Programmable weight sensitive microingredient feed additive delivery system and method

• US 4,733,971 A
• Filed: 02/26/1986
• Issued: 03/29/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micro Beef Technologies Ltd (MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Micro Chemical Inc.
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): JENKINS, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/833,904
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 366/141, 366/151, 366/152, 366/160, 366/162, 366/16, 366/17, 366/18, 366/19, 366/20, 141/83, 141/104, 141/239, 141/84, 414/21, 414/294, 414/282, 222/57, 222/77
• US Class Current: 366/141
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0216 for the distribution of liquid fodder A01K9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/18 Mixing animal food ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/53 using driven stirrers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/56 by introducing solids in liquids, e.g. dispersing or dissolving
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/60 Mixing solids with solids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/901 using one central conveyor or several separate conveyors, e.g. belt, screw conveyors or vibrating tables, for discharging flows from receptacles, e.g. in layers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/712 for feeding fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/714 for feeding predetermined amounts B01F35/88 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7173 using gravity, e.g. from a hopper
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71731 using a hopper
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71805 using valves, gates, orifices or openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7544 using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/881 by weighing, e.g. with automatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 15/001 Volumetric pre-dispensing to an estimated weight; Gravimetric make-up device for target device
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/24 using a single weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/06 Means for damping oscillations, e.g. of weigh beams
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/001 with discontinuous action
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/134 by sensing the weight of the individual components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/603 Animal food mixer

Abstract

A method and apparatus whereby livestock and poultry are administered feed additives in their feed ration. In one disclosed form, the apparatus stores additive concentrates separately until just prior to use, then on demand dispenses the additive concentrates separately and sequentially into a weigh hopper for sequential, cumulative weighing therein. The weighed contents of the weigh hopper are deposited into a liquid carrier within a mixing vessel where the dispensed additives are diluted, suspended, and dispersed by mixing. The resulting carrier-and-additive slurry is pumped to a receiving station for mixing with a feed ration. The weigh hopper is isolated from movements that would affect additive weight determinations during the weighing process so that accurate measurements of the additive weights are obtained. A computerized control system controls the operation and sequencing of the apparatus. In another disclosed form, the apparatus dispenses additive concentrates by weight directly into a mixing vessel by measuring the loss-of-weight of their respective storage containers. In still another disclosed form, the apparatus dispenses some additive concentrates by weight and others by volume into a mixing vessel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring, dispensing, and delivering microingredient feed additive concentrates in small but accurate amounts in a liquid carrier slurry into a livestock or poultry feed ration shortly before the delivery of said feed ration to the animals for consumption, said apparatus comprising:

multiple storage means for storing separately a plurality of different microingredient feed additive concentrates;

multiple dispensing means for dispensing separately several additive concentrates from said multiple storage means;

weighing means for determining the weights of said different additive concentrates dispensed;

isolating means for isolating said weighing means from influences affecting the weighing function of said weighing means so accurate weight determinations are obtained;

control means for controlling separately the operation of said plural dispensing means in response to weight determinations of said weighing means to control the weight of additive concentrates dispensed;

receiving means for receiving additive concentrates dispensed from said storage means;

mixing means for mixing a liquid carrier with the additive concentrates dispensed into said receiving means to form a slurry of said carrier and the dispensed additive concentrates; and

delivery means for delivering said slurry to a slurry-receiving station for mixing with a feed ration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said receiving means includes hopper means positioned functionally between at least some of said dispensing means and said mixing means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said weighing means includes means for weighing said hopper means, and said control means includes means for operating sequentially each dispensing means which dispenses into said hopper means and stopping each such dispensing means when said predetermined weight of additive concentrate has been dispensed from a given dispensing means into said hopper means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said hopper means includes emptying means for depositing the contents of said hopper means into said mixing means when all said selected additive concentrates have been weighed into said hopper means.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said emptying means includes means for rotating said hopper means to an upside down position.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising an air flush means for introducing a stream of air into said hopper means after said hopper means has been emptied.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said hopper means includes a common hopper and partition means which form a plurality of dry additive concentrate receiving compartments, and a separate air flush means is provided for each compartment.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said hopper means includes emptying means for depositing the contents of said hopper means into said mixing means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said weighing means includes means for weighing said hopper means and said isolating means includes means for isolating said hopper means from influences affecting the weighing function of said weighing means;

