Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREPARING MICRO-INGREDIENT FEED ADDITIVES TO
ANIMAL FEED RATIONS
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) from
U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/924,628 filed on January 7, 2014, which is incorporated
herein by reference in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to micro-ingredients added to feed rations for animals
such as livestock, and
more particularly, to a system and method for preparing micro-ingredient feed
additives including selectively
operable slide gates communicating with a mixing tank of the system to control
loss of micro-ingredients and
to prevent inadvertent errors in preparing micro-ingredient mixtures to be
added to designated feed rations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dietary supplements and medications are well known for use in animal feed
rations in the livestock
and poultry industries. These supplements and medications may include
vitamins, mineral, enzymes,
hormones, antibiotics and others.
The manner in which these supplements are combined with a consumptive fluid
carrier such as water
is disclosed in a number of patents to include the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,889,443;
4,815,042; 4,733,971; 5,219,224;
and 5,487,603. These references generally disclose automated systems that
dispense discrete amounts of
micro-ingredients, combine the micro-ingredients to create a slurry mixture,
and then deliver the slurry
mixture to a feed ration. These micro-ingredients are typically added to the
animal feed rations using mixing
or spraying methods.
For organizations that add pharmaceuticals to animal feed supplements, these
organizations may be
subject to the regulations of a government agency such as the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). Such
organizations may be inspected by FDA personal, and are subject to various
reporting requirements.
Therefore, it is imperative that equipment used in the processes of making
animal feed rations be capable of
accurately and precisely accounting for quantities of the micro-ingredients
used.
One method for measuring the amount of a micro-ingredient to be used in a
designated ration is use
of one or more weigh scales that weigh the amount of each micro-ingredient
delivered to the ration. The
weight measurement may be achieved in various methods such as measurement of
loss in weight or
measurement of gain in weight. Loss in weight refers to measuring the weigh
loss of a particular bin that has
dispensed the micro-ingredient, the loss in weight corresponding to the amount
of the micro-ingredient
dispensed from the bin. Gain in weight refers to measuring the amount of a
micro-ingredient delivered to a
W:\067535\0084\2015-01-05_Patent Application.doc 1
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
receiving container, the increase in weight corresponding to the amount of the
micro-ingredient delivered to
the receiving container. Another method of measuring the amount of a micro-
ingredient that has been
dispensed is measurement by volume. It is known that certain delivery
mechanisms such as an auger have
the capability to accurately and precisely dispense a known quantity of a
micro-ingredient over a period of
time. Thus, measurement of a delivered micro-ingredient can be determined on a
volumetric basis wherein
an amount delivered is determined by the length of time that the delivery
mechanism is activated. Volume
measurement is particularly useful with respect to measurement of liquid micro-
ingredients.
Despite the accuracy and precision of the machines that deliver the micro-
ingredients, and despite
the improved computer processing equipment that may be used to calculate
required amounts and to record
deliveries to designated feed batches, errors can still be made in delivering
the micro-ingredicnts to the
designated feed ration. One type of error that can occur despite the above-
mentioned improvements is the
simple failure to load the designated storage bin with the correct micro-
ingredient. For each micro-
ingredient used in an automated micro-ingredient delivery system, each bin
must be pre-designated to hold a
specified micro-ingredient so that the correct types and amounts of the micro-
ingredient are dispensed once
the automated delivery sequence begins. The micro-ingredient bins and the
delivery devices connected
thereto, such as augers and pumps, do not have the inherent capability to
distinguish between loaded micro-
ingredients. Rather, the bins are simply sized to hold a designated quantity
of whatever ingredient is loaded
therein, and the delivery devices operate to dispense designated amounts of
the ingredients from the bins as
instructed by commands generated from a controller. The commands may be based
on a timed delivery, or
based on loss in weight or gain in weight methods.
Another error that can be created in the preparation of a feed ration having
micro-ingredients is the
loss of such ingredients as airborne particles that are not delivered to
and/or do not remain within the
receptacle used to mix the ingredients. Particularly for pharmaceuticals that
may have a very small volume
as compared to the other micro-ingredients used, loss of pharmaceuticals as
airborne particles may result in
an improper micro-ingredient mixture. For example, when the micro-ingredients
are initially delivered to the
mixing receptacle and during mixing, a measurable amount of a pharmaceutical
can potentially become
airborne and subsequently lost. If the pharmaceutical is dropped from a bin or
container into the mixing
receptacle, a certain portion of the pharmaceutical may become airborne
particles. Further, a pharmaceutical
delivered to a mixing receptacle as one of the last ingredients will initially
reside on top of the micro-
ingredient mixture, and some of the pharmaceutical can become airborne
particles in an uncovered receptacle
subject to a moving airstream.
One object of the invention is to minimize loss of micro-ingredients that may
be prone to becoming
airborne particles.
W=\067535 \0084 \2015-01-05_Patent Application doc 2
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
Another object of the invention is to provide a micro-ingredient preparation
system and method
wherein inadvertent errors can be minimized by use of slide gate mechanisms
that control access to a mixing
tank used to mix micro-ingredients. A controller of the system determines
operation of the slide gates. An
appropriate remedial action can be specified by the controller in response to
a particular alarm condition or
system malfunction with respect to ingredients that are to be added to the
mixing tank for designated micro-
ingredient mixtures.
In all of the foregoing objects, a micro-ingredient delivery system and method
is provided that still
provides an accurate and precise means of delivering the micro-ingredients,
yet the system is made even
more reliable by preventing potential loss of micro-ingredients and preventing
improper micro-ingredient
mixtures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a system and method are provided for
preparing micro-ingredient
feed additives to animal feed rations. Features are provided for preventing
the loss of micro-ingredients, and
also to prevent inadvertent errors in different types of micro-ingredients
added to a micro-ingredient batch
for subsequent delivery to a designated feed ration. The system includes a
number of storage bins that hold
quantities of dry micro-ingredients. Access is provided to the interior of
each bin, such as a top cover or lid
that enables micro-ingredients to be added to the respective bins. A delivery
device is associated with each
bin in order to dispense the micro-ingredients from the bin to a receiving
receptacle, such as a mixing tank,
for preparation of the micro-ingredient batch. One common example of a micro-
ingredient batch includes
the dry micro-ingredients combined with an amount of water to produce a micro-
ingredient slurry. The
system also contemplates addition of liquid micro-ingredients to a batch, in
which liquid micro-ingredients
may be added to the receiving receptacle by a delivery line which communicates
with the interior of the
receiving receptacle.
