Continuous operating distribution hopper

A continuously operating distribution hopper for continuously supplying feed to an automated feed distribution apparatus of the type having a continuous conveyor which movably traverses through a trough housing, said hopper comprising:

• a hopper bin for receiving a supply of feed to be distributed, said bin defining a feed discharge opening in a bottom of said hopper bin and further shaped to direct the supplied feed to said feed discharge opening for delivery of the feed to the feed distribution apparatus;
• an impeller rotatably mounted within and to a side of said hopper bin proximate to said discharge opening, said impeller including a plurality of transversely mounted planar paddles;
• and
• a drive coaxial with said impeller and having at least one of said planar paddles mounted to each of opposite sides of said drive, said drive to rotate said impeller about a horizontal axis in vertical alignment with an edge of said bottom and parallel to each of said planar paddles said bottom edge also defining a portion of said discharge opening, and said impeller rotatable in a manner such that said impeller operates to displace feed away from said discharge opening for the prevention of feed compacting in the trough housing and said hopper.

A continuously operating distribution hopper for continuously supplying feed to an automated feed distribution apparatus of the type having a continuous conveyor which movably traverses through a trough housing, said hopper comprising:

• a hopper bin having a plurality of sides wherein bottoms of said sides define an open bottom, said sides shaped to direct feed supplied to said bin to said open bottom;
• a shield attached to a first of said sides wherein said shield has a leg partially blocking a first portion of said open bottom;
• a gate attached to a second of said sides wherein said gate has a leg partially blocking a second portion of said open bottom, and edges of said shield leg and said gate leg defining with bottoms of remaining said sides a feed discharge opening;
• and
• an impeller rotatably mounted within said hopper bin wherein only an upwardly rotating portion of said impeller is positioned over said discharge opening, said impeller including a plurality of transversely mounted paddles, a plane of each said paddle substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation of said impeller.

A continuously operating distribution hopper for continuously supplying feed to an automated feed distribution apparatus of the type having a continuous conveyor which movably traverses through a trough housing, said hopper comprising:

• a hopper bin having a plurality of sides wherein bottoms of said sides define an open bottom, said sides shaped to direct feed supplied to said bin to said open bottom;
• a shield attached to a first of said sides wherein said shield has a leg partially blocking a first portion of said open bottom;
• a gate attached to a second of said sides wherein said gate has a leg partially blocking a second portion of said open bottom, and edges of said shield leg and said gate leg defining with bottoms of remaining said sides a feed discharge opening, said gate adjustable to vary said discharge opening, and further wherein said gate edge extends below said hopper and is not coplanar with said open bottom;
• and
• an impeller rotatable mounted within said hopper bin proximate to said discharge opening, said impeller including a plurality of transversely mounted paddles wherein said gate leg in combination with said impeller remove excess feed from the conveyor when the conveyor is operating and said impeller is rotating.