said emptying means including electrically operated means associated with said hopper means and supplied with electrical power from a power source remote from said hopper means through electrical conductor means;

said hopper isolating means including said electrical conductor means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said isolating means includes transverse and longitudinal vibration and sway dampening means interconnecting said hopper means and a hopper-supporting frame means connected to said weighing means.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said hopper means includes a common hopper and partition means which form a plurality of additive concentrate receiving compartments within said hopper for preventing intermingling of additive concentrates in said hopper.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said compartments include dry additive concentrate-receiving compartments and liquid additive concentrate-receiving compartments.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said mixing means includes a mixing vessel functionally downstream of said hopper means, said dispensing means including liquid additive concentrate dispensing means for dispensing liquid additive concentrates directly into said vessel, bypassing said hopper means.

14. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said weigh means includes high hopper means for receiving additive concentrates from said dispensing means, and said dispensing means operate sequentially in response to weight gain of said hopper means.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mixing means includes a mixing vessel, and said receiving means includes said mixing vessel, said dispensing means including means for dispensing into said vessel.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said weighing means includes means for weighing said multiple storage means, said control means including means operable to control the operation of each said dispensing means in response to the loss-of-weight of said storage means to control the weight of each additive concentrate dispensed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said control means includes means for stopping the operation of each dispensing means when said predetermined weight of a selected additive concentrate is dispensed by each dispensing means.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said control means includes means for controlling a dispensing rate of each dispensing means in response to loss of weight sensings of said storage means.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein a separate weighing means is provided for each additive, and said control means includes means for operating said dispensing means simultaneously for simultaneously dispensing said additive concentrates.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said control means includes means for operating said dispensing means to dispense additive concentrate in a volumetric metering mode using a weight per unit time equation, then adjusting the feed rate of said dispensing means based upon loss of weight sensings of said weighing means.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means includes means selectively operable to operate said plural dispensing means either simultaneously or sequentially.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means includes means for selectively operating some dispensing means simultaneously and others sequentially.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means includes a metering mode and a weigh mode, and includes means for operating said dispensing means simultaneously at controlled rates for predetermined periods of time independently of weight determinations of said weighing means in said metering mode, and includes means for operating said dispensing means in response to weight sensings of said weighing means in said weigh mode.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein some dispensing means are operable in said weigh mode while other dispensing means are operable in said metering mode.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said metering mode of said control means dispenses additive concentrate using a weight per unit time equation, and the feed rate of said dispensing means is adjusted based on loss-of-weight sensings of said weighing means.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means operates said dispensing means sequentially in response to cumulative weight determinations of additive concentrates dispensed, and said control means stops each dispensing means for each separate microingredient when said predetermined weight of that microingredient is sensed.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said dispensing means operate in response to loss of weight sensings of each separate storage means.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said isolating means includes a weigh frame for mounting said weighing means and a separate mounting frame for mounting other components of said apparatus that may affect weight determinations of said weighing means.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said isolating means includes panel means enclosing said frames for insulating said apparatus from environmental influences that may affect weight determinations.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said isolating means includes elastomeric isolation pads between said weigh frame and a ground support surface for said weigh frame.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said isolating means includes a weighing means isolator between said weighing means and said weigh frame.

32. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said isolating means includes first isolator means between said weighing means and a means mounting said weighing means, and a second isolator means between said weigh means and means weighed by said weigh means.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said weighing means includes a weigh hopper means for receiving additives dispensed from said storage means and said weighing means further includes a load cell, said means mounting said weighing means including said first isolator means mounting said load cell to a support frame while isolating said load cell from movement of said support frame, and a hopper suspension means including said second isolating means suspending said hopper means from said load cell and isolating movement of said hopper means from said load cell.

34. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mixing means includes a mixing vessel comprising at least a portion of said receiving means, and flow inducing means for inducing a flow within said vessel.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said flow inducing means includes variable speed rotary mixing blades, and said control means includes means for operating said mixing blades at a low speed during the depositing of additive concentrates into said vessel and at a higher speed after all additive concentrates have been deposited in said vessel.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said delivery means includes means for pumping an additive carrier slurry from said vessel through a conduit means to said receiving station.

37. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said control means includes means for operating said flow inducing means and delivery means at the same time as said dispensing means and weighing means such that a first batch of additive concentrate slurry can be mixed and delivered to a receiving station while a second batch of additive concentrates is dispensed and weighed prior to its deposit into said mixing vessel, said isolating means including means isolating said weighing means from said flow-inducing means and from said delivery means.

38. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means includes at least a portion of said isolating means operable to prevent said dispensing means from operating to dispense a predetermined weight of an additive concentrate during any period of influence of said weighing means that will adversely affect the final determination of said predetermined weight.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said isolating means includes means for preventing said dispensing means from operating when other components of said apparatus have been actuated by said control means and are moving.

40. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said isolating means includes a panel enclosure provided in protective relationship around said apparatus, and said isolating means includes means for preventing said dispensing means from operating when said panel enclosure has been taken out of protective relationship around said apparatus.

41. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said isolating means includes means for delaying a weight determination by said weighing means until movement of said weighing means, induced by delivery of additive concentrate into said weighing means, has substantially subsided.

42. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means includes means cooperable with said weighing means for operating each dispensing means at a first speed from the beginning through a major portion of a dispensing cycle and at a second speed near the end of a dispensing cycle as determined by said weighing means measuring a weight of an additive concentrate approaching said predetermined weight, said control means being operable to stop a given dispensing means upon the dispensing of said predetermined weight.

43. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said weighing means includes means for weighing separately said multiple storage means, said control means including means operable to control separately the operation of each said dispensing means in response to the loss-of-weight of each storage means to control separately said weight of each additive concentrate dispensed.

44. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means includes a metering mode and a weigh mode, and includes means for operating said dispensing means in a weigh mode from the beginning through a major portion of a dispensing cycle for a given additive concentrate, said control means further including means for operating said dispensing means in said metering mode through the remaining portion of said cycle.

45. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said isolating means includes panel means enclosing supporting frame means mounting said storage means, dispensing means, weighing means, and receiving means, said panel means being operable to insulate said apparatus from environmental influences that may affect weight determinations.

46. Apparatus according to claim 45 wherein said weighing means and receiving means include a weigh hopper means for receiving additives dispensed from said storage means and wherein said weighing means further includes a load cell;

means including said isolating means mounting said weighing means to said supporting frame means;

said isolating means including a first isolator means mounting said load cell to said supporting frame means while isolating said load cell from movement of said supporting frame means, and a hopper suspension means including a second isolator means suspending said hopper means from said load cell and isolating movement of said hopper means from said load cell.

47. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

determining the predetermined weights of selected additives by weighing each additive sequentially and cumulatively in a common weighing container while maintaining separation of the different concentrates in said container.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said dispensing step comprises emptying the concentrates from said container into the carrier after the predetermined weights of all additives in said container have been determined.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein the step of weighing each additive sequentially and cumulatively includes delivering a first additive concentrate into said container until said container registers a first predetermined weight and thereupon stopping the delivery of said first additive and starting the delivery of a second additive concentrate and continuing until said container registers a second predetermined weight, and so on until selected weights of all selected additives have been delivered into said container.

50. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

determining the predetermined weights of different additives dispensed by measuring the loss of weight of the additive storage source for each additive dispensed.

