue 210 and slot 211 arrangement. Still further,

dividers within the hammer mill between hammers can be used to the end that additional control is realized.

At the bottom of the mill, an auger 25 collects the mixed and ground feed and urges same into a fan chamber 36 in which fan 27 flows the feed (now in scmidust form) upwardly through duct 29 and then into a storage or collector tank 31. The bottom of tank 31 has an opening 32 which is fitted with a swivel nozzle 34.

Positioned directly to the rear of hammer mill 20 is a cylindrical casing 38 housing a conveyor assembly with pivotable augers. The assembly includes two screw conveyors 47 and 49 (FIGS. 5 and 6) housed within casings 4'3 and 45 respectively. Casing 43 telescopes within casing 38. Casing 38 has an intake 81 at the lower section of the hammer mill 20 so that processed feed can be moved by any conventional means, eg. an auger, directly from the hammer mill if desired. Opening 89 in casing 43 extends in the side and part of the bottom of the casing. As shown in the drawings, an extension duct 34' is fitted on nozzle 34 so that the storage or collector tank 31 can be connected to the inlet 81 of casing 38 and processed feed allowed to flow by gravity to auger 47. It will be understood that casing 43 is open at its bottom and side at 89 to receive processed feed regardless of the telescoped position of casing 43.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 it will be noted that casing 43 and casing 45 open into each other at their juncture. exposing augers 47 and 49 to one another. Auger 47 is powered by shaft 50 with sprocket 51 being connectable to a source of power, preferably to the hammer mill drive.

As shaft 50 is rotated, shaft 56 is turned through cone gears 53 and 54 so that sprocket 57 turns shaft 60 through sprocket 59 and endless chain 58. Similarly, shaft 68 is rotated via sprockets 61 and 62, connected by endless chain 63 which rotates shaft 69 and meshing cone gears 65 and 66.

It will be seen that augers 47 and 49 are rotated about

shafts

50 and 68 which are housed in

casings

43 and 45 respectively. The

casings

43 and 45 are connected with a band and groove joint so that one casing can be turned relative to the other. Also, the casing 43 is turnable with casing 38 so that auger 49 can be moved into any direction. An offcenter or angle blade can be fitted within

casings

43 and 45 to guide material from auger 47 to auger 49. The

casings

43 and 45 can be moved manually or by a lift using handles and 97, respectively.

The foregoing embodiment has been described for illustrative purposes only and variations of this embodiment will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art.

lclaim:

l. A feed processing assembly, comprising a gravity feed tank having an inclined bottom, said tank being compartmented into a plurality of feed compartments, each comparement terminating in gate means in their lowermost portions, said gate means including an exit in said tank and a rotatabie metering roller with vanes positioned adjacent said exit, said metering roller having a trough extending along the bottom thereof to at least partially enclose same, sleeve means at least partly surrounding said roller for controlling the amount of feed dispensed from said compartments, receiving means positioned below said gate means, said receiving means leading into a hammer mill for mixing and grinding said feed, and conveyor means for removing the feed from said hammer mill to a storage area, said hammer mill being associated with a sectional screen having outlets of varying sizes, receiving means for directing feed to that portion of said screen having the desired openings.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said conveyor means is an exhaust fan within a substantially vertical tube and said tube leads to a collector tank.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein a directional auger is positioned to receive material from said fan, said auger including two substantially enclosed screw conveyors which are veyors being pivotable relative to the other conveyor adjacent their naturally exposed portions whereby feed can be directed in different directions.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein rotary corn ejector means is eccentrically mounted in one of said compartments adjacent its exit.

Claims

1. A feed processing assembly, comprising a gravity feed tank having an inclined bottom, said tank being compartmented into a plurality of feed compartments, each compartment terminating in gate means in their lowermost portions, said gate means including an exit in said tank and a rotatable metering roller with vanes positioned adjacent said exit, said metering roller having a trough extending along the bottom thereof to at least partially enclose same, sleeve means at least partly surrounding said roller for controlling the amount of feed dispensed from said compartments, receiving means positioned below said gate means, said receiving means leading into a hammer mill for mixing and grinding said feed, and conveyor means for removing the feed from said hammer mill to a storage area, said hammer mill being associated with a sectional screen having outlets of varying sizes, receiving means for directing feed to that portion of said screen having the desired openings.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein a directional auger is positioned to receive material from said fan, said auger including two substantially enclosed screw conveyors which are joined with portions exposed to one another adjacent their ends, one of said conveyors being pivotable relative to the other conveyor adjacent their exposed portions whereby processed feed can be directed in different directions.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said conveyor means includes a directional auger, said auger including two substantially enclosed screw conveyors which are joined with portions exposed to one another adjacent their ends, one of said conveyors being pivotable relative to the other conveyor adjacent their naturally exposed portions whereby feed can be directed in different directions.