Feeding apparatus for animals

A feeding apparatus for animals, particularly horses, comprising: PA1 a hopper to contain particulate fodder having an upper and lower opening; PA1 a compartment adjacent the hopper to contain strawlike fodder having an outer perforate side and an upper opening; PA1 a trough disposed near the lower opening of the hopper to receive fodder discharged from the hopper by gravity feed action; and PA1 a lid to cover both the upper openings the hopper and compartment are separated by an upstanding partition member and the perforate side generally overlies the trough to enable an animal to feed from both the compartment and trough.

This invention relates to a feeding apparatus for animals and in particular 
horses. 
Various forms of feeding devices are known for sheep and cattle which can 
be used in an open field without replenishment of the feed contained 
therein over relatively long periods of time. However, such devices do 
suffer from several deficiencies when used with equine stock. Horses tend 
to prefer at least two different types of fodder, usually hay or straw and 
also chaff or grain. With prior art devices it is generally not possible 
to make available these two types of fodder from the one apparatus, due to 
the different consistencies of the feed. Furthermore, in order to provide 
satisfactory feeding over relatively long periods of time, it is necessary 
for the device to include storage means, for storing and protecting 
relatively large quantities of feed from the elements, in addition to 
providing controlled access to the feed. 
Another problem which becomes apparent with a feeding device incorporating 
both storage and access facilities for two different feed types, is the 
desirability of replenishing or `topping` one feed type independently from 
the other feed type and minimising the interaction between the two during 
such times. This aspect is particularly important in relation to the 
feeding of horses, where it is noted that when the feed for a horse has 
been disturbed to the extent of contacting a foreign substance such as the 
ground, the animal is reluctant to consume the feed thereafter. 
Another consideration in providing a feeding apparatus having different 
types of feed, is the optimization of storage space for each type of feed. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved feeding 
apparatus for horses in particular, which can provide at least two 
different types of feed simultaneously, one being of particulate material, 
and other being straw-like. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide means for independently 
filling or replenishing at least two storage compartments thereof. 
It is another object of the present invention to allow animals access to 
feed contained within each storage compartment. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a feeding apparatus 
which includes means for protecting the contents thereof from the 
elements. 
It is a preferred object of the invention to provide optimum storage space 
for both types of feed. 
In one form the invention resides in a feeding apparatus for animals 
comprising: 
a hopper to contain particulate fodder having an upper and lower opening; 
a compartment adjacent said hopper to contain strawlike fodder having an 
outer perforate side and upper opening; 
a trough disposed near the lower opening of said hopper to receive fodder 
discharged from said hopper by gravity feed action; and 
a lid to cover both said upper openings; wherein said hopper and 
compartment are separated by an upstanding partition member and said 
perforate side generally overlies said trough to enable an animal to feed 
from both the compartment and trough. 
According to a preferred feature of the invention, the feeding apparatus 
has compartments disposed at more than one side of said hopper, each 
separated on its inner side from said hopper by a said partition member. 
According to another preferred feature, the feeding apparatus has troughs 
each with an associated lower opening of the hopper disposed at more than 
one side of said hopper. 
According to another preferred feature, the partition is generally inclined 
in cross-section to provide optimum storage facility for the compartment 
in the region of the upper opening thereof and optimum storage facility 
for the hopper in the region of the lower opening thereof. 
According to another preferred feature, the upper opening of said hopper is 
funnel shaped to facilitate filling of the hopper and to augment the 
optimum storage facility of said compartment. 
According to another preferred feature, the lid is pivotally mounted to the 
apparatus about a horizontal axis. 
According to another preferred feature, the lid comprises a cover and 
linkage, said cover being pivotally connected to one end of said linkage 
to provide pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, and the other end of 
said linkage being pivotally connected to the assembly to provide pivotal 
movement about a second horizontal axis, whereby the cover may be moved 
independently from or in conjunction with said linkage to facilitate 
access to said upper openings from either side of the apparatus.

