Patent Publication Number: US-2021169040-A1

Title: Livestock feed tank with modular unloader

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/945,320, filed Dec. 9, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to livestock feed storage systems, and more particularly to a device that maintains the flow of feed, or similar substances, from a bulk storage tank downwardly through an attached boot and unloader for delivery to an auger system that transports the feed to a feed dispenser. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Livestock feed systems allow for storage of livestock feed in a central storage tank or bin. From the storage tank, a feed supply system  24  having one or more conveyor tubes in which an auger is driven is used to convey the feed along a feed path to where it is presented to the animals such as by drop tubes to feeders located within the livestock building. Augers can provide consistent and steady delivery of feed to livestock in a plurality of locations across a barn or other livestock facility. The feed is fed by gravity from the feed bin into the auger through a boot unloader located under the feed tank. 
     Livestock facilities have different requirements for the desired configuration of the feed supply system. Sometimes it is desired to have more than one feed line leading from the bulk tank to the livestock buildings. Typically, it is necessary to provide a different boot unloader in order to change the number of feed lines serviced by the boot unloader. 
     Another disadvantage of prior boot unloaders is the wear and tear on components of the boot unloader caused by rotation of the auger. Periodically, it is necessary to replace components that have surfaces exposed to wear. Typically, this has required the disassembly of the boot unloader and removal of the auger. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for a boot unloader with a modular configuration to make so that the unloader can be used for feed systems requiring different auger configurations, one that permits observation of the operation of the boot unloader, and also allows for manual cleaning and replacement of wear parts. 
     OVERVIEW OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a bulk feed tank for use in storing and distributing feed grain. The bulk feed tank has a lower outlet section having an outlet boot through which the feed grain is directed into a feed supply system having at least one conveyor housing an auger. The feed supply system includes a boot unloader coupled to an upstream end of the conveyor tube and has an upwardly opening aperture that is matingly positioned in fluid communication with a downwardly opening aperture of the outlet boot. The boot unloader includes an unloader body formed of a front panel, a rear panel and opposing side panels. Each of the side panels is fastened to the front panel and to the rear panel such that the front panel, rear panel and side panels are joined together to form a generally rectangular receiving portion in which feed grain flows from the outlet boot. At least one auger mounting plate is mounted to the front panel and has a tube interface for mating with the conveyor. A bearing assembly is secured to the rear panel. The bearing assembly has a bearing housing and at least one end bearing that rotatably mounts the auger such that the auger passes through the receiving portion. An access door is attached to at least one of the opposing side panels. The access door is made of a clear plastic material to permit observation into the receiving portion of the unloader body while the auger is rotating. A wear plate assembly is attached to an underside of the boot unloader body. The wear plate assembly is fastened to the front, rear and side panels and can be removed from the boot unloader body without unfastening the side panels from the front panel and the rear panel or removing the auger from the receiving portion. 
     These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the systems and methods according to this invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above mentioned and other features of this invention will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of bulk feed tank with a feed supply system having a boot unloader according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the boot unloader of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the boot unloader of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear end view of the boot unloader of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the boot unloader of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention will now be described in the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein preferred embodiments are described in detail to enable practice of the invention. Although the invention is described with reference to these specific preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments. But to the contrary, the invention includes numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents as will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a bulk feed tank  10  such as one that would be located proximate a livestock building (not shown) in which a feeding system is installed. The livestock building and feeding system may be of any design and would be known to one skilled in the art and need not be discussed herein. Typically, such bulk feed tanks  10  (or other storage silos or bins) are used in conjunction with feeding systems to store large quantities of feed grain for distribution to one or more feeders from which livestock eat the feed grain. As shown, the bulk feed tank  10  has a cylindrical upper portion  12  that is disposed above a generally frusto-conical lower outlet section  14 . A conical roof  16  prevents moisture and rain from entering the interior of the bulk feed bin  10 . Legs  18  that are anchored into a concrete pad  20  support the bulk feed bin  10  above the ground. 
