Described herein is an exemplary feed mixer apparatus that includes a mixing chamber for receiving feed material, and having a mixing element situated therein for mixing the feed material; a transmission having a plurality of gears and connected with a mixing element; a plurality of mixing chamber sensors positioned to sense at least one of the volume and the level of feed material in the mixing chamber; a control unit having a display and a plurality of user inputs, wherein the control unit is in at least indirect communication with the transmission and the sensors, and wherein the control unit receives a plurality of outputs from one or more of the transmission and sensors, and based at least in part on the plurality of outputs, provides an output command to effectuate a gear change in the transmission.

An agricultural mixer knife for use with an agricultural mixer apparatus may include a plate with opposite sides and opposite faces and a perimeter between the sides. The plate has a cutting edge which is serrated with primary and secondary edge sections. The primary edge sections may have a sharp tip formed by a first converging surface and a second converging surface. The second converging surface may have a first region and a second region, with the first region being concave and depressed into the plate with respect to the second region. In some embodiments, the first region may be elongated along a first axis extending substantially parallel to the sharp tip of the primary edge section. In some embodiments, the first converging surface may be substantially planar, and may have a cladding material applied thereto.

A feed mixer assembly having a feed mixer platform on which is mounted a hopper with an auger assembly rotatably mounted therein. A first electric motor drives the auger via a main gearbox. A battery assembly on the platform provides electricity via a first inverter to power the electric motor. A control gearbox assembly mounted on the platform includes a three-way gearbox disposed to transfer power between a first driveshaft coupled to an external power source; a second driveshaft coupled to a pump, and a third driveshaft coupled to an electric motor/generator. Power from the external power source can be used to drive the pump and/or generate electricity from the electric motor/generator for storage by the battery. Alternatively, the electric motor/generator, powered by the battery, can be used to drive the pump.

A control system for mixing materials for livestock feed including a container that receives the materials, agitators that mix the materials in the container, a driveline that drives the agitators at an output speed with an output torque, a power source that provides an input speed at an input torque, a continuously variable transmission that connects the driveline and the power source and having a hydrostatic loop to provide a speed ratio between the input speed and the output speed, a plurality of sensors positioned between the power source and the agitators that provides mixing signals commensurate to mixing parameters, and an electronic control unit configured to receive the mixing signals, extract mixing parameter values from the mixing signals, and actuate the continuously variable transmission and adjust the speed ratio based on the mixing parameter values to enhance efficiency of the mixing of the materials.

A bale ripper assembly for pulling plant material from a bale may comprise a bale ripper device supportable on an auger of a feed mixer apparatus and having a first face and a second face with a perimeter. The perimeter may include a leading perimeter portion for orienting in a direction of movement of the device when the device is mounted on the auger of the mixer apparatus and the auger is rotated. The leading perimeter portion of the perimeter may include a plurality of sections with each section of the plurality of sections being oriented at an angle with respect to an adjacent said section of the leading perimeter portion. An outboard pair of the sections form an outboard tooth of the bale ripper device. The leading perimeter portion of the perimeter may have an edge face that extends between the first and second faces, and the edge face may be blunt.

A control system for mixing materials for livestock feed including a container that receives the materials, agitators that mix the materials in the container, a driveline that drives the agitators at an output speed with an output torque, a power source that provides an input speed at an input torque, a continuously variable transmission that connects the driveline and the power source and having a hydrostatic loop to provide a speed ratio between the input speed and the output speed, a plurality of sensors positioned between the power source and the agitators that provides mixing signals commensurate to mixing parameters, and an electronic control unit configured to receive the mixing signals, extract mixing parameter values from the mixing signals, and actuate the continuously variable transmission and adjust the speed ratio based on the mixing parameter values to enhance efficiency of the mixing of the materials.

A system for filling a feed mixer, the system comprising: a feed intake device configured to take in a feedstock from a stockpile; a feed processing system for processing the feedstock and directing the processed feedstock into a container of the feed mixer; and a controller associated with the feed processing system, the controller configured to control processing of the feedstock by the feed processing system based on a prescribed recipe.

The invention provides a method for determining a current homogeneity parameter of a fodder mixture for farm animals while mixing the fodder mixture in a mixing container of a fodder mixing apparatus, wherein the fodder mixture comprises at least two different fodder components, comprising recording, in sequence, optical spectra of the fodder mixture with a spectral sensor while mixing, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: a) receiving, by an electronic control unit, at least three optical spectra recorded by the spectral sensor, b) calculating, by the electronic control unit, a correlation between the at least three optical spectra, and c) determining, by the electronic control unit, the current homogeneity parameter based on the correlation between the at least three optical spectra.