Conveying and Weighing System

This invention relates to apparatus for weighing fluent solid materials which are conveyed from a material supply station to a material discharge station and more particularly to a fail-safe conveying system which will insure delivery of feed to the discharge station if all or a portion of the weighing apparatus is disabled.

Animal feeding systems have been provided for distributing feed to a plurality of feed stations. It is important that the operator know precisely the amount of feed that is being fed. Systems of the type disclosed herein include a conveyor line having an auger which conveys feed in a downstream path of travel to a poultry house and a weighing assembly to weigh the feed such that the operator has an accurate account of the feed being dispensed. If the feed weigher assembly is installed in series circuit with the conveyor line, delivery of feed to the poultry house will be interrupted if the weighing assembly is disabled. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel feed conveying system including a weighing assembly for weighing the feed connected in parallel circuit with a portion of the conveying line.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fail-safe feed conveying and weighing system which removes the feed from an upstream portion of a feed supply auger, weighs the feed, and returns the weighed feed to a portion of the feed supply auger downstream of upstream portion for continued travel to a chicken house.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an in-line conveyor and feed weighing and bypass mechanism for causing the feed to bypass a portion of the in-line conveyor and weighing the feed and then returning the feed to the conveyor, the conveyor being operative to convey feed past the feed weighing and bypass mechanism in the event that the feed weighing and bypassing mechanism is inadvertently rendered inoperative.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide conveying and weighing apparatus of the type described which is confined within a predetermined space envelope.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of conveying fluent solid material from a supply station to a weighing station, weighing the material at the weighing station, discharging the weighed material to a discharge station, and bypassing the weighing station by conveying other material from the supply station past the weighing station in the event that the weighing step is inadvertently interrupted.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.

A system for feeding animals and the like comprising a conveying line for moving feed and the like, in an in-line, downstream path of travel from a supply station toward a discharge station, and weighing and bypass mechanism connected to said conveying line for causing the material to bypass a portion of the conveying line and weighing the bypassed feed, the conveying line being operative to convey feed from the supply station past at least a portion of the weighing and bypass mechanism, in the event that the feed weighing and bypass mechanism is inadvertently rendered inoperative.

The present invention may more readily be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a system incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of apparatus constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view, partly broken away, illustrating the lower ends of the upstanding conveyors illustrated in FIG. 2.

Apparatus constructed according to the present invention is particularly adapted for use in supplying fluent solid materials, such as chicken feed f, from a bulk feed storage bin, silo or hopper, generally designated 10, to a plurality of feed troughs 12 disposed in an animal feed shelter, such as a chicken coop 14. A plurality of elevated rows of chicken cages 16 having spaced vertical bars 18 are disposed in the housing 14 for housing chickens which can pass their necks between the bars 18 and eat feed f deposited in the feed troughs 12.

The feed silo or bin 10 is mounted on an upstanding framework, generally designated 20 and includes, at its lower end, an inverted cone shaped funnel section 22.

A conveyor, generally designated 24, is provided for receiving feed f from the cone shaped lower end 22 of the feed silo 10 and includes a hollow tube 26 (FIG. 2), having a horizontal tube section 38 joined to a vertically inclined tube portion 40, mounting a flexible, helical auger or screw 28 which is journaled in suitable bearings 29. The horizontal tube section 38 passes through an opening 37 in a sidewall of the coop 14 and the vertically inclined conveyor section 40 has a supply end 24a that receives the feed from the hopper 10. The auger 28 includes auger portions 28a and 28b, in the horizontal conveyor tube section 38 and the inclined conveyor tube section 40 respectively which may be joined at 36 via a universal coupling (not shown). A plurality of vertically extending drop tubes 30 are connected to the underside of the horizontal conveyor tube section 38 for receiving and delivering feed f to the troughs 12. the feed auger 28 is driven via a coop supported, electrically driven motor 32 and a belt 34.

The helical auger 28 will move the feed f received from the hopper section 22 vertically upwardly via section 28a and then horizontally to the vertical drop tubes 30 which direct the feed f to the respective troughs 12.

