WO2000052993A1

WO2000052993A1 - Fodder mixing device including loading mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2000052993A1
Application number: PCT/NL2000/000090
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniël Petrus Marie PEETERS
Original assignee: Peeters Landbouwmachines B.V.
Priority date: 1999-02-11
Filing date: 2000-02-11
Publication date: 2000-09-14
Also published as: AU2699400A; NL1011279C2

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for mixing cattle fodder, provided with a container (1) with at least one mixing member (2) arranged therein for rotation and means for loading the container with ensilaged cattle fodder. The mixing member (2) is herein rotatable on a standing axis and the loading means are adapted to scrape off the ensilaged cattle fodder and to transport the fodder to the container. The loading means are formed by a combined scraper and vertical belt conveyor (5) for loading the container with ensilaged cattle fodder. Scrapers (6) are arranged on the belt of the belt conveyor (5) which scrape away the ensilaged fodder and also transport it to the container. The apparatus can be used to cut and mix many different types of material and can be loaded quickly and efficiently.

Description

FODDER MIXING DEVICE INCLUDING LOADING MECHANISM

The invention relates to an apparatus for mixing cattle fodder, provided with a container with at least one mixing member arranged therein for rotation on a standing axis and a combined scraper and vertical belt conveyor for loading the container with ensilaged cattle fodder.

Fodder mixing apparatuses with a mechanism for loading the container with ensilaged cattle fodder are generally known, and are for instance used to mix cattle fodder which is available in the form of bales or silage. The known apparatus has a container or tub in which the cattle fodder is placed and in which a rotatable jack with serrated knives is arranged. This apparatus is also provided with a loading mechanism, being a cutter, which is mounted on the end of an arm which is pivotable on a lying axis and optionally extendable and which is fixed on the other end to the frame or the tub of the fodder mixing apparatus . The cutter generally consists of a cylinder with cutter knives rotatable on a lying axis and can cut off one part of the ensilaged fodder at a time by up or downward movement of the arm. The apparatus has be placed for this purpose in the vicinity of the ensilaged fodder. The cutter relinquishes the cut fodder to a conveyor belt, which displaces the fodder to the tub. Such cutter devices are also known without the use of a conveyor bel . The cut fodder is herein thrown into the tub by the cutter knives, optionally deflected by a plate. Another variant of the above stated cutter device is a cylinder with cutter knives rotatable on a lying axis, which can move up and downward along guide rails and which during this movement cuts off one part of the ensilaged fodder at a time. Apparatuses are also known which saw off a block of ensilaged fodder from the fodder silo by means of a sawing construction and then displace the fodder to the tub with a loading, tilting or sliding mechanism.

The above stated apparatuses are all characterized by the fact that loading of the tub with ensilaged fodder is a relatively time-consuming operation, at least when compared with the invention. Operators of known apparatuses provided with a cutter must often move the apparatus a number of times and/or operate the cutter a number of times until the desired quantity of fodder has been loaded. The operation of apparatuses which are embodied with a sawing device is likewise relatively time-consuming, with the additional drawback that the user can only determine to a small extent the quantity of fodder which is loaded, and thereby the proportion of the fodder components for mixing. This is because of the fact that a block of fodder is sawn each time from the fodder silo without it being possible to weigh it beforehand.

The invention now has for its object to provide an apparatus of the above described type with an improved loading. According to the invention this is achieved in that the mixing member is rotatable on a standing axis and the loading means consist of a combined scraper and vertical belt conveyor. This is also achieved according to the invention in that scrapers are arranged on the belt of the belt conveyor which scrape away the ensilaged cattle fodder and also transport it to the container. An improved fodder mixing apparatus is also provided according to the invention in that the user only has to displace the apparatus once and can load the desired quantity of fodder without further delay. An improved fodder mixing apparatus is also provided according to the invention in that the user can determine precisely what quantity of fodder is loaded, without the limitations of the fodder mixing apparatus with sawing system. Through the use of a combined scraper and vertical belt conveyor the apparatus can be loaded simply. Preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention are described in the detailed explanation of the drawings and in the dependent claims .

The invention also relates to loading means which suitable for use in a fodder mixing apparatus as described above.

