An apparatus for starting the flow of a compacted material from a hopper trailer is disclosed. The apparatus may include a means of substantially joining the apparatus with the rim of a hopper trailer, an auger shaft having flighting, and a means of turning said shaft on a longitudinal axis in order to displace compacted material and initiate the flow of same. In one embodiment, the auger shaft consists of an internal shaft capable of receiving segmented sleeves having flighting in order to allow for compatibility with a wide variety of hopper trailers. In another embodiment, the drive means of the apparatus may be operated by wireless control.

An auger for a vertical feed mixer with a lifting surface that is upwardly angle from an inner edge toward an outer edge. A fliting portion to form a part of an auger for a vertical feed mixer, the fliting portion including an outer edge that is positioned higher than a radially positioned inner edge. An auger for a vertical feed mixer that in rotation defines an hourglass shape.

A system for receiving a single-use vessel containing a mixing device has a support structure adapted to receive the single-use vessel and a drive-unit adapted to power, to control, or to power and control a mixing of contents of the single-use vessel when the single-use vessel is arranged in the support structure. The support structure and the drive-unit are provided as separate components that may be arranged both in an operating position, where the drive-unit is connectable to the mixing device of the single-use bag in the support structure, and in a separated position, where the drive-unit is separated from the support structure. The drive-unit comprises a tag reader that, in the operating position, is arranged to read a vessel tag of the single-use vessel arranged in the support structure.

A system for producing homogenized oil field gel including a power unit, a control system, a feed tank, a hopper, and a piping assembly that includes inlet and outlet manifolds, centrifugal pumps, and metering devices for filling the feed tank and handling a discharge of oilfield gel. The system further includes a powder hydration component and liquid chemical equipment. The method for producing homogenized oil field gel includes a guar powder procedure including a controlled sequence for starting and stopping a venturi mixer in a hydration unit. The method for producing homogenized oil field gel further includes a liquefied gel concentrate procedure including a metering and chemical injection procedure for mixing a liquefied gel concentrate.

A site may require that multiple containers, such as bulk material containers, may be utilized to provide a required composition or mixture of materials at a required discharge rate. An arrangement of four or more containers on a frame disposed on a support platform where two faces of each container proximate or adjacent to a face of two other containers to form a rectangle provides a configuration that allows for safe and efficient removal and replacement of containers A rotary table coupled to a motor disposed on the support platform rotates the frame such that each container transitions to different positions. The containers discharge material through an opening of support platform. Containers may be retrieved from one position and replaced at another position or retrieved and replaced from a single position. Such a configuration allows for multiple transport devices to operate without interfering with the operations of each other.

Mixing systems that include a mixer housing and one or more disk assemblies for mixing and processing materials is disclosed. The disks rotate to mix an additive into the material and to carry agglomerated solids toward a discharge of the mixing system. The disks may have a plurality of fingers or lobes which extend from a central portion of the disks.

In accordance with presently disclosed embodiments, systems and methods for efficiently managing bulk material are provided. The disclosure is directed to systems and methods for efficiently combining additives into bulk material being transferred about a job site. The systems may include a support structure used to receive one or more portable containers of bulk material, and a mulling device disposed beneath the support structure to provide bulk material treatment capabilities. Specifically, the mulling device may facilitate mixing of coatings or other additives with bulk material that is released from the portable containers, as well as transfer of the mixture to an outlet location.

A particulate material sensing and agitation control system of an agricultural system includes a drive system configured to operate an agitating system, a plurality of sensors, in which each sensor of the plurality of sensors may detect presence of particulate material at the sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a functional status of each sensor of the plurality of sensors, and, in response to determining the functional status of a respective sensor of the plurality of sensor is functioning, determine a detection status of the respective sensor. The controller is further configured to output a control signal to instruct the drive system to operate the agitating system in a selected operating mode of a plurality of operating modes based on a position within the agricultural system, the functional status, and the detection status of each sensor of the plurality of sensors.

The invention provides a feed mixer for mixing feed including a mixing container for receiving feed, wherein the mixing container has a bottom and a wall extending upwardly from the bottom, wherein the mixing container includes at least one mixing auger rotatably arranged in the mixing container, wherein the at least one mixing auger is rotatably drivable about a vertical axis, characterized in that the pitch of the at least one mixing auger increases upwardly.

A portable water batching system for mixing fireproofing coatings. A controller allows the user to pre-set the volume of a batch of water to be dispensed into the mixer for the fireproofing coating. The water batching system can also be used in conjunction with an acid/activator injection system that allows an acid solution to be introduced to the fireproofing coating slurry prior to reaching the spray gun used for application. The water batching system and acid injection system can be used in tandem with a system that proportionally controls the amount of acid solution pumped from the acid injection system to the amount of fluid pumped from the water batching system. The systems can each be equipped with data sensors to allow for recording of information for each batch of fireproofing coating.