Auger With Continuous Knife Reducing Fibrous Feed Tearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bulk feed mixers with serrated knives tend to tear fibrous material, reducing the nutritional value of the feed and requiring more power to cut densely packed material in mini-mixers.
Innovation Solution
An auger with a continuous or nearly continuous knife along its periphery, composed of overlapping knife sections connected by weld nuts or flush fasteners, providing a clean cut and reducing material damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a serrated knife is used on the auger, then the fibrous material is cut, but the material is torn and nutritional value is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous knife is segmented into multiple individual knife sections that are distributed around the periphery of the auger flighting. Each knife section independently engages with the fibrous material, providing multiple clean cutting points that prevent tearing while maintaining the continuity of the cutting action around the auger.
Solution Approach 2:
The knife sections are positioned and dimensioned to create overlapping cutting zones as the auger rotates, ensuring continuous engagement with the fibrous material. This continuous cutting action eliminates gaps in the cutting process, preventing material from being grabbed and torn between discrete cutting events.
2Device complexity
If a non-continuous knife is used on the auger, then the structure is simpler, but the cutting effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using a single complex continuous knife blade, the design segments the cutting function into multiple simpler knife sections. Each section is an independent, relatively simple component that can be individually positioned and secured to the auger flighting, achieving continuous cutting coverage without requiring a single complex blade structure.
3Productivity
If more power is applied to cut densely packed material, then the material is cut through, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Knife sections are strategically positioned at specific locations around the auger periphery where they can most effectively engage with densely packed material. The distribution and orientation of knife sections are optimized to target areas of high material density, providing localized cutting capability that reduces the overall power required to process the bulk material.
Data Source
AI summary
An auger is provided for cutting and mixing bulk fibrous feed placed into a mixing chamber of a mixer for eventual consumption by livestock. The auger comprises flighting have an outside edge defining the periphery of the auger. A knife is provided, connected to the periphery of the flighting in a continuous or substantially continuous manner along at least a major portion of the periphery of the flighting of the auger. The continuous or substantially continuous knife may include knife sections placed adjacent and substantially longitudinally to one another thereby providing a continuous or substantially continuous knife. The auger having the continuous or nearly continuous knife along the periphery provides a substantially clean cut of fibrous bulk material and a reduction in crushing and/or tearing of the fibrous material relative to an auger with a non-continuous knife or an auger with a serrated knife.