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US 5,992,349 AGranted
Animal feeder
OwnerThomas D. Sachsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an animal feeder comprising a hopper and a feed tray into which feed is gravity fed from the hopper. The hopper has an inverse funnel shape to prevent feed jams. The feeder is formed from two halves with a metering gate that meters the feed fed from the hopper to the tray. The metering gate has a limited swing with pegs mounted thereon to further agitate jammed feed inside the hopper as the animal feeds from the tray.
Claims12
An animal feeder comprising:
- a feed hopper having sidewalls, a front wall, a rear wall, and an open top, said front wall having an opening;
- a feed tray in communication with said hopper through said opening;
- and
- a feed agitator mechanism mounted in said opening for movement through a limited arc, wherein an animal nudges said mechanism feed agitator to loosen feed in said hopper, and cause said feed to fall into said tray, wherein said feed agitator mechanism movement is limited by slots formed in said hopper sidewalls, and said feed agitator mechanism has flanges covering said slots.
1 more element
An animal feeder comprising:
- a first half;
- a second half that is generally symmetrical about a central plane with said first half, said halves being joined at said central plane wherein said joined halves form a hopper and a feed tray, said feed tray being in communication with said hopper;
- and
- a swingably suspended meter gate interposed between said hopper and said feed tray, said gate having a limited swing, wherein said gate swing is limited by slots formed in said feeder halves that are engaged by side of the gate.
1 more element
An animal feeder comprising:
- a first half;
- a second half that is generally symmetrical about a central plane with said first half, said halves being joined at said central plane wherein said joined halves form a hopper and a feed tray, said feed tray being in communication with said hopper;
- and
- a swingably suspended feed agitator mechanism interposed between said hopper and said feed tray, wherein an animal nudges said mechanism loosening feed in said hopper causing said feed to fall into said tray, wherein said mechanism has a swing limited by slots formed in said feeder halves.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.