The first and second embodiments are substantially the same in most aspects 
apart from the lid and hence the same reference numerals have been used in 
the description and the drawings of both embodiments to identify 
substantially similar components of the feeding apparatus in each case. 
The first embodiment is directed towards a feeding apparatus for horses 
which essentially allows for a number of horses to feed therefrom at the 
same time and further includes provision for storage of two basic types of 
fodder, namely hay and grain. 
A housing shown generally at 11, comprises end walls 12, a covering lid 13, 
sides shown generally at 14, and a base 15. The housing 11 is mounted upon 
a supporting framework 16 which includes pairs of legs 17 mounted at the 
ends and the middle of the housing. Corresponding legs 17a or 17b of each 
of the pairs of legs are connected to corresponding elongate skid members 
18 placed at opposite sides of the housing to assist in the transport of 
the feeding apparatus. In addition, brackets 19 are attached to each leg 
of a leading pair of legs 45 positioned at the skid ends which have curved 
portions 46 to further facilitate transport of the apparatus. 
The housing 11 is adapted to include side compartments 20, located at 
either side of the housing and a central hopper 21. 
The side compartments 20 are disposed adjacent the hopper 21 and are 
separated therefrom by opposingly inclined partitions 25, which form the 
side walls of the hopper. The top of the partitions 25 diverge outwardly 
to form a funnel shaped opening 47 to facilitate filling the hopper with 
particulate material. To optimize the storage space of both the side 
compartments and the hopper, the side walls 25 of the hopper diverge 
outwardly from the funnel throat 48 towards the base 15 of the housing. 
Thus a relatively large storage space is provided near the bottom of the 
hopper to compensate for the comparatively small space in the vicinity of 
the throat 48. However, by adopting this configuration a large storage 
space can be obtained near the top of the side compartments, which 
diminishes nearer the bottom as the side walls 25 diverge. 
The bottom edges 30 of the lower part of the partition members 25 are 
spaced from the base 15 and are each provided with an adjustable panel 
member 31 connected thereto. The bottom edges 29 of the panel members 31 
are also spaced from the adjacent base member 15 so as to form openings 32 
through which the particulate material stored within the hopper may be 
discharged into troughs 35 spanning the length of each of the housing 
sides 14. 
The troughs 35 are contiguous with the base 15, each having a valley 49 
disposed beneath and outwardly from the bottom edges 29 of the panel 
members to facilitate the gravity feed action of the hopper. 
The base 15 is further provided with an inverted `V` shaped projection 34 
into the hopper thus forming opposite sloping surfaces 36a, 36b to further 
assist the gravity feed of particulate material into the respective 
troughs 35a, 35b. In cross-section, as shown in FIG. 4, the overall 
combination of the troughs and base form a `W` shape. 
Each side compartment 20 has a mesh member 38 defining the outer side 
thereof which extends essentially the entire length of the housing sides 
14. The mesh members 38 are disposed in inclined planes relative to the 
central vertical axis of the housing such that the top edges 39 of the 
respective members are spaced from the top of the partitions 25 to form an 
opening 41, and converge towards the partitions at their bottom edges 40, 
whereat the two are conjoined. 
The holes in the mesh member 38 are of sufficient size to allow a horse to 
feed from the compartment in addition to being able to retain a quantity 
of hay or straw-like material therein. 
To provide protection from the weather to the stored contents of the 
feeding apparatus, the lid 13 is adapted to cover both openings 47 and 41 
of the hopper and side compartments respectively. This protection is 
augmented by the general `V` type shape of the feeding apparatus wherein 
the respective mesh members 38 are inclined inwardly from the top of the 
housing thereby affording the troughs 35 and the side compartments 20 
protection by the overlying nature of the lid 13. 
In order to facilitate opening and closing of the lid 13, a folding support 
arm 43 is attached to respective ends thereof and to the top edges 42 of 
the ends walls 12. 
