Patent ID: 7347616

Claim:
A vertical feed mixer apparatus comprising: a container including a floor, a wall extending away from said floor such that said wall is disposed above said floor, said wall defining a top opening disposed remotely from said floor and configured to receive feed, said floor and said wall defining therebetween an enclosure for the feed received through the top opening, a discharge opening in said wall adjacent to said floor; at least one auger disposed within said enclosure and configured to rotate in a direction of rotation; said auger including an auger core with an axis of rotation extending substantially vertically through the floor, a helical flighting secured to and disposed around said auger core to rotate in the direction of rotation, at least one swept kicker secured to said auger core or flighting, adjacent to said floor, including a plurality of segments and configured to discharge said feed through said discharge opening, leading edges of the plurality segments of the swept kicker generally defining a curve along substantially a full length of a leading edge of the swept kicker such that a first angle is formed between a leading edge of a first segment of the swept kicker at a point of attachment to the auger core or flighting and a radial projection extending from the axis of rotation at the point of attachment, a second angle, larger than the first angle, is formed between the radial projection and a leading edge of a second segment, which second segment is adjacent the first segment, and a third angle, larger than the second angle, is formed between the radial projection and the leading edge of a third segment, wherein an outermost end of the swept kicker is a free end.