Combined hay processor and feed mixer

Abstract: A hay feed wall (46) extends longitudinally of the mixer chamber with its lower edge closely adjacent to a chopper auger (32). A control wall (48) extends laterally from a chamber side wall over the chopper auger (32) to the feed wall (46) to cause hay bales to be channeled into the chopper auger (32) whereupon the hay is chopped by the knives (40) on the outer peripheral edge of the auger flighting. The hay is then augered out of the chopping chamber into the mixing chamber where it is acted upon by a lower mixing auger and a rotor (24) in the main chamber (26). The lower corner (80) of the feed wall (46) engages the lower portion (66) of the control wall (48) to pivot the control wall (48) to a substantially vertical position as the feed wall (46) is pivoted to that position by operation of a cable (84) connected to a winch (82).

Description: Very successful mixers for fluent and non-fluent material are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos.4,506,990, 4,597,672 and 4,756,626. EP-A-0,298,548 relates to an apparatus for the mixing or loosening up and the dosed delivery of loose or lightly cohesive material such as fodder. The mixers of these U.S. patents include a rotor in a main mixing chamber next to vertically stacked augers in an auxiliary side chamber. The material is moved from one end of the auxiliary chamber to the other in opposite directions and is continuously cycled from the main chamber into the auxiliary chamber. The mixing action is more extensively described in these patents. The mixers of these U.S. patents will mix fluent material with non fluent hay material which is more difficult to mix as it is necessary that the hay be left in the mixer for extended periods of time until it has been sufficiently chopped or shredded. It is often desirable to put hay bales of varying sizes into the mixer for mixing with the fluent materials. What is needed is a faster, more effective way of chopping or processing the baled hay for mixing with the fluent materials. According to the present invention there is provided a combined hay processor and feed mixer apparatus comprising: a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber, said auxiliary chamber having upper and lower zones, opposite end walls, a side wall, a bottom wall and an open top; and mixing means in the lower zone of said auxiliary chamber; a longitudinally extending hay chopper auger is provided in the upper zone of said auxiliary chamber; and a hay feed system having upper and lower portions is provided with said lower portion in the upper zone of said auxiliary chamber above said hay chopper auger for channelling hay into said hay chopper auger. Preferably said hay feed system includes a feed wall having upper and lower portions with said lower portion extending longitudinally of and substantially vertically in and above said auxiliary chamber and is positioned in spaced relationship to said side wall of said auxiliary chamber. In such case, said feed wall preferably has a lower longitudinal edge positioned closely adjacent to said hay chopper auger along the length of said feed wall. Moreover, said hay chopper auger is preferably positioned adjacent said side wall, and said feed wall is preferably positioned on the opposite side of said hay chopper auger from said one side wall. Further preferably, said feed wall is disposed at an angle to a vertical longitudinally extending plane and extends downwardly towards said hay chopper auger and said side wall. In an embodiment of an invention, said combined hay processor and feed mixer apparatus further includes a substantially vertically positioned flow control wall which extends between said feed wall and said side wall of said chamber and adjacent said hay chopper auger to limit longitudinal flow of hay over said hay chopper auger. In such arrangement, said feed wall is preferably pivotal between an upstanding position when extending substantially vertical and a horizontal lowered position over said open top. In a further embodiment, cooperating means are provided on both said feed wall and said flow control wall to pivot each two said substantially vertical position together. In such case, said cooperating means is preferably defined as being a lower end corner of said feed wall adjacent said flow control wall engaging said flow wall during pivotal movement from said horizontal position to said substantially vertical position. The hay feed system preferably comprises a support frame having a longitudinal frame member and a transverse frame member, said feed wall being mounted on said longitudinal frame member and said control wall being mounted on said transverse frame member. In a preferred embodiment, a rotor is provided in said main chamber and feed having entered and passed through said auxiliary chamber may flow into said lower zone in said auxiliary chamber for mixing by said mixing means or into said main chamber for mixing by said rotor. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mixer which includes the hay feed system attachment of this invention. Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2 - 2 in Figure 3. Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the hay feed system attachment. Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the feed wall and control wall in lowered positions. Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view as indicated by the line 6 - 6 in Figure 4. Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7 - 7 in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken along line 8 - 8 in Figure 3. Figure 9 is a rear end elevational view of the mixer. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A mixer 10 is shown in Figure 1 which includes the hay feed system attachment 12 of this invention. The mixer 10 includes opposite end walls 14 and 16, opposite side walls 18 and 20 and a bottom wall 22. A rotor 24 is positioned in a main chamber 26 and includes rotor arms 28 which have rotor bars 30 extending therebetween. A chopping and mixing auger 32 is positioned in an auxiliary chamber 34 above a lower mixing auger 36. The chopper auger 32 includes flighting 38 having spaced apart sickle knives 40 on the outer edge with a spacing of one or more knives for each 360°. Paddles 42 are provided on the shaft 44 of the chopper auger 32 as seen in Figure 3 for stirring the material and distributing it throughout the mixing chambers 26 and 34. The hay feed system attachment 12 includes a feed wall 46 extending longitudinally of the mixer 10 and a control wall 48 extending laterally of the auxiliary chamber 34 to define in cooperation with the side wall 18 a hay chopping chamber 50 as seen in Figure 3. The hay chopping chamber 50 is in the upper region of the auxiliary chamber 34 where the chopper auger 32 is positioned. The feed wall 46 is mounted on a pivot shaft frame member 52 extending between the opposite end walls 14 and 16 of the mixer 10. A mounting end plate 54 secures the pivot shaft 52 to the end wall 16 as does a mounting plate 56 connects the opposite end to the end wall 14. A second longitudinal frame member 58 extends between the mounting end plate 54 and a support plate 60 through which the pivot shaft 52 extends as seen in Figure 4. The support plate 60 is connected to a transversely extending frame member 62 extending between the mixer side walls 18 and 20. The control wall 48 is pivotally mounted on the frame member 62 and includes an upper portion 64 and a lower portion 66 which includes an concave downwardly edge 68 to conform to the convex shape of the chopper auger 32. The lower edge 70 of the feed wall 46 is also positioned closely adjacent to the periphery of the chopper auger 32 to assure that hay bales 72 are fed through the chopper auger 32 before the hay reaches the lower mixing auger 36 or rotor 24. A stop 74 is provided on the mounting end plate 54 and a stop 76 is provided on the support plate 60 to limit pivotal movement of the feed wall 46 beyond the upstanding position illustrated in the drawings. It is seen, however, that the feed wall 46 extends downwardly and laterally towards the side wall 18 and the chopper auger 32. A stop plate 78 extends laterally outwardly from the support plate 60 to limit pivotal movement of the control wall 48 beyond the substantially vertical position as shown in Figure 6. Cooperation between the pivotal movement of the feed wall 46 and the control wall 48 results from the lower corner of the feed wall 46 adjacent the control wall 48 engaging the lower portion 66 of the control wall 48 when the feed wall 46 and control wall 48 are both in their horizontal positions as seen in Figure 5. Pivotal movement to a raised position of the feed wall 46 thus causes the control wall 48 to also pivot to its substantially vertical position. A block 80 is mounted on the lower corner of the feed wall 46 and provides the contact with the lower portion 66 of the control wall 48 as seen in Figure 6. Operation of the pivoting of the feed wall 46 and control wall 48 is through use of a winch 82 as seen in Figure 9 connected through a cable 84 routed over a guide pulley 86 and thence to a pivot arm 88 mounted on the pivot shaft 52 connected to the feed wall 46. When tension is placed on the cable 84 the feed wall 46 is pivoted to its substantially vertical position as seen in Figure 9. When the cable 84 is released, the balance of the feed wall 46 is such that gravity will return it to its horizontal position of Figure 5. The same is true with the control wall 48 which is raised to its substantially vertical position by pressure of the block 80 against the lower portion 66 of the control wall 48. A hydraulic cylinder can be substituted for the cable system, or the fee wall 46 and the control wall 48 may be constructed in a fixed vertical position. The desired amount of chopping action on the hay bales 72 when in the hay chopping chamber 50 is determined by the speed of the chopper auger 32, the number of sickle knives used on each 360° rotation of the auger, the pitch of the flighting 38 which effects the length of time the hay is in the hay chopping chamber 50, and the diameter of the tubing on which the auger flightings are mounted. A pair of control arms 90 are removably mounted on the top edge of the side wall 18 and extend over the chopper auger 32 to restrict movement of the hay by the chopper auger 32. The control wall 48 restricts flow of hay over the top of the chopper auger 32. Once the hay has been chopped into small enough pieces to pass through the chopper auger or under the control wall 48, it is acted upon the by paddles 42 as seen in Figure 3 whereupon it is distributed downwardly to the mixing auger 36 and laterally into the main chamber 26 for further mixing action by the rotor 24.

