Inventors:
Edsel A. Harrell - Tifton GA
Alton N. Sparks - Tifton GA
William D. Perkins - Tifton GA
Woodrow W. Hare - Tifton GA
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
Agriculture - Washington DC
International Classification:
B65B 304
Abstract:
A new apparatus for metering insect diet accurately and efficiently into individual insect rearing cells is disclosed. Insect diet is accurately metered into a set of plastic rearing cells which are preformed by a form-fill-seal machine. The insect diet is transferred from a thermally controlled reservoir through a pneumatic cylinder type metering device by means of a negative pressure on the intake and a positive pressure on the discharge. Thus very high viscosity diet materials can be utilized. The diet is discharged through a set of nozzles into individual plastic rearing cells. A ball type check valve is used on both the intake and discharge ends of the metering device, which can be incrementally calibrated by a threaded collar type mechanism. The whole apparatus is mounted to a stationary frame with a movable lower cross-head which imparts function to the metering devices. The number of metering devices can be varied and assembled in series and operated simultaneously with the number of rearing cells.