Manure handling system

A manure handling system for movement of manure from a collection location to a storage location, including:

• a manure pump having a pump housing with walls defining an elongate, longitudinal pumping chamber having a triangular cross sectional shape;
• one-way valve means normally closing one end of said pumping chamber and movable to an open position to provide a discharge passage to permit discharge of manure from the chamber;
• one of said pump housing walls having an inlet opening to said pumping chamber located toward the end of the pumping chamber opposite said one-way valve means;
• a collection hopper mounted on said pump housing in communication with said inlet opening for collection of manure for transfer to the pumping chamber through the inlet opening;
• a ram located in said pumping chamber reciprocally movable between one end of said pumping chamber proximate the inlet opening to the other end of said pumping chamber towards said one-way valve means to move manure through the discharge passage against the influence of the one-way valve means;
• said ram having a working face triangular in shape in conformance with the shape of said pumping chamber;
• means for reciprocation of said ram in said pumping chamber;
• a circular cross sectional discharge pipe connected to said pump housing for movement of manure discharged from said pump to a storage location;
• said one-way valve means including a closure plate movable between a position in closing relationship to the pumping chamber and an open position to provide said discharge passage;
• p1 said pumping chamber including a transition chamber located opposite said ram with respect to said closure plate;
• flange means on the end of said housing describing a circular discharge opening connected to said discharge pipe;
• said transition chamber having a plurality of triangular transition plates secured to the walls of the pump housing spanning the corners thereof and converging toward said discharge opening to promote smooth transition of manure flow from the triangular cross sectional shaped portion of the pumping chamber to the circular cross sectional shaped discharge pipe.

A manure handling system for placement above ground to receive manure of high bedding content transferred by a barn cleaning system which includes a conveyor to carry manure from inside the barn to the manure handling system, said manure handling system including:

• a manure pump having a pump housing with walls defining an elongate, longitudinal pumping chamber;
• a valve means normally closing one end of the pumping chamber and movable to an open position to provide a discharge passage to permit discharge of manure from the pumping chamber;
• one of said pump housing walls having an inlet opening to said pumping chamber located toward the end of said chamber opposite said valve means;
• a collection hopper mounted above said pump housing in communication with said inlet opening for receipt of manure from a conveyor system for transfer to the pumping chamber through the inlet opening;
• a ram located in said pumping chamber reciprocally movable between one end of said pumping chamber proximate the inlet opening and the other end of the pumping chamber proximate said valve means to move manure through the discharge passage against the influence of the valve means;
• means for reciprocation of said ram in said pumping chamber;
• p1 a discharge pipe connected to said housing in position to receive manure moved out of said pumping chamber by said ram, said discharge pipe having at least a portion above ground and extendible to a manure storage location;
• first heating element means surrounding the pump housing to heat the pumping chamber;
• first insulative jacket means surrounding the pump housing, the first heating element means, and a portion of the hopper to retain heat therein;
• second heating element means located contiguous to the surface of said discharge pipe portion above ground to heat the interior of the discharge pipe portion;
• and
• second heat insulative jacket means surrounding the discharge pipe and the second heating element means to retain heat therein.

A manure handling system for placement above ground to receive manure of high bedding content transferred by a barn cleaning system which includes a conveyor to carry manure from inside the barn to the manure handling system, said manure handling system including:

• a manure pump having a pump housing with walls defining an elongate, longitudinal pumping chamber;
• a valve means normally closing one end of the pumping chamber and movable to an open position to provide a discharge passage to permit discharge of manure from the pumping chamber;
• said valve means including a closure plate pivotally connected to a wall of the pumping chamber, bias means biasing the closure plate in a closed position, said bias means comprising rubber spring means bearing between the closure plate and a wall of the pump housing;
• one of said pump housing walls having an inlet opening to said pumping chamber located toward the end of said chamber opposite said closure plate;
• a collection hopper mounted above said pump housing in communication with said inlet opening for receipt of manure from a conveyor system for transfer to the pumping chamber through the inlet opening;
• a ram located in said pumping chamber reciprocally movable between one end of said pumping chamber proximate the inlet opening and the other end of the pumping chamber proximate said closure plate to move manure through the discharge passage against the influence of the bias means;
• means for reciprocation of said ram in said pumping chamber;
• a discharge pipe connected to said housing in position to receive manure moved out of said pumping chamber by said ram, said discharge pipe having at least a portion above ground and extendible to a manure storage location;
• first heating element means surrounding the pump housing to heat the pumping chamber;
• first insulative jacket means surrounding the pump housing and a portion of the hopper to retain heat therein;
• second heating element means located contiguous to said discharge pipe to heat the interior of the discharge pipe;
• and
• second heat insulative jacket means surrounding the discharge pipe and the second heating element means to retain heat therein.