Apparatus constructed according to the present invention is generally designated A and is illustrated in chain lines in FIG. 1. The apparatus A is more particularly illustrated in FIG. 2 and includes a portion of the conveyor tube section 40 as illustrated. The apparatus A also includes weighing and bypass mechanism, generally designated 42, for receiving the feed f being conveyed by an upstream conveyor tube portion 48, of the conveyor tube 26 weighing the feed f, and then returning the feed f to a downstream conveyor tube portion 44 of the conveyor tube 26. The weighing and bypass apparatus 42 includes a gravity fed supply tube 46 coupled to the upstream portion 48 of the conveyor tube 26. The feed f in the conveyor tube 26 passes downwardly into the tube 46 as illustrated by the arrow 50.

The weighing and bypass apparatus 42 includes a base or stand 52 mounting a generally hollow, feed storage bin 54 having a bottom wall 58 supported via the base 52, opposed, sidewalls 59, opposed end walls 60 and a top wall 56. An opening is cut in the top wall 56 for receiving the lower end of the gravity fed material supply tube 46.

The upper wall 56 of the bin 54 for the unweighed feed f includes a flange 62 receiving the lower end of an upstanding conveyor generally designated 64. The upstanding conveyor 64 includes a hollow tube 66 receiving a helical feed auger or screw 68 having a drive shaft 70 journalled for rotation in bearings 73 provided in the underlying frame 52. A pulley 74 is fixed to the lower end of auger shaft 70 for rotatably driving the auger 68 to move grain or feed f upwardly from the bin 54 and discharging it to a hollow, vertically downwardly inclined, gravity fed transfer tube 76 connected to the upper end of the tube 66. The upper end of the auger shaft 70 is journalled in a bearing 73a provided at the upper end of the tube 66.

The weighing and bypass apparatus 42 includes a weighing assembly, generally designated 78, having a housing 80 removably mounted on a frame supported, downwardly converging funnel or duct 82. The weighing assembly 78 includes a weighing device 77 mounted internally of the hood 80. The weighing device 77 is identical to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,002 granted to the applicant herein, and the patent is incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein. The weighing device 77 is a gravity operated machine having a feed receiving bucket 79 which receives grain from the vertically inclined transfer conduit 76. The tube or conduit 76 terminates within the hood 80 in spaced relation with the bucket 79 to permit a repairman to inspect the bucket without interrupting the weighing operation. The housing 80 mounts a cowling 81 having an opening 81a which slidably receives the conduit 76 such that the housing 80 can be removed from the duct 82 and slid upwardly on the conduit 76 to enable repairmen to have access to the weighing bucket 79 without interrupting the weighing operation. As the bucket 79 fills to a predetermined level, it tips about an axis under the force of gravity. The bucket dumps the weighed grain or feed f into the downwardly converging duct 82 which funnels the grain f to a storage bin 84 mounted atop the framework 52.

The feed storage bin 84 for the weighed feed f includes a bottom wall 86 supported on the framework 52, opposed sidewalls 87, opposed end walls 88 and a top wall 89. A flange 90 is provided in the top wall 89 and mounts a second upstanding conveyor, generally designated 92, having a tubular member 94 receiving a rotary, spiral auger or screw 96 having a shaft 98 journalled at its lower end in bearings 100 provided in the frame 52 and bearings 100a at the top of the tubular member 94. A pulley 102 is fixed to the lower end of the auger shaft 98 and is driven via a belt 104 which is trained around a pulley 102, the pulley 74, and a pulley 106 fixed to the motor shaft 108 of an electrical motor 109 mounted on the frame 52. The auger 96 moves the grain or feed f in the bin 84 upwardly, in the direction of the arrow 110, and discharges the grain to a downwardly inclined discharge tube 112 coupled to the upper end of tube 94 which directs the feed, in the direction of the arrow 111 to the discharge conveyor tube portion 44 of the conveyor 24.

