GB2304336A

GB2304336A - Apparatus for Dispensing Material

Info

Publication number: GB2304336A
Application number: GB9617505A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Cashman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-08-21
Filing date: 1996-08-21
Publication date: 1997-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 2016-08-21
Also published as: GB9617505D0; GB2304336B

Abstract

A dispensing unit for dispensing granular material from a hopper (1, Fig 4) includes an upwardly inclined conveyor housing 5 having a conveyor housing inlet 17 of substantially rectilinear shape. An auger 20 for conveying granular material upwardly from the housing inlet to a dispensing outlet 21 is mounted in the housing. The auger has an upper end which is spaced rearwardly along the conveyor housing from the dispensing outlet. The hopper may include two separate hopper outlets (Fig 8 or 9), each having an associated dispensing unit attached thereto. Preferably, the conveyor extends past the outlet 21 and has a motor 30 separated from the granular material by a sealing plate 34. Preferably, the screw stops short of the outlet to prevent the material from being compressed during dispensing. Preferably a chute 33 is provided for the outlet 21. The material dispensed may be animal feed.

Description

Apparatus for Dispensing Material Introduction The invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing material, especially animal feed.

In this specification the term "granular material" includes grain, animal feed-stuffs such as dairy nuts or pulp nuts, rice, sugar, crushed stone and the like relatively free-flowing materials.

Animal feed dispensers are known and generally comprise a hopper with an outlet of circular cross section feeding a dispensing apparatus such as a screw conveyor. There are a number of problems with these devices. Firstly, the screw conveyor regularly becomes blocked leading to increased pressure at the inlet of the conveyor and resulting in crushing of the material and motor overload problems. Secondly, the dispensing of material is usually difficult to control. It is an object of the invention to overcome at least some of these problems.

Statements of the Invention According to the invention there is provided a granular material dispensing unit for dispensing granular material from a hopper, the dispensing unit comprising a conveyor housing having a conveyor housing inlet and a conveyor mounted in the housing for delivery of granular material to a dispensing outlet, wherein the conveyor housing inlet is of substantially rectilinear shape.

Ideally the conveyor housing is upwardly inclined and granular material is transferred generally upwardly towards the dispensing outlet.

Typically the conveying means comprises an auger.

Preferably the conveying means has an upper end which is spaced rearwardly along the conveyor housing from the dispensing outlet.

Preferably the dispensing outlet includes a dispensing chute.

Ideally the dispensing chute is generally downwardly inclined with respect to the conveyor housing.

In another aspect the invention provides a granular material dispensing apparatus comprising a hopper and dispensing unit according to the invention, the hopper having a hopper inlet for receiving granular material and at least one hopper outlet, the hopper outlet being connected to the conveyor housing inlet.

Preferably the hopper outlet is of generally rectilinear shape to substantially conform with at least portion of the conveyor housing inlet.

In one embodiment of the invention the hopper has two separate hopper outlets, each having an associated dispensing unit attached thereto.

In a preferred arrangement the hopper is generally funnel shaped having opposed front and rear walls and two downwardly conveying side walls.

Preferably the granular material dispensing unit is arranged along an associated side wall of the hopper.

In one arrangement a granular material dispensing unit is arranged along each side wall of the hopper.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side, partially cut-away view of a granular material dispensing unit according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of the dispensing unit of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view, taken from above, of the dispensing unit of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an apparatus for dispensing granular material according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a front partially cross sectional view of the apparatus of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the apparatus in the direction of the arrow X in Fig. 5;; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an apparatus for dispensing material according to an alternative embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 9 is a perspective partially cut-away view of the apparatus of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 7 thereof, there is illustrated an apparatus for dispensing granular material, in this case animal feed, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The apparatus 1 comprises a hopper 2 having a hopper inlet 3 and a hopper outlet 4. A dispensing unit 5 dispenses material from the hopper outlet 4. In this case the hopper 2 is generally funnel-shaped having a rectangular cross section and includes front and back walls 9, 10 and downwardly converging side walls lla, llb. The hopper outlet 4 is provided by a rectilinear, in this case a generally square opening 14 at a lower end of the side wall llb.

