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US 5,595,139 AGranted
Hog feeder
AssigneeLakeview Hutterian Brethren
InventorsJoseph M. Hofer, Daniel J. Wipf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved animal self-feeder that has a feed reservoir vertically disposed above a trough and that has an intermediate feeding plate disposed between the reservoir and the trough. The self-feeder includes an outlet for discharging feed downwardly from the reservoir onto the intermediate feed plate from which the animal can feed or can knock the feed into the trough below to feed. The self-feeder further includes an agitation assembly for agitating the feed within the reservoir to enhance its flow through the outlet. The agitation assembly is rotationally mounted within the reservoir such that it is rotatable through a complete circle, or 360.degree.. In a preferred embodiment the present invention further includes a jack screw and crank for changing the elevation of the agitation assembly and feed plate.
Claims32
A feeder comprising:
- a feed trough;
- a feed reservoir for holding animal feed, said reservoir disposed above said trough and having an outlet for discharging feed;
- a feed agitation assembly for agitation of the animal feed, said agitation assembly comprising:
- a rod rotationally mounted to said feed reservoir, said rod having
- a first end extending through said outlet and a second, opposite end;
- at least one agitator bar extending outwardly therefrom;
- a feed plate, said feed plate being attached near said second rod end and disposed above said feed trough, said feed plate being capable of being rotated through 360.degree.;
- and
- a plurality of agitator bars, each of said bars having a pair of ends, one of said ends being attached to said rod near said second rod end and the other bar end being attached to said feed plate.
6 more elements
A feeder comprising:
- a feed trough;
- a feed reservoir for holding animal feed, said reservoir disposed above said trough and having an outlet for discharging feed;
- a feed agitation assembly for agitation of the animal feed, said agitation assembly comprising:
- a rod rotationally mounted to said feed reservoir, said rod having
- a first end extending through said outlet and a second, opposite end;
- at least one agitator bar extending outwardly therefrom;
- and
- a feed plate, said feed plate being attached near said second rod end and dispose above said feed trough, said feed plate being capable of being rotated through 360.degree.;
- wherein said reservoir has a top side having a substantially rectangular configuration, said agitation assembly further comprises a plurality of agitator bars, each of said bars having a pair of ends, one of said ends being attached to said rod near to said top side and the other end being attached to said feed plate.
6 more elements
A feeder comprising:
- a feed trough;
- a feed reservoir for holding animal feed, said reservoir disposed above said trough and having an outlet for discharging feed;
- a feed agitation assembly for agitation of the animal feed, said agitation assembly comprising:
- a rod rotationally mounted to said feed reservoir, said rod having a first end extending through said outlet and a second, opposite end;
- at least one agitator bar extending outwardly therefrom;
- and
- a feed plate, said feed plate being attached near said second rod end and disposed above said feed trough, said feed plate being capable of being rotated through 360.degree.;
- wherein said agitation assembly includes an even number of bars, said bars being spaced equidistantly circumferentially about said rod.
5 more elements
A feeder comprising:
- a pair of spaced apart end walls having top and bottom ends;
- a trough having a pair of ends, said trough ends attached to said side walls adjacent to said end wall bottom ends;
- a feed reservoir disposed above said trough, said feed reservoir being formed by said end walls and a pair of opposed side walls, said side walls extending between said end walls and being attached thereto, said feed reservoir including at least one discharge outlet for discharging feed held in said feed reservoir downwardly through said at least one outlet toward said trough;
- an agitator assembly for agitation of the feed in the feed reservoir to facilitate its flow through the at least one outlet, said agitator assembly comprising:
- a rod rotationally mounted within said feed reservoir, said rod having first and second ends, said second end extending through said at least one outlet;
- at least one agitator bar extending outwardly from said rod;
- a feed plate, said feed plate being attached to said rod second end and disposed above said feed trough, said feed plate rotatable through 360.degree.;
- and
- a plurality of agitator bars, each of said bars having top and bottom ends, said agitator bar top ends being attached to said rod near said rod first end and said agitator bar bottom being attached to said feed plate.
6 more elements
A feeder comprising;
- a pair of spaced apart end walls having top and bottom ends;
- a trough having a pair of ends, said trough ends attached to said side walls adjacent to said end wall bottom ends;
- a feed reservoir disposed above said trough, said feed reservoir being formed by said end walls and a pair of opposed side walls, said side walls extending between said end walls and being attached thereto, said feed reservoir including at least one discharge outlet for discharging feed held in said feed reservoir downwardly through said at least one outlet toward said trough;
- an agitator assembly for agitation of the feed in the feed reservoir to facilitate its flow through the at least one outlet, said agitator assembly comprising:
- a rod rotationally mounted within said feed reservoir, said rod having first and second ends, said second end extending through said at least one outlet;
- at least one agitator bar extending outwardly from said rod;
- and
- a feed plate, said feed plate being attached to said rod second end and disposed above said feed trough, said feed plate rotatable through 360.degree.;
- wherein said reservoir has a top side having a substantially rectangular configuration, said agitation assembly further comprises a plurality of agitator bars, each of said bars having a pair of ends, one of said ends being attached to said rod near to said top side and the other end being attached to said feed plate.
6 more elements
A feeder comprising:
- a pair of spaced apart end walls having top and bottom ends;
- a trough having a pair of ends, said trough ends attached to said side walls adjacent to said end wall bottom ends;
- a feed reservoir disposed above said trough, said feed reservoir being formed by said end walls and a pair of opposed side walls, said side walls extending between said end walls and being attached thereto, said feed reservoir including at least one discharge outlet for discharging feed held in said feed reservoir downwardly through said at least one outlet toward said trough;
- an agitator assembly for agitation of the feed in the feed reservoir to facilitate its flow through the at least one outlet, said agitator assembly comprising:
- a rod rotationally mounted within said feed reservoir, said rod having first and second ends, said second end extending through said at least one outlet;
- at least one agitator bar extending outwardly from said rod;
- and
- a feed plate, said feed plate being attached to said rod second end and disposed above said feed trough, said feed plate rotatable through 360.degree.;
- wherein said feed reservoir side walls include a top vertical portion and a bottom sloped portion, the sloped portions sloping towards the center of said feeder and toward each other;
- and
- wherein said feeder further includes a mounting bracket for rotationally mounting said rod to said feeder, said mounting bracket extending along the top side of said feeder;
- and comprising
- a u-shaped bar and said end walls include a pair of shelves projecting inwardly into said feed reservoir, said u-shaped bar being suspended over said shelves such that the sides of said bar depend downwardly and such that said u-shaped bar is supported thereby.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.