51. An apparatus for measuring, dispensing, and delivering microingredient feed additive concentrates in small but accurate proportions in a liquid carrier slurry into a livestock or poultry feed ration shortly before the delivery of said feed ration to the animals for consumption, said apparatus comprising:

a support frame means;

multiple storage means on said support frame means for storing separately a plurality of different microingredient feed additive concentrates;

a plurality of separate dispensing means on said support frame means, one for each said storage means, for dispensing separately and without intermingling additive concentrates from said multiple storage means;

a hopper means carried by said support frame means in additive-receiving relationship to said dispensing means, said hopper means including hopper discharge means for discharging additives therefrom;

a hopper flush means for introducing a stream of flush fluid into said hopper means;

a mixing vessel in additive-receiving relationship to said hopper means for receiving additive concentrates from said hopper means and liquid carrier from a remote source;

flow-inducing means for inducing a flow of liquid within said mixing vessel;

delivery means for delivering a slurry of liquid carrier and additive concentrates from said mixing vessel to a receiving station for mixing with a feed ration at a location remote from said mixing vessel;

weighing means on said support frame means, said weighing means including said hopper means, for weighing predetermined weights of said different additive concentrates dispensed into said hopper means by said dispensing means;

vessel flush means for introducing a flow of flush liquid into said mixing vessel for removing residues of additive concentrates therefrom upon removal of slurry from said mixing vessel by said delivery means;

and control means for;

(a) starting the operation of selected ones of said plural dispensing means to dispense selected additive concentrates from said storage means into said hopper means;

(b) stopping the operation of each said dispensing means when a predetermined weight of a selected additive concentrate has been dispensed by said dispensing means into said hopper means as determined by said weighing means;

(c) before operating said discharge means, filling the mixing vessel with a predetermined volume of liquid carrier;

(d) operating said discharge means after said selected concentrates have been weighed in said hopper means to discharge the contents of said hopper means into the liquid carrier within said mixing vessel;

(e) operating said hopper flush means upon discharge of additives from said hopper means to flush residues of additive concentrates from said hopper means into the liquid carrier within said mixing vessel;

(f) operating said flow inducing means to mix the additive concentrates and liquid carrier within the mixing vessel and form said slurry;

(g) after forming the slurry within said mixing vessel, operating the delivery means to discharge the slurry from the mixing vessel and deliver it to said receiving station; and

(h) during operation of said delivery means, operating said vessel flush means to flush additive concentrate residue from the mixing vessel and deliver the residue and flush liquid to the receiving station for delivery into a feed ration with the slurry.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein said support frame means includes a mounting frame and a separate weigh frame spaced from said mounting frame, said weighing means being supported by said weigh frame, said storage and dispensing means being supported by said mounting frame, said mixing vessel being spaced from said weigh frame.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said weigh frame and said mounting frame include elastomeric isolation pads mounting said frames to an underlying support surface.

54. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said weighing means includes said hopper means and a pair of load cells, one suspending each end of said hopper means from said weigh frame.

55. The apparatus of claim 54 including the first isolator means isolating each load cell from said hopper means and second isolator means isolating each load cell from said weigh frame.

56. The apparatus of claim 54 including means for rotating said hopper means between an upright additive-receiving position and an inverted additive-discharge position while said hopper means is suspended from said pair of load cells.

57. The apparatus of claim 54 including anti-sway means interconnecting said hopper means and said weigh frame to restrain said hopper means against movements in a plane normal to the plane of suspension of said hopper means.

58. The apparatus of claim 54 wherein said weigh frame includes isolation pads mounting said weigh frame to an underlying support surface.

59. The apparatus of claim 54 including panel enclosure means for shielding said weigh frame from ambient forces that might otherwise induce movement in said weigh frame, said panel enclosure means being connected to said mounting frame and spaced from said weigh frame.

60. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein said hopper means includes a weigh hopper partitioned into a plurality of separate additive-receiving compartments, said separate dispensing means being disposed to dispense into said different compartments.

61. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said hopper flush means includes means for introducing a stream of air into said separate compartments to flush said compartments of additive residues.

62. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein said hopper means includes a weigh hopper mounted for movement between an upright additive-receiving position for receiving additive concentrates from said dispensing means and an inverted additive-discharge position for discharging additive concentrates into said mixing vessel.

71. The method of claim 57 including

containing the liquid carrier within a mixing vessel;

weighing the predetermined amounts of at least some selected additives in weighing container means;

after all weighing is completed in the weighing container means, discharging all of the weighed amounts of said some selected additives simultaneously from the weighing container means into said liquid carrier within the mixing vessel;

after forming the slurry within the mixing vessel and while conveying the slurry to the receiving station, flushing the mixing vessel with a flush liquid that is the same material as the liquid carrier to flush additive residue from the mixing vessel;

and conveying the flush liquid with said residue from the mixing vessel to the receiving station for delivery into a feed ration with the slurry.

72. The method of claim 71 including flushing the weighing container means with fluid during discharge of the weighed amounts from the container means to flush residues of the weighed amounts of additives from the container means into the liquid carrier within the mixing vessel.

63. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

determining the predetermined weights of selected additives by the step of measuring the predetermined weights while isolating the measuring means from influences that would affect the measuring function so that accurate weight determinations are obtained.

64. The method of claim 63 including measuring the prredetermined weights within an accuracy of at least ±

one gram.

65. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

determining the predetermined weights by weighing at least some of the additive concentrates dispensed within a weighing container means, and after all of the some concentrates are weighed discharging them into the liquid carrier.

66. The method of claim 65 including flushing the container means with fluid during the discharge of additive concentrates from the container means into the liquid carrier to flush additive concentrate residue from the container means into the liquid carrier to inhibit cross-contamination of successive additive concentrate formulations.

67. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

determining the predetermined weights by the step of weighing at least all of the dry additives dispensed before dispensing any of the selected and weighed dry additives into the liquid carrier.

68. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

determining the predetermined weights by weighing at least some of the dispensed additives separately in a weighing means before dispensing them into the liquid carrier, and then discharging all of the some additives weighed in the weighing means simultaneously into the liquid carrier.

69. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

determining the predetermined weights in weighing means and isolating the weighing means from the dispensing means and from movements induced by ambient influences while performing the weighing function to enhance the accuracy of said function.

70. A method of dispensing and delivering formulations of microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration at a feedlot shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

weighing predetermined amounts of selected said additives, with no substantial intermixing of the selected additives during the weighing process;

discharging the weighed amounts of the selected additives into a predetermined volume of liquid carrier;

intermixing the liquid carrier and weighed amounts of selected additives to form a slurry; and

after the slurry is formed, conveying the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the weighed amounts of additive concentrates in suspension and dispersion until the slurry is delivered into a feed ration.

73. The method of claim 70 including discharging all of the different weighed additives simultaneously into the liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the different weighed additives before they enter the carrier.

74. An apparatus for measuring, dispensing, and delivering microingredient feed additive concentrates in small but accurate amounts in a liquid carrier slurry into a livestock or poultry feed ration shortly before the delivery of said feed ration to the animals for consumption, said apparatus comprising:

multiple storage means for storing separately a plurality of different microingredient feed additive concentrates;

multiple dispensing means for dispensing additives separately from said multiple storage means;

weighing means for determining the weights of selected additives dispensed by said dispensing means from said storage means;

a mixing vessel for receiving a liquid carrier and the dispensed and weighed additive concentrates;

flow-inducing means for inducing a flow of liquid carrier within said mixing vessel and thereby mixing said carrier with the dispensed additive concentrates to form a slurry;

delivery means for delivering said slurry from said mixing vessel to a remote slurry-receiving station for mixing with a feed ration; and

control means operable to;

(a) control separately the operation of said plural dispensing means in response to weight determinations of said weighing means to control the weight of additive concentrates dispensed;

(b) operate said flow-inducing means to cause a positive intermixing of the dispensed additive concentrates and the liquid carrier within said mixing vessel before discharge of liquid carrier from said vessel;

(c) operate said delivery means to deliver slurry to said receiving station after the slurry is formed in said mixing vessel by said flow-inducing means.

