Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes first, second, and third conveying sections, and a controller. The first and second conveying sections include first and second conveying mechanisms configured to convey workpieces at first and second speeds, respectively. The third conveying section includes a third conveying mechanism, a rotation mechanism, and a first sensor. The third conveying mechanism is in a form of a slide and positioned between the first and second conveying mechanisms. The third conveying mechanism is configured to allow the workpieces dropped thereon from the first conveying mechanism to slide to be transferred onto the second conveying mechanism. The rotation mechanism is configured to turn the third conveying mechanism about a rotation shaft. The first sensor is configured to detect first information indicating that the workpieces have passed the second end portion of the third conveying mechanism. The controller is coupled to the first sensor and the rotation mechanism.

Abstract: A feeder apparatus including a frame, a tray on the frame, and a hopper on the frame with an interior for holding feed. The hopper may be positioned above the tray and have a dispensing opening in a lower end to dispense feed into the tray. The apparatus may include a feed flow control assembly extending from the tray into the hopper and including a closing member configured for at least partially restricting feed movement through the dispensing opening. The closing member may be mounted on the tray and positioned in the hopper above the opening to define a gap therebetween. The hopper may be mounted on the frame in a manner that permits adjustment of the proximity of the hopper to the tray to adjust a size of the gap between the closing member and the dispensing opening to control feed flow through the gap.

Abstract: A portable livestock feeder has a frame supported by a plurality of wheels with a trailer hitch at one end. First and second feed troughs are positioned on each side of a longitudinal center of the frame with racks positioned above the troughs. The feed troughs are supported at their front ends by a first pair of pin members and at their rear ends by a second pair of pin members. The feed troughs are pivotable by a hydraulic mechanism about the pin members between a normal feeding position and a bottom dumping position. One of the pin members is movable between first and second stops that limit lateral movement of the feed troughs toward and away from the longitudinal center of the feeder. An adjustable cam member is arranged to engage another one of the pin members for causing the troughs to move between narrow and wide width settings.

Abstract: A device for the feeding of poultry including a bowl device comprising a feed bowl, a cupola suspending the feed bowl, and a downpipe. The feed bowl is located beneath the downpipe and the cupola is formed from grid bars. The downpipe comprises an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder encompassing the inner cylinder. The outer cylinder is guided in a rotatable, a raisable and a lowerable manner on the inner cylinder. The bowl device includes at least one lifting stop for delimiting a lifting and lowering path of the bowl. The outer cylinder and the inner cylinder is comprised in each case of adjacent cylinder sections co-axial to each other, whereby face peripheral areas of the cylinder sections turned towards each other are connected to one another by bridging elements which bridge a gap area which corresponds to an interval distance between the cylinder sections.

Abstract: An assembly of a milking robot with a milking robot feeding place, such as a milking robot feed trough, and a device for gripping and displacing material, such as for example roughage and/or concentrate for animals. The device is provided with a gripper (2) for gripping, then displacing and subsequently supplying the material. The device comprises control means for displacing the gripper (2) to the milking robot and for controlling the gripper for supplying the material to the milking robot feeding place of the milking robot.

Abstract: A device for feeding poultry kept in a barn, comprises at least one food supply tube (1) which is held above the floor of the barn such as to be able to be lowered or raised, with a series of branch openings, each provided with a dish device (2) hanging on the supply tube, comprising a dropping tube extending from the branch opening and a feeding dish (4) arranged below, the dropping tube with a spoked arrangement of lattice bars (5) forming the cup of the dish. The dropping tube comprises an inner cylinder (7) leading off from the branch opening and an outer cylinder (8) surrounding the inner cylinder, from which the dish hangs by means of the lattice bars, such as to be placed on the floor of the barn in the lowered state of the food supply tube. The outer cylinder runs on the inner cylinder such as to rotate, be raised or lowered and at least one stop is provided for limiting the raising and lowering stoke.

Abstract: A fish feeder having an inner tray sliding within an outer tray. The trays are provided with holes which, when brought into alignment, allow feed to drop from the inner tray through the outer tray and on to a spreader, whereby the food is evenly distributed across the surface of water. The inner tray is driven by pneumatic actuation to reduce noise and precisely control the amount of feed dropped upon each actuation. Means are provided for reducing the ingress of food particulate between the trays, which would otherwise act to increase friction and decrease the efficiency and repeatability associated with food delivery.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing consumables such as feed and water to animals, such as cows, which comprises a framework, on which a plurality of troughs are disposed, and a weighing device. The weighing device is provided with at least one weighing unit for selectively weighing the troughs and thus the amount of consumables in each trough. The weighing unit is movable around a central axis along a guide. A drive unit is provided for the weighing unit which may be a stepper motor. The weighing unit also includes a weighing sensor such as a load cell or a strain gauge. An identification sensor identifies the animal at the feeding trough and the weighing device is moved thereto which may weigh the trough to determine the amount of feed or water therein before the animal begins to eat or drink which is taken into account in metering further feed or water to the relevant trough. The weighing device may continue to weigh the feed or drink before, during and/or after the animal eats or drinks from the relevant trough.

Abstract: A portable livestock feed dispenser is mounted on the bed of a flatbed truck, pickup, or other suitable vehicle. The dispenser comprises an elongate box or hopper with a dispenser end positioned adjacent one edge or end of the flatbed, for dispensing livestock feed to a feed site as desired. A lid extends over the entire top of the apparatus, with a hinge system allowing the lid to be positioned to one side of the device for filling the hopper. A lateral power auger extends the length of the structure, and receives feed from the upper hopper for dispensing from the dispenser outlet. The auger receives power from the electrical or other power supply of the vehicle upon which the dispenser is mounted, with auger operation being controllable remotely from the vehicle cab. A counter is driven by rotation of the auger, for measuring the amount of feed dispensed by the device. The counter may be mechanical, but is preferably electrically operated in order to provide a remote readout in the cab of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for mixing fodder with another consumable material wherein a hopper having two compartments is drawn by a tractor or similar vehicle or is self-propelled. Two parallel feeding channels are provided in front of a plurality of animal's stalls in a building and a tractor together with a hopper move between the two feeding channels. There is a discharge device from each of the compartments of the hopper which extend outwardly into the feed channels to receive fodder from one compartment and another consumable material from the other compartment which are mixed together by mixing devices extending outwardly into the feed channels behind the discharge devices. The mixing device is powered by a power take-off shaft from the tractor and rotates to mix the fodder and other consumable material together. The rotation may be about vertical axes or horizontal axes, the latter extending either in the direction of travel of the tractor or transverse thereto.