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US 8,939,109 B2Granted
Animal feeder with adjustment of a feed discharge opening
AssigneeCrystal Spring Colony Farms Ltd.
InventorJonathan Kleinsasser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An animal feeder includes two feeder sections arranged end to end with a common hopper extension feeding individual hoppers above a shelf onto which feed can fall to be taken by the animal or dropped into a trough below the shelf. The height of the shelf is adjustable to change the feed rate by straps which are adjustable by a common longitudinal bar which is located at a selected adjustment position by meshing teeth. The portion of the lever is movable in a direction away from the plate a non-meshing position in which the bar can rotate around the pivot axis. A common water supply extends along both feeders and is heated by a common heating element.
Claims24
An animal feeder comprising:
- a hopper for containing a feed material to be dispensed to an animal for feeding therefrom;
- a receptacle for receiving the feed from the hopper from which the animal can take the feed;
- an elongate opening through which the feed passes so that the amount of feed discharged from the hopper to the receptacle is controlled by a width of the opening;
- the opening being defined on one side by an elongate member extending along the opening and movable transversely of the opening to change the width of the opening along the length of the opening;
- and an adjustment linkage for operating adjustment movement of the elongate member, the linkage including:
- a plurality of upstanding support members at spaced positions along the elongate member;
- each support member being movable upwardly and downwardly to different heights generally along its length to raise and lower the elongate member;
- a gauge for indicating to a user a height of at least one of the upstanding support members such that the user can select a required height;
- an adjustment bar interconnecting all of the upstanding support members for common adjustment of the height thereof;
- and a manually adjustable lever mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis for rotating the bar so as to commonly adjust the upstanding support members.
7 more elements
An animal feeder comprising:
- a pair of feeders arranged end to end, each feeder comprising:
- a hopper for containing a feed material to be dispensed to an animal for feeding therefrom;
- a trough for receiving the feed from the hopper from which the animal can take the feed;
- a shelf mounted above the trough arranged so that the animal can take feed from the shelf or can move the feed from the shelf to the trough;
- the shelf defining with a bottom edge of the hopper an elongate opening through which the feed passes so that the amount of feed discharged from the hopper to the receptacle is controlled by a width of the opening;
- wherein there is provided a water line extending along the pair of feeders underneath the shelf for supplying water to the troughs;
- and wherein there is provided a heater element at the water line and extending along the water line along both of the feeders so as to provide heat to both feeders from a common heater element.
4 more elements
An animal feeder comprising:
- a pair of feeders arranged end to end, each feeder comprising:
- a hopper for containing a feed material to be dispensed to an animal for feeding therefrom;
- a receptacle for receiving the feed from the hopper from which the animal can take the feed;
- an elongate opening through which the feed passes so that the amount of feed discharged from the hopper to the receptacle is controlled by a width of the opening;
- the opening being defined on one side by an elongate member extending along the opening and movable transversely of the opening to change the width of the opening along the length of the opening;
- and an adjustment linkage for operating common adjustment movement of the elongate members of the feeders, the linkage including:
- a plurality of upstanding support members at spaced positions along the elongate member;
- each support member being movable upwardly and downwardly to different heights generally along its length to raise and lower the elongate members;
- a gauge for indicating to a user a height of at least one of the upstanding support members such that the user can select a required height;
- an adjustment bar interconnecting all of the upstanding support members for common adjustment of the height thereof;
- and a manually adjustable lever mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis for rotating the bar so as to commonly adjust the upstanding support members.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.