US 4,667,623 AGranted

Intake cup apparatus

AssigneeChore-Time Equipment, Inc.

InventorRay E. Swartzendruber

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Abstract

An intake cup apparatus is provided for delivering feed from a drop tube to a rotating auger-like conveyor. The apparatus comprises a housing extending above and around the auger-like member and having a top inlet portion for connection to the drop tube for receiving feed therefrom; and a feed metering gate structure mounted interiorly of the housing for directing and controlling the rate of flow of the feed to the auger-like conveyor. This gate structure comprises a pair of generally parallel plates spaced apart by a dimension similar to the diameter of the auger-like conveyor and having lower edges thereof extending about the auger-like conveyor. These plates are vertically movable relative to the auger-like member to thereby control the flow rate of feed thereto. The lower edges of the plates are respectively vetically offset such that the relative lower one of the edges is disposed in the direction of auger rotation relative to the other plate so as to facilitate the maintenance of a substantially level distribution of feed across the conveyor without regard for the auger rotation.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An intake cup apparatus for delivering feed from a drop tube thereabove to a conveyor therebelow which includes a rotating auger-like member, said apparatus comprising:

a housing extending above said conveyor and having a top inlet portion for connection to said drop tube to receive feed therefrom, said housing having a pair of external walls converging about and beneath said auger-like member;
and gate means mounted interiorly of said housing for directing the flow of feed therethrough and controlling the flow rate of feed to the conveyor;
wherein said gate means comprises a pair of plates which converge at a topmost portion thereof to direct feed from said inlet therearound and extending downwardly to form a pair of parallel surfaces spaced apart by a dimension similar to the diameter of said auger-like member, lower edges of said plates extending to either side of said auger-like member;
adjustment means for adjusting the height of said plates relative to said convergent walls of said housing to thereby control the flow rate of feed to said auger-like member;
and wherein said lower edges of said plates are respectively vertically offset, the plate with the lower edge being located in the direction of rotation of said auger-like member relative to the other of said plates so as to distribute feed substantially evenly transversely across said conveyor, substantially without regard for the rotation of said auger.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.