Animal feeder
US4953504A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 23, 1990 |
| Grant date | Sep 4, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 23, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA01K5/0233
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An animal feeder for individual animal self-regulated release of free flowing particulate animal feed (e.g. meal or pellets) from an elevated feed supply hopper into a subjacent feed trough. The hopper has a feed outlet in the form of a slot extending longitudinally between opposite sides of the feeder and with its width defined between the bottom edge of an inclined hopper wall and the hopper rear wall. The slot is normally closed by a plurality of tubular segments or rings resting in end-to-end elongated tube-forming relationship on the upper side of the slot. A rod (solid or hollow) rests loosely within the tubular segments and extends from one end segment to the opposite end segment. A horizontal segment restraining member or bar is mounted above the segments which limits excessive lifting of the segments. When mounted so as to be vertically adjustable the restraining member or bar can be used to regulate the degree to which an animal can lift a tubular segment and thereby control the size of the feed release opening. The loose rod and restraining member cooperate to maintain the end-to-end relationship of the tubular segments even though individual segments or pairs of adjacen…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.