75. The apparatus of claim 74 wherein said weighing means includes a weigh hopper means for receiving additive concentrates dispensed by said dispensing means, said weigh hopper means including discharge means for discharging the weighed additive concentrates from said hopper means, and hopper flush means for flushing said hopper means of additive concentrate residue into said mixing vessel upon the discharge of additive concentrates from said hopper means.

76. The apparatus of claim 75 wherein said hopper flush means includes means for flushing said hopper means with a stream of air.

77. The apparatus of claim 75 including vessel flush means for flushing said mixing vessel with liquid, said vessel flush means being operable in conjunction with said delivery means such that flush liquid bearing additive residue is delivered from said mixing vessel to said receiving station by said delivery means for delivery into a feed ration with said slurry.

78. The apparatus of claim 74 wherein said control means is operable to operate said multiple dispensing means sequentially to deliver dispensed additive concentrates sequentially into said weigh hopper means and is further operable to weigh said dispensed additives sequentially and cumulatively in said weigh hopper means, said dispensing means being operable to dispense additives into said weigh hopper means with no substantial intermixing between different additives before discharge of said additives into said mixing vessel.

79. The apparatus according to claim 74 wherein said weighing means comprises a weigh hopper means and said multiple dispensing means and control means are operable to dispense the selected additives separately into said weigh hopper means with no substantial intermixing of said additives, said hopper means including means for discharging the weighed additives simultaneously from said hopper means into the liquid carrier within said mixing vessel with no substantial intermixing of said additives before they enter said liquid carrier, said flow-inducing means being operable to intermix said additives and liquid carrier within said mixing vessel to form a slurry before operation of said delivery means to deliver said slurry from said vessel.

80. The apparatus according to claim 74 including hopper flush means operable upon discharge of additives from said hopper means to flush additive residue from said hopper means into said mixing vessel, and vessel flush means operable upon discharge of slurry from said mixing vessel to flush the mixing vessel with liquid to carry additive residue from said mixing vessel to said receiving station.

81. The apparatus of claim 74 wherein said control means includes means for operating said flow-inducing means and said delivery means at the same time as said dispensing means and said weighing means such that a first batch of additive concentrate slurry can be mixed and delivered to a receiving station while a second batch of additive concentrates is dispensed and weighed prior to its deposit into said mixing vessel.

82. In an apparatus for measuring, dispensing, and delivering microingredient feed additive concentrates in small but accurate amounts into a livestock or poultry feed ration shortly before the delivery of said feed ration to the animals for consumption, said apparatus including a means for measuring the quantities of several different microingredients feed additive concentrates dispensed by weight, the improvement comprising:

a weigh frame,

a weigh hopper,

means for rotating said hopper from an upright position for receiving additive concentrates to be weighed to an inverted position for discharging concentrates from said hopper after weighing;

a pair of load cells one suspending each end of said weigh hopper from said weigh frame;

an isolator means isolating said load cells from said weigh frame and from said weigh hopper.

83. The apparatus of claim 82 wherein said weigh hopper is partitioned into separate additive concentrate receiving compartments such that different additive concentrates can be dispensed into the different compartments for maintaining segregation between the different additive concentrates during the weighing process.

84. The apparatus of claim 83 wherein said separate compartments include dry additive-receiving components and liquid additive-receiving compartments.

85. The apparatus of claim 82 including hopper flush means operable when said hopper is in said inverted position to flush said compartments with streams of air to remove additive concentrate residue from said compartments before said hopper returns to its upright position.

86. The apparatus of claim 82 including isolator means isolating said weigh frame from its underlying support surface.

87. The apparatus of claim 82 wherein said weigh frame is mounted within and spaced from a surrounding component mounting frame, and side and top panel means mounted to said component mounting frame shielding said weigh frame from ambient motion-inducing forces.

88. Apparatus according to claim 82 wherein said means for rotating includes electrically operated means associated with said weigh hopper and suspended with said weigh hopper from said pair of load cells.

89. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration;

the step of dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates including the weighing of multiple additive concentrates before dispensing the multiple weighed concentrates into the liquid carrier.

90. The method of claim 89 including weighing at least some of the additive concentrates to be dispensed sequentially and cumulatively in a common weighing container before dispensing them into the liquid carrier.

91. An apparatus for measuring, dispensing, and delivering microingredient feed additive concentrates in small but accurate proportions in a liquid carrier slurry into a livestock or poultry feed ration shortly before the delivery of said feed ration to the animals for consumption, said apparatus comprising:

a support frame means;

multiple storage means on said support frame means for storing separately a plurality of different microingredient feed additive concentrates;

a plurality of separate dispensing means on said support frame means, one for each said storage means, for dispensing separately and without intermingling additive concentrates from said multiple storage means;

hopper means, including multiple hopper container means, carried by said support frame means in additive-receiving relationship to said dispensing means, said hopper means including hopper discharge means for discharging additives from said multiple hopper container means;

a mixing vessel in additive-receiving relationship to said hopper means for receiving additive concentrates from said hopper container means and liquid carrier from a remote source;

flow-inducing means for inducing a flow of liquid carrier within said mixing vessel;

delivery means for delivering a slurry of liquid carrier and additive concentrates from said mixing vessel to a receiving station for mixing with a feed ration at a location remote from said mixing vessel;

weighing means on said support frame means for weighing predetermined weights of said different additive concentrates dispensed into said multiple hopper container means by said dispensing means;

vessel flush means for introducing a flow of flush liquid into said mixing vessel for removing residues of additive concentrates therefrom;

and control means for;

(a) starting the operation of selected ones of said plural dispensing means to dispense selected additive concentrates from said storage means into said hopper means;

(b) stopping the operation of a selected said dispensing means when a predetermined weight of a selected additive concentrate has been dispensed by said selected dispensing means into a said hopper container means as determined by said weighing means;

(c) operating said hopper discharge means to discharge the contents of a hopper container means after a selected concentrate has been weighed in said hopper container means to discharge the contents of the hopper container means into said mixing vessel;

(d) operating said flow inducing means to mix additive concentrates discharged from the hopper means and liquid carrier within the mixing vessel and form said slurry;

(e) operating the delivery means to discharge the slurry from the mixing vessel and deliver it to said receiving station; and

(f) during operation of said delivery means, operating said vessel flush means to flush additive concentrate residue from the mixing vessel and deliver the residue and flush liquid to the receiving station for delivery into a feed ration with the slurry.

92. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

determining the predetermined weights by weighing at least some of the selected additive concentrates dispensed within weighing container means, and after said some concentrates are weighed, discharging them into the liquid carrier.

93. A method of dispensing and delivering formulations of microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration at a feedlot shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

94. weighing predetermined amounts of selected said additives, with no substantial intermixing of the selected additives during the weighing process;

discharging the weighed amounts of the selected additives into a mixing vessel;

introducing a liquid carrier into the mixing vessel;

intermixing the liquid carrier and weighed amounts of selected additives in the mixing vessel to form a slurry within the mixing vessel; and

conveying the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the weighed amounts of additive concentrates in suspension and dispersion until the slurry is delivered into a feed ration.

95. A method of dispensing and delivering microingredient feed additives into a livestock feed ration shortly before delivering the feed ration to the livestock for consumption, comprising the steps:

storing separately multiple said additives in concentrate form;

dispensing predetermined weights of selected said additive concentrates into a liquid carrier with no substantial intermixing of the additive concentrates before they enter the liquid carrier;

intermixing the additive concentrates in the liquid carrier to dilute, disperse, and suspend them and form a liquid carrier-additive slurry;

directing the slurry to a receiving station while maintaining the suspension and dispersion of the additives until delivered into a feed ration; and

causing said intermixing to occur within a mixing vessel by positively intermixing the liquid carrier and additive concentrates within the mixing vessel before directing the slurry to the receiving station.