US2281974A - Molasses mixing tank - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 19421 HERR 2,281,974

MOLASSES MIXING TANK Filed May 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' y 11942. J. s. HE RR\ 2,281,974

MOLASSES MIXING TANK I Filed May 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 5, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE MOLASSES MIXING TANK Joseph Stanley Herr, Nottingham, Pa.

Application May 1, 1940, Serial No. 332,826

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a portable feed mixer, and has for its general object the provision of automatic apparatus for mixing molasses or other nutrient liquids with stock feeds.

Since the advent of automotive mills, it has become the general practice for farmers who raise their own feed stuffs to have the feed ground on the premises by the itinerant mill, and the apparatus of the present invention logically follows the mill in affording opportunity for the farmer to have a complete molasses feed mixed on the premises. Although emphasis is placed upon the transportability of the mixer of the present invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that it may be equally useful as a fixed piece of apparatus.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a feed mixer with a rotor with radial blades having a conveyor pitch, each blade being oppositely deflected intermediate its ends, so that the rotor while turning the mix circumferentially, also propells it in one direction adjacent the axis of the rotor, and in the opposite direction adjacent its periphery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feed mixer in which the feed is rotated circumferentially, while at the same time being circulated axially in opposite directions in the manner above set forth, the mass of feed being brought upward in the course of the rotation of the rotor into contact with a tangentially disposed shower or curtain of molasses or other liquid ingredient to be incorporated into the feed, issuing as a plurality of jets or streams from a perforated longitudinal pipe arranged above and tangentially with respect to the path of rotation of the mixing rotor.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mixer as described, having a hinged conveyor at its anterior end adapted to draw from a mass of comminuted feed on the floor or in a bin adjacent the apparatus, and adapted to be raised upon occasion into an inoperative position. Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

mixing tank and the associated molasses reservoir;

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section of a portion of the apparatus illustrating the hinged connection of the conveyor with the mixing tank, and other details appurtenant thereto; and

Figure 5 is a section taken along the line 5.5 of Figure l.

Referring now in detail to-the several figures, the reference'character l represents in general a motor vehicle upon which is mounted a mixing tank 2 and a molasses reservoir 3. The mixing tank is preferably formed with a cylindrical'bottom 4, which for convenience seats in a depression formed in the top wall 5 of the molasses tank. The two tanks may be welded into a unitary structure, or may be secured together in any suitable manner.

latter being shown as a small internal combustion engine independent of the power plant of the motor. The molasses tank, as shown, is also provided with an external depression or offset 1, making room for the, conveyor 8 which is suitably attached in a manner which will presently be described, to the side of the mixing tank.

Figure 1 shows that the prime mover is con-- veniently located beneath the upper end of the conveyor 8. v

The mixing tank is provided with a rotor,

which as a whole is designated by the reference character [0, and which comprises a shaft H I journaled in suitable bearings in the opposite end walls of the mixing tank and concentric with the curvature of the bottom wall 4 of the mixing tank. Said shaft is provided with a plurality of radial arms [2 arranged longitudinally within the mixing tank throughout the length of the shaft H. with two sets of mixing and conveying blades, a peripheral set, the blades 13 of which are relatively broad and which in their course of revolution sweep close to the cylindrical wall 4 of the mixing tank. Said peripheral blades l3 are preferably, but not necessarily, formed with serrated edges, which assist in the mixing. Said peripheral blades are all deflected in the same direction and at the same angle, so that they convey the feed which they contact, in one direction. The arms l2 are alsoprovided with an Said arms are aggregately provided intermediate set of blades l5, the latter being deflected in the opposite direction from that of the peripheral blades l3, so as to propel the feed which they contact in the opposite direction from that of the peripheral blades l3.

Thus, while the rotor II} is in operation, there is a continuous circulation of the feed, that which lies adjacent the axis of the rotor traveling in one direction under the urge of the intermediate blades [5, and then turning and traveling in the opposite direction under the influence of the peripheral blades. This longitudinal circulation of the feed is, of course, taking place simultaneously with the general circumferential overturn and mixing of the feed incident to the retation of the rotor. It will be observed that the first and last arms are provided with only the peripheral blades. This is to facilitate scraping of the feed from the corners of the tank and the absence of the intermediate blades leaves room .1

for the circulating mass to turn the corner in changing the direction of its axial movement.

The discharge spout I6 is provided with a gate 49 which may be kept closed as long as desired, so that the feed may be recirculated through the mixer as many times as may be necessary or desired.

The shaft H is driven from the prime mover 6 through a gear [1 on the end of said shaft in mesh with a gear l8 on a lay shaft 19, which lay shaft is driven by means of a belt and pulley connection 28 from the drive shaft 2! of the prime mover.

