Food dispensing system

#The present invention relates to a system for automatic control, distribution and conveyance of food pellets from one or more food supply silos to fish within one or more pools or tanks.

#In one common manner of feeding, food for the fish is loaded on a boat or a cart and carried to the different tanks, to be subsequently spread in appropriate amounts into the tanks. Feeding is usually accomplished twice a day.

#According to another well-known procedure, the food is held in an automatically operated feeding silo mounted on a buoy over each tank. Each feeding silo is provided with a dispensing device comprising an electrically operated vibrator or screw conveyor which is controlled by a timer and a cooperating photoelectric cell.

#Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a feeding system of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view showing a portion of the system of FIG. 1;

#Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, numeral 1 indicates a control unit which may be a microprocessor for selective actuation of any one of a plurality of food supply silos 2. By means of a conveyor belt 3, food in the form of pellets is carried from actuated supply silos 2 to a sieve 4 wherein dust and dirt mixed with the pellets are removed. A conveyor belt 5 receives the food from sieve 4 and transfers it onto an integral weighing device 6. Weighing device 6 measures amounts of food being passed. This information is transmitted from weighing device 6 to the control unit 1. Control unit 1 performs calculations and controls distribution of the proper amount of food to the appropriate tank 7, based on the information received from weighing device 6.

#The food is forwarded on a conveyor belt 8 to a funnel shaped hopper 9. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, hopper 9 opens into an injector 10 which has an outlet 11 connected to a selector valve 12. Selector valve 12 is adapted to communicate with a plurality of discrete pipe conduits 13 arranged to conduct the food to a spreader 14 (FIG. 3) in each tank 7. The selector valve 12 is brought into the proper selected position for the appropriate tank 7 to be supplied with food by means of an index device 15 which is electrically operated by the control unit 1. Selector valve 12 is a curved tube. Index device 15 rotates the selector valve until it comes into registration with the appropriate conduit 13 which leads to the desired tank 7.

#The specific gravity and temperature of the water in each of the plurality of tanks 7 are measured by sensing devices 16, 17. Sensing devices 16, 17 are connected to control unit 1 which is adapted to determine the oxygen content of the water based on the specific gravity and temperature measured. This determination is utilized for automatic calculation of the appropriate amount of food to be dispensed into each tank 7.