US2534608A

US2534608A - Chicken feeder

Info

Publication number: US2534608A
Application number: US766807A
Authority: US
Inventors: Newton A Lasater
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-08-06
Filing date: 1947-08-06
Publication date: 1950-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1967-12-19

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 L s 2,534,608

CHICKEN FEEDER Filed Aug. 6, 1947 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 19, 1950 A; LASATER CHICKEN FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1947 fl fiizasahr Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT was OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to devices for feeding poultry, the primary object of the invention being to provide a device of this character in which the feed is always protected from rodents, small birds, and the elements and yet is always visible and easily accessible to the poultry, thereby eliminating waste to a minimum.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elev-ational view of a chicken-feeding device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, the dotted line showing the lid to the feed hopper as it appears when open.

Figure 3 a side elevational view.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line l4 of Figure 2, the dotted line indicating the position assumed by a treadle and screened gate when operated by poultry.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the in vention embodies spaced parallel base members 5, to which the floor board 6 and vertical side walls l of a feed hopper are secured.

Secured to the floor board 6 and the side walls '5 is the vertical rear wall 8 of the hopper. The lid 9 of the hopper is pivotally mounted by means of a screw it or the like to the upper edge of one of the side walls l, the lid swinging horizontally to an open position as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, in order that feed may be conveniently placed in the hopper.

Completing the top of the hopper is a longitudinal member ll mounted on and extending between the side walls l, the rear edge of the member M and the front edge of the lid 9 abutting when the lid is closed. The vertical front Wall ii! of the hopper extends downwardly from the front edge of the longitudinal member ii, in parallel relation to the rear wall 8, there being locks 83 mounted on the interior sides of the side walls '5, to which the side edges of the front wall 52 are secured. The front wall l2 does not extend to the floor board 6, there being an open ing left between the floor board and the lower edge of the front Wall so that poultry may have access to the feed while still not having suificient room for entering the hopper.

Mounted on the longitudinal member H and overlapping the abutting edges of the lid 9 and longitudinal member ii is a strip M which pre- Vents rain from seeping into the hopper. Further, the top of the hopper is pitched, as is clearly shown by Figure 3 of the drawing, providing a water shed.

A housing for vertical pulley and spring means embodied in the invention is provided, having vertically elongated side walls it formed integrally with the side walls 7 of the hopper, a vertical rear wall It, a horizontal top member ll and a vertical front wall it which extends downwardly to a point approximately intermediate the top member H and the floor board 5. Near the lower edge of the front wall it, there is attached to the front wall a drip strip is which serves as a rain deflector.

Extending between the side walls 'a' of the hopper across the front of the hopper adjacent to the floor board 6 is a lower frame member 28 for the slidable gate, which will be described here inafter. Side frame members 2! and 22 complete the gate frame, the front wall it; of the pulley housing serving as an upper frame member.

Interiorly positioned in the opening to the hopper formed by the gate frame is a vertically slidable screened gate 23. Cords 2% have their ends secured to the top of the gate 23 near the sides thereof and pass over pulleys 25 mounted in the housing side walls 55, the cords having their other ends secured to arms 26 of the treadle 2i, the arms 25 having their rear ends pivotally connected to vertical supports 28 secured to the rear ends of the gate members 5.

There are also secured to the arms 26 the lower ends of the spiral contractile springs 29, which have their upper ends secured to the side walls Id of the pulley housing, adjacent the top thereof.

In use, the device is operated by chickens or other poultry stepping upon the treadle 2?, whereby the arms 26 of the treadle are pivotally moved downwardly, with the result that the cord and pulley connections between the arms 26 and the gate 23 cause the gate to be raised, thus permitting access by the chickens to the feed. As the chickens step off the treadle, the spring 29 causes the arms 25 to return to their former position, thus closing the gate immediately. It will be noted, therefore, that there is no possibility of small birds, or rodents, obtaining access to the feed.

What is claimed is:

A poultry-actuated feeder construction comprising a pair of spaced parallel horizontal base members; a box-like hopper mounted upon said base members and elevated by the base member above a supporting surface, the front wall of said hopper having a gate opening, there being an elongated opening formed in the top surface of said hopper and extending longitudinally of the hopper immediately adjacent said front wall; supports secured to and extending upwardly from the rear ends of the base members; treadle arms pivotally connected at their rear ends to the respective supports and extending forwardly past and at opposite sides of the hopper; a treadle secured to and extending between the front ends of the arms immediately in front of said first-named opening; a gate housing secured to the top portion of the hopper and covering said second-named opening and communicating with the interior of the hopper through said second-named opening, said gate housing being disposed wholly above the top surface of the hopper; a gate slidable upwardly and downwardly within said gate housing and proportioned to cover the first-named opening; rope and pulley connections between the respective treadle arms and said gate, operatively connecting the gate to the treadle for elevation of the gate responsive to depression of said treadle; and spring means connected to the upper portion of the gate housing at opposite sides thereof and connected to the respective arms and normally holding said arms and treadle elevated, the treadle being depressible into the space between said base members.

NEWTON A. LASATER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 555,839 Williams Mar. 3, 1896 1,054,463 Smith Feb. 25, 1913 1,080,436 Graham Dec. 2, 1913 1,177,585 Wichmann Mar. 28, 1916 1,703,805 Witham Feb. 26, 1929 1,886,593 Rupprecht Nov. 8, 1932 2,108,102 Busch Feb. 15, 1938 2,357,698 Stafford Sept. 5, 1944 2,386,010 Spivey Oct. 2, 1945