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US 6,474,261 B1Granted
Poultry feeder with feed conveyor control system
AssigneeVal-Co Pax, Inc.
InventorsMark R. Turner, Douglas S. Bertke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeVal-Co Pax, Inc.
InventorsMark R. Turner, Douglas S. Bertke
Estimating the term…
A poultry feeder includes a drop tube which attaches to a horizontal feed distribution or conveyor tube enclosing an auger driven by a motor and gear reducer unit. The feeder includes a feed pan and grill assembly mounted on the drop tube for relative vertical movement, and an annular feed level control member is supported above the feed pan for relative vertical movement by an actuator sleeve. A feed conveyor control unit includes a base housing recessed within a center portion of the pan and supports a spring biased inverted cone member covered by a flexible diaphragm for sensing the weight of feed supported within the center portion of the feeder. The cone has a center plunger or stem which carries an adjustable metal actuator screw positioned to actuate an inductive type proximity switch or sensor connected to control the drive motor for the auger drive unit.
A poultry feeder adapted to be supported by a horizontally extending feed conveyor tube enclosing an auger driven by an electric motor, said feeder comprising a generally vertical drop tube adapted to be supported by and receive feed from the conveyor tube, a feed pan disposed under said drop tube for receiving feed from said drop tube, a grill member surrounding said drop tube and connected to said feed pan, a control unit connected to said pan and including a switch having electrical conductors adapted to be connected to the electric motor, said control unit including a feed sensing member supported under said drop tube for downward movement in response to a predetermined mass of feed on said sensing member, and an actuating member carried by said feed sensing member and positioned to actuate said switch at a lower position of said feed sensing member.
A poultry feeder adapted to be supported by a horizontally extending feed conveyor tube enclosing an auger driven by an electric motor, said feeder comprising a generally vertical drop tube adapted to be supported by and receive feed from the conveyor tube, a feed pan disposed under said drop tube for receiving feed from said drop tube, a grill member surrounding said drop tube and connected to said feed pan, a control unit including a housing recessed within said pan, a switch within said housing and having electrical conductors adapted to be connected to the electric motor, a feed sensing member having a sloping top surface disposed under said drop tube and supported by said housing for downward movement in response to a predetermined mass of feed on said top surface of said sensing member, and an actuating member carried by said feed sensing member and positioned to actuate said switch at a lower position of said feed sensing member.
A control unit for a poultry feed conveyor drive, comprising a base housing defining an open top chamber, an inverted cone member supported by said housing above said chamber for generally vertical movement relative to said housing and having a sloping top surface, a flexible diaphragm member extending between said cone member and said housing, a spring urging said cone member to an upper position, said cone member adapted to move downwardly in response to a collection of feed on said cone member, a switch disposed within said housing and adapted to control the feed conveyor drive, and an actuator connected to move downwardly with said cone member and position to actuate said switch in response to a predetermined amount of feed on said cone member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.