Microingredient dispensing system

• US 8,277,111 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Comco Manufacturing Ltd.
• Inventors: Englot, Derrick A
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta, Yogendra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luk, Emmanuel S
• Application Number:
  US12/239,371
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 366108-114, 366/138, 366/139, 366/140, 366/141, 366/163.1, 366/165.1, 366/165.2, 366/165.3, 366/165.4, 366/165.5, 366/174.2, 366/174.1, 366/175.1, 366/175.2, 366/175.3, 366/177.1, 366/178.1, 366/178.2, 366/178.3, 414/21
• US Class Current: 366/138
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/00 Shaping or working-up of animal feeding-stuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/31243 Eductor or eductor-type venturi, i.e. the main flow being injected through the venturi with high speed in the form of a jet
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/85 wherein the particles fall onto a film that flows along the inner wall of a mixer
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71785 using slides or vibrating tables

Abstract

Several improvements are provided for a microingredient additive dispensing system. One improvement is the use of a fluid eductor to entrain and mix the additives. Another improvement is to weigh and dispense ingredients using one or more non-compartmentalized vibratory trays that are mounted on a single weigh frame. Another improvement is a summing and filtering circuit that sums and filters the signals from four different load cells to accurately determine the weight of the dispensed additives. Yet another improvement is the placement of a pump upstream of the eductor, isolating the pump from additives that are pumped to the feed mixing station. Another improvement is a line-flushing mode in which a turbulent mixture of air and water are used to clean the delivery conduit of residue.

Claims

1. A micro-ingredient livestock feed additive dispensing and mixing apparatus comprising:

a vibratory tray having a discharge end;

a plurality of micro-ingredient bin containers oriented above, and operable to dispense micro-ingredient additives into, the vibratory tray;

a weigh scale operable to weigh the vibratory tray;

a drive actuator operable to vibrate the vibratory tray, and thereby cause micro-ingredient additives dispensed into the vibratory tray to spill off of the discharge end of the vibratory tray;

a catch basin situated below the discharge end of the vibratory tray in order to receive the discharged additives;

a plurality of flush nozzles situated adjacent an upper portion of the catch basin and operable to direct a liquid fluid into the catch basin;

an eductor situated below an outlet of the catch basin, the eductor comprising a Venturi chamber, an eductor nozzle located on one side of the chamber, an eductor outlet located on an opposite of the Venturi chamber, and a suction inlet adjacent the eductor nozzle in fluid connection with the catch basin outlet;

a pump for supplying pressurized liquid fluid to the eductor nozzle;

a batch mixing tank operable to mix the additives with a batch of livestock feed;

a plurality of batch mixer nozzles situated above the batch mixing tank operable to spray the additives into the batch of livestock feed; and

a delivery conduit providing a fluid connection between the eductor outlet and the batch mixer nozzles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibratory tray is non-compartmentalized.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vibratory tray has a substantially flat micro-ingredient additive receiving surface and the vibratory tray is mounted substantially horizontally.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the drive actuator is operable to cause the dispensed additives to spill off a discharge end of the vibratory tray while maintaining the vibratory tray'"'"'s substantially horizontal orientation and without rotating or significantly tilting the vibratory tray.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a wiper bar mounted on the discharge end of the vibratory tray, the wiper bar being operable to slow a spill rate of the additives during vibration of the vibratory tray.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a second vibratory tray having an discharge end situated above the catch basin; and

a second set of micro-ingredient bin containers oriented above, and operable to dispense micro-ingredient additives into, the second vibratory tray;

wherein the weigh scale is a single weigh scale that is operable to weigh both vibratory trays simultaneously.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller operable to operate the apparatus in an additive delivery mode and a line-flushing mode;

wherein during the additive delivery mode, the controller causes the vibratory feeder to vibrate while causing the flush nozzles to direct a pressurized liquid into the catch basin while causing the pump to supply a second source of pressurized liquid into the eductor; and

wherein during the line-flushing mode, the controller stops the vibration of the vibratory feeder and turns off the flush nozzles while continuing to direct pressurized liquid through the eductor nozzle of the eductor;

whereby the eductor receives air from the suction inlet that mixes with the liquid and operates to clean the delivery conduit of residue.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering circuitry that sums and filters signals from four load cells to accurately determine the weight of the dispensed additives; and

wherein the drive actuator is operable to vibrate the vibratory tray, and thereby cause micro-ingredient additives dispensed into the vibratory tray to spill off of the discharge end of the vibratory tray, while maintaining a substantially horizontal orientation of and without rotating or substantially tilting the vibratory tray.

11. The micro-ingredient livestock feed additive dispensing and mixing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second vibratory tray having a discharge end situated above the catch basin;

a second set of micro-ingredient storage bins oriented above, and operable to dispense micro-ingredient additives into, the second vibratory tray; and

wherein the weigh scale is a single weigh scale that is operable to weigh both vibratory trays simultaneously.

8. In a micro-ingredient livestock feed additive dispensing and mixing apparatus comprising a plurality of microingredient storage bins with independently operable dispensers, a catch basin adapted to receive dispensed micro-ingredient additives, and conduit to direct a combination of a fluid carrier and micro-ingredient additives to a livestock feed mixing station, the improvement comprising:

an eductor comprising a Venturi chamber, an eductor nozzle located on one side of the chamber, an eductor outlet located on an opposite of the Venturi chamber, and a suction inlet in fluid connection with an outlet of the catch basin; and

a pump for supplying pressurized liquid fluid to the eductor nozzle;

wherein the eductor outlet is in fluid communication with the conduit that directs the combination of fluid and micro-ingredient additives to the livestock feed mixing station;

whereby the additives from the catch basin are entrained by the flow of pressurized liquid fluid through the Venturi chamber and discharged through the eductor outlet to the conduit and to the livestock feed mixing station; and

a controller operable to operate the apparatus in a line-flushing mode, wherein during the line-flushing mode, the controller causes the dispensing of micro-ingredients into the catch basin to cease and turns off a source of flushing liquid into the catch basin while continuing to operate the pump to direct pressurized liquid fluid through the eductor nozzle;

whereby the eductor receives air from the suction inlet that mixes with the pressurized fluid, creating a turbulent liquid and air mixture that operates to clean the conduit of residue.

9. The micro-ingredient livestock feed additive dispensing and mixing apparatus of claim 8, the improvement further comprising:

a substantially horizontally-mounted, non-compartmentalized vibratory tray oriented below at least some of the microingredient storage bins, the vibratory tray having a discharge end;

a weigh scale utilizing multiple load cells to weigh the vibratory tray; and

a drive actuator operable to vibrate the vibratory tray, and thereby cause micro-ingredient additives dispensed into the vibratory tray to spill off of the discharge end of the vibratory tray, while maintaining the vibratory tray'"'"'s substantially horizontal orientation and without rotating or substantially tilting the vibratory tray.