The bins are periodically loaded with micro-ingredients to satisfy daily feed
calls, which are the
daily requirements for adding the micro-ingredients to feed rations for the
location at which the micro-
ingredient system is installed and operating. One example of a location is a
feed mill in which feed rations
are prepared. The feed mill may include a number of micro-ingredient machines
and feed mixers. System
operators must load each bin with the correct amount and type of micro-
ingredient(s) as required according
to each pre-determined micro-ingredient batch. Each pre-determined micro-
ingredient batch is then
delivered to a designated feed ration.
w \067535 \ 0084 \ 2015-0 I -05_Patent Application 3
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
One type of loss that can occur for micro-ingredients to be delivered to a
feed ration is loss by the
micro-ingredients remaining as suspended airborne particles. Particularly for
micro-ingredients that may
have a very small volume as compared to the micro-ingredient batch or mixture
as a whole, such as
pharmaceuticals, it is important that all of the micro-ingredients of this
type remain within the micro-
ingredient mixture since loss of even a small amount can result in an
improperly prepared micro-ingredient
mixture. Because some of the micro-ingredients may be in the form of fine
powders, when delivered to the
receiving receptacle, these micro-ingredients become easily airborne and may
be suspended for a significant
period of time. In order to address this shortcoming, the invention includes
slide gate mechanisms that are
mounted on the top cover of the receiving receptacle. When each micro-
ingredient is added from a bin, the
slide gate is operated to open such that the micro-ingredient can drop from
the dispensing device associated
with the bin into the receiving receptacle. After the designated amount of the
micro-ingredient has been
dropped from the dispensing device into the receiving receptacle, the slide
gate will close thereby trapping
the added micro-ingredient in the receiving receptacle. One slide gate is
associated with each of the bins
such that each micro-ingredient added to the receiving receptacle will become
trapped or sealed within the
receiving receptacle shortly after the micro-ingredient is added to the
receiving receptacle. In a typical
micro-ingredient delivery sequence, the micro-ingredients can be delivered
sequentially so that only one of
the slide gates are open at any particular time, thereby minimizing the open
space into the receiving
receptacle, and thereby reducing the amount of micro-ingredients that could
escape through an open slide
gate. After the micro-ingredients have been added to the receiving receptacle,
the micro-ingredients can be
mixed, and an appropriate amount of liquid can be added to create a slurry
mixture if the recipe for the
micro-ingredient batch calls for a liquid to be added. In the event the micro-
ingredients are to be kept as a
dry mixture, the closed slide gates prevent the propagation of airborne
particles, and thereby ensure that the
micro-ingredients are not lost. Even when a liquid is added to create a story
mixture, a significant amount of
the dry micro-ingredients can be propelled airborne during the mixing sequence
of the batch preparation.
Accordingly, the closed slide gates are particularly advantageous for
preventing loss of airborne micro-
ingredients.
Another advantage of the system and method is to assist in preventing
inadvertent errors associated
with adding micro-ingredients to the receiving receptacle. Each of the micro-
ingredient batches to be
prepared is determined by a recipe mix in which desired amounts of the micro-
ingredients are to be delivered
to the receiving receptacle. In the event of a malfunction of the system, or
an inadvertent error by a system
operator, the slide gates can be programmed to be responsive to alarm
conditions corresponding to the
system malfunctions and operator errors. For example, in the event a
dispensing device it associated with
one of the bins malfunction such that an insufficient or excess amount of a
micro-ingredient is delivered to
the receiving receptacle, the corresponding slide gate mechanism can be
programmed to automatically close
W \067535 4)084 \2015-01 -05_Patent Application doc 4
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
when the system detects the malfunction so that no additional micro-
ingredients can be added to the micro-
ingredient batch until the malfunction is rectified. In another example, in
the event an operator loads an
incorrect type of micro-ingredient to a bin, and this error is not detected by
the weighing device associated
with the bin (such as when an operator loads an incorrect micro-ingredient
having a very similar density as
compared to the correct micro-ingredient), this error may be detected by the
increased or decreased amount
of time in which it takes the dispensing device to dispense the micro-
ingredient. In such case, the associated
slide gate could automatically close when the system detects a delivery
sequence of the micro-ingredient
from the dispensing device that is not within a designated time parameter. The
automatic closing of the slide
gate they provide a pastor response in terms of preventing further improper
ingredients added to the
receiving receptacle as compared to simply stopping the operation of the
dispensing device, in which residual
amounts of the improper micro-ingredient may continue to he delivered to the
receiving receptacle.
Therefore in this aspect of the invention, the slide gates operate as
automatic isolating features that prevent
access to the interior of the receiving receptacle until the alarm condition
has been remedied.
A controller is used to control operation of the system to include basic
functioning of each of the
components of the system. One arrangement of the controller may include the
use of a programmable logic
controller (PLC) with input/output modules that receive signals as to the
state of a field device, and send
control signals to the field devices in order to execute a program sequence of
operation for the system. The
PLC may communicate with another computing device that interfaces with the PLC
for purposes of
monitoring the status of the system and to load the PLC with the desired micro-
ingredient programming. For
example, the other computing device may send mixing and batching instructions
to the PLC. The
computing device may also be connected to an external animal management
control system in which
instructions for micro-ingredient batches are generated from the external
management system to include
instructions as to which micro-ingredient batches require preparation for
delivery to designated feed rations
for a designated facility. In one example, the external management control
system may include a feed yard
management system that generates daily instructions as to the feed rations
that must he prepared and
delivered to a selected feed bunks within the facility. This external
management control system would
therefore send instructions to the remote personal computing device connected
to the PLC. The system
operator would then execute the necessary actions to activate the PLC to
execute the required hatching
programs necessary to fulfill the orders originating from the external
management control system.
The system includes a self-contained group of components that may be housed
within a mobile cart
or cabinet. Accordingly, the system can be easily transported from one
location to another within a facility.