Now describing the operation of the feeding apparatus, the lid 13 is 
opened, as shown in FIG. 3. The central hopper 21 may then be filled to 
capacity with chaff or grain. As the hopper utilises a gravity feed means, 
some of this fodder will flow into the adjacent troughs 35 thereby filling 
them until the level of the fodder is in balance with the size of the 
openings 32 at the base of the hopper. The size of the opening 32 may be 
adjusted to conform to the consistency of the fodder stored within the 
central hopper 21 and to regulate the level of fodder resident within the 
trough 35, simply by adjusting the panel members 31 by using the wing nuts 
44. 
The side compartments 20 may be filled with hay or straw-like fodder, which 
is retained therein by the effect or the mesh member 38. An animal can 
then station itself at the housing and feed at will from chaff or grain 
lying within the trough and hay or straw through holes in the mesh member. 
Thereafter, the fodder stored within the feeding apparatus may be 
replenished in accordance with the demands of the animals feeding 
therefrom. Replenishment of one compartment may be easily performed 
independently from that of another compartment or the hopper, without 
adversely disrupting the contents remaining therein. 
Furthermore, the feeding apparatus allows storage of fodder within the 
central hopper 21 particularly, for long periods of time. If wet weather 
conditions adversely affect the fodder residing within the troughs 35, it 
is a simple matter to clean sodden grain out from them and allow a new, 
dry supply of grain to flow into them from the hopper. 
The feeding apparatus may also include a transparent window 45 made from 
suitable material to enable checking of the contents of fodder stored 
within the central hopper 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the window 45 is 
centrally disposed within an end wall 12 of the housing 11. 
The second embodiment of the invention is substantially the same as the 
previous embodiment except that the covering lid for the upper openings of 
the hopper and side compartments has been modified, as shown in FIGS. 5 
and 6. 
In the present embodiment, the lid, generally shown at 50, comprises an 
intermediate sub-frame 51, and a top cover 52. Both the sub-frame and 
cover are rectangular in plan corresponding to the upper periphery 39, 42 
of the housing. The sub-frame side 54 is pivotally connected about a 
horizontal axis to the upper periphery side 55 to allow movement thereof 
relative to the housing 11. The opposite sub-frame side 56 is similarly 
connected to the cover side 57 to allow relative movement between the 
sub-frame and the cover. To provide additional support to the sub-frame a 
central A-frame 58 is formed normal to both the sub-frame sides 54, 56 and 
extends vertically so that the top of the frame can nearly or actually 
engage the underside of the cover 52 when the cover is brought down in 
juxtaposition with the sub-frame. 
Gas lifters 59, 60 are provided in preference to the folding support arm 
referred to in the previous embodiment to assist opening and closing of 
the lid. These are arranged preferably in sets intermediate the centre and 
ends of the lid and housing, one set 59 mounted between the housing and 
sub-frame, and the other set 60 mounted between the subframe and cover. 
The provision of the double-jointed lid is to facilitate access to the 
upper openings of both side compartments 20 and hopper 21. 
In operation, the free side 61 of the cover 52 is normally locked into 
engagement with the sub-frame side 54 by suitable means (not shown), and 
the opposite sub-frame side 56 is unfastened from connection (not shown) 
with the corresponding housing side 62. With the aid of the gas lifters 
59, the lid can be easily raised and lowered to enable the side 
compartment 20a and the central hopper 21 to be easily replenished from 
the housing side 62. To replenish or access the other side compartment 20b 
or the hopper 21 from the opposite side of the housing, the subframe side 
56 is locked into engagement with the housing side 62, and the free side 
61 of the cover is unfastened from connection with the sub-frame side 54. 
Accordingly, the free end of the cover may be easily raised or lowered 
with the aid of the other gas lifters 60 relative to the subframe and 
housing to enable easy access to the upper openings of the hopper and side 
compartment 20b. 
It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to 
the scope of the particular embodiments described herein. In particular, 
the feeding apparatus is not expressly for use by equine stock alone, but 
may be adapted for use by other kinds of animals. In addition, the 
apparatus is not limited to a dual side feeder, but may consist of only a 
single side feeding arrangement comprising a single side compartment and 
trough used in relation with a hopper.