FR2829361A1 - GRAIN AND / OR GRANULES GAVEUSE INTENDED FOR INFANTS OF PALMIPEDES, WITH VOLUMETRIC MEASUREMENT - Google Patents

Abstract

The feeder dosing machine for cereal grains and / or granules for fattening palmipeds, comprising a storage hopper (2) containing a food mass, for example based on corn grains, to be distributed in individual feed rations to palmipeds and having an opening for withdrawing the products, a force-feeding device (5) with funnel (6) and force-feeding cannula (7) possibly equipped with a thrust member (5a), into which the funnel is poured the metered ration, is essentially characterized by a volumetric dosing device (20) of the food ration, installed between the force-feeding cannula (7) and the opening for withdrawing food products in the storage hopper (2), on the path of these products, this device volumetric metering comprising a product supply mouth and a product delivery mouth in doses.

Description

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GRAIN EDIER WITH GRANULES FOR
FEEDING PALMIPEDS, WITH MEANS OF DOSAGE
VOLUME.

The present patent application relates to improvements to the gaveuse according to patent application 01 12346 of 09/11/2001 and claims the benefit of the filing date of this patent application
The present invention relates to a machine for feeding on cereal grains, more particularly whole grains of corn, but dedicated to fattening palmipeds, comprising a means for volumetric dosing of food rations to be distributed to palmipeds.

 The machines known for grain feeding are designed to carry out a metering by weighing or by time delay or detection of a level, of the rations to be dispensed and use electronic means which considerably complicate their achievements.

The object of the present invention is to solve the abovementioned problems by using a feeding machine with metering means of increased simplicity.
To this end, the gaveuse dosing machine with cereal grains according to the present invention, for fattening palmipeds, comprising a storage hopper containing a food mass, for example based on corn grains, to be distributed in individual feeding rations to palmipeds. and having a product sampling opening, a feeding device with funnel and possibly feeding tube equipped with a thrust member, into which the funnel is poured out the metered ration, is essentially characterized by a device for volumetric metering of the ration, installed between the booster cannula and the product sampling opening for the storage hopper, this volumetric metering device comprising a product supply mouth and a product delivery mouth.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, there is provided a transport device installed between the product withdrawal opening that the hopper has and the funnel of the booster, the metering device being installed downstream of the conveyor in relation product supply with the latter on the one hand and in relation to product delivery with the funnel of the device

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on the other hand
Thanks to this feature, the booster can be located at a distance from the machine and the latter can be installed in a suitable place which can be protected from ventilation drafts, vibrations and the like and which can also include sound insulation opposing the propagation of noise from the machine to the force-feeding rooms. Furthermore, thanks to this conveyor, it now becomes possible to force-feed in rooms with circulation corridors that are too small to allow the passage of a mobile machine
According to another characteristic of the invention, the volumetric metering device consists of a mobile drawer, comprising at least one cell, said drawer being movable in a controlled and controlled manner in the chamber of a fixed body comprising the supply mouth by producing, receiving the product drawn from the hopper, this mouth opening into said chamber and a product delivery mouth, these products being delivered to the booster, this mouth being angularly separated from the previous one and also opening into said chamber , the cell, by displacement of the movable drawer being brought in turn in communication relation with the product supply mouth, to be filled with product and in communication relation with the product delivery mouth to deliver the quantity of product received, said drawer being coupled to a motor member ensuring its movement in the chamber, said gold motor gane being piloted and controlled by a command and control unit which ensures in particular the metering of the ration to be distributed.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the booster member is equipped with an electrical contactor which can be operated by the user when he wishes to interrupt the delivery of the ration to the palmiped, said electrical contactor being electrically connected to the central unit. and control which, when it receives the interrupt signal, deactivates the conveyor, or controls the return of the food product to the tank, or activates a shutter member of the funnel of the feeding device
According to another characteristic of the invention, the rate of delivery of food products to the transport device is less than the rate of

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delivery of products by the gavage device
Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the description of a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which - Figure 1 is a schematic view of a gaveuse dosing machine according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a metering device according to a first embodiment, - Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a metering device according to a second embodiment.

 - Figure 4 is a detail view of the machine according to the invention.