The invention is now elucidated with reference to an embodiment and working example of the construction according to the invention shown in the figures .

Fig. la shows a partly cut-away side view of the apparatus .

Fig . lb shows a rear view of the apparatus .

Fig. 2a, 2b, and 2c show the side view of the apparatus as it appears when the loading means are placed in the vicinity of the fodder silo and are set into operation, wherein the rearward movement of the apparatus is caused by a hydraulically driven motor which drives the wheels of the apparatus. Fig. 3a, 3b and 3c show the side view of the apparatus as it appears when the loading means are placed in the vicinity of the fodder silo and are set into operation, wherein the rearward movement of the apparatus is caused by a hydraulically extendable shaft. Fig. 4a, 4b and 4c show the side view of a self-propelled apparatus as it appears when the loading means are placed in the vicinity of the fodder silo and are set into operation.

Fig. 5a, 5b and 5c show the side view of a supported apparatus as it appears when the loading means are placed in the vicinity of the fodder silo and are set into operation.

An apparatus for mixing bales of material comprises a container or tub 1 having arranged therein a rotatable mixing member 2, in the embodiment shown in the form of a vertical screw with a number of cutting edges . Because the mixing member is provided with cutting edges the apparatus can also be used to reduce in size cattle fodder available in the form of bales or blocks . In this context the mixing member may also be described as a size-reducing member. Mixing member 2 is rotatable on a standing axis and is driven by means of a motor via a right-angled transmission 3.

For loading of tub 1 with ensilaged cattle fodder the apparatus is provided with loading means, which are adapted to scrape off a fodder silo 10 and to transport the fodder to the container. The loading means are formed by an upright frame 4 having therein an upright conveyor belt 5 on which are situated scrapers 6 for scraping off a fodder silo 10. A chain or other transport device could for instance also be applied instead of a conveyor belt 5. Conveyor belt 5 is set into movement by drive rollers 7 which are driven by a motor via a power takeoff 15, a switching gear 8 and a central gearbox 9. With switching gear 8 both mixing member 2 and conveyor belt 5 can be driven simultaneously or, if desired, conveyor belt 5 can be switched off separately herewith. It is also possible for drive rollers 7 to be driven by hydraulically driven motors . This makes the use of a switching gear 8 unnecessary.

Conveyor belt 5 is provided with scrapers 6 which are formed such that during movement of the conveyor belt the silage is detached from silo 10, is then taken up and finally released when the scrapers are situated in roughly the highest position. The scrapers can for instance be of metal and be screwed to belt 6, but can also consist of comb-like protrusions on the surface of the belt. Arranged in the side walls of tub 1 are one or more openings through which the reduced material can be discharged. In figure lb two conveyor belts are shown in view of the fact that drive rollers 7 are driven in the centre. It is however also possible to drive the drive rollers 7 from outside, whereby the use of only one belt becomes possible. The apparatus is further provided with wheels 11 and with a shaft 12, with which it can be suspended behind a tractor 13. Another embodiment is an apparatus which is self-propelled (Fig. 4a, 4b and 4c) . Finally, it is possible to apply the invention in a supported embodiment, wherein the apparatus is not provided with wheels, but with mountings for coupling to the three- point lifting device of the tractor.

In use the apparatus is loaded with ensilaged fodder. For this purpose the apparatus is driven with the conveyor belt against fodder silo 10 (Fig. 2a, 3a and 4a) . Conveyor belt 5 is then set into operation and scrapers 6 will dislodge the silage, transport it upward and release it in roughly the highest position, so that the silage is thrown into tub 1.

In order to obtain a good loading the fodder is slightly deflected by an adjustable curved plate 13. The conveyor belt does not reach completely to the ground. The fodder is therefore shovelled up from the underside of fodder silo 10 with a scraper board 14 which picks up this fodder and also guides it to the scrapers, so that this fodder eventually also enters tub 1. Another possibility of also loading the fodder at the bottom of the fodder silo is the use of a height-adjustable frame with which the whole loading device can be moved downward .

In order to obtain a continuous loading the apparatus must be driven slowly into fodder silo 10 so that an increasingly larger part of fodder silo 10 can be scraped away.

