Feed pounder

A feed tamper is a device used to chop up grain and other substances to produce nutrient-rich animal feed. Such stamping mills were part of many mills in the 19th century and were sometimes operated alongside grain grinding.

A food pounder made of wood consisted of a total of five pairs of wooden pounders, which fall alternately into the pounding troughs in order to chop up grain or dried animal bones. The rammed earth served as animal feed in agriculture.

A pestle weighs approx. 50 kg. The pairs of rams are held by two guides in the also wooden basic structure. The tampers are raised by a camshaft and then fall into the troughs . The camshaft is driven by the pinion and receives its energy from two upstream gears. The lower of these gears sits on a common oak shaft with the mill wheel. The mill wheel can partially generate an output of approx. 6  hp .

See also

• International Wind and Watermill Museum

Web links

• Photo of part of the Weicheltmühle Reichenau