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

Abstract: 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).

Description: 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, means for supplying the concentrated fodders onto the horizontal conveyor, a weighing sensor in the horizontal conveyor for giving weighing data of the fodder components on the conveyor and a data processing unit for receiving the weighing data from the weighing sensor and for controlling the operation of said supply means, the supply means for concentrated fodders being metering mechanisms controlled by a calculator, which dose amounts of concentrated fodder proportioned as desired to the amount of a weighed component directly within the weighed component, 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 USA, 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 plenty of smaller farms in Europe and in the Nordic countries, whereby it is not possible to blend large amounts of various mixtures. The prior known mixer wagons are provided with a conveyor scales for weighing each component separately, which requires a separate mixing of the components. This kind of prior known method and apparatus is disclosed in US-A-4,981,107 which has a data processing unit for operating the supply means of different fodder components in a consecutive manner, i.e. each component is individually weighed. An object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus, capable of preparing an individual feed mixture for each individual animal with increased operational speed. This object is achieved with a method of the invention, whose characterizing features are set forth in the appended claim 1. The characterizing features for an apparatus of the invention are set forth in the appended claim 6. The non-independent claims disclose preferred embodiments of the invention. Hence, the invention is based on the insight that a single component is weighed and the others are 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 unavoidable 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 the components. One exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference made to the accompanying drawing, in which fig. 1 shows schematically in a side view an apparatus for implementing a method of the invention, and fig. 2 shows the same apparatus schematically in a plan view. The apparatus constitutes a mixer wagon, which is movable along a rail 1 and supported by carrier trolleys 2. Optionally, the mixer wagon can also be movable on wheels along a floor. The apparatus includes a coarse feed container 3 and four units of concentrated fodder containers 4. Subsequently, the term used for concentrated fodders is "flour". The coarse feed may be constituted by 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 of the data processing and control unit 8. The amounts of flour dosed from each container 4 are determined on the basis of the turning time or number of turns of the metering screws 7. The metering mechanisms are calibrated beforehand by delivering a calibration dose from each container 4 onto the conveyor 6 and by informing the control unit 8 about 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 possible without a weighing procedure. As 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 amounts of flour proportioned as desired to the amount of coarse feed directly within the coarse feed. The coarse feed weighing result is reduced in real time on the basis of flour dosages obtained from the calculator 8a. In other words, the coarse feed weighing result can be corrected by subtracting from the weighing result of all components the amounts of concentrated fodder as the latter 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 set for conditions 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.

Claims: A method for dosing the components of a mixed fodder for feeding cattle, said method comprising the dosing of precisely measured components onto a horizontal conveyor (6) for supplying the livestock with the mixed fodder constituted by the components, characterized in that a single component is dosed by weighing on the horizontal conveyor (6), and other components are metered concurrently, without weighing onto the horizontal conveyor (6), by means of metering mechanisms (7) controlled by a calculator (8a) to mix with said weighed component, and that the weighing result of the weighed component is reduced in real time on the basis of the supply rates of other components reported by the calculator (8a). A method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the program controlling the metering mechanisms (7) for the components is used for preparing an individual feed composition for each animal. A method as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the metering mechanisms comprise metering screws (7), the amounts of components metered thereby being determined on the basis of the turning time or number of turns. A method as set forth in any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the metering mechanisms (7) are calibrated by delivering a calibration dose onto the horizontal conveyor (6) and by informing a control unit (8) about the turning time or number of turns corresponding to the weight of said calibration dose. A method as set forth in any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the component to be weighed on the horizontal conveyor (6) and the components to be dosed with the metering mechanisms (7) are delivered onto the horizontal conveyor (6) from the opposite sides thereof to a substantially common location. An apparatus for dosing the components of a mixed fodder for feeding cattle, said apparatus comprising a coarse feed container (3), a plurality of concentrated fodder containers (4), a horizontal conveyor (6), means (5, M5) for supplying the coarse feed onto the horizontal conveyor, means (7, M1-M4) for supplying the concentrated fodders onto the horizontal conveyor (6), a weighing sensor (P1) in the horizontal conveyor for giving weighing data of the fodder components on the conveyor (6) and a data processing unit (8) for receiving the weighing data from the weighing sensor (P1) and for controlling the operation of said supply means (5, M5; 7, M1-M4), the supply means (7, M1-M4) for concentrated fodders being metering mechanisms controlled by a calculator (8a), which dose amounts of concentrated fodder proportioned as desired to the amount of a weighed component directly within the weighed component, characterized in that the calculator (8a) is adopted to control the metering mechanisms (7, M1-M4) so as to dose the amounts of concentrated fodder to the amount of a weighed component concurrently with the weighing thereof, and that the data processing unit (8) is adapted to reduce the weighing result of the weighed component on the basis of the supply rates of concentrated fodders reported by the calculator (8a). An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the supply means (5, M5) for coarse feed and the supply means (7, M1-M4) for concentrated fodders are located on the opposite sides of the horizontal conveyor (6) and are controlled to supply various components to a substantially common location simultaneously. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the supply means for concentrated fodders include metering screws (7), the turning time or number of turns thereof being a basis for determining the dosages of concentrated fodders and the weights corresponding thereto, the latter being subtracted in real time by the data processing unit (8) from the weighing result of the weighed component.

Inventors: OJANIEMI JUHA, OJANIEMI, JUHA
Applicants: PELLONPAJA OY
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A01K5
IPC codes: A23K1, A01K5