In more detail, the dispensing unit 5 comprises a conveyor housing provided by a chute 18 with an open top defining a conveyor housing inlet 17 which is of generally rectilinear shape. The dispensing unit 5 has a pair of end walls 19a, 19b, and conveying means, which in this case is provided by an auger 20, for transferring material from the hopper outlet 4 along the chute 18 to a spaced apart dispensing outlet 21 adjacent an upper end of the chute 18. In this embodiment, the chute 18 is attached by bolts 23 to the front and rear walls 9, 10 of the hopper 2 and is upwardly inclined so that animal feed is transferred generally upwardly towards the dispensing outlet 21. The auger 20 has a lower end beneath the hopper outlet 4 and an upper end which is spaced rearwardly along the chute 18 from the dispensing outlet 21. This is best illustrated in Fig. 2.

The auger 20 discharges the animal feed through the dispensing outlet 21 into a dispensing chute 33 which in this case is generally downwardly directed. The chute 33, a part thereof or an extension piece therefor may be adjustable to direct the animal feed as required. For example, the chute 33 may include a section of flexible material.

An auger axle 29 is driven by a motor 30 which is mounted in the conveyor housing adjacent the end wall 19b. A partition plate 34 is mounted between the motor 30 and the chute 18, the plate 34 having a through hole (not shown) for passage of the auger axle 29. Mounting plates 35 are attached to the chute 18 for mounting of the apparatus 1 to a desired mounting location.

In use, the hopper 2 is filled with animal feed until nearly full, the animal feed passing through the hopper outlet 4 until a lower end of the chute 18 is full. The apparatus is positioned so that the dispensing outlet 21 is directly over a feeding trough (not shown). The motor 30 is then operated to rotate the auger 20. As the auger 20 rotates, it pushes animal feed up along the inclined chute 18 until it reaches the dispensing outlet 21. The animal feed falls vertically through the dispensing outlet 21 and into the feeding trough. When sufficient animal feed has been dispersed, the motor 30 is switched off.

Because the upper end of the auger 20 is spaced back from the dispensing outlet 21, the auger 20 pushes a plug of animal feed up the chute and into the dispensing outlet 21. Thus, when the motor 30 is stopped, the plug stops almost immediately. Accordingly, the apparatus provides improved control over the dispensing of material. This is in contrast to previous dispensing devices where the screw is not spaced back from the dispensing outlet.

A further advantage of the apparatus of the invention is the provision of an enlarged rectilinear hopper outlet 4 which takes the pressure off the lower end of the conveyor housing. Because previous devices usually include funnel shaped hoppers with circular cross sections, these devices tend to increase pressure on the inlet section of the conveyor housing sufficient to break up the constituents of the animal feed, such as nuts or the like. This increased pressure also causes motor overload problems.

These problems have been overcome by the apparatus of the present invention.

A further advantage of the present apparatus is the provision of the upwardly angled chute which prevents spillage if the apparatus is hit by an animal.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, illustrated generally by the reference numeral 40, and in which like parts to the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4 are assigned the same reference numerals. In this case, an enlarged hopper outlet 41 is provided, the enlarged hopper outlet 41 feeding into two dispensing chutes 18.

The use of this apparatus is similar to that described for the previous apparatus except that double the amount of material can be dispensed and two separate troughs can be filled at the same time.

It is understood that the auger may be manually operated.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied both in construction and detail without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

CLAIS

1. A granular material dispensing unit for dispensing granular material from a hopper, the dispensing unit comprising a conveyor housing having a conveyor housing inlet and a conveyor mounted in the housing for delivery of granular material to a dispensing outlet, wherein the conveyor housing inlet is of substantially rectilinear shape.

2. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conveyor housing is upwardly inclined and granular material is transferred generally upwardly towards the dispensing outlet.

3. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the conveying means comprises an auger.

4. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the conveying means has an upper end which is spaced rearwardly along the conveyor housing from the dispensing outlet.

5. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the dispensing outlet includes a dispensing chute.

6. A granular material dispensing unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the dispensing chute is generally downwardly inclined with respect to the conveyor housing.

7. A granular material dispensing unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A granular material dispensing apparatus comprising a hopper and a dispensing unit as claimed in any preceding claim, the hopper having a hopper inlet for receiving granular material and at least one hopper outlet, the hopper outlet being connected to the conveyor housing inlet.

9. A granular material dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the hopper outlet is of generally rectilinear shape to substantially conform with at least portion of the conveyor housing inlet.

10. A granular material dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the hopper has two separate hopper outlets, each having an associated dispensing unit attached thereto.

11. A granular material dispensing apparatus as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10 wherein the hopper is generally funnel shaped having opposed front and rear walls and two downwardly conveying side walls.

12. A granular material dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the granular material dispensing unit is arranged along an associated side wall of the hopper.

13. A granular material dispensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein a granular material dispensing unit is arranged along each side wall of the hopper.

14. A granular material dispensing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.