The movement of the apparatus in fodder silo 10 can be brought about in different ways . One option is for the tractor or the self-propelled apparatus to be moved slowly under its own power (Fig. 4a, 4b and 4) . Another possibility is a provision, for instance a hydraulically driven motor, which drives the wheels of the apparatus directly or indirectly (Fig. 2a, 2b and 2c) . In the case of such a provision the tractor is shifted into neutral gear and the parking brake is released. The apparatus can then move under its own power during the loading process. Figure la shows a small wheel 17 which is driven by a hydraulically driven motor and which comes into contact with main wheels 14 as soon as scraper board 14 has been fully lowered. The final option to be mentioned is the use of an extendable shaf . This embodiment can be applied when the apparatus is attached behind a tractor. This tractor will be placed on the parking brake during loading, while the shaft extends slowly, for instance by means of a hydraulic cylinder 18, and thus moves the combined scraping and conveyor belt into fodder silo 10 (Fig. 3a, 3b and 3c) .

In both the embodiment wherein the wheels of the apparatus are driven and the embodiment with the extendable shaft, extra functionality and convenience of use can be obtained by automating the loading process. This can be realized by making use of a weighing device 16 with a programming and control option. The weighing device is herein programmed by the user with a value in kilograms, this being the desired quantity of fodder which must be loaded. Loading is then started and the weighing device will generate an electric control signal once the weight of the device has increased by the preprogrammed value, as a result of which the driving of the wheels is stopped or the extendable shaft stops extending. With such an apparatus the loading process can thus be stopped automatically, which greatly improves the convenience of use relative to the above stated known apparatuses. It is also conceivable that the loading process can be stopped automatically after a predetermined time has elapsed or after a predetermined distance has been reached.

If the user wishes to load the apparatus without making use of the vertical scraping and conveyor belt, the tub can then be loaded by means of a loading crane or loading bucket of for instance a tractor. Switching gear 8 is then switched such that the scraping and conveyor belt are switched off while reducing member 2 is still driven by the motor. A second loading means can also be arranged on the apparatus, wherein the loading means is formed by a scoop or loading bucket which is connected to the container over at least one pivot arm and which is tiltable between a pick-up and delivery position in order to load the container with bales .

Unloading of the apparatus takes place by opening one or more dispensing slides situated in the side walls of the tub. The apparatus is herein pulled by tractor 11 along feed-troughs for cattle so that the mixed and/or size-reduced fodder is thrown into the troughs . Because use is made of a mixing member 2 rotating on a standing axis, the apparatus is suitable for mixing, blending or cutting a variety of different materials, irrespective of its form. Square or round bales can thus be processed, but also for instance cut blocks of silage or loose products.

Claims

1. Apparatus for mixing cattle fodder, provided with a container with at least one mixing member arranged therein for rotation on a standing axis and means for loading the container, characterized in that the loading means are adapted to scrape off a fodder silo and to transport the scraped-off fodder to the container, wherein the loading means are formed by an upright frame mounted on the container and having therein an upright elongate transporting device on which are situated scrapers for scraping off a fodder silo.

2. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the transporting device is formed by at least one endless wide belt or chain on which are situated scrapers for scraping off a fodder silo.

3. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the container is placed on a mobile chassis and has available means with which the chassis can propel itself under its own power in order to load the tub.

4. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the means with which the chassis can propel itself under its own power are formed by a drive of the wheels of the chassis .

5. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim

3 , characterized in that the means with which the chassis can propel itself under its own power are formed by an extendable shaft .

6. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the movement of the fodder mixing apparatus stops when a predetermined quantity of fodder has been loaded.

7. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , characterized in that the quantity at which driving stops can be expressed in weight, in combination with a weighing device, or in distance or in time.

8. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the loading means are provided with a scraper board on the underside of the frame which picks up the fodder on the ground and along which the fodder is guided to the scrapers .

9. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 , characterized in that the loading means are driven in the centre of the lower drive roller.

10. Fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the arranged discharge means are driven in the centre via a branch of the drive of the mixing member .

11. Loading means evidently intended for application in a fodder mixing apparatus as claimed in any of the foregoing claims .