Claims: A combined hay processor and feed mixer apparatus comprising: a main chamber (26) and an auxiliary chamber (34) having opposite end walls (14, 16), a side wall (18), a bottom wall (22) and an open top;, said auxiliary chamber (34) having upper and lower zones and mixing means (36) in the lower zone of said auxiliary chamber (34); a longitudinally extending hay chopper auger (32) is provided in the upper zone of said auxiliary chamber (34); and a hay feed system (12) having upper and lower portions (64, 66) is provided with said lower portion (64) in the upper zone of said auxiliary chamber (34) above said hay chopper auger (32) for channeling hay into said hay chopper auger (32). An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said hay feed system (12) includes a feed wall (46) having upper and lower portions with said lower portion extending longitudinally of and substantially vertically in and above said auxiliary chamber (34) and is positioned in spaced relationship to said side wall (18) of said auxiliary chamber (34). An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said feed wall (46) has a lower longitudinal edge positioned closely adjacent to said hay chopper auger (32) along the length of said feed wall (46). An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said hay chopper auger (32) is positioned adjacent said side wall (18) and said feed wall (46) is positioned on the opposite side of said hay chopper auger (32) from said one side wall (18). An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said feed wall (46) is disposed at an angle to a vertical longitudinally extending plane and extends downwardly towards said hay chopper auger (32) and said side wall (18). An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3, 4, or 5, further including a substantially vertically positioned flow control wall (48) which extends between said feed wall (46) and said side wall (18) of said chamber (10) and adjacent to said hay chopper auger (32) to limit longitudinal flow of hay over said hay chopper auger (32). An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said feed wall (46) is pivotal between an upstanding position when extending substantially vertically and a horizontal lowered position over said open top. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further including cooperating means provided on both said feed wall (46) and said flow control wall (48) to pivot each to said substantially vertical position together. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said cooperating means is defined as being a lower end corner (80) of said feed wall (46) adjacent said flow control wall (48) engaging said flow control wall (48) during pivotal movement from said horizontal position to said substantially vertical position. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterized in that said hay feed system comprises a support frame having a longitudinal frame member (52) and a transverse frame member (62), said feed wall (46) being mounted on said longitudinal frame member (52) and said control wall (48) being mounted on said transverse frame member (62). An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterized in that a rotor (24) is provided in said main chamber (26) and feed having entered and passed through said auxiliary chamber (34) may flow into said lower zone of said auxiliary chamber (34) for mixing by said mixing means (36) or into said main chamber (26) for mixing by said rotor (24).

Inventors: NEIER BENJAMIN R, NEIER, BENJAMIN R.
Applicants: ROTO MIX ENTERPRISES LTD, ROTO-MIX ENTERPRISES, LTD.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B01F7
IPC codes: B02C18, B01F13, B01F15, B01F7, B02C19, A23N17, A01K5