# US 5,699,753 A · Animal feeder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,699,753 A - Document ID: US5699753A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/511,108 - Filed: 1995-08-04 - Granted: 1997-12-23 - Earliest claimed: 1995-08-04 - Inventors: James K. Aldridge, III - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5699753A ## CPC - A01K 5/0225: {Gravity replenishment from a reserve, e.g. a hopper (for poultry A01K39/012)} - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract An animal feeder having a lower base member that includes an annular trough and a cylindrical feed tube that is supported on the lower base member. Formed about the lower end of the cylindrical feed tube is a plurality of feed cut-outs that are disposed adjacent the annular trough of the base member. Feed is contained within the cylindrical feed tube and flows by gravity downwardly through the feed cut-outs into the annular feed trough formed in the lower base member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A two-piece animal feeder for feeding animals such as small turkeys and chickens, comprising: a) a base member having an annular feeding trough defined about the periphery thereof; b) a cylindrical feed tube having a cylindrical wall structure having inner and outer sides and upper and lower open ends, the cylindrical feed tube being designed to be supported on the base member and functioning to confine feed therein end to direct the feed downwardly by gravity to the annular feeding trough; c) a raised central island formed in the base member with the central island projecting upwardly from the base member and designed to project upwardly in the lower open end of the feed tube so as to generally center the feed tube about the base member and to limit lateral movement of the feed tube with respect to the base member; d) a series of spaced apart elongated horizontal feed cut-outs formed in the cylindrical wall of the feed tube adjacent the lower open end, the feed cut-outs being normally disposed adjacent the annular feeding trough when the feed tube is supported on the base member thereby directing the gravity flowing feed from the feed tube downwardly and outwardly through the feed cut-outs into the annular feeding trough; and e) a fastening structure for attaching the cylindrical feed tube to the base member including cooperating fasteners formed on the inside wall of the cylindrical wall structure of the feed tube and on the centering island projecting upwardly from the base member, and wherein the fasteners are operative to assume an unattached and an attached mode, and wherein the fasteners associated with the feed tube and base member include at least one groove and a mating locking bead with the locking bead adapted to be inserted into the groove to form a locked relationship. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The animal feeder of claim 1 wherein the groove is formed about the outer surface of the central island and the locking bead is formed along the inside of the cylindrical wall of the feed tube. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The animal feeder of claim 2 wherein the central island is provided with a plurality of raised radials that project across the top portion of the central island and wherein at least one raised radial includes an outer side and wherein the groove that forms a part of the fastening structure is formed in the outer side of the raised radial and wherein the locking bead formed on the inside wall of the feed tube is adapted to project and extend into the groove so as to effectively lock the cylindrical feed tube with the base member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The animal feeder of claim 3 wherein the raised radial assumes a generally inverted V-shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The animal feeder of claim 4 wherein there is formed a connecting wall section between the respective feed cut-outs and wherein the locking bead of the fastener structure is formed on the inside of the connecting wall section such that the feed tube can be connected to the base member in such a fashion that the respective raised radials project towards and generally align with the connecting wall section disposed between the respective feed cut-outs when the cylindrical feed tube is secured to the base member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The animal feeder of claim 1 wherein there is formed a relatively short supporting rim formed around the open bottom of the feed tube and which also forms the lower edge of the respective feed cut-outs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The animal feeder of claim 6 wherein both the feed tube and the base member are designed such that each can be nested into corresponding structures for convenient handling and packing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The animal feeder of claim 7 wherein there is formed a cylindrical rim around the top portion of the cylindrical wall structure that forms the feed tube and wherein there is a lip that projects outwardly from the open top of the cylindrical feed tube. ### Claim 9 An animal feeder for feeding animals such as small turkeys, comprising: a) a base member having an annular feeding trough defined therein; b) a cylindrical feed tube having an open cylindrical wall structure with opposed upper and lower open ends with the cylindrical feed tube being designed to be supported on the base member such that the annular feeding trough is defined adjacent the outer lower portion of the cylindrical feed tube when the same is supported on the base member; c) at least one feed opening formed in the feeder for directing feed from the feed tube into the annular feeding trough of the base member; d) a raised island formed in the base member with the island protecting upwardly from the base member into the lower open end of the feed tube the feed tube is supported by the base member; and e) a fastening structure associated with both the base member and the cylindrical feed tube for attaching the cylindrical feed tube to the base member, the fastening structure including an interlocking groove and a locking bead structure wherein the locking bead can be turned into engagement with the groove to create a locked relationship between the base member and the cylindrical feed tube. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The animal feeder of claim 9 wherein the groove is associated with the raised island formed in the base member and wherein the locking bead is formed on the inside wall of the feed tube. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The animal feeder of claim 10 wherein the respective feed cut-outs include opposed upper and lower edges that extend generally horizontally within the side wall structure of the cylindrical feed tube and opposed ends that are generally arcuate shaped. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The animal feeder of claim 10 wherein there is provided a series of raised radials extending across the top of the centering island with the respective raised radials being of an inverted V-shape and including an outer edge and wherein the outer edge of at least one raised radial includes the groove that forms a part of the fastener structure for fastening the cylindrical feed tube to the base member and wherein the locking bead is formed on the inside of the cylindrical wall structure and is designed to mate and lock with the groove formed in the outer edge of the raised radial. ### Claim 13 An animal feeder for feeding animals such as small turkeys, comprising: a) a base member having an outer feed holding area, an outer wall, and a series of spaced apart supports disposed upwardly of the outer wall with the supports including a groove formed therein; b) a cylindrical feed tube having upper and lower end portions with the cylindrical feed tube being designed to be supported on the base member; c) at least one feed opening formed in the feeder for directing feed from the feed tube into the feed holding area of the base member; and d) a cooperating fastening structure formed on the base member and feed tube for fastening the feed tube to the base member, the cooperating fastening structure including the groove formed on the base member and an attaching member extending from the feed tube and including at least one break therein that permits the attaching member to align with the groove before the attaching member is secured to the groove, wherein the fastening and unfastening is achieved by rotating either the feed tube or the base member relative to the other and causing the attaching member to be turned in the groove. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The animal feeder of claim 13 wherein the base member includes a series of circumferentially spaced grooves. ### Claim 15 The feeder of 14 wherein the grooves are inwardly spaced from the outer wall of the base member, and wherein the feed tube includes a wall having the attaching member formed thereon and wherein the attaching member is formed about the lower end portion of the end feed tube. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The feeder of claim 13 wherein the base member includes an inner island. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The feeder of claim 13 wherein the base member includes an inner island and wherein the supports having the groove formed therein are formed on the inner island and wherein in a fastened state the feed tube extends downwardly over at least a portion of the supports and the attaching member projects from the feed tube into the groove of the supports. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The feeder of claim 17 wherein there is provided at least two supports having the groove formed therein and wherein the supports are spaced such that the respective grooves form segments of a circle.