Automatic livestock feeder

Claim 1

IN A FEED DISPENSING SYSTEM, A STATIONARY HOPPER HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM END, A GATE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOPPER AND ARRANGED FOR MECHANICAL AND GRAVITY OPERATION TO RESPECTIVELY OPEN AND CLOSE THE BOTTOM END OF SAID HOPPER, AN ELONGATE GATE OPENING MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE AWAY FROM A REST POSITION ADJACENT THE HOPPER DURING OPENING OF SAID GATE, A ROTATABLE SHAFT ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, A CRANK ARM SECURED TO SAID SHAFT AND OPERATIVAELY CONNECTED TO SAID ELONGATED GATE OPENING MEMBER, POWER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT FOR EFFECTING SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID GATE OPENING MEMBER, A NORMALLY SLACK SUPPLE LINK INTERCONNECTING SAID GATE OPENING MEMBER AND SAID GATE, SAID LINK BEING TENSIONED DURING MOVEMENT OF SID GATE OPENING MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID REST POSITION WHEREBY THE GATE IS MECHANICALLY OPENED AND IS THEN RELEASED FROM MECHANICAL CONTROL TO CLOSE BY GRAVITY WHEN SAID GATE OPENING MEMBER RETURNS TOWARD SAID REST POSITION, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID POWER MEANS AT PREDETERMINED INTERNALS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT AND CRANK ARM WHEREBY SAID GATE OPENING MEMBER MOVES AWAY FROM AND RETURNS TO SAID REST POSTION FOR EACH ACTUATION OF SAID POWER MEANS, AND MEANS INCLUDED IN SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR DEACTIVATING SAID POWER MEANS SO THAT MOVEMENT OF THE SHAFT TERMINATES UPON COMPLETION OF A SINGLE ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT FOR EACH ACTUATION OF SAID POWER MEANS.