GB2428425A - Apparatus for supplying animal feed - Google Patents

Abstract

A hopper 1 for supplying animal feed has the delivery of the feed from an outlet 3 controlled by a paddle wheel. 5. The paddle wheel is between spring-biased hinged walls 6 which can move apart as the paddle wheel presses the feed mixture against them. The paddle wheel is driven by an electric motor which may be controlled by a timer to discharge feed at set times.

Description

PPAPTIIS FOR SIJPPLYIN( NIMA! FEED The present invention relates to

apparatus for supplying animal feed, and more particularly to a hopper for controllably supplying horse feed.

Animal feed may often be supplied using a hopper which is generally funnel shaped and includes an opening at the bottom.

Often, too much of the feed may undesirably be supplied, since the hopper includes no means for restricting the supply.

Accordingly, the present invention seeks to mitigate these disadvantages.

According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for supplying animal feed comprising a hopper; means for discharging feed from the hopper; and means for preventing feed from leaving the hopper when the discharge means is stopped.

The discharge means may comprise a paddle wheel in the opening.

Feed located just above the opening may thereby be forced through the opening by the rotation of the paddle wheel.

The discharge means may further comprise an electric motor for rotating the paddle wheel.

The hopper means may include an outlet which is variable in size, and the preventing means may comprise means biased towards closing the outlet.

The preventing means may comprise at least one spring.

The hopper may comprise two hinged opposing sides, and the preventing means may comprise four springs attached to each of the sides.

There may be a time for actuating the motor at a desired time in a 24 hour cycle.

For a better understanding of the present invention, specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a cut-away view of apparatus according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows the apparatus of Fig. 1 discharging animal feed; Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 along the line X-X; Fig. 4 shows a view of the apparatus according to the invention along the line Y-Y; and Fig. 5 shows a view of the apparatus according to the invention along the line Z-Z.

Referring to Fig. 1, apparatus 1 for supplying animal feed comprises a hopper 2 having means 5 for discharging feed from the hopper and means 4 for prevent feed from leaving the hopper when the discharge means 5 is stopped. The hopper 2 comprises two hinged opposing sides 6, each side 6 hinged at its top point to one of two substantially parallel opposing walls 7. The sides 6 extend generally downwards and towards each other, thus forming the outlet 3 between their closest points. Attached to each of the sides 6 near to their lowest points is a plurality of compression springs 8, the other end of each of the springs 8 being attached to the nearest wall 7. The compression springs 8 push the lowest points of the sides of the hopper towards each other, and thus reducing the size of the outlet 3. There are three or, alternatively, four compression springs 8 each side.

Within the outlet 3, the means 5 in the embodiment is in the form of a dispenser or paddle wheel running the length of the hopper.

The springs 8 provide means biased towards closing the outlet 3, but are prevented from doing so completely by the presence of the paddle wheel 5.

Referring to Fig. 2, animal feed 9, for example a mixture of hay and nuts, is placed within the apparatus 1. Feed is prevented from leaving the hopper 2 by the springs 8 holding the sides 6 against the paddle wheel 5.

Rotation of the paddle wheel 5 forces the feed against the side 6a.

The hay and nuts mixture pushes against the side 6a thus enlarging the outlet 3 as the springs 8a are compressed generally towards the wall 7a of the apparatus. Feed 9 is thus discharged through the outlet 3 in the hopper. When the paddle wheel 5 ceases rotation, the size of the outlet 3 is again reduced by the action of the compression springs 8a returning the side 6a to the original position shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 3, the apparatus 1 includes an electric motor 10 for rotating the paddle wheel 5. The electric motor 10 is contained within a housing 11 for protection, for example against the weather, etc., and there is a timer (not shown), for example an electric timer which can be set to actuate the motor at a desired time or times to discharge feed a those desired times. Thus the timer controls the apparatus to run throughout a 24 hour cycle, discharging feed at the set time(s) (which can be altered).

In addition, the apparatus 1 as a whole comprises a large housing 12 which includes the walls 7. The housing 12 protects both the apparatus and the feed, for example from the weather, etc. Figs. 4 and 5 show views of the apparatus from opposing ends. In Fig. 4 the screws 13 for attaching the motor housing 11 to the general housing 1 2 are visible. In addition, the ends of the hinge means 14 for attaching the sides 6 to the walls 7 are visible.

Modifications are possible. Instead of a "trickle" feed as provided by a paddle wheel 5, there may be a "dump" kind of feeder in which the paddle wheel is replaced by a platform which is rotatable by the motor about a horizontal axis. Feed builds up on the plate, and is dumped at a desired time when the motor rotates the plate about the horizontal axis, defined by a spindle to which the plate is fixed and which itself is operatively connected for rotation to the motor.

Moreover, the means for preventing feed from leaving the hopper may comprise a plate which closes off the outlet 3 and drops away to open the outlet when a pin holding it in place is withdrawn by the motor on actuation by the timer.

There may be a cam which returns the plate, which is hinged to a position to close the outlet and there may be a device such as a return spring which urges the pin back into contact with the plate to hold it in the return position closing the outlet.

The cam may be a snail cam and it and the pin may be operatively connected to the electric motor for synchronised operation controlled by the timer.

In all embodiments, discharge may be controlled electronically.

Thus, there may be electronic circuitry and a control console which has push-button operation and an LCD or LED display, which displays delay time, which could be in hours, a run time, and a start/stop button.

Claims (10)

1. CLAIMS: 1. Apparatus for supplying animal feed, comprising: a hopper;

   means for discharging food from the hopper; and means for preventing food from leaving the hopper when the discharge means is stopped.
2. 2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, the discharge means comprising a paddle wheel.
3. 3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, the discharge means further comprising an electric motor for rotating the paddle wheel.
4. 4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, the hopper further comprising a variable size outlet.
5. 5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, the preventing means further comprising means biased to close the outlet.
6. 6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, the preventing means comprising at least one spring.
7. 7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, the hopper comprising two hinged opposing sides, and the preventing means comprising at least one spring attached to each of the sides.
8. 8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, the two hinged opposing sides being biased against the discharge means.
9. 9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein activation of the discharge means forces feed in the hopper against at least one of the hinged opposing sides thus enlarging the outlet.
10. 10. Apparatus for supplying animal feed, substantially as herein before described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.