FEED FORMULATION SYSTEM AND PROCESS

• US 3,806,001 A
• Filed: 04/18/1972
• Issued: 04/23/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William C. Pratt
• Original Assignee: William C. Pratt
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skaggs, Jr., H. Grant
• Application Number:
  US05/245,084
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1,132,129,134,133,135
• US Class Current: 222/132
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/00 Shaping or working-up of animal feeding-stuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 17/007 for mixing feeding-stuff components

Abstract

Micro ingredient formulating machine assembly provides not only for dispensing and mixing a plurality of solid micro ingredients and also liquid micro ingredients and conveying same by a solidliquid-gas slurry under pressure to mix with animal feed mixtures while at a uniform composition and dispersing same uniformly into such feed mixture but also includes a series of mechanically sturdy program control components in a switch unit for rapidly, exactly and reliably setting timing and monitoring each of a plurality of variable operating functions. The process is controlled by calibrating and setting of adjustable components and subsequent automatic selection of such components according to a pre-arranged program.

Claims

1. A process for continuously and positively driving each of a plurality of biologically active ingredients at one of several predetermined fixed rates of mass per unit time into a first mixer at a first location and mixing said plurality of ingredients thorougly together and forming a first mixture thereof, then continuously passing the first mixture into a liquid carrier together with air, forming a second mixture, and pressurizing the resultant second mixture, then passing the resultant second mixture into a conduit and through said conduit toward a discharge orifice thereof while lowering the pressure from the point of entry of said mixture into the said conduit to the point of discharge thereof, dispensing the said resultant mixture into a third feed mixture at a uniform rate of said active ingredients per unit of time and forming a uniform fourth admixture therewith, dispensing a predetermined weight of said fourth mixture to each of a plurality of feed troughs.

2. Process as in claim 1 comprising also the step of changing the rate at which one of said plurality of ingredients is first driven into said first mixture to a second predetermined rate and subsequently again changing the rate at which the said one of said plurality of ingredients is driven to said first mixTure to exactly said first driven rate.

3. Process as in claim 1 comprising the step of changing the rate at which each of said plurality of ingredients is first driven to said first mixture to another predetermined rate and subsequently again changing the rate at which each of said plurality of ingredients is driven to said first mixture to at exactly said first driven rate.

4. Process as in claim 3 comprising the step of continually sensing the operation of said dispensing steps and providing visible and audible signals to indicate the continued operation thereof.

5. Process as in claim 4 comprising the step of controlling said process from a location distant from said first location by simultaneously changing rates of addition of several of said ingredients into said first mixer and from said first mixer into said second mixer.

6. Process as in claim 5 wherein said resultant second mixture is dispersed into said third feed mixture as droplets of 0.01 to 0.04 inch diameter.

7. Apparatus for dispensing animal feed supplements comprising, in operative combination, a control and signal unit, and a dispenser assembly;

the control and signal unit comprising a frame, audible and visual signal means supported thereby, plural electrical circuits supported on said frame, and a plural electrical circuit closing support means with a particular array of circuit closing means supported thereon and operatively connectable to selected electrical circuits supported on said frame and releasable holding means holding said plural electrical circuit closing means in operative connection to said circuits, said plural electrical circuit support means being one of a plurality of circuit closing support means of similar shape and size with differing arrays of circuit closing means supported thereon, the dispenser assembly comprising, in operative combination, a plurality of particulate material bins each having a discharge opening and a first agitation and conveying means supported at said bin discharge opening, motor means operatively connected to each of said first agitation and conveying means, said motor means including a plurality of adjustable speed controlling means operatively connected to one of said electrical circuits in said control and signal unit, a second agitation and conveying means comprising a container and an agitation and conveying means, each of the plurality of said first agitation and conveying means having the discharge opening open to said container of said second agitation and conveying means whereby to direct discharge therefrom into said second agitation and conveying means at one group of locations therein, said second agitation and conveying means having a discharge orifice at a second loation spaced away from said one group of locations, said second agitation and conveying means extending from said one group of locations to said second location, whereby to convey a mixture of said particulate material from said one group of locations to said discharge orifice while mixing said mixture, a third agitation and conveying chamber having an inlet opening at its top below said discharge opening of said second agitation and conveying means and a discharge opening at its bottom, said inlet opening exposed to a gas source, a source of liquid under pressure connected to a conduit, said conduit opening into said third agitation and conveying chamber, whereby to entrain said gas into a slurry of said liquid and particulate material, pressure raising and agitating mean having an inlet connected to the discharge opening at bottom of said third agitation and conveying chamber and an outlet thereof connected to a conduit.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the dispenser assembly comprises a plurality of liquid containers, each having a liquid discharge opening and a liquid pump means operatively connected to said discharge openings, motor means operatively connected to each of said pump means, said motor means includiNg a plurality of speed controlling means, each of said speed controlling means operatively connected to one of said electrical circuits in said control and signal unit, said pump means having a discharge opening open and operatively connected to the discharge opening of another of said plurality of liquid pump means and to said third agitation and conveying chamber.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said conduit has a discharge end to which is operatively connected a spray means.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said control assembly and signal unit are spaced away from each other.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 comprising a fourth agitation and conveying unit comprising a bin and agitation means therein, a plurality of feed storage means operatively connected to said bin and said spray means is operatively connected to said bin.