 In the attached figures the respective proportions of the various components of the machine have not been respected for reasons of clarity.

 According to the preferred embodiment, the feeding and dosing machine according to the invention is provided for the distribution of food rations based on cereal grains, more particularly cooked corn grains and a lubricant, for example an animal fat which can be duck or goose fat, this lubricant being intimately mixed with cereal grains.

 As shown in the gaveuse dosing machine according to the invention, for fattening palmipeds comprises on a frame 1 a hopper 2 of generally conical shape containing a food mass to be distributed in individual feeding rations to palmipeds, a volumetric metering device 20 of the ration comprising a product supply zone in which a supply mouth 20d is installed and a product delivery zone in which is installed a delivery mouth 20e of the product in metered ration. This volumetric metering device 20 is installed between the opening for withdrawing the products from the storage hopper and the feeding cannula 7 of a feeding device 5 with funnel 6, and motorized pushing member 5a, in which funnel is poured out the metered ration which is pushed into the feeding cannula by the pushing member, this pushing member 5a, for example of the worm type, penetrating into the cannula 7. The feeding device 5 advantageously comprises a contactor electric 8 start and end of the booster cycle electrically connected to a control and

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 command 9 which manages the operation of the various active elements of the machine.

The frame 1 can be provided with preferably motorized rolling members in order to assist the movement of the machine on the ground. This machine can also be installed at a fixed position in a suitable location.
According to a preferred embodiment, a transport device 19 is installed between the product withdrawal opening that the hopper has and the funnel of the booster, the metering device 20 being installed downstream of the conveyor 19 in relation supply of products with the latter on the one hand and in relation to the delivery of products with the funnel 6 of the booster on the other hand.

 According to the preferred embodiment, the metering device 20 is integrated into the apparatus of the booster apparatus 5.

 According to a preferred embodiment the volumetric metering device 20 is constituted by a movable drawer 20b comprising at least one cell 20c, said drawer being movable in a controlled and controlled manner in the chamber 20a of a metering body comprising the mouth of 20d supply of products, opening into said chamber 20a as well as the product delivery mouth 20th, the latter being angularly separated from the previous one and also opening into said chamber. The cell 20c, by displacement of the movable slide 20b is brought in turn in communication relation with the product supply mouth 20d, to be filled with product and in communication relation with the product delivery mouth 20d for delivering the quantity of product received, said drawer 20b being coupled to a drive member 22 ensuring its movement in the chamber 20a This drive member 22, for example of the electrical type, is driven and controlled by the command and control unit 9 which ensures in particular, in addition, the dosage of the ration to be distributed.

 According to a first alternative embodiment, the drawer comprises several equally spaced cells 20c, of the same capacity, the metering being effected by counting the number of cells displaced facing the delivery mouth 20e or by measuring the displacement of the drawer 20b in the chamber 20a Preferably, the chamber of the metering device 20 is cylindrical, the drawer

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 20b of the metering device 20 is also cylindrical and is rotatably mounted in the chamber 20a in a sliding fit, said drawer being fixed to a drive shaft rotatably mounted on bearings of the metering body and coupled externally to the body of doser, to the drive motor member.

 The cells 20c are formed in the drawer 20b in an equidistant manner and are hollowed out in the latter preferably from its peripheral edge towards its central area, and preferably, along the entire thickness of said drawer 20b. opening on the periphery of the drawer.

 A means of detecting the angular position of the cells is provided. This means may have a rotary element 17 fixed on the drive shaft of the drawer outside the body and a fixed detector element 18 installed outside the metering body opposite the rotary element 17, this element detector 18 being electrically connected to the control and command unit 9 The rotary element 17 may be constituted by a wheel with radial branches, each branch materializing the position of a cell and of a single one. We can provide other systems such as incremental coders or others.

In this case, the position of a mobile element will no longer be detected, but the angular distance traveled by the slide will be measured.

 Preferably, the drawer 20b of the metering device 20 is movable in rotation in the chamber 20a around a horizontal axis but as a variant this drawer can be movable in rotation around a vertical axis.

