Horizontal feed mixer and method for using same
AssigneeJ-Star Industries, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin R. Neier, Rodney R. Neier, Gregory R. Reimer, Brent H. Whitaker, Mark T. Cooksey, Celso Luis Casale
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The feed mixer of the present invention includes two upper horizontal augers having flighting thereon. Below and between the two upper augers is a rotor having helical paddle segments thereon. The two upper augers and the rotor all rotate in the same direction, but the two upper augers force material in one direction and the lower rotor forces material in the opposite direction. Knives on the outer edges of the upper augers and on the helical segments of the rotor act upon the hay to cut it and facilitate its mixing with other feed ingredients.
Claims18
A horizontal feed mixer for cutting and mixing a hay bale with other feed ingredients comprising:
- a mixer box having side walls, end walls and a bottom wall forming a mixer chamber having an open upper end;
- first and second augers mounted within the mixer chamber for rotation about first and second auger axes respectively;
- a rotor mounted within the mixer chamber for rotation about a rotor axis;
- drive mechanism connected to the rotor and the first and second augers for rotation about the rotor axis, the first auger axis, and the second auger axis, respectively;
- the rotor having a rotor diameter and a plurality of helical segments thereon;
- the first and second augers having first and second auger helical flightings, respectively, and having first and second auger diameters, respectively, that are smaller than the rotor diameter;
- the first and second augers being above the rotor within the mixer chamber;
- a plurality of knives mounted on the helical segments of the rotor and on the first and second helical flightings of the first and second augers, whereby the hay bale introduced to the upper end of the mixer chamber will first encounter the knives of the first and second augers and be cut and chopped into pieces which will fall to the rotor and be further cut by the knives on the helical segments of the rotor.
A method for cutting a hay bale and mixing the hay bale with other ingredients comprising:
- taking a mixer box comprising side walls, end walls, and a bottom wall forming a mixer chamber having an open upper end;
- a first auger, a second auger, and a rotor being mounted for rotation within the mixer chamber;
- the first and second augers being positioned above the rotor within the mixer chamber;
- the first and second augers and the rotor each comprising an elongated shaft and one or more helical members attached to the shaft along the length thereof;
- and a plurality of knives being attached to the helical members;
- rotating the first and second augers and the rotor about a first auger axis, as second auger axis, and a rotor axis, respectively, within the mixing chamber;
- placing a hay bale through the open end of the mixer chamber onto the rotating first and second augers whereby the knives on the helical members of the first and second augers cut the hay bale into pieces;
- further chopping the pieces of the hay bale into smaller pieces by the knives on the helical members of the rotating rotor;
- recirculating the pieces and the smaller pieces of the hay bale back and forth between the first and second augers and the rotor to cause further chopping thereof into even smaller pieces;
- and
- discharging the chopped hay bale through a discharge opening in the mixer box after the hay bale has been chopped into pieces of desired fineness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.