Self-propelled feeder

Claim 2

In an animal feeder to deposit animal feed into a feed area having a guide track extending along the feed area, an elongated feed carrier mounted for movement on the guide track, said feed carrier having a trough to receive feed material and a means for removing feed from said trough comprising a continuous conveyor loop longitudinally encircling said trough and means to define a fixed point beneath said trough whereby movement of the feed carrier produces relative movement between the trough and the loop, the improvement which comprises a stationary support member extending within said feed carrier longitudinally below said trough along the entire length of the guide track and means for connecting the fixed point of said conveyor loop to said longitudinal support member to define said fixed point.

Claim 3

An improved animal feeder as in claim 1 wherein said conveyor loop comprises a flat conveyor belt.

Claim 4

An improved animal feeder as in claim 1 wherein said conveyor loop comprises a chain and a plurality of spaced-apart flights attached to said chain.

Claim 5

An improved animal feeder as in claim 1 which includes a supporting frame structure having fixed ends to support said feed carrier and said stationary support member is rigidly connected to both ends of said supporting frame.

Claim 6

An improved animal feeder as in claim 1 wherein said stationary support member comprises a cable.

Claim 7

An improved animal feeder as in claim 5 wherein said connecting means comprises a plate and means to affix said cable support member to said plate.

Claim 8

An improved animal feeder as in claim 6 wherein anti-friction means are positioned along the side edges of said plate and extending over said edges to prevent engagement of the plate with the interior side walls of said feed carrier.

Claim 9

An improved animal feeder as in claim 7 wherein said anti-friction means comprises rotatable guide wheels.

Claim 10

An improved animal feeder as in claim 1 wherein said feed carrier comprises an elongated elevator having an open, trough top section and an enclosed, bottom conduit section, said loop longitudinally encircling said open trough and passing within said enclosed conduit and said stationary support is positioned longitudinally within said enclosed conduit.

Claim 11

An improved animal feeder as in claim 9 wherein said support member comprises a cAble and said connecting means conprises a plate to which said cable and loop are affixed.

Claim 12

An improved animal feeder as in claim 10 wherein said support plate has a width slightly less than the width of the bottom conduit and includes guide wheels positioned on the side edges of said plate to prevent engagement of the plate with the side walls of the bottom conduit.

Claim 13

An improved animal feeder as in claim 9 wherein said cable is affixed to said plate near the side of the plate and the loop is affixed to said plate near the center of said plate.

Claim 14

An improved animal feeder as in claim 11 which includes an anti-friction member positioned on the bottom of said plate to minimize friction between the plate and the bottom of the enclosed conduit.

Claim 15

An improved animal feeder as in claim 11 wherein said conveyor loop comprises a chain and a plurality of spaced-apart flights attached to said chain.

Claim 16

An improved animal feeder as in claim 11 which includes a supporting frame structure having fixed ends to support said feed carrier and said cable is rigidly affixed to the ends of said frame structure.

Claim 17

In an animal feeder to deposit animal feed into a feed area having a guide track extending along the feed area, an elongated feed carrier mounted for movement on the guide track, said feed carrier having a trough to receive feed material from a feed source and means for removing feed from said trough wherein the removal means cannot discharge all of the feed present in the trough due to the inability of the feed carrier to move a distance sufficient to discharge all material deposited in the carrier thereby creating a movable dead spot in said trough, the improvement which comprises a baffle positioned over said dead spot, and stationary relative to the movable dead spot, to direct feed passed to the trough away from the dead spot thereby preventing feed from accumulating therein.

Claim 18

In an animal feeder to deposit animal feed into a feed area having a guide track extending along the feed area, an elongated feed carrier mounted for movement on the guide track, said feed carrier having a trough to receive feed material from a feed source and means for removing feed from said trough wherein the removal means cannot discharge all of the feed present in the trough due to the inability of the feed carrier to move a distance sufficient to discharge all material deposited in the carrier thereby creating a movable dead spot in said trough, the improvement which comprises a baffle positioned over said dead spot, and stationary relative to the movable dead spot, to direct feed passed to the trough away from the dead spot thereby preventing feed from accumulating therein.

Claim 19

An improved animal feeder as in claim 16 wherein said baffle is a horizontal baffle and said feeder includes means for removing feed deposited on said baffle.

