Animal husbandry – Feeding device – With watering devices
Patent
1994-08-22
1995-09-05
Manahan, Todd E.
Animal husbandry
Feeding device
With watering devices
119 535, A01K 500
Patent
active
054471192
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feeding device for feeding animals, such as pigs or hogs, which includes a feed reservoir from which feed is supplied to a base member defining a feed support surface or trough surface substantially exclusively under the influence of gravity.
2. The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,425 discloses a feeding device or feeding apparatus of this type for feeding ground mixture to swine or hogs. In this known ground mixture feeder the feed reservoir is rotatably mounted in relation to the circular pan defining an annular trough therein. Radial projections fastened to the lower end of the reservoir are located within the annular trough so that the hogs when feeding will snout the projections back and forth and thereby turn the reservoir back and forth. Thereby stopping and clogging of the feed will be prevented and the flow of feed from the reservoir into the trough may be accelerated.
DE-C2-26 52 788 discloses a more simple and steady feeding device in which feed under the influence of gravity may flow from a feed reservoir and a feed discharge tube depending therefrom to a feed support surface of a trough. The feed discharge tube, which is stiff, is connected to the lower part of the funnel-shaped feed reservoir, which is made from an easily deformable material so that the depending feed discharge tube may be moved in transverse directions. The open lower end of the feed discharge tube is closely spaced from the feed support surface of the trough, and an intermediate part of the feed discharge opening is surrounded by an annular member having an inner diameter exceeding the outer diameter of the feed discharge tube whereby the clearance between the annular member and the outer surface of the feed discharge tube allow for a certain transverse movement of the feed discharge tube. The animals being fed by means of the feeding device may push and easily displace the lower end of the feed discharge tube and thereby accelerate the delivery rate of feed to the feed support surface. The vertical position of the movement restricting annular member may be adjusted to adjust the apparatus to the size of the animals being fed. However, as the lower part of the feed reservoir is made from an easily deformable material so that the feed discharge tube may to some extent be displaced axially upwardly, the known feeding device is in practice suited for feeding piglets only.
The present invention provides feeding device of the type just described which may be used for feeding animals of different size with a minimum of adjustments being necessary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, the present invention provides a feeding device for feeding animals, such as pigs or hogs, the device including a base member defining a feed support surface, a feed reservoir, a feed discharge tube communicating with the reservoir and extending downwardly therefrom, the lower end of the feed discharge tube, which is positioned above and closely spaced from the feed support surface, defining a feed discharge opening located opposite to the feed support surface, the feed discharge tube being moveable relative to the base member and transversely to the longitudinal axis of the discharge tube by the animals being fed, and restriction means for cooperating with the feed discharge tube at a position above the feet support surface so as to restrict transverse movement of the feed discharge tube to a predetermined value at the position from which a lower length of the feed discharge tube depends, so as to allow an initial transverse movement of the lower end of the discharge tube in relation to the base member. The feeding device according to the invention is characterized in that the lower length of the feed discharge tube is elastically flexible such that it may be flexed by at least some of the animals which may be fed by means of the feeding device, whereby due to a force being applied in a transverse direction the lower end of the feed discharge tube may be moved furth
REFERENCES:
patent: 484442 (1892-10-01), Magoon
patent: 2503886 (1950-04-01), Olson
patent: 2644425 (1953-07-01), Hazen
patent: 4947798 (1990-08-01), De Wispelaere
patent: 5243930 (1993-09-01), Rahm
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