     At the bottom end of the outlet section  14 , an outlet boot  22  is provided for directing feed from within the bulk feed tank  10  into a feed supply feed supply system  24 . The feed supply feed supply system  24  has a conveyor tube  28  in which an auger  30  is driven. The boot  22  is disposed below the lower outlet section  14  and includes a downwardly opening aperture, out of which feed grain stored within the interior of the bulk feed bin  10  can flow under the influence of gravity. 
     The feed supply system  24  includes a boot unloader  32  having an upwardly opening aperture that is matingly positioned in fluid communication with the downwardly opening aperture of the boot  22  of the bulk feed bin  10 . The boot unloader  32  is coupled to an upstream end of the conveyor tube  28  of the feed supply system  24 . As is known in the art, the feed supply system  24  may supply feed grain by means of drop tubes to feeders (not shown) located within the livestock building. Rotation of the auger  30  within conveyor tube  28  moves grain longitudinally within the conveyor tube  28  from the boot unloader  32  and into feeder out of which the animals can eat the feed. 
     Turning also now to  FIGS. 2-5 , the boot unloader  32  is illustrated according to one embodiment of the invention. The boot unloader  32  has an unloader body  34  formed of a front panel  36 , a rear panel  38  and opposing side panels  40  joined together to form a generally rectangular receiving portion in which grain flows from the outlet boot  22 . The front, rear and side panels  36 ,  38 ,  40  are bolted together with suitable bolts  42  and nuts  44 , or joined together in any other manner using sound engineering judgement. The front panel  36  receives at least one auger mounting plate  46  having a tube interface  48  for mating with the conveyor tube  28 . In the illustrated embodiment, the front panel  36  has two auger mounting plates  46  such that the feed supply feed supply system  24  includes two feed paths with two conveyor tubes  28  and two augers  30 . However, the boot unloader  32  has a modular design such that the front panel  36  can be configured such that it receives one, two, three, four or possibly even more auger mounting plates  46  as required for the requirements of the feed supply feed supply system  24 . 
     A bearing assembly  50  secures the auger  30  in the conveyor tube  28  and include a bearing housing  52  and an end bearing  54 . The bearing assembly  50  is configured to be secured to the rear panel  38  of the boot unloader  32 . The end bearing  54  is configured to mate with the bearing housing  52  and is able to rotate freely with respect to the bearing housing  52 . In the illustrated embodiment, two parallel feed paths extend through the boot unloader  32 , each terminating at respective end bearings  54  at one end of the boot unloader  32 . However, as described above, the boot unloader  32  has a modular design such that the bearing assembly  50  at the rear panel  38  can be configured such that it receives, one, two, three, four or possibly even more end bearings  54  as required for the number of augers  30  in the feed supply feed supply system  24 . 
     The side panel  40  of the boot unloader  32  in this embodiment also includes an access door  58  that is held in place by a pair of fasteners  60 . Desirably, the access door  58  is made of a clear plastic material to permit observation of the operation of the boot unloader  32  and also allowing for manual cleaning, unclogging, and repair of the boot unloader  32 . 
     The underside of the boot unloader is formed with a wear plate assembly  62  fastened to the front, rear and side panels  36 ,  38 ,  40  of the unloader body  34 . In the illustrated embodiment, the wear plate assembly  62  has two replaceable wear plates  64 , one for each augers  30  in the feed supply feed supply system  24 . Desirably, the wear plates  64  can be removed and replaced without having to open the unloader body  34  by unfastening the side panels  40  from the front panel  36  and the rear panel  38  or remove the auger(s)  30 . 
     As best seen in  FIG. 5 , the boot unloader  32  has a sliding feed door assembly  70 . In  FIG. 5 , the feed door assembly  70  has a feed door  72  shown in the open position, which permits feed to flow from the bulk feed bin  10  into the boot unloader  32 . To stop the flow of feed, the feed door  72  can be slid horizontally into a closed position. Closing of the feed door assembly  70  allows the access door  58  to be removed without excess feed spilling from the boot unloader  32 . 
     The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.