i?
JJs4E$
t) LLCTOW
Xi LLECTGW
MecbOfliCt eeclers
for Silage
Dale
.
K;k
AgrcultUr5l xperrfleflt Statofl
Oregon State College
CorvatI5
CrculaT of Informa0t 518
overnber 1952
Mechanical Feeders for Silage
DALE E. KIRK
Assistant Agricultural Engineer
Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station
Increased acceptance of ensuing as a means of storing forage crops has brought
an increase in the amount of hand labor required for winter feeding. An equal feed
The
value in silage weighs 2 to 3 times as much as hay, due to the added moisture.
labor required in feeding this additional weight can be reduced greatly by rnechanical equipment.
Commercial Equipment
There are several commercially constructed tsilo unloaders" on the market.
Some are an integral part of a factory-built silo and others can be installed in a
silo already built on the farm. Nost of these units can be set to feed down a predetermined amount of silage with automatic shut-off control. On many farms the cost
of such units may be justified in the savings in labor and possible savings in feed
value.
Silos equipped with self-feeding mangers are being tested, but no commercial
Hardware kits
units or satisfactory plans for construction are available as yet.
kits include
for constructing mechnaized feed bunks are available
the chain, cleats, sprockets, bearings, gear-reduction units, and the motor (if desired) for assembly into a standard-type wooden feed bunk on the farm.
Mechanized Feed Bunk - Full Width Conveyor
The mechanical feed bunk equipped with a full-width conveyor in the bottom
of the trough has proved very successful. This type of feeder is satisfactory for
bunks up to about 50 feet long where
the cattle feed from both sides.
Where the cattle feed from only one
side, this type feeder is considered
satisfactory in lengths up to about 75
feet. Longer bunks of this type requlre heavier chain, sprockets, and
shafting and the slow-moving chain is
more likely to "jump" or "hunch."
I
Feed bunk equipped with
Figure 1.
(Chain guard has
full width conveyor.
been removed to show drive mechanism.)
Where a
Figure 2 shows two ways in which the feed bunk may be constructed.
Where
small ration of silage is fed each day, the V-type manger may be desirable.
the cattle are fed all the silage they will eat and there is little competition for
feed, the post-type or even an open-type manger with fewer posts than shown would be
satisfactory.
2
Two methods are shown for applying power to the chain. The jackshaft arrangement shown at the top of Figure 2 may be assembled from similar chain, sprockets,
Auto transmissions often are used as part of the
and gears available on the farm.
power train because of the speed adjustments available. The final drive, however,
should be at least as strong as the size of chain shown. The more compact power
train shown at the bottom of Figure 2 consists of a motor belted directly to a dualpurpose power unit which may be used also as a wagon unloader for silo filling.
These are available from several companies handling silo-filling equipment.
Trough chain speeds will vary with length of feed bunk, methods pf feeding silage down, and the level of the feed in the silo. Most chains, however, will run
between 2 and 10 feet per minute to travel the length of the bunk while enough silage
Where the silage is being fed down
is being fed down from the silo for one feeding.
by hand, some type of automatic motor shut-off or signal device to the man in the
silo usually is needed to prevent the motor from running too long and dropping the
This nay be a buzzer system actuated either as
silage off the far end of the bunk.
shown or by a hinged board which just clears the chain cleats near the discharge end.
As the first silage hits the board and swings it back it can actuate a button switch
similar to the type of light switch used on refrigerator or automobile doors.
All chain sprockets, except one of the two conveyor chain idler sprockets, should
be keyed to the shafts and held in place with set screws. Leaving one conveyor chain
idler free on the shaft will allow it to stay always in mesh with the chain and eliminate riding or crowding of the chain.
In spite of the slow speeds involved, chain and sprocket guards should be provided wherever contact is likely with persons or livestock. When the more compact
dual-purpose power unit is used, the fast-moving V-belt drive also should be provided with an adequate guard.
