Feed-mixing device having a calibrating function

Abstract

A feed-mixing device for receiving, mixing and dispensing animal feed includes a frame with a mixing bin for receiving and mixing the animal feed therein and dispensing it therefrom, at least one mixing device rotatably drivable in the mixing bin using a drive, in particular a vertical mixing auger, for mixing the received animal feed, and a weighing device for determining the weight of the animal feed received in the mixing bin, comprising N weighing elements, with N≥2, each of which emits a weighing signal, and a control system for controlling the feed-mixing device and for processing the weighing signals from the weighing elements to produce the determined weight. The control system is configured to perform an, in particular fully automatic, calibration action of the weighing elements. The calibration action includes driving the at least one mixing device, reading out the respective weighing signal of each of the N weighing elements in each of M different positions of the mixing device, with M≥N, calibrating the weighing elements on the basis of the read-out weighing signals, wherein the calibrating at least includes determining a respective correction factor for the weighing signal of each weighing element by analysing the read-out weighing signals of all weighing elements. Thus, all weighing elements may be calibrated without having to detach the weighing elements, which provides very reliable weight measurements in a very simple manner.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.