Once a location is selected for installation, the wheels of the mobile cart
can be removed. The system may
be set on vibration dampening pads when installed. The system itself includes
a plurality of micro-ingredient
bins with integral dispensing devices for each been that allows micro-
ingredients to be delivered to a
W=\067535 \ 0084 \2015-01-05_Patent Application doc 5
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
receiving receptacle which is located in close proximity to the dispensing
devices. A slide gate can be
provided for each dispensing device. The slide gates are positioned below the
points where the micro-
ingredients fall from the dispensing devices, and the slide gates providing an
opening large enough to allow
the micro-ingredients to be added to the receiving receptacle without
interference. The receiving receptacle
may include an integral mixer for mixing of the micro-ingredients. One or more
fluid lines may
communicate with the mixing tank allowing a designated liquid such as water to
be added to the micro-
ingredients for preparation of a slurry mixture. One or more pumps may be used
to pump the slurry mixture
of micro-ingredients from the receiving receptacle to a feed ration held
within another receptacle, or another
location such as a feed truck or feed bin.
Considering the above features of the invention, in one aspect, it may be
considered a system for
preparing micro-ingredients to be used in designated feed rations, said system
comprising: (i) at least one bin
for holding a micro-ingredient therein, said bin having an opening for
receiving the micro-ingredient; (ii) a
dispensing device communicating with the at least one bin for dispensing the
micro-ingredient from the at
least one bin; (iii) a receiving receptacle for receiving the micro-ingredient
dispensed; (iv) a slide gate
mechanism mounted to the receiving receptacle, the slide gate mechanism having
a gate being operable
between a closed position and an open position, the open position defining an
opening through the
mechanism enabling a micro-ingredient to be transferred from the dispensing
device into the receiving
receptacle, and the closed position defining a closure of the mechanism to
prevent the micro-ingredient from
being transferred from the dispensing device into the receiving receptacle;
and (v) a controller
communicating with said dispensing device and said slide gate mechanism, said
controller including a micro-
processor, computer coded instructions determining operation of the system,
and an interface for placing said
slide gate mechanism between the open and closed positions based on commands
of said computer coded
instructions resulting in output control signals sent to said slide gate
mechanism.
Other aspects of the system may include: (i) wherein said controller comprises
a PLC; (ii) wherein
micro-ingredient recipes are used to determine (a) which micro-ingredients are
to be added to the receiving
receptacle, (b) quantities of the micro-ingredients to be added, and (c) how
the micro-ingredients are to be
processed prior to delivery to a designated feed ration, and said micro-
ingredient recipes being programmed
in said computer coded instructions for execution by said micro-processor
resulting in said output signals
being generated; (iii) wherein said system includes at least two bins and each
bin having a corresponding
dispensing device for dispensing micro-ingredients through said slide gate
mechanism oriented below the
dispensing devices; (iv) wherein said system includes at least two bins, each
bin having a corresponding bin
cover that covers access to an open top of each bin, each bin cover rotatably
mounted between the at least
two bins, wherein opening of either of said bin covers orients said opened bin
cover to extend upward and
thereby partially blocking access to the other bin; (v) wherein a weighing
element associated with each bin
W:\067535\0084\2015-01-05_Patent Application doc 6
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
and communicating with said controller to determine the weight of each bin
during operation; (vi) wherein
said weighing element includes a load cell mounted to its corresponding bin
for generating signals to said
controller to determine the weight of said bin; (vii) wherein at least one
pump and associated fluid conveying
lines communicating with said receiving receptacle for transferring fluid into
said receiving receptacle, and
for transferring micro-ingredients combined with said fluid as a micro-
ingredient recipe from said receiving
receptacle for subsequent use in a designated feed ration; (viii) wherein at
least one pump and associated
fluid conveying lines communicating with said receiving receptacle for
transferring fluid into said receiving
receptacle, and for transferring said fluid from said receiving receptacle
during a cleaning cycle to clean an
interior of the receiving receptacle after preparation of a micro-ingredient
recipe in said receiving receptacle;
(ix) wherein at least one nozzle disposed within said receiving receptacle and
communicating with said fluid
conveying line to distribute fluid in said receiving receptacle during
cleaning; (x) wherein said receiving
receptacle includes a mixing tank and a mixing shaft disposed in said tank for
controlled mixing of micro-
ingredients in said tank; (xi) wherein said at least one pump includes two
pumps arranged in series, and a
three-way valve communicating with said pumps for selective conveying of said
fluid; (xii) wherein said
slide gate mechanism includes a slidable gate and an actuator controlled by
said controller for moving said
slidable gate between said open position, and said closed position; (xiii)
wherein said slide gate mechanism
includes a seal located around a periphery of an opening formed in said frame
and covered by said slidable
gate when placed in said closed position thereby sealing said slidable gate to
said frame; and (xiv) wherein
said slide gate mechanism includes (a) a frame, (b) a slidable gate mounted to
said frame and slidable along
said frame, (c) an actuator controlled by said controller for moving said
slide gate mechanism between a first
position corresponding to said open position, and a second position
corresponding to said closed position,
and (d) a top cover mounted on said frame.
In yet another aspect of the invention, it may be considered as a sub-
combination of a device for
controlling transfer of a dispensed product from a dispensing device, said sub-
combination comprising: (i) a
dispensing device for dispensing a product to a designated location; (ii) a
slide gate mechanism located
adjacent the dispensing device, the slide gate mechanism having a gate being
operable between a closed
position and an open position, the open position defining an opening through
the slide gate mechanism
enabling the product to be transferred from the dispensing device to the
designated location, and the closed
position defining a closure of the slide gate mechanism to prevent the product
from being transferred from
the dispensing device to the designated location; and (iii) said slide gate
mechanism comprising (a) a frame,
(b) a slidable gate mounted to said frame and slidable along said frame, (c)
an actuator for moving said slide
gate mechanism between a first position corresponding to said open position,
and a second position
corresponding to said closed position, and (d) a top cover mounted on said
frame.
