Abstract:
A particle flow enhancer for a bulk bin flex or rigid auger system having a boot and an unloader with a rotating shaft extending through the unloader. The particle flow enhancer including a frame, a drive axle and a striker arm. The frame is attached to the boot of the bulk bin auger system, preferably using some of the same holes used to attach the unloader to the boot. The drive axle is supported by the frame and is driven by the rotating shaft of the bulk bin auger system; the bulk bin auger system providing the power for the particle flow enhancer. The drive axle periodically actuates the striker arm which causes the striker arm to tap the boot of the bulk bin auger system and enhance the flow of particles.

Description:
This appln claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 60/087,269 filed May 29, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a device that is used to maintain a constant flow of particles through a conveyer system. In particular, the invention relates to a device that maintains the flow of feed, or similar substances, from a bulk storage bin downwardly through an attached boot and unloader for delivery to a flex or rigid auger system that transports the feed to a feed dispenser. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Bulk feed systems are routinely used in modern livestock and poultry production. In these operations, feed is a significant input cost and directly affects a producer&#39;s bottom line. Producers have begun to grind the feed particles into very small micron sizes to reduce the feed expense. Smaller sized feed particles enable the poultry or livestock to digest the feed better and more effectively utilize it for growth. Thus, the smaller the particle size, the better the feed conversion into pounds of meat, which lowers the cost of the feed input per pound of meat output. However, one drawback with the use of smaller particle sizes is the problem of feed in bulk bin systems becoming “hung up” or packed which reduces or stops the flow of feed. To break up the packed feed and regain flow, the producers have to manually pound on the bin and try to loosen and knock down compacted, finely ground particles into the bin&#39;s attached boot and unloader for delivery to the auger system. 
     Prior devices developed to alleviate this packing problem have many disadvantages. One major disadvantage of many of the prior devices is that they need an additional independent power supply to operate them. The additional power supply increases the purchase price and operating costs of the system, necessitates additional electrical wiring and supplies, and often requires professional installation. 
     Other disadvantages of prior systems are the size and placement of the units. Many devices on the market today mount on the inside of the bulk bin and totally replace the boot and unloader which the producer already has. This is not only wasteful, but it is very difficult and dangerous to work on systems mounted inside the bulk bin if the system needs to be repaired or replaced. 
     Another disadvantage of prior methods is the wear and tear on the bulk bin. Many devices either cause a constant vibration on the bin or have spinning chains and rods on the inside of the bin. Both of these methods cause wear not only on the parts in the devices but also on the bin itself. In addition, many of the devices on the market today do not achieve their desired results. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for a device that does not require a separate power supply; is simple, easy and inexpensive to install, operate and maintain; and does not cause excessive wear on the bulk feed bin. One object of the present invention is to provide such a device. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a particle flow enhancer is provided for a bulk storage bin having a flex or rigid auger system, having a boot, an unloader, and a rotating shaft extending through the unloader. The particle flow enhancer comprises a drive axle and a striker arm. The drive axle is attached to the bulk bin auger system and is driven by the rotation of the rotating shaft. The striker arm is actuated by the drive axle to periodically strike the boot. 
     One feature of the present invention is that it comprises a particle flow enhancer that maintains a constant flow of feed and other like substances from the bulk bin into the attached boot and unloader for delivery to a flex or rigid auger system, by providing a constant tapping on the bin&#39;s attached boot. 
     Another feature of the particle flow enhancer of the present invention is that it mounts on the outside of the boot of the bulk bin and can operate off the direct drive of the bin&#39;s auger system. This feature has two significant advantages. First, by mounting on the outside of the boot, the device is substantially easier to install, repair, and replace than flow enhancers that are mounted within the interior of the boot or bin. The second significant advantage is that by being driven off the bin&#39;s auger system, there is no need for additional drive means, (such as an additional motor) and no need for any additional power sources or wiring (e.g. electrical conduit) for providing power to the drive means. By obviating the need for a separate drive means and power sources, the device can be produced and operated less expensively. The particle flow enhancer provides a simple, mechanical way to automatically cause feed or other substances to flow from the bulk bin into the boot and unloader and be carried out by the auger system regardless to particle micron size. 