 The funnel 6 of the booster device in the upper part is provided with a closure partition 6a provided with at least one orifice for introducing the products into the booster device delivered by the metering device 20 De preferably, the metering device 20 is secured to the feeding device by a flexible or rigid pipe 24 of short length which runs from the delivery mouth 20e of the products towards the funnel 6 of the feeding device 5 and more precisely towards the orifice for introducing the products into the funnel 6 It should be noted that the funnel 6 of the feeding device no longer fulfills the role of buffer reserve as in known systems, the delivery rate of the products at the outlet of the feeding cannula being greater than the flow rate

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 for introducing the products into the funnel, but if necessary can fulfill the role of mixing chamber for the food products delivered by the metering device, with food supplements. For this purpose, the closing partition 6a of the funnel 6 may be provided with several orifices for introducing these food supplements.

Preferably, the buffer reserve 21 is formed in the body of the metering device Immediately upstream of the chamber 20a of said body, this chamber receiving the products to be dlstnbuer in metered rations and being directly in relation to the transport device 19 or else with any other means of feeding
Several embodiments of this transport device 19 are described in the basic patent application and are incorporated into the present application by reference.

Preferably, this conveyor will be of the pneumatic type and the chamber 21 of the metering device, constituting the buffer reserve may be arranged as a cyclone device.
In the preferred embodiment, the drive motor member 22 in rotation of the slide 20b of the metering device is external and lateral to the body of the metering device.

 Still according to the preferred embodiment, a second drive member 23 is provided for actuating the thrust member 5a of the booster.

This thrust member may be in the form of a spin formed on a rigid axis, this rigid axis being rotatably mounted in a bearing fixed to the partition 6a of the funnel 6 and being coupled to the second drive member 23
As can be seen, the pushing member occupies a central axial position in the booster and the metering device by its longitudinal axis occupies a laterally offset position
It can be noted that the pipe 24 between the metering device and the booster device as well as the introduction orifice that the shutter partition 6a of the funnel 6 includes are offset laterally with respect to the axis of the feeding device 5

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The axis of the twist of the thrust member of the booster will be coupled to the output shaft of the electric motor 23 by any suitable movement transmission. This motion transmission may be constituted by a rigid axis This axis may include one or more angular gear
We can also provide for the fact that the transmission axis passes right through the body of the metering device and more precisely the reserve of the latter The two motors will be of the electric type, for example.

 It should be noted that the product flow at the outlet of the booster cannula will be greater than the product flow delivered by the metering device to the booster.

 According to another embodiment, the axis of rotation of the dispensing drawer 20b is vertical and the chamber 20a in which this drawer is mounted is delimited by two horizontal partitions spaced from one another.

 The upper partition ensures the separation between the chamber 20a and the reserve and is equipped with a bearing for guiding the axis of the drawer.

The lower partition will also be equipped with a bearing for guiding the axis of the drawer
The two upper and lower partitions will both be fitted with a through opening constituting, for the opening of the upper wall, the supply mouth 20d and for the opening of the lower wall of the mouth 20e for delivering products.

 It goes without saying that these mouths 20d and 20c are angularly offset from one another, for example by 1800.

 Preferably, the lower partition of the metering chamber constitutes the closure partition of the funnel of the booster.

 Such a configuration allows the axial alignment of the booster device 5 with the metering device 20.

Preferably, the slide 20b, along its axis of rotation will be pierced right through with a bore provided to receive two guide bearings of the ball bearing type for example In these guide bearings will be engaged a first transmission shaft coupled with on the one hand to the shaft of the thrust element 5a of the booster 5, and on the other hand to the output shaft of a drive member 22 external to the booster, said shaft of through coupling right through