W: \067535 \0084 \2015-01-05_Patent Application doe 7
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
Other aspects of the sub-combination may include, wherein said slide gate
mechanism includes a
seal located around a periphery of an opening formed in said frame and covered
by said slidable gate when
placed in said second position thereby sealing said slidable gate to said
frame.
In yet another aspect of the invention, it may include a method for preparing
micro-ingredients to be
used in designated feed rations, said method comprising: (a) providing: (i) at
least one bin for holding a
micro-ingredient therein, said bin having an opening for receiving the micro-
ingredient; (ii) a dispensing
device communicating with the at least one bin for dispensing the micro-
ingredient from the at least one bin;
(iii) a receiving receptacle for receiving the micro-ingredient dispensed;
(iv) a slide gate mechanism mounted
to the receiving receptacle, the slide gate mechanism having a slidable gate;
(v) a controller communicating
with said dispensing device and said slide gate mechanism, said controller
including a micro-processor,
computer coded instructions determining operation of the system, and an
interface for sending output control
signals to and receiving input signals from said slide gate mechanism; and (b)
operating said slide gate
mechanism based on commands from said computer coded instructions resulting in
the output control signals
sent to said slide gate mechanism, wherein said slidable gate is moved between
a closed position and an open
position, the open position defining an opening through the mechanism enabling
a micro-ingredient to be
transferred from the dispensing device into the receiving receptacle, and the
closed position defining a
closure of the mechanism to prevent the micro-ingredient from being
transferred from the dispensing device
into the receiving receptacle.
Another aspect of this method may include operating said slidable gate from
said open position to
said closed position in response to at least one of (a) completed dispensing
by said dispensing device of a
selected micro-ingredient specified from a micro-ingredient recipe; (b) an
alarm condition wherein access to
said receiving receptacle is temporarily prevented until said alarm condition
is resolved; and (c) processing
of micro-ingredients in said receiving receptacle.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a
review of the drawings
in conjunction with the detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the system;
Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the system;
Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of the system;
Fig. 4 is a left side elevation view of the system;
Fig. 5 is a right side elevation view of the system;
Fig. 6 is a rear elevation view of the system;
W:\067535 \0084\2015-01-05_Patent ApplicatIon doc 8
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the system;
Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of components of the system including
slide gate mechanisms and
the mixing tank
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a slide gate mechanism;
Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a slide gate mechanism;
Fig. 11 is another perspective view of the slide gate mechanism with some
components of the mechanism
removed to reveal other components of the mechanism;
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a mobile cart or cabinet used to house the
system;
Fig. 13 is a left side view of the mobile cart of Fig. 12;
Fig. 14 right side view of the mobile cart of Fig. 12;
Fig. 15 is a rear elevation view of the mobile cart of Fig. 12;
Fig. 16 is a front elevation view of the mobile cart of Fig. 12; and
Fig. 17 is a top plan view of the mobile cart of Fig. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Figures 1-8 illustrate the micro-ingredient preparation system 10 of the
invention. The system 10 is
configured to incorporate an integral master controller, such as a PLC 32 that
includes a computer processor
33 and at least one user interface, such as a user display 34 for displaying
functionality of the system 10 to
include various micro-ingredient batch or "recipe" instructions or programs
that an operator may select. In
this respect, the PLC 34 is therefore intended to represent a standard
computing device having the capability
to receive user directed inputs and to generate programmed outputs. In the
case of a PLC type controller, the
PLC 32 receives inputs from the system and generates outputs to the system
through an input/output module
that communicates with the processor 33. The input/output module may be
conceptually defined as an
interface between the processor 33 of the controller that allows instructions
from a computer program of the
PLC to be executed upon components of the system to achieve a directed
sequence of operations. A
conventional data input device such as a keyboard, mouse, touch screen
controls or others (not shown), may
be used to provide the operator with the ability to generate command to
control the system 10. The PLC 32
as shown include a single user interface, however it is also contemplated that
multiple user input devices and
user interfaces screens may be used, to include user input devices and
interfaces located remote from the
system 10 to accommodate user control. In this regard, inputs and outputs from
the input/output module may
be communicated wirelessly to the computer processor 33. In lieu of a PLC, a
general purpose computing
device can be used with signal input/output capabilities allowing the
processor to send commands/signals to
w:\067535\0084\2015-01-05_Natent Application.doc 9
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
various components of equipment in the system and to receive input signals
from the components for
evaluation/processing.
As also shown in Figurel, the PLC 32 communicates with an external animal
management system
36, such as an animal management system found in a feed yard or other location
in which the system 10 is
installed. The external animal management system 36 communicates with the PLC
32 through a
communications network 38, such as a local area network, the Internet, or
other communication networks.
The external animal management system 36 specifies the types of rations that
are to be prepared at the
facility concerned, to include specifications or guidelines for the particular
micro-ingredient batches that
should be added to designated feed rations.
The system 10 includes a number of equipment components enabling a wide
variety of different
micro-ingredients to be combined in a batch, processed, and then delivered to
another location, such as a feed
truck, feed mixer, or feed bunk within a feed yard. As shown, a plurality of
bins 12 are located adjacent to
one another, and are arranged to deliver respective micro-ingredients within
each bin to a receiving
receptacle, shown as a mixing tank 40. The bottom portion of each of the bins
12 incorporates a dispensing
device 14 that allows selective and controlled dispensing of micro-ingredients
from the bins into the mixing
tank 40. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the dispensing devices 14
are dispensing augers that are
disposed horizontally for delivering metered amounts of the micro-ingredients
in which the amounts are
measured/determined by controlled rotation of the augurs to dispense the micro-
ingredients. As shown in
figures 3 and 6, each of the dispensing devices 14 includes discharge openings
15 in which the micro-
ingredients are allowed to drop from the devices 14 into the mixing tank 40.
Each of the augurs is driven by
an auger motor 16. As best seen in figures 4 and 5, the auger motors 16 each
include a drive sprocket 18 that
is driven by the motor. Force is transferred from the drive sprocket 18 to a
driven sprocket 20 by a drive belt
22. The driven sprocket 20 is mounted to the corresponding auger for rotating
the auger. The motors 16 are
selectively activated to cause the augurs to rotate, thus dispensing
controlled amounts of the micro-
ingredients.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate six bins 12. However, the system 10 is arranged for
eight bins, two of the
bins being removed from these figures to simplify visualization of the
components of the system.