The apparatus 42 also includes an overflow conduit 114 connected to a conveyor tube section 113 the conveyor tube 26 for receiving any feed material f which inadvertently moves upstream of the gravity fed duct, 46, in the direction represented by the arrow 116. Any feed material f which passes the gravity fed conduit 46 in the direction of the arrow 116 will be directed downwardly in the direction of the arrow 117 into the overflow or drop conduit 114 which is connected at its lower end to the bin 54 to comingle the overflow grain with the feed or grain deposited via the gravity fed tube 46 The apparatus 42 also includes a "catch" tube or bypass duct 120 which is connected to a conveyor tube portion 122 intermediate the downstream conveying tube portion 44 and the conveyor portion 113. The bypass duct 120 receives any feed f which is returned to the conveyor tube section 44 via the discharge tube 112 and which inadvertently slides rearwardly or upstream in the direction of the arrow 124. Any feed f which falls downwardly in the direction of the arrow 124 through the bypass tube 120, in the direction of the arrow 126, into the bin 84, will be commingled with the grain f which was previously weighed and deposited in the bin 84 as represented by the arrow 83. The overflow conduit 114 insures that all of the feed is passed through the weighing assembly 78 and is not inadvertently moved to the discharge conveyor tube section 44 without passing through the weighing assembly.

The catch tube 120 insures that the feed f which inadvertently moves upstream, in the direction of the arrow 124, is not recycled and reweighed as it would be if it moved downwardly and passed through the intake ducts 114 and 46. The bypass duct 120 becomes particularly important when the conveyor section 40 is inclined at an angle X (FIG. 1), to the horizontal, which is greater than 45.degree.. When the angle X exceeds 45.degree., grain will increasingly tend to fall upstream in the direction of the arrow 124, after it is returned to the conveyor tube section 44.

Apparatus constructed according to the present invention can be installed on existing systems having a conveyor 24 by merely cutting appropriate holes in the conveyor tube 26 and connecting the apparatus 42 thereto. The weighing and bypass apparatus 42 and the portion of conveyor 24 between conveyor tube portions 48 and 44 are connected in parallel circuit relation but feed f will only be conveyed in the conveyor 24 between tube sections 48 and 44 if the weighing and bypass apparatus 42 fails to successfully operate.

In operation, grain and other suitable poultry feed f is deposited in the supply end 24a of the conveyor 24. The auger or helical screw 28 conveys the feed f upwardly where it is deposited in the gravity feed tube 46 for passage to the bin 54 as illustrated by the arrow 50. Any feed f which inadvertently passes the opening in the upper end of the tube 46 will be received in the overflow tube 114 for passage to the bin 54 for storing unweighed feed. The auger 70 in the upstanding conveyor auger 68 moves the unweighed feed f from the feed storage bin 54 upwardly in the direction of the arrow 67, and discharges it to the vertically inclined tube 76 for movement in a downwardly inclined path as represented by the arrow 75. The feed is discharged from the tube 76 to the weigher assembly bucket 79. When the bucket 79 fills, the force of gravity causes the bucket to swing about its horizontal axis and deposit the feed f into the duct 82 as represented by the arrow 83. The feed f is directed downwardly to the bin 84 for storing weighed feed f. The number of times that the bucket trips is recorded and the total quantity of feed is calculated such that the farmer knows precisely the amount of feed being fed.

The conveyor auger 96 than moves the weighed feed f upwardly from the bin 84 and discharges it into the gravity fed conveyor 112 which guides the feed f downwardly in the direction of the arrow 111 to the conveyor tube section 44 for continued movement by the auger 28 downstream in the direction represented by the arrow 115. The weighed feed f will pass to the horizontally disposed conveyor tube section 38 and continue to be moved to the drop tubes 30 where it is passed to the troughs 12 to be consumed by the chickens.

If the drive belt 104 breaks and the weigher assembly 78 thus becomes inoperative, feed f will fill in the tubes 46, 114 and 120 and the portion of the auger 28 between conveyor tube sections 48 and 44 will forward the feed f upwardly in the direction of the arrow 115 directly toward the outlet conveyor tube section 44 and bypass the weighing and bypass apparatus 42. The auger 28 will continue to supply feed to the horizontally disposed conveyor tube section 38 such that the chickens can continue to be fed even though the weighing assembly 78 is not weighing the feed.

A repairman can periodically inspect the weighing assembly 78 by removing the hood 80 from the duct 82 and sliding it upwardly on the tube 76.

It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.