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share the buffer reserve 21 In addition to the slide 20b is fixed a hollow transmission shaft in which engages the transmission shaft previously mentioned. This hollow transmission shaft runs right through the buffer reserve 21 and is coupled externally to the body of the metering device with the drive member 22 The coupling of the first transmission shaft and the coupling of the second to the shaft motor output is effected by a reduction gear comprising a body in which is mounted a gear train. The first transmission shaft is directly coupled to the motor output shaft and receives a first pinion. The hollow transmission shaft receives a second pinion. These two pinions mesh respectively with a third and fourth pinion mounted in fixing on a common shaft engaged in bearings of the body of the reducer. The reason for the gear train is such that a turn of the first drive shaft and therefore a turn of the thrust member 5a, corresponds to a fraction of a turn of the second drive shaft and therefore a fraction of a turn of the slide 20b The reduction ratio can be 1/10 or 1/20
The advantage of such an arrangement lies in the fact that it requires only one motor to actuate the slide and the pushing member 5a. The pitch of the twist of the pushing member will be chosen so that the flow of product delivered by the mouthpiece of the gavage device is greater than the flow of product delivered by the dosing device
We have previously described metering means formed and mounted in a body independent of the booster.

 Thus, in this funnel will be formed the chamber 20a and will be mounted the rotary drawer 20b.

 The reserve of the metering device may have a capacity limited to a few hundred grams or alternatively, according to an alternative embodiment, have a larger capacity, of the order of one hundred kilograms.

 In all cases, the assembly constituted by the metering device and the feeding device can be suspended and cooperate with a counterweight system known per se.

 The hopper 2 at its delivery orifice can be equipped with a lock system which can also constitute a metering means in view, by

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example, to regulate the flow of product to the dosing device
Provision may also be made for the fact that the hopper is sealed.

 Likewise, provision may also be made for the hopper 2 to be constituted by the reserve formed in the metering device.

 In this embodiment, the transporter 19 will no longer be present.

 It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments as described but that, on the contrary, it embraces the various alternative embodiments.

Claims (17)