Claim 20

An improved animal feeder as in claim 16 wherein said removal means comprises a continuous conveyor loop longitudinally encircling said trough and having a fixed point beneath said trough wherein said baffle is affixed to said loop to extend over said dead spot at a height greater than the feed height in the trough.

Claim 21

An improved animal feeder as in claim 18 wherein said baffle is a substantially horizontal baffle and includes means for removing feed deposited on said baffle.

Claim 22

An improved animal feeder as in claim 19 wherein said baffle has downwardly turned forward and rear edges to prevent accumulation of feed beneath said baffle.

Claim 23

An improved animal feeder as in claim 20 wherein the side edges of said baffle extend over the side edges of said trough.

Claim 24

An improved animal feeder as in claim 18 wherein said conveyor loop comprises a chain and a plurality of flights attached to said chain and said baffle is affixed to said chain.

Claim 25

An improved animal feeder as in claim 18 wherein said removal means comprises a scraper positioned above said trough to remove feed on the baffle as the baffle passes below said scraper.

Claim 26

An animal feeder for selectively discharging feed into a feed area which comprises: i. an elongated feed carrier mounted for oscillating movement above said feed area; ii. means for passing feed into said feed carrier; iii. a discharge chute mounted on at least one end of said feed carrier; iv. means for removing feed from the feed carrier and passing the feed into said discharge chute; v. said discharge chute having a downwardly directed opening and comprising a. a rotatable support member positioned near the center of said chute; b. a directional baffle positioned in the bottom portion of the discharge chute and extending into the downwardly directed opening; c. said baffle mounted on said support member, and rotatable from a first position to a second position wherein said baffle diverts said feed in a first lateral direction or a second lateral direction respectively; d. a downwardly extending adjusting member connected to said baffle and movable laterally to adjust the position of said baffle; and e. means for engaging said rod to adjust said baffle in response to the oscillating movement of the feed carrier, said engaging means comprising i. a stationary horizontal guide track transversely positioned below said feed carrier; ii. a transversely movable rod assembly mounted on said guide track, said rod assembly comprising a pair of spaced-apart, outwardly extending rods adapted to engage the baffle adjusting rod; and iii. means for moving said rod assembly on said track to selectively adjust the position of said baffle.

Claim 27

An animal feeder for selectively discharging feed into a feed area which comprises: i. an elongated feed carrier mounted for oscillating movement above said feed area; ii. means for passing feed into said feed carrier; iii. a discharge chute mounted on at least one end of said feed carrier; iv. means for removing feed from the feed carrier and passing the feed into said discharge chute; v. said discharge chute having a downwardly directed opening and comprising a. a rotatable support member positioned near the center of said chute; b. a directional baffle positioned in the bottom portion of the discharge chute and extending into the downwardly directed opening; c. said baffle mounted on said support member, and rotatable from a first position to a second position wherein said baffle diverts said feed in a first lateral direction or a second lateral direction respectively; d. a downwardly extending adjusting member connected to said baffle and movable laterally to adjust the position of said baffle; and e. means for engaging said rod to adjust said baffle in response to the oscillating movement of the feed carrier, said engaging means comprising i. a stationary horizontal guide track transversely positioned below said feed carrier; ii. a transversely movable rod assembly mounted on said guide track, said rod assembly comprising a pair of spaced-apart, outwardly extending rods adapted to engage the baffle adjusting rod; and iii. means for moving said rod assembly on said track to selectively adjust the position of said baffle.

Claim 28

An animal feeder as in claim 24 wherein the rods of said rod assembly are positioned to provide a Y shaped structure.

Claim 29

An animal feeder as in claim 25 wherein a directional chute is positioned on each end of the feed carrier and said rod assembly is positioned on each side of the guide track to engage the adjusting rod of each directional chute.

Claim 30

An animal feeder as in claim 23 wherein said engaging means includes i. a drive motor having a drive shaft; ii. a first connecting member rigidly affixed to said drive shaft; iii. a second connecting member the top portion thereof movably affixed to said first connecting member to provide movement in a vertical direction relative to the first connecting member, said second member also being rotatable about a fixed point; iv. the bottom portion of said connecting member engaging said rod assembly to move said assembly laterally in a horizontal direction in response to the drive motor.

Claim 31

An animal feeder as in claim 27 which includes a pair of switches, one switch positioned on either side of the connecting members and responsive to contact with either of said connecting members to stop said drive motor when either of said connecting members contacts a switch thereby confining the rotation of the motor to a predetermined arc.