Unibody vertical forage mixer with weighing mechanism

A transportable vertical mixer for forage materials, the vertical mixer having a unibody construction and comprising:

• a mixing tub assembly having a mixing tub member with a wide-mouthed access opening for receiving forage material within the mixing tub assembly;
• a generally vertical mixing auger assembly rotatably mounted within said mixing tub assembly;
• a chassis assembly which supports said mixing tub assembly and to which said mixing tub assembly is secured, said chassis assembly having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted therefrom by virtue of which the vertical mixer is transportable from one location to another;
• a weighing mechanism which is in weight-receiving engagement with said chassis assembly, said weighing mechanism measures the weight of the entire vertical mixer including said mixing tub assembly, said mixing auger assembly, and said chassis assembly, together with any forage material and anything else which is in or on the vertical mixer;
• and
• said mixing tub assembly includes a door for selectively opening and closing an opening through a sidewall of the mixing tub member, said mixing tub assembly includes a bottom floor along the periphery of which is located a generally vertical side plate which extends around the periphery of the floor except at the location of said opening through the tub member sidewall in order to define a side plate gap, the side plate gap thus defining a substantially unobstructed pathway out of the mixing tub member when said side plate gap is unobstructed by said door.

A vertical mixer for forage materials, the vertical mixer having a unibody construction and comprising:

• a mixing tub assembly having a mixing tub member with a wide-mouthed access opening for receiving forage material within the mixing tub assembly;
• a generally vertical mixing auger assembly rotatably mounted within said mixing tub assembly;
• a chassis assembly which supports said mixing tub assembly and to which said mixing tub assembly is secured;
• a mixer supporting assembly which supports the vertical mixer with respect to the ground;
• a weighing mechanism which is in weight-receiving contact with said mixer supporting assembly and which measures the weight of the entire vertical mixer including said mixing tub assembly, said mixing auger assembly, and said chassis assembly, together with any forage material and anything else which is in or on the vertical mixer;
• and
• a discharge conveyor assembly secured to said chassis assembly, said discharge conveyor assembly providing a conveyed pathway extending between an outlet opening of the mixing tub member and a forage material discharge location, said discharge conveyor assembly including a stationary conveyor assembly and a movable conveyor assembly, said stationary conveyor assembly extending from a location at said outlet opening of the mixing tub member and to an end location, and said movable conveyor assembly extending from said end location of the stationary conveyor assembly to a free end thereof, said free end being adjustable between a top position generally above said end location of the stationary conveyor assembly and a bottom position which is below said end location of the stationary conveyor assembly.

A vertical mixer for forage materials, the vertical mixer having a unibody construction and comprising:

• a mixing tub assembly having a wide-mouthed access opening for receiving forage material within the mixing tub assembly;
• a generally vertical mixing auger assembly rotatably mounted within said mixing tub assembly;
• a chassis assembly which supports said mixing tub assembly;
• a weighing mechanism which is in operative weight-receiving engagement with said chassis assembly and which measures the weight of the entire vertical mixer including said mixing tub assembly, said mixing auger assembly, and said chassis assembly, together with any forage material and anything else which is in or on the vertical mixer;
• and
• a discharge conveyor assembly having a conveyed pathway and being mounted onto the vertical mixer and a comb assembly having a plurality of generally downwardly depending tines spaced above said discharge conveyor assembly.

A transportable vertical mixer for forage materials, the vertical mixer having a unibody construction and comprising:

• a mixing tub assembly having a wide-mouthed access opening for receiving forage material within the mixing tub assembly;
• a generally vertical mixing auger assembly rotatably mounted within said mixing tub assembly;
• a chassis assembly which supports said mixing tub assembly and to which said mixing tub assembly is secured, said chassis assembly having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted therefrom by virtue of which the vertical mixer is transportable from one location to another;
• an axle securely mounted to said chassis assembly to which is secured at least one weigh bar assembly to which at least one of said plurality of wheels is mounted for rotation;
• and
• said at least one weigh bar assembly is a component of a weighing mechanism, and said weighing mechanism measures the weight of the entire vertical mixer including said mixing tub assembly, said mixing auger assembly, and said chassis assembly, together with any forage material and anything else which is in or on the vertical mixer.

A transportable vertical mixer for forage materials, the vertical mixer having a unibody construction and comprising:

• a generally frusto-conical mixing tub assembly having a mixing tub member with a wide-mouthed access opening for receiving forage material within the mixing tub assembly;
• a generally vertical mixing auger assembly rotatably mounted within said mixing tub assembly;
• a chassis assembly which supports said mixing tub assembly and to which said mixing tub member is secured, said chassis assembly having a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted therefrom by virtue of which the vertical mixer is transportable from one location to another;
• a weighing mechanism connected to said chassis assembly, said weighing mechanism measures the weight of the entire vertical mixer including said mixing tub assembly, said mixing auger assembly, and said chassis assembly, together with any forage material and anything else which is in or on the vertical mixer;
• and
• said mixing auger assembly includes a rotatable auger assembly rotatably secured to vertical tubing securely fixed to the bottom of the mixing tub assembly, and only thereto, said rotatable auger assembly being in driven relationship with a gear assembly which is in driven relationship with a source of rotational power.