Self-loading feed mixer and transport apparatus

A self-loading feed transport apparatus, comprising:

• a vehicle adapted to be transported on the ground and positioned adjacent to a stack of feed material;
• a feed compartment mounted on said vehicle and adapted to receive a load of feed material;
• and
• a feed grinder and loader mechanism mounted on said vehicle and positioned outside of said feed compartment for movement into engagement with the stack of feed material on the ground, said grinder and loader mechanism including
• a loader housing mounted outside of said feed compartment;
• a plurality of flail-like pulverizing members mounted on a rotatable support within said housing for thrashing the stack of feed material;
• a screen member spaced from said rotatable support within said housing and cooperable with said pulverizing members for grinding the feed material upon rotation of said support;
• and
• means for loading the ground feed material into said compartment.

A self-loading feed mixer and transport apparatus adapted to be transported on the ground and positioned adjacent to a stack of feed material, comprising:

• a feed compartment adapted to receive a load of feed material;
• mixer means mounted in said feed compartment for agitating and mixing the feed material therein;
• loading means mounted outside of said feed compartment and adapted to engage a stack of feed material on the ground, said loading means including means for pulverizing and grinding the stack of feed material and means for loading the ground feed material into said compartment;
• conveyor means including a shaft rotatably mounted along the bottom said feed compartment and a set of feed engaging paddles spaced along said conveyor shaft for advancing the feed material in a predetermined direction through said compartment upon rotation of said conveyor shaft;
• and
• each feed engaging paddle being mounted on a radial support stem slidably attached to said conveyor shaft to allow said paddle to move radially relative to said shaft to relieve pressure on the feed material.

A self-loading feed mixer wagon for grinding and mixing livestock feed material, including:

• a feed compartment including a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall arranged to provide an open top end for receiving a load of feed material, said compartment including a discharge area from which the feed material is discharged;
• a conveyor mechanism including a shaft rotatably mounted at the bottom of said compartment and extending longitudinally between said end walls and a set of feed engaging paddles spaced along said conveyor shaft for advancing the feed material in a predetermined direction toward said discharge area upon rotation of said conveyor shaft;
• a set of spaced, parallel mixing augers rotatably mounted in an upper portion of said compartment adjacent to said side walls and extending longitudinally through said compartment between said end walls for agitating and mixing the feed material supplied to said compartment upon rotation of said mixing augers;
• a feed loading mechanism mounted on the outside of said compartment and adapted to engage a stack of feed material on the ground, said feed loading mechanism including
• a housing mounted adjacent to one end wall of said feed compartment;
• a plurality of pulverizing chains mounted on a rotatable shaft supported on said housing for thrashing a stack of feed material;
• a screen member spaced from said rotatable shaft within said housing and cooperable with said pulverizing chains for grinding the feed material upon rotation of said shaft;
• and
• means for loading the ground feed material into said compartment.

In a feed mixer apparatus having a feed compartment adapted to receive a load of feed material and provided with a discharge area from which the feed material is discharged, a conveyor mechanism comprising:

• a rotatable shaft extending through said compartment toward said discharge area;
• a set of feed engaging paddles spaced along said conveyor shaft, each paddle being positioned in a diagonal orientation relative to the axis of said shaft to advance the feed material toward the discharge area upon rotation of said shaft;
• and
• each paddle being resiliently mounted on said conveyor shaft to allow said paddle to move radially inward relative to said shaft to relieve pressure on the feed material.