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US 4,363,428 AGranted
Bulk bin feed delivery apparatus
AssigneeBrock Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorJoseph A. Kruger
Life of this patent
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AssigneeBrock Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorJoseph A. Kruger
Estimating the term…
When poultry or other livestock feed is stored within a bin having a conical bottom, the feed can become packed and bridge across the bin bottom opening. Under such circumstances, delivery of feed to an underlying conveyor may be erratic under some conditions. To overcome this, the present invention provides a first rotatable shaft extending upwardly along the axis of the bin bottom cone. A second shaft is joined to the first shaft by a universal joint. Mounted on the second shaft are a number of poly-sided discs. Here, these discs are equilateral triangles, and the triangle corners or points are bent out of the plane of the mediate disc portions. Arrangements are provided for locking the discs to the second shaft. If desired, a feed support disc can be carried by the first shaft below the second shaft so as to at least temporarily support feed which has been dislodged by the rotating poly-sided discs above it. If desired, a shaft extension can be provided below the first shaft, and agitator means can be mounted to the shaft extension to inhibit re-packing of feed which has been dislodged and has fallen below the first shaft.
Apparatus for positively delivering a steady flow of feed from a bin through a concially sided bin exhaust, comprising, in combination, first rotatable shaft means, second rotatable shaft means connected to the first shaft means so as to be driven by the first shaft means, and a plurality of separated polygonal disc members mounted on and extending from the second shaft means for engaging packed feed and dislodging the packed feed, whereby to permit the dislodged feed to fall downwardly through the bin exhaust, the second rotatable shaft means comprising an inner non-circular shaft element, and at least one outer non-circular shaft element adapted to slip over the inner shaft element and space apart adjacent polygonal disc members.
Apparatus for positively delivering a steady flow of feed from a bin having a conically sided bin lower portion terminating at a planar bin exhaust port, the apparatus comprising a gear box drive and support structure located substantially in the plane of the bin exhaust port, first rotatable shaft means extending upwardly from the gear box drive and support structure out of the plane of the bin exhaust port into the conically sided bin interior, feed support disc means carried above the plane of the bin exhaust port on the first rotatable shaft means for rotation therewith, the feed support disc means having a periphery spaced apart from the conical bin side to define at least one annular aperture through which a flow of feed can pass, second rotatable shaft means extending from the first rotatable shaft means to a distal end adapted to be located adjacent the bin side, feed engagement means carried by the second rotatable shaft means for engaging and dislodging feed packed in the bin, universal joint means interconnecting the first rotatable shaft means and the second rotatable shaft means at a point above the feed support disc means to cause the second rotatable shaft means to be moved when the first rotatable shaft means is rotated, shaft extension means extending substantially vertically downwardly below the first shaft means and bin exhaust port from the gear box drive and support structure to a free distal end, and a rigid finger-like agitator wand means mounted on the shaft extension means free distal end and extending axially downwardly and radially outwardly for rotation with this shaft extension means to inhibit re-packing of feed which has been dislodged and has fallen below the first shaft means and gear box and support structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.