Additionally, Figure 7 is further simplified in the top plan view thereof in
which two additional bins 12 are
removed to better visualize components the system 10.
Slide gate mechanisms 30 are arranged below the discharge openings 15 of the
dispensing devices
14. More specifically, four slide gate mechanisms 30 are illustrated in which
a pair of adjacent bins 12
dispenses ingredients through a corresponding opening of the slide gate
mechanism into the mixing tank 40.
Although each adjacent pair of bins 12 are shown with one corresponding slide
gate mechanism, it is also
contemplated that each bin may communicate with its own slide gate mechanism
for controlling access into
W=\067535 4)084 \2015-01-05_Patent Application.doc 10
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
the mixing tank. Accordingly in this later configuration, there could be eight
slide gate mechanisms used,
one for each bin. In the preferred embodiment of Figure 1, the adjacent pairs
of bins 12 in one aspect of the
invention could be used to store similar ingredients for a micro-ingredient
batch or otherwise compatible
micro-ingredients that can be simultaneously dispensed without concern for
cross contamination between the
ingredients in which there is no need to separately control access into the
mixer by a slide gate mechanism
for each bin.
A mixing tank motor 42 is used to drive a mixing shaft 110 (Figure8). The
mixing shaft 110
includes a plurality of spaced mixing impellers 112 that are used to mix the
micro-ingredients which are
delivered into the mixing tank. The mixing motor 42 may have a drive sprocket
(not shown) which transfers
force to the mixing shaft 110 by a drive belt (not shown) connected to the
mixing shaft, this type of force
transferring arrangement being similar to the force transferring arrangement
for the auger motors 16. The
drive components of the mixing motor (drive belt and sprockets) may be housed
within the drive component
cover 44 shown as mounted to one end of the mixing tank 40 adjacent the motor
42.
A mixing tank cover 46 covers the upper open end of the mixing tank 40, along
with the slide gate
mechanisms 30. During operation, the slide gate mechanisms 30 are selectively
opened and closed based
upon the sequence in which micro-ingredients are dispensed from the augers. A
vent 98, illustrated as an
element that extends above the cover 46, allows air to escape within the
mixing tank during operation. As
micro-ingredients and liquid are added to the mixing tank, pressure will
increase within the mixing tank
requiring air to be vented during micro-ingredient processing and cleaning of
the interior of the mixing tank.
Pressure may also increase within the mixing tank if chemical reactions occur
by mixing of the micro-
ingredients which produce gas. The vent 98 may include a filter element (not
shown) to prevent loss of
micro-ingredients through the vent into the atmosphere.
The components of the system 10 are supported by a plurality of support
members 26, such as angle
iron brackets in combination with a base or platform. These support members
provides the necessary support
and rigidity for the system enabling it to be mounted within a mobile unit or
cart, as described further below.
Other components of the 10 include two conveying pump assemblies, shown as a
first conveying
pump assembly 50 and a second conveying pump assembly 56. It may be desirable
to provide redundancy
for these pump assemblies for various reasons. In the event of a failure of
one of the pump assemblies, the
remaining pump assembly could be used without having to shut down the entire
system for repair. If it is
necessary to selectively increase the conveying pump power or head from the
pump assemblies, the
provision of two pump assemblies may more easily facilitate this requirement,
such as if it becomes
necessary to convey the micro-ingredients over a considerable distance through
a conveying line to a feed
truck or feed bunk. Additionally, for cleaning and flushing operation
sequences in which it is necessary to
fully clean the interior of the mixing tank and the components exposed to
micro-ingredients, it is also
w.\067.535\oo84\2o15-01-05_Patent Application doc 11
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
advantageous to have a series of pump assemblies in which liquid may be more
efficiently evacuated from
the mixing tank. The two pumps place in series allows a complementary priming
action for the pumps when
evacuating the mixing tank from a prepared batch of micro-ingredients and
taking in liquid from the tank to
supplement conveying of the micro-ingredients downstream.
Each of the pump assemblies include corresponding conveying pump motors, shown
as motors 52
and 58. Each of the pump assemblies further include respective pump housings
which house the pump
impellers for generating pumping force, shown as pump housings 54 and 60. As
shown, the pump
assemblies are connected in series by a pump connecting line 88. The line 88
connects at one end to the
discharge of pump housing 60 and the other end connects to the inlet of pump
housing 54. The discharge
side of pump housing 54 communicates with pump discharge line 100 which in
turn, communicates with
manual discharge valve 70 that defines the discharge outlet 66 of the system.
Three-way valve 94 is mounted to the discharge side of the pump housing 54. In
the event there is a
break down in the feed mill operation, it may be necessary to redirect the
slurry mixture to another temporary
location. For example, if the slurry mixture was originally directed to a
downstream feed mixer and that feed
mixer became inoperable, the prepared micro-ingredient mixture/slurry would
require re-routing to another
location. Accordingly, a temporary outlet hose/line (not shown) could be
attached to the open port of the
valve 94 (the left side of valve 94 as illustrated in Figure 4). The valve 94
would then be operated to allow
flow through the open port and through the temporary outline hose/line, and to
block flow through the other
port that connects to discharge line 100.
According to another aspect for use of the valve 94, if it became necessary to
bypass the pump
assembly 50 (such as due to a need for repair or replacement), the pump
connecting line 88 could be
connected directly from the discharge side of the pump housing 60 to the open
port of the valve 94 such that
the micro-ingredient mixture/slurry is pumped through the valve 94 directly
into the discharge line 100. If it
became necessary to bypass the pump assembly 56, the pump connecting line 88
could be disconnected from
the outlet of the pump housing 60 and connected directly to the outlet of the
mixing tank resulting in pump
assembly 50 being solely used for evacuating the mixing tank. Therefore, it
should be apparent that the three
way valve 94 can be used to accommodate operation of both of the pump
assemblies or selected ones of the
pump assemblies.
