Automatic feeder

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC LIQUID FEEDER FOR ANIMALS, A CLOSED WALL FEED CONTAINER, A SINGLE ELONGATED ANIMAL FEED SUPPLY LINE, SAID SUPPLY LINE HAVING ONE END THEREOF IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE FEED CONTAINER THROUGH THE WALLS ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, AND THE OTHER END THEREOF IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER THROUGH THE WALLS ADJACENT THE TOP THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF FEEDING NIPPLES COMMUNICATED WITH SAID SUPPLY LINE AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS THEREALONG, AND PUMP MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SUPPLY LINE FOR EFFECTING THE FORCED CIRCULATION OF FEED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER THROUGH THE SUPPLY LINE AND BACK INTO THE TOP OF THE CONTAINER, SAID SUPPLY LINE, OUTWARDLY FROM THE FIRST END THEREOF COMMUNICATED WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER, EXTENDING VERTICALLY TO A HEIGHT GENERALLY ABOVE THE NORMAL UPPERMOST FEED LEVEL OF THE FEED CONTAINER AND MAINTAINING THIS HEIGHT THROUGHOUT THE FEEDING NIPPLE PORTION UNTIL COMMUNICATED WITH THE UPPER END OF THE CONTAINER, THEREBY PREVENTING GRAVITY FLOW OF THE FEED FROM THE CONTAINER INTO THE SUPPLY LINE.