Patent ID: 8651052
Filing Date: 2014-02-18
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
1. A powdered bran feeder having a gravity feed hopper for holding grain feed, a lid removably covering a top opening of the hopper, a bottom opening provided in the hopper, a lower portion of the hopper having an effective shape of an inverted cone so that feed located with the hopper gravity moves downward to the bottom opening, and a feed dispensing mechanism located under and in association with the bottom opening for periodically dispersing feed from the hopper, a rotating member of said dispensing mechanism that receives feed that falls from the hopper via the bottom opening and that periodically spins to fling the feed out of the feeder and prevents feed from being dispersed from the feeder when the rotating member is not spinning, a battery driven motor attached to the rotating member as a means of periodically spinning the rotating member, a timer and a computer chip associated with said dispensing mechanism for activating the motor at preset time intervals, wherein the improvement comprises: a semi-flexible cable having a first proximal end and an opposite free distal end, the first proximal end attached by a first proximal end to the rotating member so that the cable swings outward away from the center of the feed hopper as the cable spins in association with the rotating member, the distal end of the cable extending upward through the feed hopper into a hollow center of the feed that is formed within the feed hopper as the feed is loaded into the feed hopper, a weight attached at the free distal end of the cable so that the distal end of the cable and the weight are flung out of a hollow center of the feed within the feed hopper as the rotating member spins to provide sufficient stirring action to the powdered feed located adjacent to the cable to cause feed to fall into the hollow center of the feed and then downward through the bottom opening of the hopper to the automated feed dispersing mechanism below, and means for creating the hollow center of feed within the hopper as the hopper is filled with feed, wherein said means comprises a removable hollow fill tube which is not securable to any structure for removably inserting over the cable within the feed hopper prior to adding feed to the top of the feed hopper and which is then removed after the hopper is filled and packed with feed so as to leave the hollow center of feed within the hopper where the fill tube was removed.