Liquid to be conveyed to the mixing tank, such as water, is received through
system inlet 64 at
manual inlet valve 68. Valve 68 connects to line 86 that extends downstream to
carry the liquid to a plurality
of intermediate and manually operated valves. Referring to Figure2, these
intermediate valves include a pair
of spray nozzle inlet valves 101, a mixing tank inlet valve 102, and a
cleaning hose inlet valve 103. The
cleaning hose inlet valve is normally placed in a closed position, and is
opened only if necessary to hose
down or clean the system 10, in which case the external cleaning hose 97
attached downstream of the valve
W:\067535\0084\2() 15-01-05_Patent Application doc 12
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
103 can be used. Downstream of the spray nozzle inlet valves 101 are a
corresponding pair of spray nozzle
inlet solenoid valves 105 that are used to automatically control the addition
of liquid to the mixing tank
through spray nozzle supply lines 96. The spray nozzle supply lines 96 are
used to supply liquid to
corresponding spray nozzles 116 connected to the spray nozzle supply lines 96
by fittings 114 (see Figure8).
During a cleaning or flushing sequence of the system, the solenoid valves 105
may be activated to allow
delivery of water through the lines 96 to the nozzles 116. The spray nozzles
116 may provide a high pressure
spray to effectively clean the interior of the mixing tank, to include the
lower exposed surfaces of the slide
gate mechanisms 30 and the lower surface of the mixing tank cover 46. These
nozzles 116 may be nozzles
that spin so that the nozzles are capable of supplying high pressure
overlapping streams of water to contact
all areas within the mixing tank and the lower exposed surfaces of the
mechanisms 30 and the top cover 46
of the tank.
Mixing tank inlet solenoid 104 is placed downstream of the mixing tank inlet
valve 102. A mixing
tank inlet line 99 (Figure2) interconnects the solenoid 104 with an outlet of
the mixing tank 40 so that liquid
can be delivered to the mixing tank during a micro-ingredient batching
sequence. Accordingly, the solenoid
valve 104 is selectively operated by the controller 32 to allow delivery of
liquid through line 99 to the mixing
tank according to a pre-designated recipe for a micro-ingredient batch that
may require a specified amount of
water to create a slurry mixture.
The particular construction of each of the storage bins 12 as shown in thc
preferred embodiment
include upper bin sections 82, lower bin sections 84, and mounting brackets
74. Upper bin sections are sized
to slidably fit within the lower bin sections. For example, the lower bin
sections could each incorporate an
internal stop flange located near the upper ends of the lower bins sections so
that the upper bin sections could
be inserted in the lower bin sections and supported by the respective stop
flanges. The upper bin sections are
an optional feature to increase the overall volume of selected ones of the
bins in the event it is desired to
selectively increase bin capacity.
In order to measure and track the amounts of micro ingredients used, the
system may incorporate a
"loss in weight" protocol in which amounts of micro-ingredients used are
determined by incrementally
recording loss in weight of each of the bins, and any components attached to
the bins, such as the dispensing
devices 14 and the motors 16. In this regard, the system may therefore
incorporate the use of load cells that
weigh each of the bins with components when loaded with pre-designated micro-
ingredients, and then
subsequent weight measurements are made during processing of the micro-
ingredients to determine when the
appropriate amounts of micro-ingredients are conveyed to the mixing tank for
preparation of the designated
micro-ingredient batch, as measured by the loss in weight of the bins. In the
preferred embodiment shown,
each of the bins 12 are independently suspended and separated from the other
components of the system so
that each bin may be continuously and independently weighed. More
specifically, a horizontally extending
W:\067535 \0084\2015-01-05_Patent Application.doc 13
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
load cell beam 76 is used to support a plurality of load cells, generally
indicated in the drawings as load cells
78. The load cell beams 76 are rigidly mounted to the interior of the mobile
unit, such as to the interior sides
of the panels of the mobile unit. If the system is not mounted within a mobile
unit, then the load cell beams
can be mounted to another external rigid support, such as a support wall or
divider positioned adjacent to the
system. Each bin has at least one load cell positioned on opposite sides of
the bin for recording the weight of
the bin. Each bin is suspended or hung in a manner so that the entire weight
of the bin is placed upon the
corresponding load cells of the bin in order to determine an accurate weight
for the bin, and each bin being
physically separated from one another so that there is no contact between the
bins which otherwise would
interfere with accurate weighing of each of the bins. As further shown in the
preferred embodiment, the
mounting brackets 74 can be used to mount the respective bins to the supported
load cells. For example,
referring to Figure5, connecting elements, such as brackets or hooks 75, can
be used to secure the bins to the
supported load cells 78. Upper support brackets 77 may also be used to
stabilize the connection between the
upper bin sections 82 to the lower bin sections 84, so that if the upper bin
sections are used, they are oriented
in a manner that their mass is centered over the corresponding lower bin
sections to ensure reliable weight
measurements for the connected bin sections. These upper support brackets 77
as shown in figures reside
above the load cells 78 and may be connected to the corresponding lower
disposed mounting brackets 74 as
by connecting plates 80. As further shown in the preferred embodiment, the
mounting brackets 74, upper
support brackets 77, and load cells 78 are disposed on opposite sides of the
bins, along with the load cell
beams 76, so that each of the bins are supported in an arrangement to weigh
each of the bins with load cells
located on opposite sides of each of the bins. It is noted that the front pair
of bins 12 according to the view of
Figurel and other figures does not show the load cells 78, upper brackets 77,
or load cell beams 76 for
purposes of simplifying these drawings.
As mentioned, the use of separable upper and lower bin sections is
advantageous to selectively
control the size of the bins. The upper bin sections 82 bin sections may be
mounted flush with a top cover or
surface of the mobile unit, or may extend above the mobile unit, depending
upon the size of the upper
sections 82 chosen. The upper ends of the bins 12 also incorporate angled
gratings or louvers 85 to prevent
relatively large foreign objects from inadvertently entering the bins, and to
also center micro-ingredients as
they pass into the bins. These louvers may be sized in terms of spacing
between the grating elements such
that clumps of micro-ingredient materials cannot pass through gratings, the
assumption being that the micro-
ingredients are typically homogeneous materials with relatively small particle
sizes. In this regard, the
louvers 85 can also function as sieves so that the micro-ingredients contained
within the bin have a
predictable consistency, which in turn ensures that the dispensing devices can
consistently meter amounts of
the micro ingredients during operation. Referring to Figure7, this top plan
view also illustrates the auger
shafts 108 that are disposed to rotate thereby metering micro ingredients
through the discharge openings 15.
