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US 5,474,027 AGranted
Feed intake cup apparatus
AssigneeGrain Systems, Inc.
InventorEugene B. Pollock
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGrain Systems, Inc.
InventorEugene B. Pollock
Estimating the term…
A feed intake cup (14) is for use in a poultry feeding system (10) for transferring feed from a feed intake hopper (12) to a conveyor by which the feed is delivered to feed stations (22) spaced along the conveyor. A cup housing (24) has an inlet (I) and an outlet (O). The inlet is connected to the feed intake hopper for feed to flow from the hopper into the housing. A feed convey (16) is connected to the housing outlet. Feed flows through the housing and into the conveyor through the outlet. A feed transport auger (18) is positioned in the conveyor. The auger is movable through the conveyor to convey feed to the feeding stations. A ball (144) with extension (164), gear (58), or a multiple diameter tube (300), a combination of these elements, may be positioned in the housing and is cooperable with the auger moves to agitate or churn the feed as the auger moves feed through the conveyor. The ball and its extensions is bounced by the auger to cause the agitation; while, the gear is used to regulate the amount of feed in the auger conveyor and thus helps the feed to flow and to prevent jamming. The multiple diameter tube strips compacted feed from the auger as the later enters the intake cup thus loosening the compacted feed and re-fills the auger with loose, fresh feed. Additionally, the ball may have an attached rod (164) and a chain (168) to produce a flailing action which further promotes flow of feed from a feed source through the cup.
Feed intake apparatus for a livestock feeding system, said apparatus comprising a housing having a feed inlet which receives feed from a feed supply and a feed outlet, a feed conveyor extending from said housing for delivering feed to a desired appliance along said feed conveyor, said feed conveyor comprising a conveyor tube with a moveable feed auger housed therein, said feed auger being a centerless helical coil having a multiplicity of substantially equally spaced flights for picking up feed from said intake apparatus and for conveying it through said conveyor tube, and an agitator comprising a gear driven by said auger as the latter moves relative to said housing, said gear having teeth in mesh with the flights of said auger, said teeth extending into the flights of said auger to approximately the centerline thereof so as to at least in part dislodge compacted feed between the flights of said auger as said gear rotates within said housing and as said auger moves through said housing thereby to regulate the amount of feed within said conveyor tube so as to insure that said auger within said conveyor tube does not become over packed with feed and to prevent jamming or compaction of said conveyor even upon continued operation of said feed conveyor after all of said appliances have been filled with feed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.