Method and apparatus for dosing the components of a mixed fodder for feeding cattle

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for dosing the components of a mixed fodder for feeding cattle. The straw feed is delivered onto a horizontal conveyor (6) for weighing its amount thereon. The flour is metered by means of metering mechanisms (7, M1-M4) controlled by a calculator (8a), which dose amounts of flour proportioned as desired to the amount of straw feed directly within the straw feed concurrently with the weighing thereof. The weighing result of a weighed component is reduced in real time on the basis of dosages received from the calculator (8a).

The present invention relates to a method for dosing the components of a 
mixed fodder for feeding cattle or livestock, said method comprising the 
dosing of precisely measured components onto a horizontal conveyor for 
supplying the livestock with the mixed fodder constituted by the 
components. 
The invention relates also to an apparatus for dosing the components of a 
mixed fodder for feeding cattle, said apparatus comprising a coarse feed 
container, a plurality of concentrated fodder containers, a horizontal 
conveyor, means for supplying the coarse feed onto the horizontal 
conveyor, and means for supplying the concentrated fodders onto the 
horizontal conveyor, as well as a data processing unit for receiving the 
weighing data from a weighing sensor in the horizontal conveyor and for 
controlling the operation of said supply means. 
Mixed fodder feeding, wherein concentrated fodders and coarse feed are 
mixed with each other, is rapidly gaining popularity. For example, on 
large cattle farms in the U.S.A., sizable mixer wagons are used for mixing 
a variety of feed compositions. The compositions are distributed from a 
mixer wagon directly to the animals. The animals are grouped in several 
separate feeding groups and each group is supplied with a feed composition 
required by a given production phase. These farms handle several hundred 
cows and, thus, it is possible to prepare large amounts of various 
mixtures. There are also many smaller farms in Europe and in the Nordic 
countries, whereby it is practical to blend large amounts of various 
mixtures. 
The prior known mixer wagons are provided with conveyor scales for weighing 
each component separately, which requires a separate mixing of the 
components. 
An object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus, capable 
of preparing an individual feed mixture for each individual animal. 
Hence, the invention is based on the principle that a single component is 
weighed and the others are individually dosed under the control of a 
calculator in a mixed condition to the same destination and concurrently 
with the feed being weighed. Thus, the components blend with each other 
during the course of dosing, and a separate mixing is not necessarily 
needed. If desired, it is possible to employ an extra mixing, the need for 
which is nevertheless substantially reduced as compared to traditional 
mixed-feed metering mechanisms, in which a separate mixing step is 
necessary for separately supplied and separately weighed components. 
The operation of a method and an apparatus of the invention is also more 
expeditious, since there is no need for a separate and hence successive 
weighing of successive components.

The apparatus constitutes a mixer wagon, which is movable along a rail 1 
and supported by carrier trolleys 2 (FIG. 1). Optionally, the mixer wagon 
can be movable on wheels along a floor. The apparatus as shown includes a 
coarse feed container 3 and four units of concentrated fodder containers 4 
(FIG. 2). Subsequently, the term used for concentrated fodders is "flour". 
The coarse feed may comprise fresh feed, straw feed, pre-mixed feed 
composition, or the like, the dosage of which necessitates weighing on the 
scales. The coarse feed container 3 and the flour containers 4 are located 
on the opposite sides of a horizontal conveyor 6. The coarse feed is 
delivered from the container 3 by means of a conveyor 5, which is driven 
by a motor M5. The horizontal conveyor 6 is provided with a weighing 
sensor P1 for measuring the weight of the supplied amount of coarse feed, 
which is supplied to a control unit 8. When a desired weight of coarse 
feed has been dosed, the control unit 8 stops the conveyor 5. 
The floor of each flour container 4 is provided with a metering screw 7, 
which are driven by motors M1-M4 controlled by calculators 8a (FIG. 2) of 
the data processing and control unit 8. The amounts of flour dosed from 
each container 4 are delivered on the basis of the turning time or number 
of turns of the metering screws 7. The metering mechanisms are connected 
to input a calibration dose from each container 4 onto the conveyor 6 by 
informing the control unit 8 of the turning time or number of turns 
corresponding to the weight of the calibration dose. Thus, after this 
calibration, the accurate weight-based dosage of components from the 
containers 4 is input to control unit 8 without requiring any weighing 
procedure. 
While the conveyor 5 is in operation, i.e. concurrently with the weighing 
process of the amount of coarse feed supplied onto the conveyor 6, the 
metering screws 7 dose desired amounts of flour proportioned as desired to 
the amount of coarse feed directly within the coarse feed. The coarse feed 
weighing decreased in real time on the basis of flour dosages obtained 
from the calculator 8a. In other words, the coarse feed weighing is 
corrected by subtracting from the weighed amount of all components the 
amounts of concentrated flour as the latter dosages are arriving on the 
scales. This enables the expeditious preparation of an individual feed 
mixture for every animal. The data processing and control unit 8 is 
pre-set for amount appropriate for each animal. The motor M5 drives the 
horizontal conveyor 6, which unloads the metered fodders alongside the 
dosage and mixer wagon in front of the animal. 
Hence, the flour metering screws 7 may all function concurrently, which 
speeds up the operation of the apparatus. The term "flour" used in the 
above specification refers to all types of concentrated fodders, thus, not 
only to actual flour but also to various processed feeds and minerals and 
the like floured, granular, or flaked feeds to be dosed by means of spiral 
feeders.