     Preferably, the particle flow enhancer attaches to a bulk bin flex or rigid auger system having a rotating shaft. The particle flow enhancer includes a drive axle attached to the bulk bin auger system which is driven by the rotation of the rotating shaft, and a striker arm that is actuated by the drive axle through a gearing and/or cam system to periodically strike the boot of the bulk bin auger system. The rotating shaft provides the power for the particle flow enhancer to ultimately actuate the striker arm, thereby causing it to strike the boot of the bin auger system. The striking of the boot of the bulk bin auger system by the striker arm enhances the flow of particles through the boot and bulk bin auger system. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective, partly broken away view of a typical livestock/poultry bulk bin auger feed system; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective, partly broken away view of a front view of a particle flow enhancer with the cover outlined and the driven sprocket and chain cut away; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective, partly broken away view of a cut-away side view of the particle flow enhancer along the line III—III of FIG. 2 with the striker arm outlined in an extended position; and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective, partly broken away view of the particle flow enhancer without the cover attached to the boot and unloader of the bulk bin, the driven sprocket and part of the U-shaped frame are shown transparent to better show the mechanism. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a particle flow enhancer  10  mounts on the exterior of a boot  12  of a bulk feed bin  14 . The bulk feed bin  14  stores grain that is periodically released to a flex or rigid auger system  16  for distribution to one or more feeders  18  from which livestock eat the feed. 
     A typical bulk feed bin includes a cylindrical upper portion  13  that is disposed above a generally frusto-conical lower funnel portion  15 . A conical roof  17  prevents moisture and rain from entering the interior of the feed bin  14 . Legs  19  that are anchored into a concrete pad  21  support the bulk feed bin  14  above the ground. The boot  12  is disposed below the lower funnel portion  15  and includes a downwardly opening aperture, out of which grain stored within the interior of the feed bin  14  can flow under the influence of gravity. The purpose of the bulk feed bin  14  is to store grain that is used to feed livestock housed within livestock barn  23 . 
     The auger system  16  includes an upstream boot unloader  20  having an upwardly opening aperture (not shown) that is matingly positioned in fluid communication with the downwardly opening aperture of the boot  12  of the feed bin  14 . The boot unloader  20  is coupled to the upstream end  27  of the feed pipe member  29  of the auger system  16 . A flexible, rotatable auger (not shown) is disposed within substantially the entire length of the feed pipe member  29 . Rotation of the rotatable auger within feed pipe member  29  moves grain longitudinally within the feed pipe member  29  from the boot unloader  20 , past the downwardly extending feeder delivery tubes  31   a ,  31   b  to the downstream end (not shown) of the feed pipe member  29 . During the passage of the grain through the feed pipe member  29 , a portion of the grain falls into the delivery tubes  31   a ,  31   b , and into feeder  18 . The feeder  18  contains food delivery troughs  33 , out of which the animals can eat the feed. 
     The particle flow enhancer  10  in FIG. 1 is shown with a cover  11 . The cover  11  can be made of plastic and is designed to cover five of the six sides of the flow enhancer  10 , with the sixth side being open. The sixth side is open as the side of the flow enhancer  10  that is attached to the surface of the boot  12  needs no cover. Also, by keeping the sixth side open, the cover  11  can be slid easily over the drive and striker mechanism of the particle flow enhancer  10 . This arrangement of cover  11  facilitates installation of the flow enhancer  10 , and permits the cover  11  to be removed easily if and when repairs must be made on the internal drive mechanism or striker of the particle flow enhancer  10 . Screws (not shown) can be provided for extending through the cover  11  and securing it to the remainder of the particle flow enhancer  10 . The cover  11  preferably encloses the sides and front of the particle flow enhancer  10  as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2 to encase the particle flow enhancer  10  within a weather resistant housing. 
     FIG. 4 shows the particle flow enhancer  10  attached to an exterior surface  35  of the boot  12  of the bulk feed bin  14  with the cover  11  removed. The boot  12  includes a boot unloader  20  which has an upwardly open aperture that is matable with the downwardly open aperture of the boot to place the boot  12  and boot unloader  20  in fluid communication with each other. The auger system  16  picks up the feed dropped into the unloader  20  from the feed bin  14  and the boot  12 . The particle flow enhancer  10  includes a frame assembly  22  (to which the cover  11  is mounted), a drive assembly  24  and a striker assembly  26 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame assembly  22  of the particle flow enhancer  10  includes a generally rectangular base plate  30  and an attached U-shaped frame  32 . The baseplate  30  is attached to the exterior of the boot  12  by upper bolts  34  and lower bolts  36  which pass through apertures (not shown) that extend through the base plate  30 . The lower bolts  36  are preferably positioned such that they can be attached using the preexisting holes through which the boot unloader  20  is attached to the boot  12 . The baseplate  30  has an opening  38  formed therein for receiving striker head  56 . The U-shaped frame  32  has a first end plate  40 , a second end plate  42  and a transverse base  44  that extends between the first and second end plates  42 ,  44 . The base plate  30  and U-shaped frame  32  are preferably made of 3/16″ thick low carbon steel. 
