Patent ID: 6082299
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: A01K,Y02A

Abstract:
A feeder, comprising:a feed hopper having a bottom opening;a feed auger being rotatably mounted in said feed hopper and having a pair of opposite ends, a first of said ends of said feed auger being positioned adjacent said bottom opening of said feed hopper;a motor for rotating said feed auger;wherein a rotatable shaft of said motor and a second end of said feed auger are inserted into opposite ends of a flexible tubular sheath, said sheath coupling said rotatable shaft of said motor to said second end of said feed auger such that said feed auger rotates with said rotatable shaft of said motor when said feed auger is freely rotatable and said sheath flexes to permit rotation of said motor independent of said feed auger if said feed auger bind during operation for protecting said motor from burning out; anda switch being electrically connected to said motor, said switch having a timer for controlling activation and deactivation of said motor with switch after first and second predetermined amounts of time respectively.