US 4,149,659 AGranted

Feed return impeller

AssigneeFavorite Manufacturing, Inc.

InventorsJoseph M. Reed, John E. Hartman

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A closed loop feed trough having a feed chain moveable lengthwise therein to distribute feed from a hopper associated with the trough provided with an impeller which rotates in response to movement of the chain to assist in returning uneaten feed to the hopper. The impeller is mounted in the hopper adjacent its inlet and is fabricated in two halves which are fastened to opposite sides of a drive sprocket which engages the feed chain. Each half of the impeller has a hub and a series of vanes extending outwardly and rearwardly at spaced intervals from the hub to provide a series of buckets between the vanes. A baffle overlies the impeller to shield the buckets from feed in the hopper as they rotate downwardly toward the inlet while affording unloading of feed from between the vanes as they rotate upwardly away from the feed chain.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In combination with a closed loop feed system including a trough, a feed chain mounted for movement lengthwise therein to advance feed forwardly in the trough, a feed hopper having an inlet and an outlet adjacent its bottom affording movement of the chain therethrough, rotary means mounted in the hopper adjacent its inlet for rotation above the chain about an axis transverse to the path of movement thereof, and shield means in said hopper overlying the rotary means for cooperating therewith to assist in returning uneaten feed to the hopper as the feed chain advances, the improvement wherein said rotary means comprises:

impeller means having a hub portion and a series of vanes extending outwardly at peripherally spaced intervals about said hub,
said vanes having leading surfaces extending outwardly and rearwardly from said hub and having trailing surfaces shaped to provide between the leading and trailing surfaces of adjacent vanes a series of buckets having relatively deep portions located behind said trailing surfaces,
means mounting said hub for rotation about said axis, and means for rotating said hub in the direction of motion of the chain,
whereby return feed above a predetermined level on the advancing chain is engaged by the leading surfaces of the vanes and is swept into the hopper.

1 more element

impeller means having a hub and a series of outwardly and rearwardly tapered vanes spaced apart about the periphery of the hub to provide therebetween a series of inwardly extending peripheral buckets,
means mounting said hub for rotation at a predetermined location above the hopper bottom to cause the vanes to dip below the top of the hopper inlet for engaging return feed above a predetermined level on the feed chain, and
means for rotating said hub at a predetermined speed relative to the velocity of the chain for causing return feed engaged by said vanes to be propelled forwardly into the hopper upon movement of the feed chain.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.