Patent ID: 9420759
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: A01K

Claim Text:
1. A device for mixing and dispensing animal feed and material excluding silage, said device having a length and a height, comprising: a left mixer having a plurality of paddles in a first arrangement; a right mixer having a plurality of paddles in a second arrangement; said left mixer and said right mixer counter rotating; said left mixer having a cylindrical shaft, a plurality of paddles upon said shaft, said shaft having two opposite ends and a sprocket upon one end of said shaft, and each of said paddles at an angle to said shaft from about 15° to about 75° wherein said first arrangement and said second arrangement allow the paddles to pass freely; said right mixer having a cylindrical shaft, a plurality of paddles upon said shaft, said shaft having two opposite ends and a sprocket upon one end of said shaft, and each of said paddles at an angle to said shaft from about 15° to about 75° wherein said first arrangement and said second arrangement allow the paddles to pass freely; a screw conveyor having a cylindrical shaft, helical flights upon said shaft, said shaft having two opposite ends, and a sprocket upon one end of said shaft, the shafts of said left mixer and said right mixer being generally parallel and spaced above the shaft of said screw conveyor; a flexible elongated member engaging said sprocket of said at least one mixer and said sprocket of said screw conveyor; a motor driving said flexible elongated member wherein said at least one mixer and said screw conveyor mix the animal feed in opposite directions; an outlet outwardly from the other end of said shaft of said conveyor and opposite said sprocket, wherein said screw conveyor dispenses feed of a desired blend through said outlet for consumption by animals; a hopper, generally elongated and prismatic, having a left side panel, a mutually parallel and spaced apart right side panel, a front panel perpendicular to said left side panel and a mutually parallel and spaced apart back panel, a bottom depending from said left side panel and said right side panel; said outlet locating upon said back panel; said sprocket of said left mixer, said sprocket of said right mixer, and said sprocket of said screw conveyor locating upon said front panel; said front panel having a width, two mutually parallel and spaced apart shelves thereon extending from said front panel, said shelves extending parallel to the width of said front panel and above said left sprocket and said right sprocket, and a post upon said front panel extending perpendicular and downwardly from the lower of the two said shelves; a first idler pulley, a second idler pulley, a third idler pulley, and an idler arm, each locating proximate said front panel; said first idler pulley locating between said shelves, above said left sprocket, outwardly from a center of said left sprocket, and proximate said left side panel; an idler arm having a free end and an opposite pivoting end, said post terminating proximate said pivoting end, said second idler pulley locating upon said free end, and said third idler pulley locating upon said pivoting end, said second idler pulley operatively locating beneath said left sprocket, and said third idler pulley operatively locating above said screw conveyor's sprocket; said flexible elongated member being a continuous chain, said chain travelling from beneath said first idler pulley in a direction of said post partially around said left sprocket to said second idler pulley in a direction away from said post then around said second idler pulley to said third idler pulley at said post then around said second third pulley in a direction of beneath said post to said screw conveyor's sprocket then around said screw conveyor's sprocket in a direction of said right sprocket partially around said right sprocket then across said shelves to said first idler pulley, said idler arm maintaining said chain taught; said motor operatively connecting to said chain making said left mixer and said right mixer counter rotate and said screw conveyor rotate simultaneously.