The mixing tank 2 extends above the path of rotation of the blades l3 of the rotor, and in its upper part a pipe 22 is longitudinally mounted, said pipe being connected to the eduction side of a molasses pump 23, the induction side of which pump is connected to a pipe 24 which dips into the molasses tank 3 and terminates a short distance from the bottom of the molasses tank. That part of the pipe 22 which extends longitudinally through the mixing tank is provided with a plurality of spaced perforations 25, along its lower side, through which molasses pumped from the molasses tank issues in a series of line streams or jets.

The arrow a in Figure 3 indicates the direction of rotation of the mixing rotor, from which it will be observed that the pipe 22 is arranged tangentially with respect to the path of rotation of the rotor blades and on the upwardly moving side of the rotor, so that the curtain formed by the plurality of streams or jets of molasses meets the feed mass as it is moving in an upward direction and in a region remote from the vertical diametrical plane passing through the axis of the rotor.

It can be readily visualized by those skilled in the art that the arms [2 and the blades which they carry will be buried under the mass of feed at the region in which the molasses impinges the feed, but that they may be somewhat exposed when passing through this vertical diametrical plane. Consequently, the tangential arrangement of the pipe 22 assures that the molasses will not fall upon the bare blades and arms, and consequently will not form a sticky mass thereupon, but that it will always fall upon the feed which is so thorougly mixed by the action of the rotor that it is a'substantially dry mixture and will not cling to the blades and So clog or impair the efficiency of the mix.

The conveyor 8 preferably comprises a cylindrical shell 2%, in which a screw 21 rotates. the

eration.

helix of said screw being mounted upon a shaft 28 journaled in bearings in the opposite ends of the shell 26 and having its upper end 29 rotatably mounted in a bearing 30 in a hinge pin 3|, the latter having an enlarged head 32 which rotates in a cylindrical socket 33 suitably secured to the adjacent side of the mixing tank 2. Said socket has a flange 34 which overhangs the margin of the enlarged head 32 and by means of which the hinge pin 3| is retained in said socket. Means, such as the collar 35, on the outer end of the shaft 28 retains said shaft from being longitudinally displaced with respect to the hinge pin 3|.

The shell 26 of the conveyor 8 may be provided at its lower end with a scoop or hopper 36, and at its upper end which has a lateral outlet 37 adapted to discharge into the mixing tank. Inasmuch as the conveyor 8, the normal operative position of which is inclined, as shown in Figure 1, is to be swung upon occasion to an inoperative position, it is obvious that when in such inoperative position the outlet opening 31 will be out of registry with the inlet opening 39 of the mixing tank. It is, therefore, necessary to provide a closure for the inlet opening 39, this being an arcuate plate 43, carried by the shell 26, and having its edges, preferably, slidably confined beneath the arcuate tracks 4! and 42 secured to the side of the mixing tank. When the conveyor 8 is in the position shown in Figure 1, the openings 31 and 39 will be in registry. When the conveyor is in an elevated position, the openings 31 and 39 will be out of registry, but the plate 40 will be in a position occluding the opening 39.

The shaft 28 of the conveyor screw is normally driven by a gear 43 near the upper end of said shaft, in mesh with a gear 44 on a lay shaft 45, the latter having a sprocket 46 suitably driven as by the chain 41 from a sprocket 48 on thelay shaft l9. When the conveyor is raised to its inoperative position, the gears 43 and 44 are out of mesh, and the screw 21 is thus put out of op- When the conveyor 8 is loweredto its operative position, the gears 43 and M automatically come into mesh.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have devised a feed mixer for incorporating a liquid ingredient such as molasses into a comminuted feed which imparts to the feed While in the process of mixing, a novel complex movement which not only assures thorough and homogeneous mixing, but prevents the liquid from coming into direct contact with the parts of the mixer. It is also obvious that I have provided feed mixing apparatus which is continuous in operation, which may be conveniently transported from place to place, and may be put into operation without any preliminary make-ready adjustments other than merely lowering the conveyor so as to bring its intake end into operative proximity to the walls of feed.

While I have in the above disclosure described What I believe to'be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the specific details of construction as herein shown and described are by way of example, and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Feed mixer comprising a mixing tank, a mixing rotor arranged longitudinally in the lower part of said tank, a feed inlet opening at one side of said tank above the path of rotation of said rotor, a conveyor hinged at one end exteriorly to the side of .said mixing tank having a discharge opening adapted to register with the feed inlet opening ofsaid tank when said conveyor is in downwardly inclined position, said conveyor including a rotor shaft having a bevel gear at a distance from its hinge connection with said tank, a driving gear with which said bevel gear meshes when saidconveyor is in downwardly l0

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