Animal feeding device

Claim 1

AN ANIMAL FEEDING DEVICE COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A SUPPLY OPENING AT THE TOP, AND INCLUDING A FEED STORAGE COMPARTMENT COMMUNICATING WITH THE TOP OPENING AND HAVING A BASE TROUGH PROVIDED WITH A DOWNWARDLY OPEN DISCHARGE SLOT, AN AXLE JOURNALED IN SAID HOUSING TO EXTEND CROSSWISE BENEATH THE SLOT AND TERMINATING IN A CRANK END, A FEED WHEEL FIXED ON SAID AXLE TO ROTATE CONCENTRICALLY THEREWITH AND HAVING AN ARCUATE PERIPHERY FILLING ONE END OF SAID SLOT AND HAVING A POCKET OPENING RADIALLY THROUGH ITS PERIPHERY, A PIVOT PIN SECURED TO SAID HOUSING TO DEFINE AN AXIS EXTERNAL OF SAID COMPARTMENT, A RELEASE ARM MOUNTED ON SAID PIVOT PIN TO ROTATE ABOUT ITS AXIS AND NORMALLY FILLING THE OTHER SLOT END TO COMPLETE CLOSURE OF SAID SLOT, STOP MEANS FOR DEFINING A SLOT CLOSING POSITION FOR SAID RELEASE ARM, RESILIENT MEANS REACTING BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID RELEASE ARM NORMALLY TO URGE THE SAME TOWARDS ITS SLOT CLOSING POSITION, AN ELECTROMAGNET CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A DRIVE ARM CONNECTED TO SAID CRANK END TO ROTATE THE AXLE THROUGH PART OF A REVOLUTION, SPRING MEANS MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID CRANK END TO REVERSIBLY RESTORE THE CRANK END UPON DE-ENERGIZATION OF THE ELECTROMAGNET, POSITIVE STOPS LIMITING MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVE ARM TO PROVIDE ABOUT 90 DEGREE CRANK ROTATION, AND AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR ENERGIZING THE ELECTROMAGNET MOMENTARILY TO EFFECT ROTATION OF THE FEED WHEEL AND DISCHARGE OF FEED FROM SAID POCKET, WITH SAID ELECTROMAGNET, WHEN ENERGIZED, HAVING SUFFICIENT FORCE TO OVERCOME THE ACTION OF THE SPRING MEANS AND HAVING SUFFICIENT FORCE ALSO TO OVERCOME THE ACTION OF THE RESILIENT MEANS AND SWING THE RELEASE ARM DOWNWARDLY TO FREE ANY FEED TENDING TO JAM BETWEEN THE FEED WHEEL AND THE RELEASE ARM, SAID FEED WHEEL CARRYING A STIRRER EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM AT A REGION THEREOF THAT IS ADJACENT SAID POCKET AND IS ALWAYS WITHIN THE COMPARTMENT TO AGITATE THE FEED UPON EACH ACTUATION OF THE ELECTROMAGNET AND THEREBY INSURE FREE FLOW OF FEED AT THE REGION OF THE POCKET.