US1192069A - Poultry-feeding device. - Google Patents

Description

O. KEPHART.

POULTRY FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, I912.

IIIIIIIIIS UNTTED %TATF% PATENT @FFTQE.

ONIDA KEPHART, OF OSCEOLA MILLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

POULTRY-FEEDING DEVICE.

Application filed June 5, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ONIDA Knrrmn'r, citizen of the United States, residing at Osceola Mills, in the county of Clearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Poultry-Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in poultry feeding devices, and the especial object of my improvements is to provide an automatically operable, and hence labor saving, appliance which will deliver certain kinds of feed directly from a hopper to the fowls, and which will scatter other feed upon the ground about the appliance where it may be picked up by the fowls.

One object of my invention is to provide a feeding device in which the quantity of feed scattered will be proportioned to the number of fowls resorting to the appliance, and to some extent be limited according to their degree of activity superinduced by hunger.

A further object of my invent-ion is to provide means whereby the larger fowls will be the means of scattering feed for the chicks.

Other objects of general utility are attained by my invention as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As the shape and particular construction and arrangement of the parts which go to make up my poultry feeding device may vary in many details without affecting its general principles or functions, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my claims for a patent to the design or exact arrangement herewith indicated, but as merely showing an operative embodiment of the essential elements of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of an appliance embodying my invention, in which portions are broken away to show features which would not otherwise appear; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a ratchet disk which forms a part of the power applying mechanism of my invention, and Fig. 4C is a fragmentary detail in rear elevation of the feed-scattering elements of my in vention. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a similar section taken on the line 6-6 Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters ?atent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Serial No. 701,717.

Referring to the details of the drawing, 5 represents the two side members, 6 the back member, 7 the bottom, and 8 the hinged cover of the lower or base portion of my poultry feeding appliance. Extending transversely of the base between the two sides 5 and from the bottom 7 to the cover 8, is an lnclined partition 9 which divides the base into two compartments, a hopper 7 at the front side of the partition and a bin 8 at the rear side. These compartments communicate with each other through an opening 9 at the bottom of the portion, and except for a vertical board 7 the front of the hopper 7 is open to access by fowls large enough to reach over said board. The cover 1S hinged to a fixed top-board 8 The sides of the base extend upwardly as at 5, and forwardly, as at 5 and form the sides of a hopper 10, having a back 10 and a hinged cover 10. Within this hopper is an inclined bottom 10 which terminates a short distance from a second inclined bottom section 10, the latter inclined opposltely to the former, and the two forming a chute through which grain placed in the hopper 10 may escape.

Passing through the bin top 8 and the hopper bottom 10 and suitably journaled in a collar 11 fixed to the under side of said top, is a vertical rotatable shaft 11, the lower portion of which projects into the bin 8 and is supplied with cross-arms 11 and the upper p1'O]60l)S into thehopper 10 and has cross-arms 11 The shaft 11 has mounted thereon at a point just above the top 8", a .grain distributor consisting of adisk 16 having extending thereacross a vertical division board 16" which is cut away at its center to accommodate a flat helically coiled spring 17, one end of which is attached to the board 16 and the other end to the shaft 11. Fixed on the shaft 11 above the distributor 16, is a ratchet-wheel 12, the teeth 12 of which are upon the upper surface and concentric with the shaft. Wings l2 extend from the periphery of said ratchet wheel at equi-distant points, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and the spokes 12 of the wheel are slightly raised.

The ratchet wheel is directly operated by a pawl lever 15, one end of which is hooked to engage the teeth and turn the wheel when the pawl is moved in one direction and to ride over the face of the teeth when moved in the opposite direction. The opposite end of this pawl is pivotally connected with the upper end of a bar 14, the lower end of which is rigidly secured to the top of a slotted or barred gate 13 which is hung to swing horizontally from brackets 13 which extend upwardly and outwardly fro-m the sides 5 of the bin. The bars of the gate are spaced apart to permit fowls to insert their heads through the openings provided thereby and thus get access to the contents of the hopper 7. In so doing, it will be obvious that the gate will be pushed inwardly toward the bin and this will cause a corresponding outward movement of the pawl lever, which in turn will partially rotate the ratchet wheel and the shaft to which said wheel is secured. As the shaft 11 is turned, the spring 17 is tightened or wound up and the distributing or scattering device 16 is subjected to the tension of said spring inasmuch as the corresponding turning of said device is checked or prevented by a spring arm 20 which is secured at one end to the back 10 of the hopper, until the tension of the coil-spring is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring 20, whereupon the board 16 which has been engaged by the free end of the latter is suddenly released, thus allowing the spring to unwind or loosenand thereby impart a quick rotating movement which -will scatter any grain that will have dropped upon the disk 16 from the hopper 10.

To facilitate the movement of the grain in the hopper 10, I provide the cross-arms 1.1 on the shaft 11, and also a rack-shaft 21 which is ournaled in one side of the hopper and in a suitable opening in the bottom board 10 said shaft having a crank 21 which extends down into the path of the spokes 12 and is moved thereby as the ratchet wheel rotates.

To prevent the backward rotation of the ratchet wheel 12, I pivot a pawl 18 on the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 1

back of the hopper so that its point engages the vertical faces of the teeth 12*.

In the use of my improved poultry feeder, I prefer to place grain in the hopper 10, and grit and dry mash feed in the bin 8 As soon as the fowls attempt to reach the feed in the bin, they will operate the gate in the manner described, and through the various instrumentalities connected with, and set in motion by said gate, the grain in the hopper 10 will be scattered around the device and among the litter and chaff on the floor or ground on which the appliance is placed. The bottom board 19 will be cut away to allow the grain to be freely scattered in the manner described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim, is 2-- 1. A feeding device comprising a bin and a hopper arranged above the bin, agitating means arranged in said bin and hopper, a slotted gate hinged to swing in front of the bin and adapted to permit fowls'to get access to the contents of said bin, and reciprocating and rotatable means operable by the swinging of the gate acting upon said agitating means whereby the contents of the hopper will be fed and scattered from said hopper.

agitating means arranged in said hopper Washington, D. G.

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