US 4,377,130 A · Animal actuated feed and water dispensing apparatus

Abstract

An animal feeding apparatus includes a bunk, or trough for receiving solid feed and water and animal actuated hopper means disposed over the trough. The water dispensing function is provided by a plurality of valves having operators to be actuated, preferably, by the snout of an animal and which are configured and disposed to inhibit actuation by the animal at such times as the level of liquid in the bunk exceeds a predetermined depth. The feed dispensing function is provided by the simultaneous actuation of an elongated agitator, disposed on one side wall of the hopper and in a dispensing slot in the bottom of the hopper, and a grate, disposed above the agitator and adjacent the slot and the opposite side wall of the hopper, by an agitator arm connected to the agitator and the grate, and extending downwardly into the bunk for actuation by an animal. The agitator and the grate are pivotable about a common axis to provide different radii of oscillation.

Claims11

Dependent claims

Hog feeding apparatus comprising, in combination:

a horizontal bunk for receiving feed and water, for access by hogs to be fed;
hopper means having opposite walls with spaced lower edge portions defining an elongate slot therebetween disposed over said bunk so that feed, dispensed through said slot is distributed into said bunk;
feed dispensing means including elongate wing bars overlying the lower edge portion of one of the walls and disposed in said slot and extending longitudinally along the slot, said elongate wing bars being oscillatable transversely in the slot to carry feed thereover to be dispensed, said elongate slot and said feed dispensing means being dimensioned to permit feed to pass through the slot on top of said feed dispensing means only upon oscillation thereof;
and
actuating means operably connected to said feed dispensing means to oscillate the wing bars transversely in the slot and including an operator arm extending downwardly into said bunk to be operated by the head of a hog so as to allow the dispensing of adequate feed by the hog without allowing waste by overworking the operator arm.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Animal actuated feed and water dispensing apparatus

Life of this patent

Animal actuated feed and water dispensing apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11