FEEDER

摘要

The invention concerns ingredient feed systems. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a weighing hopper (1) is provided with a combined suction/blower unit (8), which is arranged to suck in a desired amount of an ingredient through an inlet (5), during an inlet cycle, and then to blow the ingredient out of an outlet (2) during a discharge cycle. The feed system is controlled so as to enable a number of different ingredients to be input through inlet (5), in desired amounts and the hopper (1) may be provided with mixing means for mixing the ingredients prior to discharge. In one particular embodiment of the invention, an air blast system (23) is provided to aid discharge of the ingredients through outlet (2) during the discharge cycle and to blow any ingredients, trapped by filters (20), off those filters and towards the outlet (2).