Animal feeder
AssigneeVel-Agri, Inc.
InventorRobert M. Winkel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An animal feeder which includes a trough and a feed-containing hopper. The trough includes a rotatable feed wheel connected to a rotatable distributor plate which dispenses the feed from the hopper into the trough. The hopper includes up to three stationary deflectors which limit the amount of feed bearing on the distributor plate at one time to assure a steady, continuous flow of feed from hopper to trough. The position of the distributor plate is also adjustable to vary the predetermined flow rate of feed.
Claims10
In a feeder for dispensing feed to animals including a hopper for storing the feed to be dispensed, said hopper including a feed discharge opening, a feed receiving trough positioned beneath said hopper, a rotatable wheel positioned within said trough, the improvement comprising a generally horizontal distributor plate below said hopper discharge opening, said distributor plate positioned between said hopper discharge opening and said trough, said wheel and distributor plate connected for joint turning about a common axis, said distributor plate constituting means for centrifugally throwing said feed outwardly into said trough upon turning of said wheel, a drive member aligned with said axis connected to said distributor plate and extending to said wheel, means for raising and lowering said distributor plate and attached drive member to vary the spacing between said hopper discharge opening and the distributor plate, a slide connection between said drive member and wheel wherein turning of the wheel causes turning of the drive member and connected distributor plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.