Device for feeding animals

Claim 2

A livestock feeding device comprising an elongated trough, a belt guide portion disposed beneath said trough, a roller rotatably mounted at one end of said trough, a belt for holding feed for livestock on a portion thereof while in said trough, a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the other end of said trough, a connecting chain passing around said sprocket wheel with one end connected to one end of said belt and the second end connected to the other end of said belt by an adjustablyconnecting means, said adjustably-connecting means including a wheel with sprockets and secured to a shaft pivotally mounted on rigid means connecting with the upper end of the belt, so that said sprockets mesh with the adjacent end portion of the connecting chain, whereby turning said shaft may pull the end portion of said chain through an aperture in the rigid means until it is tight, and a pin for insertion through registering apertures in said rigid means and a link of said chain to hold the tightness desired.

Claim 3

A livestock feeding device comprising an elongated trough, a belt guide portion disposed beneath said trough, a roller rotatably mounted at one end of said trough, a belt for holding feed for livestock on a portion thereof while in said trough, a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted adjacent tHe other end of said trough, a chain passing around said sprocket wheel with its ends respectively connected to the ends of said belt, means for automatically stopping the travel of the belt when one end nears the end of the trough towards which it is traveling, other means for automatically stopping the travel of the belt when its other end nears the other end of the trough, said belt having one end connected to the chain through an upper drawbar above the bottom of said trough and its other end connected to the chain through a lower drawbar below the bottom of said trough, a slack-take-up wheel with sprockets secured to a shaft rotatably mounted on the top one of said drawbars at the junction between the end of the belt above the trough and the chain, said shaft having a non-circular portion to facilitate turning it and said wheel by a wrench, the sprockets of said wheel meshing with said chain to allow for tightness adjustment, and a pin for insertion through registering apertures in said drawbar and chain for holding the desired adjustment.

Claim 4

A livestock feeding device comprising an elongated trough, a belt guide portion disposed beneath said trough, a roller rotatably mounted at one end of said trough, a belt for holding feed for livestock on a portion thereof while in said trough, a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted adjacent tHe other end of said trough, a chain passing around said sprocket wheel with its ends respectively connected to the ends of said belt, means for automatically stopping the travel of the belt when one end nears the end of the trough towards which it is traveling, other means for automatically stopping the travel of the belt when its other end nears the other end of the trough, said belt having one end connected to the chain through an upper drawbar above the bottom of said trough and its other end connected to the chain through a lower drawbar below the bottom of said trough, a slack-take-up wheel with sprockets secured to a shaft rotatably mounted on the top one of said drawbars at the junction between the end of the belt above the trough and the chain, said shaft having a non-circular portion to facilitate turning it and said wheel by a wrench, the sprockets of said wheel meshing with said chain to allow for tightness adjustment, and a pin for insertion through registering apertures in said drawbar and chain for holding the desired adjustment.