Vertical feed mixer with feed deflectors

Abstract

An improved vertical feed mixer has a mixing chamber defined by a floor, a sidewall, and an open upper end through which feed material, such as hay bales, is loaded into the chamber. A vertically disposed auger with tapered flighting is rotatably mounted within the chamber for cutting, mixing, and discharging the feed material through a discharge opening near the bottom of the chamber. A plurality of grader blades extend outwardly from the auger shaft in close proximity to the bottom wall of the mixing chamber, thereby pushing mixed feed outwardly through the discharge opening a plurality of times during each revolution of the auger, thereby providing increased uniformity of the discharge flow of material into a feed bunk or trough. A primary deflector extends along the perimeter edge of the flighting adjacent the leading edge thereof. The secondary deflectors are spaced along the perimeter edge of the flighting. The primary and secondary deflectors extend substantially parallel to the perimeter edge of the flighting. The ends of the grader blades have angularly disposed scrapers attached thereto. The primary deflector and scrapers pull feed material away from the sidewall of the mixer and direct the material inwardly towards the auger shaft. The secondary scrapers further direct feed material toward the auger shaft as the material flows upwardly along the auger flighting. The movement of the feed material towards the center of the mixer enhances the mixing operation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.