The
It is recommended that bronze-bushed bearings be used on any jackshafts.
feed chain shaft bearings may be either bronze-bushed or constructed from wellseasoned hardwood blocks with some provision for positive lubrication.
Silage Conveyor
For silos 14. feet or more in diameter the portable, 10-foot silage conveyor
shown in Figure 3 may be used to reduce greatly the time and labor required for pitching silage down at each feeding. The unit may be suspended from the roof or rested on
the silage with the discharge end projecting out the silo door. By extending about
9 feet into the silo, the conveyor makes it possible for the operator to pitch material from any point in the silo without second handling or without the effort of throwing it toward a door opening.
The conveyor is designed to use standard dimension lumber and standard chain,
sprockets, belts, and pulleys. To secure the sprockets the shafting should be either
milled for keys or drilled for pins. The angle iron cleats should be welded or brazed
to the special conveyor chain links. Conveyors in use have shown that 150 feet per
minute is a satisfactory speed for the chain. If bronze or babbitt bearings are used,
When wellthe unit can be driven by a 1/3 hp capacitor or repulsion-induction motor.
lubricated hardwood bearings are used, a 1/2 hp capacitor or repulsion-induction motor
is recommended.
/
TOOTH NO 32 SPROCKET
8 TOOTH NO 55 SPROCKET
10
7
'A
40 TO
II
PULLEY
GEAR REDUCTION
UNIT
TOOTH NO.32 SPROCKET
PULLEY ON MOTOR.
2
I' SHAFT
4:4 POST.
IORf HP MOTOR, 1750 RPM.
ç
6
/
IZZER
V ITCH
.EE DETAIL)
4 CROSS MEMBER.
:4
_
-18 TOOTH NO. 35 SPROCKET
2 RPM.
I'- 7'--- 2- 7'
27
I.___..1
SIDE VIEW
(VEE TYPE)
A
-_
1
SPRING
/',/'\,'
/'
"/'j''
I\
I,
\\
12)00TH
'
55 SPROCKET.
S
I
I
-
a
\
BUZZER
,'
STEEL TAB
Ii":
If"
1:2 HARD
WO0D CLEATS OR ANGIE
IRON FLIGHTS AT EVERY
WOOD CLEAT
OR -: IL4 x IL4
12TH LINK
ANGLE.
F
O-I LINK
END VIEW
SECTION A-A
BUZZER SWITCH
DETAIL
2:4 ----0 C
ALAR1
AB
"START" ALARM TAB
2
: 12
I _ . _ -' - _-.._-_-___,______-_-'_-.-
-SIL AGE-'
0 I
'-'- 2:4
-"STOP ALARM TAB
24
.-
&'START ALARM TAB
BUZZER TAB POSITIONS
COMMERCIAL
WAOON UNLOADER
SIDE VIEW
(POST TYPE)
FIGURE 2
MECHANIZED FEED BUNK
bFF
TAB
a flew
AS_ nnyLj ennnr&er
I
itil -fLinen n-rrnrLI.arnh,-
nile r.j A..
i
i nfl, t
A
I
L
PLAN VIEW
h/3 OR 1/2 H.P
MOTOR
/4" x 3/4" STEEL
r
I
Ipr
______
/
L...B
TAKE UP BEARING
SIDE VIEW
fl
I,JL_# I I%#I
O 3i6 __ 9ii
-- _ _ I
3'
2
SCALE
pivw000
I/4"X 3
FLAT
STEEL-s
314'X3/4"x /8
3/4ux3/4Cx /8'
ANGLE
ANGLE
j
A* PULLEY
SHAFT
T
2x4
COLLAR-'-T
I
L
ii
I
'/ ___
V2 PLYWOOD
H
0
-CLEARANCE
/
II
SPACER BLOCK FOR
V PULLEY CLEARANCE
a
9
--fi
SECTION BB
9
6'
3"
::=
I
-'è
ia"
I
SCALE
FIGURE
3
SILIAGE CONVEYOR