     The striker assembly  26  includes an upper shaft  46  to which a striker arm  52  and a trip lever  54  are attached. The upper shaft  46  extends transversely between the first end plate  40  and the second end plate  42  of the U-shaped frame  32 . The upper shaft  46  is rotatably coupled to each of the first and second end plates  40 ,  42  of the U-shaped frame  32  by a bearing  48  which allows the upper shaft  46  to pivot about an upper transverse axis  50 . A striker head  56  is attached to the distal end of the striker arm  52  such that the striker head  56  is aligned with and insertable through the opening  38  of the baseplate  30 . The striker head  56  is preferably made of Neoprene or a similar material which will not damage the boot  12  from repeated striking. A pair of springs  58  are attached to the trip lever  54  and the base  44  of the U-shaped frame  32  to bias, the upper shaft  46  such that the striker head  56  is biased towards the opening  38  of the baseplate  30  (position A of FIG.  3 ), to cause the striker head  56  to contact the surface  35  of the boot  12 . 
     The drive assembly  24  includes a lower shaft  60 , a driven sprocket  62  having a tripper  68 , a driving sprocket  64  and a chain  66  connecting the driving sprocket  64  to the driven sprocket  62 . The lower shaft  60  extends perpendicular to the baseplate  30  through a pair of bearings  72  that are mounted on the transverse base  44  of the U-shaped frame  32 . The driven sprocket  62  is fixedly attached to the end of the lower shaft  60  furthest from the base plate  30  for rotation with shaft  60 . The bearings  72  allow the lower shaft  60  and driven sprocket  62  to rotate together about a lower axis  74 . The tripper  68  comprises a generally cylindrical rubber sleeve that is fixedly attached to the driven sprocket  62  by a bolt  70  such that, as the driven sprocket  62  rotates, the tripper  68  orbits about the lower axis  74  of the driven sprocket  62 , and, once each orbit, contacts, depresses and releases the trip lever  54  attached to the upper shaft  46 . The driving sprocket  64  is attached to a shaft end  76  of the auger system  16  that extends out the back of the unloader  20 . During operation of the auger system  16 , the shaft end  76  rotates about an auger axis  78  which is substantially parallel to the lower axis  74 . The driven sprocket  62  and the driving sprocket  64  are positioned in a common plane and connected by the chain  66 . A size  40  chain has been found to work well in this application. 
     When the auger system  16  is activated, the shaft end  76  of the auger system  16  rotates about the auger axis  78 . The rotation of the shaft end  76  turns the driving sprocket  64  which, through the chain  66 , drives the driven sprocket  62  to rotate about the lower axis  74 . As the driven sprocket  62  rotates, the tripper  68  contacts and depresses the distal end of the trip lever  54  attached to the upper shaft  46  once each rotation of the driven sprocket  62 . 
     Depressing the disial end of the trip lever  54  causes the upper shaft  46  to rotate counterclockwise, from the perspective of FIG. 3, about the upper axis  50 . The counter-clockwise rotation of the upper shaft  46  extends the springs  58  and pulls the striker arm  52  and striker head  56  away from the baseplate  30 ; from position A to position B shown in FIG.  3 . In doing so, the striker head  56  moves out of contact with the outer surface  35  of the boot  12 . 
     As the driven sprocket  62  continues to rotate, the tripper  68  slides off and releases the trip lever  54  which then allows the extended springs  58  to compressively return to their retracted, relaxed position. The return movement of the springs  58  causes the upper shaft  46  to rotate clockwise, from the perspective of FIG. 3, about the upper axis  50 . The clockwise rotation of the upper shaft  46  moves the striker arm  52  and striker head  56  towards the baseplate  30  (from position B to position A shown in FIG. 3) and causes the striker head  56  to strike the exterior surface  35  of the boot  12  through the opening  38  in the baseplate  30 . 
     The shaft end  76 , and thus the driving sprocket  64 , will normally operate at 358 rotations per minute, which is an industry standard. Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 2-4, the driven sprocket  62  has a larger diameter to decrease the rotation speed of the driven sprocket  62  and the frequency at which the striker head  56  strikes the exterior surface  35  of the boot  12  of the bulk feed bin  14 . Preferably, the driven sprocket  62  is sized to rotate at about one-third of the speed of the driving sprocket  64 , to achieve a rotation speed of the driven sprocket  62  of approximately 120 rotations per minute which rotation speed has been found to work well. At this speed, the striker head  56  on the striker arm  52  taps the exterior surface  35  of the boot  12  approximately 2 times per second. The tapping will continue while the auger system operates and causes the driving sprocket  64  to rotate. 
     The particle flow enhancer  10  is designed to mount on industry standard boots  12  as shown in FIG.  4 . The lower bolts  36  preferably line up directly with the bin manufacturer&#39;s bolts attaching the boot  12  to the unloader  20  as shown in FIG.  4 . Holes are drilled into the boot  12  of the bin  14  for attachment of the upper bolts  34 . 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is understood that changes in structure, materials, sizes, and shapes can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims attached hereto.