A manure handling system for movement of manure from a collection location to a storage location, including:

• a manure pump having a pump housing;
• said pump housing having interior walls defining an elongate, horizontal pumping chamber having a forward end and a rearward end;
• said housing having a wall with an inlet opening to the chamber proximate the rearward end of the chamber;
• the interior walls of said pump housing being orientated to converge away from the inlet opening whereby the inlet opening occurs at the location of the widest horizontal dimension of the chamber for facilitating receipt of manure;
• one-way valve means normally closing the forward end of the pumping chamber and movable to an open position to provide a discharge passage to permit discharge of manure from the chamber;
• a collection hopper mounted on said pump housing with an outlet in communication with said inlet opening for collection of material for transfer to the pumping chamber through the inlet opening;
• a ram located in the pumping chamber reciprocally movable between the rearward end of the pumping chamber and the forward end of the pumping chamber to move material through the discharge passage against the influence of the valve means;
• said ram having a working face generally shaped in conformance with the shape of the pumping chamber;
• means for reciprocation of said ram in said pumping chamber;
• a circular cross sectional discharge pipe connected to said pump housing for movement of manure discharged from said pump to a storage location;
• said pumping chamber including a transition chamber located opposite said valve means with respect to said ram;
• means on the end of said housing describing a circular discharge opening connected to said discharge pipe;
• said transition chamber having a plurality of triangular transition plates secured to the walls of the pump housing spanning the corners thereof and converging toward said discharge opening to promote smooth transition of manure flow from the pumping chamber to the circular cross sectional shaped discharge pipe.

A manure handling system for movement of manure from a collection location to a storage location, including:

• a manure pump having a pump housing;
• said pump housing having interior walls defining an elongate, horizontal pumping chamber having a forward end and a rearward end;
• said housing having a wall with an inlet opening to the chamber proximate the rearward end of the chamber;
• the interior walls of said pump housing being orientated to converge away from the inlet opening whereby the inlet opening occurs at the location of the widest horizontal dimension of the chamber for facilitating receipt of manure;
• one-way valve means normally closing the forward end of the pumping chamber and movable to an open position to provide a discharge passage to permit discharge of manure from the chamber;
• a collection hopper mounted on said pump housing with an outlet in communication with said inlet opening for collection of material for transfer to the pumping chamber through the inlet opening;
• said collection hopper including a plurality of sidewalls downwardly converging to a hopper throat portion, a forwardly extended hopper outlet wall extended from the hopper throat portion to the pump housing providing an expanding hopper outlet in communication with the inlet opening to the pumping chamber;
• a ram located in the pumping chamber reciprocally movable between the rearward end of the pumping chamber and the forward end of the pumping chamber to move material through the discharge passage against the influence of the valve means;
• said ram having a working face generally shaped in conformance with the shape of the pumping chamber;
• and
• means for reciprocation of said ram in said pumping chamber.

A manure handling system for movement of manure from a collection location to a storage location, including:

• a manure pump having a pump housing;
• said pump housing having interior walls including a top wall and side walls defining an elongate, horizontal pumping chamber having a forward end and a rearward end;
• said top wall having an inlet opening at the top of the chamber proximate the rearward end thereof;
• one way valve means normally closing the forward end of the pumping chamber and movable to an open position to provide a discharge passage to permit discharge of manure from the pumping chamber;
• a collection hopper mounted on said pump housing and having a hopper outlet in communication with said chamber inlet opening for transfer of manure to the pumping chamber through the inlet opening;
• a ram assembly located in the pumping chamber and including a ram having a working face shaped generally in conformance with the shape of the pumping chamber and reciprocally movable in the pumping chamber between the rearward end of the pumping chamber and the forward end of the pumping chamber to move material to the forward end of the pumping chamber through the discharge passage;
• means for reciprocation of the ram assembly in the pumping chamber;
• said ram assembly including an auxillary ram plate pivotally connected proximate the upper edge of the ram and operable in a position generally vertically extended from said ram to move manure located in the inlet opening of the chamber and outlet of the hopper, said auxillary ram plate being pivotable to a position in horizontal trailing relationship to the ram when the ram advances to a position toward the forward end of the chamber beyond the inlet opening;
• and
• bias means normally biasing the auxillary ram plate in position generally vertically extended from the ram.

A manure handling system for movement of manure from a collection location to a storage location including:

• a manure pump having a pump housing with walls defining an elongate, horizontal pumping chamber having a forward end and a rearward end;
• said housing having a top wall with an inlet opening proximate the rearward end of the chamber;
• one-way valve means normally closing the forward end of the chamber and movable to an open position to provide a discharge passage to permit discharge of manure from the chamber;
• bias means biasing the one-way valve means in a closed position with respect to the pumping chamber;
• pump means in the chamber to move manure received from the inlet opening toward the forward end and out of the discharge passage against the bias of the bias means acting on the one-way valve means;
• a collection hopper mounted above said pump housing with an outlet in communication with inlet opening for collection of manure for transfer to the pumping chamber through the inlet opening;
• said collection hopper including a plurality of sidewalls assembled in downwardly converging relationship to a hopper throat portion;
• and
• a forwardly extended outlet wall extending from said hopper throat portion of the collection hopper to the pump housing to provide an expanding collection hopper outlet opening in communication with the inlet opening of the pumping chamber.

A manure handling system for movement of manure from a collection location to a storage location, including:

• a manure pump having a pump housing;
• said pump housing having walls defining an elongate horizontal pumping chamber having a forward end and a rearward end;
• said housing having a wall with an inlet opening to the chamber proximate the rearward end of the chamber;
• one-way valve means normally closing the forward end of the pumping chamber and movable to an open position to provide a discharge passage to permit discharge of manure from the chamber;
• said valve means including a closure plate pivotally connected to a wall of the pumping chamber, bias means biasing the closure plate in a closed position, said bias means comprising a rubber spring interiorly fastened to a wall of the pumping chamber bearing between the closure plate and the wall of the pumping chamber wherein said pump housing forms an imperforate envelope open only at the inlet opening and discharge passage.