1 / Force feeding machine with cereal grains and / or granules for fattening palmipeds, comprising a storage hopper (2) containing a food mass, for example based on corn grains, to be distributed in individual force-feeding rations to palmipeds and having a product withdrawal opening, a booster (5) with funnel (6) and booster cannula (7) optionally equipped with a thrust member (5a), into which the funnel is poured the metered ration, characterized by a volumetric metering device (20) of the food ration, installed between the feeding cannula (7) and the opening for taking food products from the storage hopper (2), on the path of these products, this volumetric metering device comprising a product supply mouth and a product delivery mouth.  2 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 1, characterized by a transport device (19) installed between the product sampling opening present in the hopper and the funnel of the feeding device, the dosing device (20) being installed either upstream of the conveyor (19) in relation to the supply of products with the opening for withdrawing products from the hopper (2) on the one hand and in relation to the delivery of products with said transporter on the other hand, either downstream of the conveyor (19) in relation to supplying products with the latter on the one hand and in relation to delivering products with the funnel (6) of the booster on the other hand, or between two assemblies of said transporter in relation to supply and delivery with these two said assemblies.  3 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the volumetric metering device (20) consists of a movable drawer (20b), comprising at least one cell (20c), said drawer being displaceable by controlled and controlled manner in the chamber (20a) of a metering body comprising a product supply mouth (20d), receiving the product drawn from the hopper (2), this mouth (20d) opening into said chamber (20a ) and a product delivery mouth (20d), these products being delivered to the booster (5), this mouth being angularly spaced from the previous one and also opening into said chamber <Desc / Clms Page number 11>  (20a), the cell (20c), by displacement of the movable drawer, being brought in turn in communication relation with the product supply mouth, to be filled with product and in communication relation with the delivery mouth of the product to deliver the quantity of product received, said drawer (20b) being coupled to a drive member ensuring its movement in the chamber (20a), said drive member being driven and controlled by a command and control unit (9) which ensures in particular the dosage of the ration to be distributed.  4 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the drawer (20b) comprises several cells (20c) equally spaced, of the same capacity, the metering being effected by counting the number of cells displaced facing the delivery mouth ( 20e) or by measuring the displacement of the drawer in the chamber (20a).  5 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that the chamber (20a) of the metering device (20) is cylindrical and that the drawer (20b) of the metering device (20) is cylindrical and is rotatably mounted in the chamber (20a) according to a sliding adjustment, said drawer being fixed to a drive shaft rotatably mounted on bearings of the metering body and coupled to the drive motor member 6 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the cells (20c) are formed in the drawer (20b) equidistant and are hollowed out in the latter from its peripheral edge towards its central area.  7 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the cells (20c) are formed in the drawer (20b) from the peripheral edge towards the central zone and along the entire thickness of said drawer (20b).  81 gaveuse dosing machine according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized by a means for detecting the angular position of the cells (20c) this means having a rotary element (17) fixed on the drive shaft of the drawer the outside of the metering body and a fixed detector element (18) installed outside the body opposite the rotary element (17), this detector element being electrically connected to the control and command unit (9 ).  9 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 8, characterized in <Desc / Clms Page number 12>  that the rotary element (17) is constituted by a wheel with radial branches, each branch materializing the position of a cell and of only one.  10 / gaveuse dosing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the funnel (6) of the gavage appliance in the upper part is provided with a wall (6a) for closing, said wall comprising at least an orifice for introducing the products into the booster, delivered by the metering device (20).  11 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 10 characterized in that the thrust member (5a) of the booster device (5) is constituted by a spin formed on an axis, said axis being mounted in rotation in a fixed bearing to the partition (6a) of the funnel (6) and this axis being coupled to the second motor member (23) by a movement transmission 12 / gaveuse dosing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a buffer reserve (21) formed in the body of the metering device immediately upstream of the chamber (20a) of said metering body, this chamber receiving the products to distribute in metered rations 13 / gaveuse dosing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drawer (20b) of the metering device is rotatable in the chamber (20a) about a horizontal axis.  14 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claims 10,11 12 and 13 taken together characterized in that the metering device (20) is secured to the feeding device by a short pipe (24) which runs from the mouth of delivery of the product (20th) of the products to the orifice for introducing the products into the funnel (6).  15 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 14, characterized in that the line (24) between the metering device (20) and the gavage device (5) as well as the introduction orifice that comprises the partition d shutter (6a) of the funnel (6) of said booster is offset laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of said booster (5) 16 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claims 11,12, 13,14 and 15 taken together, characterized in that the movement transmission is constituted by a rigid axis coupled on the one hand to the output shaft of the engine <Desc / Clms Page number 13>  (23) and on the other hand to the axis of the thrust member (5a), said axis passing right through the reserve (21) of the metering device 17 / gaveuse dosing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the axis of rotation of the dispensing drawer (20b) is vertical.  18 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 12 and claim 17, characterized in that the chamber (20a) in which the drawer (20b) is mounted is delimited by two horizontal partitions spaced from each other than the upper partition ensures the separation between the chamber (20a) and the reserve (21) and is equipped with a bearing for guiding the axis of the drawer, that the lower partition is also equipped with a bearing for guiding the axis of the drawer , that the two upper and lower partitions will both be fitted with a through opening constituting, for the opening of the upper wall, the supply mouth (20d) and for the opening of the lower wall of the mouth (20e ) of product delivery and that said mouths (20d) and (20c) are angularly offset relative to each other by 180.  19 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claims 10 and 18 taken together, characterized in that the lower partition of the metering chamber (20a) constitutes the closure partition (6a) of the funnel (6) of the apparatus force-feeding (5).  20 / gaveuse dosing machine according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that the metering device (20) is axially aligned with the booster device (5).  21 / gaveuse dosing machine according to claim 20, characterized in that the drawer (20b), along its axis of rotation is drilled right through a bore provided to receive two guide bearings, that in these guide bearings is engaged a first transmission shaft coupled on the one hand to the shaft of the thrust element (5a) of the booster (5), and on the other hand to the output shaft of a drive member (22) external to the booster, said transmission shaft passing right through the buffer reserve (21), that to the drawer (20b) is fixed a hollow transmission shaft in which engages the first shaft transmission that the hollow transmission shaft traverses right through the buffer reserve (21) and is externally coupled to the body of <Desc / Clms Page number 14>  the metering device with the drive member (22) and that the coupling of the first transmission shaft and the coupling of the second to the output shaft of the engine is carried out by a motion reduction gear so that at a turn of the first drive shaft and therefore a turn of the thrust member 5a, corresponds to a fraction of a turn of the second drive shaft and therefore a fraction of a turn of the slide 20b