W:\067535 \0084 \2015-01-05_Patent Application doc 14
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
Referring to figures 9-11, details of construction are illustrated for the
slide gate mechanisms 30. A
slide gate frame 120 is provided for mounting components of a slide gate
mechanism 30. A gate opening
122 is exposed when a slidable gate 124 is withdrawn, defining an open
position for the mechanism. More
specifically, the slidable gate 124 is selectively slidable between a closed
position in which the slidable gate
124 covers the opening 122, and an open position in which the slidable gate
124 is withdrawn to expose the
opening 122. A top cover 126 is mounted over one end of the frame 120, and
overlaps the slidable gate 124.
A drain tube 128 is shown as having one end 129 connected to an interior side
of the frame 120 (Figurel 1),
with the opposite end 131 of the drain tube 128 extending adjacent to or
mounted to an interior side of the
frame at the opening 122. If the drain tube is mounted to the side of the
frame, the drain tube has an opening
(not shown) formed at end 131. The purpose of the drain tube 128 is for
drainage of fluid that may build up
within the interior frame pockets 127, which are hollow areas between the
lower surface of the frame and the
top cover 126. For example, during a cleaning cycle for the system, water may
enter the pockets 127 when
the slidable gates are open, thereby necessitating draining of the liquid to
prevent corrosion and to prevent
damage to components that may be mounted within the pockets 127. A slide gate
actuator 130 is used to
move the slidable gate 124 between the open and closed positions. The actuator
130 includes an
extendable/retractable cylinder or piston 132. The exposed end of the cylinder
132 is attached to the slidable
gate 124 as by brackets 136. The actuator 130 is mounted to the slide gate
frame 120 by additional brackets
138. A cutout or slot 140 is formed on one end of the slide gate frame 120
(Figure 11) to accommodate
positioning of a solenoid 144 that may be used to control movement of the
cylinder 132. An o-ring 134 lines
the interior edge of the frame 120 that defines the gate opening 122. The 0-
ring is used to provide a seal
between the slidable gate 124 and frame 120 when the slidable gate is in the
closed position. This sealed
arrangement between the slidable gate 124 and a frame 120 ensures there is no
appreciable loss of airborne
micro-ingredient particles during processing of micro-ingredients within the
mixing tank, and also ensures
that the mixing tank remains sealed from foreign objects that could
inadvertently enter the tank during such
processing. Figure 11 illustrates the top cover 126 and the slidable gate 124
removed to expose the limit or
proximity switches 142 that are used to indicate the position of the slidable
gate 124. As shown, the switches
142 are mounted within the cavities 127. The limit switches 142 detect the
position of the slidable gate 124,
and this positional information is provided as an input to the master
controller. Control signals are provided
to each of the actuators 130 in the system in order to open or close the
corresponding slidable gates 124
during system operation.
To summarize the flow of liquid through the system 10, liquid such as water
enters through inlet 64,
through manual valve 68 into inlet conveying line 86, through another optional
manual valve 106, (Figure3)
and through line 86 to valves 101, 102, and 103. Solenoid valves 104 and 105
control further flow of liquid
into lines 96 and 99, respectively. Liquid entering the mixing tank 40 is
provided either for use as liquid for
W.\067535 \0084 \2015-01-05_Patent Application doc 15
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
creating a slurry mixture (during micro-ingredient batching), or for use to
clean the interior of the mixing
tank (during system flushing/cleaning). For liquid entering the mixing tank
for purposes of micro-ingredient
batching, it then travels from line 99 (see Figure 6) into a T-fitting or
connector 109. According to the view
from Figure6, the T-fitting 109 has a left side extension/leg 111 that
connects to the line 99 and a right side
extension/leg 113 that connects to a quick connect/disconnect coupler 115. The
third leg or extension of the
T fitting 121 (see Fig. 5) attaches to the outlet 119 of the tank 40. The
coupler 115 connects to the inlet side
of the pump housing 60 as by interconnecting section 117. During typical micro-
ingredient processing, the
micro-ingredients will fill a portion of the volume of the mixing tank, but
will leave enough room within the
tank so that liquid may be added as necessary to fulfill particular batch
requirements. In this way, liquid may
be added to the mixing tank through the outlet and the liquid will remain
within the mixing tank during
processing. As shown best in Figure4, potential overfill of the mixing tank
with liquid can be prevented
based upon the arrangement shown with respect to the line 88 and the position
of the pump housing 60.
More specifically, in the event excess liquid enters the mixing tank, the
fluid can be taken up within the
pump housing 60 and the line 88 which is located below the elevation of the
upper edge of the mixing tank.
Additionally, other process controls may be incorporated on the mixing tank to
prevent under-fill or overfill,
such as liquid level switches which can also be used to precisely control
processing of the micro-ingredients
within a specified recipe for batch. For example, a particular batch of micro-
ingredients may specify that
based precise amount of liquid be added to create the slurry mixture. In such
case, the mixing tank can
incorporate a plurality of liquid level switches located at different
elevations within the tank which indicate
the amount of liquid that has entered the tank.
When it is desired to empty or evacuate the contents of the mixing tank 40
after a batch of micro-
ingredients have been prepared, the pump assemblies 50 and 56 can be operated
to evacuate the contents of
the tank, and to evacuate micro-ingredients in the any other sections of the
fluid conveying path that may
have any residual amounts of micro-ingredients, such as micro-ingredients
within the T connector 109, or
residual amounts of micro-ingredients that may have backed up into the line
99. After the micro-ingredients
have been evacuated, it may be desirable to "chase" the micro-ingredients with
additional liquid to ensure
that all of the micro-ingredients have been evacuated through the system and
carry downstream. In many
feed call batches, that is, those feed batches to which the micro-ingredients
are to be added within the facility
in which the system is installed, many such feed batches require additional
water so that the additional liquid
added as "chasing" liquid does not interfere with the final feed batch to
which the micro-ingredients are
added.
