Microingredient dispensing system with empty tray detector

A microingredient feed additive dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• a microingredient receptacle having a front portion including an exit boundary and a rear portion opposite the front portion;
• one or more receptacle mounts mounting the microingredient receptacle to the frame;
• a plurality of microingredient bins oriented above the microingredient receptacle so that when ingredients are dispensed from the bins, they are received by the microingredient receptacle;
• one or more empty-receptacle-detecting sensors arranged below, above, or to the front portion of the microingredient receptacle;
• a driver coupled to the receptacle to feed the microingredients toward and over an exit boundary of the microingredient receptacle;
• and
• a controller;
• wherein there is an absence of empty-receptacle-detecting sensors arranged to, above, and/or below the rear portion of the microingredient receptacle, so that to determine whether the microingredient receptacle is empty, the controller determines whether the microingredient receptacle is empty by relying on signals that are exclusively generated by the empty-receptacle-detecting sensors that are arranged below, above, or to the front portion of the microingredient receptacle and without measuring the total weight of the microingredient receptacle together with any of its microingredient contents.

A microingredient feed additive dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• a microingredient receptacle having a front portion and a rear portion;
• one or more receptacle mounts mounting the microingredient receptacle to the frame;
• a plurality of microingredient bins oriented above the microingredient receptacle so that when ingredients are dispensed from the bins, they are received by the microingredient receptacle;
• one or more empty-receptacle-detecting sensors arranged below, above, or to the front portion of the microingredient receptacle;
• and
• a driver coupled to the receptacle to feed the microingredients toward and over an exit boundary of the microingredient receptacle;
• a catch basin and/or an eductor bowl situated below the discharge end of the microingredient receptacle to receive the discharged additives;
• and
• one or more flush nozzles situated adjacent an upper portion of the catch basin and/or eductor bowl and operable to direct a liquid fluid into the catch basin and/or eductor bowl;
• an eductor situated below the catch basin and/or eductor bowl and in fluid connection with a suction inlet of the catch basin and/or eductor bowl;
• and
• a pressurized water supply in fluid connection with a main inlet of the eductor;
• wherein the pressurized water supply is in fluid communication with both the eductor and the flush nozzles, so that water is supplied and cut-off to the eductor and flush nozzles concurrently;
• a pressurized air supply that introduces air;
• a delivery conduit wherein a first end is in fluid connection with an eductor outlet and a second end is in fluid connection with a batch mixer;
• and
• an air inlet that introduces air into the delivery conduit at a point downstream of the eductor.