An automated hopper and belt conveyor apparatus that can be used to feed bulk material into a mixer in order to create a feed mixture for farm animals. The automated hopper and belt conveyor apparatus includes a support frame that supports a hopper and an inclined belt conveyor that operate under control of a controller to accurately feed a desired quantity (in weight) of a bulk material item from the hopper to the mixer by forward-direction operation of the inclined belt conveyor. Excess bulk material that has been loaded into the hopper (bulk material over the desired quantity in weight) is reclaimed by the controller controlling opening a rear gate of the hopper and reverse-direction operation of the inclined belt conveyor.

A method of supplying a rifle with cartridges includes providing classes within a group of cartridges. The classes are classified by specific and precisely graduated increments of propellant load contained in the cartridges, or by formulation of propellant, of each class relative to the cartridges of each other class. The user can test fire a rifle with multiple classes of the group and record the accuracy of the firing. A class of the group can be then chosen for a particular rifle based on accuracy of the rifle in the test firing.

A product output device for a product supply system, in which a first product supply device and a second product supply device provide product amounts in a first collecting container and a second collecting container. Both collecting containers are provided with respective first closure flaps and second closure flaps. As soon as the collecting containers are positioned above the product receiving device, the closure flaps can open in order to drop the product into the product receiving device. The collecting container, comprising the first collecting container and the second collecting container, can be pivoted to an output position of the first collecting container, or to a output position of the second collecting container. Herein, the pivoting movement to the respectively different output positions begins before the first closure flaps have closed.

An automated granule portioning system includes at least one volumetric measuring chamber capable of adjusting the volume of the chamber automatically to a programmed target volume and arranged to receive a first portion of granules into the chamber to fill the target volume. A transport system automatically delivers the target volume of granules from the chamber to a weighing device. A granule metering device dispenses granules and, depending on a signal from the weighing device that the first portion of granules is below a programmed target weight, dispenses granules to the first portion to increase the weight to achieve a second portion having the target weight.

An automated granule portioning system includes at least one volumetric measuring chamber capable of adjusting the volume of the chamber automatically to a programmed target volume and arranged to receive a first portion of granules into the chamber to fill the target volume. A transport system automatically delivers the target volume of granules from the chamber to a weighing device. A granule metering device dispenses granules and, depending on a signal from the weighing device that the first portion of granules is below a programmed target weight, dispenses granules to the first portion to increase the weight to achieve a second portion having the target weight.

The disclosed technology includes a method of packaging a product using a packaging system. The packaging system includes at least one weigh bucket, at least one sorting apparatus, at least one reject funnel, at least one accept funnel, and at least one memory bucket. The method includes loading the product into the packaging system, weighing the product with the at least one weigh bucket, determining that the product meets or exceeds a predetermined weight amount, dropping the product from the at least one weigh bucket into the at least one sorting apparatus, and directing the product from the at least one sorting apparatus into the reject funnel, the accept funnel, or the memory bucket, responsive to determining that the product meets or exceeds a predetermined weight amount.