It is also contemplated that flow meters can be incorporated within the system
at both the inlet and
discharge of the system so that precise amounts of liquid are tracked. In this
regard, information regarding
amounts of liquid used can be provided to the operator of the facility so that
the operator may also plan as to
W:\067535 \0084\2015-01-05_Patent Application.doc 16
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
how much additional water should be added to a particular feed call batch in
order to meet the
requirements/specifications of such batch.
Returning to a description of the flow path of liquid through the system, from
pump housing 60, the
liquid travels through pump interconnection line 88 into the inlet side of
pump housing 54. As seen best in
Figure6, prior to liquid traveling through the interconnection line 88, it
flows through intermediate
connection/elbow 89 as shown, which in turn connects to another quick
connect/disconnect coupler 123
secured to one end of the line 88. After passing through line 88, fluid passes
through the three way valve 94,
into the pump discharge line 100, and out of the system through discharge 66
at discharge valve 70.
Additional discharge points can be designated or configured, such as by
disconnecting the line 88 from the
valve 94, and connecting it to another discharge point as required.
Figures 12-17 illustrate the system 10 mounted within a mobile cart or
cabinet, generally indicated at
150. The cabinet has a lower platform or base 151to support the components of
the system 10. If it is
desired to make the cabinet mobile, wheels 162 can be attached to the base
151. The cabinet 150 includes
opposing side panels 158 which cover at least two sides of the system 10. The
front side of the cabinet
includes a control panel 152 that may be used to house components of the
master controller 32, such as an
input/output module (not shown) and the processor 33. The user interface 34
can be located remote from the
cabinet, along with input devices used to communicate with the controller. In
this regard, a remote
placement of user interfaces and input devices may be configured to wirelessly
communicate with the
processor and input/output module. The other sides of the cabinet may also
include respective side panels
(not shown), and these side panels may be removable so that an operator may
view the system 10 during
operation and/or to conduct maintenance on the system. Steps 154 may be
mounted on one or more of the
sides of the cabinet in order to ease access to the bin openings.
Bin covers 156 are provided for each of the upper ends of the bins 12. The bin
covers may be
hingedly mounted between adjacent bins. For illustration purposes, Figure 12
shows two of the bin covers
156 removed, and the location 161 on the top panel 160 where the bin covers
156 can be mounted.
According to the arrangement shown, when a bin cover is opened, it will at
least partially block access to the
adjacent bin, which assists to prevent spillage of micro-ingredient into the
adjacent bin. Preferably, only one
of the bin covers is opened at any time when adding micro-ingredients to
prevent cross contamination
between the bins. Nonetheless, the arrangement of the bin covers as shown in
which hinged ends of the bins
located between the bins helps to avoid cross contamination. Figure 17 also
shows vents 164 formed on the
top panel 160. These vents can be used to dissipate heat generated from the
system 10, and may be
particularly useful if side panels 158 enclose all sides of the cabinet during
operation.
According to a method of the invention, a micro-ingredient preparations system
is provided in which
micro-ingredients are stored within a designated storage bins, and thus
dispensing device is provided for each
W:\067535 \0084\2015-01-05_Patent Application.doc 17
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
of the bins to dispense micro-ingredients into a receiving receptacle, such as
a mixing tank. Micro-
ingredients are delivered to the receiving receptacle as determined by a
recipe, the recipe being executed by a
controller that communicates with the dispensing devices. One or more slide
gate mechanisms are
positioned adjacent the bins such that at least one gate opening controls
access to the interior of the mixing
tank with respect to micro-ingredients dispensed from one or more of the
dispensing devices. The control
also operates the slide gate mechanisms such that airborne micro-ingredient
particles are prevented from
escaping the mixing tank during operation. Also, in the event of equipment
failure or an alarm condition, the
slide gate mechanisms are operated to prevent loss or contamination of micro-
ingredientsin one example of
the method, the slide gate mechanisms are closed and sealed after the
prescribed amount of a micro-
ingredient is dispensed from the one or more storage bins mounted over the
respective slide gates. Slide
gates are opened when it is desired to allow the micro-ingredients to move
from the dispensing devices into
the mixing tank. In yet another example of the method, during an alarm
condition such as when it is
determined that an improper micro-ingredient may have been delivered to the
mixing tank, or may be
delivered to the mixing tank, the slide gate mechanisms can be moved to the
closed position as an interlock
or safe mode feature to prevent micro-ingredients from entering the mixing
tank until the alarm condition has
been resolved. Other examples of alarm conditions could include failure of
system components, such as
failure of one or more of the load cells, failure of one or more of the
dispensing devices, or cross
contamination situations that could occur in loading the bins. It shall be
understood however that these are
not all of the potential alarm conditions that could exist and therefore, the
method of the invention includes
use of the slide gate mechanisms as interlocks during any applicable alarm
condition in which it is
determined that the mixing tank should not receive any further micro-
ingredients until the alarm condition is
resolved.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, it includes a sub-
combination in which the slide
mechanisms can be used in any type of product delivery system in which it is
desired to control loss of
product caused by the product becoming airborne. Therefore, it is contemplated
that the slide gate
mechanisms of this invention can be used with other types of systems in which
a product is delivered to a
receiving receptacle having an opening to receive the products, and in which
it is desirable to cover and seal
the opening to prevent product loss.
Yet further, in another preferred embodiment of the invention, it includes a
sub-combination in
which the slide gate mechanisms can be used to prevent access to a receiving
receptacle during operation
when an alarm condition is present, and it is determined that the receiving
receptacle should be closed and
sealed. In this aspect of the invention, it provides an interlock or safe mode
feature in which the slide gate
mechanisms are used to physically control access to the receiving receptacle.
W.\067535 \0084 \2015-01-05_Patent Application doc 18
CA 02876400 2015-01-06
The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of
illustration and
description. Further, the description is not intended to limit the invention
to the forms disclosed herein.
Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the above
teachings, within the skill and
knowledge of the relevant art are within the scope of the present invention.
The embodiments described
herein are further intended to explain the best mode presently known of
practicing the invention and to
enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and other various
modifications required by their
particular application or use of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the
claims be construed to include the
alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.
W:\067535\0084\2015-01-05 _Patent Application.doc 19
