Patent GB-1067531-A (GB)
Title: Automatic unloading conveyor assembly
IPC: A01K5/02
Filed: 1966-01-12
Abstract: 1,067,531. Animal feeding appliances. W. C. REDDEN. Jan. 12, 1966, No. 1446/66. Headings A1M. [Also in Division B8] Livestock feed is conveyed by a shoot 14 into trays 52 which are maintained in a horizontal position in the vicinity of the shoot 14 but are arranged to pivot to a vertical position when they are carried by the conveyer to a position above a feed trough 12. Each tray 52 is pivotally connected to an endless chain 46 by pivots 56 at its rear end (Figs. 4 and 5, not shown). Certain of the trays carry a projection 62 which is adapted to engage a frame member 50 and retain the associated tray in a horizontal position until the pin 62 reaches the end of the member 50 at a position 66. Each tray 52 which has a projection 62 is a master tray and a predetermined number of plain trays 52 are disposed between each successive pair of master trays 52. When the master tray is maintained horizontal by engagement of its pin 62 with the frame member 50, the following plain tray 52 is also maintained horizontal by virtue of its leading edge resting on the trailing edge of the master tray (Fig. 4, not shown). Similarly the next succeeding plain tray 52 rests with its leading edge on the trailing edge of the foremost plain tray and so on. Thus when the master tray comes to the end of the frame member 50, 66, and thereby dumps its material in the trough 12, all the succeeding plain trays similarly fall into dumping position. In a modification (Figs. 6 and 7, not shown), all the trays are master trays, and prior to the part of the conveyer above the trough 12, they are maintained horizontal by a guide rail 68. A further guide rail 70 at a higher level than the rail 68, extends along the conveyer for a distance corresponding to the number of trays 52 which it is intended subsequently to dump over a trough 12. At the end of the rails 70 which is at a position near the beginning of the trough 12, there is a gap which is closable by a solenoid operated rail section 86, the rail 70 then continuing as indicated at 72. A similar solenoid operated rail section 78 can be moved to connect the rails 68 and the rail 70. In operation, the leading tray of a series of trays which it is intended to place in dumping position over the trough 12 is, caused by appropriate setting of the rail section 78 to ride its pin 62 up on to the rail 70. The rail section 78 is then immediately raised so that the pins 62 of subsequent trays pass off the rail 68 and into a position beneath the rail 70. The leading tray is thus maintained at a slight inclination to the horizontal, and its trailing edge maintains horizontal the next succeeding tray and so on. When the leading tray reaches the rail section 86 the latter may be lifted to an upper position in which the pin 62 falls off the rail 70 and allows the leading tray to turn into dumping position. All the succeeding trays 52 back as far as the end of the rail 68 i.e above the whole length of the trough 12, fall into dumping position. There may be a number of rail sections 70 with associated switch sections 78 and 86, the latter being selectively operated by automatic or time clock controls.