Poultry feeder with adjustable feed level control

A poultry feeder includes a drop tube which attaches to a horizontal feed distribution line, and a feed pan and grill assembly is mounted on the drop tube for vertical sliding movement. An annular flow control member is supported above the feed pan for relative vertical movement by an actuator sleeve and a set of racks and pinions to produce downward movement of the flow control member in response to upward movement of the drop tube with the feed distribution line. The flow control member may also be adjusted manually relative to the drop tube for selecting the maximum level of feed in the feed pan.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to poultry feeders with adjustable feed levels and 
of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,490,419, 5,007,380, 
5,406,907, and 5,462,017, and which are used to raise poultry from a young 
age to a full grown age. During the growth of the birds, different feed 
levels are necessary to obtain efficient growth of the birds. When a new 
flock of birds is delivered into a poultry barn or facility, the birds are 
only three to five inches tall. At this young age, the feeders are 
adjusted so that the feed level within each feeder can be easily seen by 
the young birds. As the birds grow, the feed level within the feeder is 
adjusted and/or the feeder is elevated to accommodate the taller birds. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to an improved poultry feeder which is 
constructed so that the lowest position of the feeder results in producing 
the highest feed level within the feeder so that the young birds can see 
the feed and are drawn to the feed within the feeder. The highest feed 
level within the feeder also permits young birds to crawl into and out of 
the feeder. As the birds grow, the horizontal feed delivery line or tube 
is raised, which results in lowering the feed level within each feeder. 
When each feeder is lifted from the floor by means of the delivery tube, 
the feed level within the feeder remains at its lowest level where the 
feed is accessible by the full grown birds. This lowest feed level is 
usually maintained throughout the remainder of the growth cycle for the 
birds. 
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the 
following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a poultry feeder 10 receives granular feed 
through a horizontal feed supply or delivery tube 12 which commonly 
extends generally the full length of a poultry feeder house. The tube 12 
receives a rotary auger 14 which is intermittently driven or rotated to 
move the feed axially within the tube 12 so that the feed exits or drops 
downwardly through a bottom hole 16 associated with each feeder 10. 
Preferably, the poultry feeder 10 is constructed entirely of injection 
molded plastic parts or components and includes a vertical drop tube 18 
having generally a square cross-sectional configuration (FIG. 5) and 
defining an arcuate recess 19 (FIG. 4) for receiving the delivery tube 12. 
A cap member 22 slides laterally onto the upper portion of the drop tube 
18 to secure the drop tube to the delivery tube. A pair of ears 23 at the 
top of the cap member 22 are for receiving and locating an electrically 
charged wire, as shown in above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,380, for 
preventing the birds from roosting on the feed tube 12. 
A set of linear gear teeth or racks 24 are integrally molded as part of the 
drop tube 18 on opposite side walls, and a tubular sleeve 26 receives the 
drop tube 18 and has opposite vertical channel portions 28 opposing the 
racks 24. Cross slots 31 and 32 are formed within each channel portion 28 
and receive a small pinion or spur gear 34 mounted on a shaft 36. The slot 
32 rotatably supports the shaft 36 and positions the gear 34 so that it 
engages the corresponding rack 24. A tubular feed gate 40 is also molded 
of a plastics material and includes opposing channel portions 42 (FIG. 5A) 
each of which has vertically spaced horizontal slots 43 so that the 
channel portions 42 form another pair of vertical racks which also receive 
the teeth on the pinions or gears 34. 
A molded plastic grill 50 (FIG. 5) includes an upper annular hub portion 52 
which is connected to the upper end portion of the tubular sleeve 26 by a 
pair of spring hooks 54 molded as integral parts of the sleeve 26. The hub 
portion 52 has a downwardly projecting wall 57 around the drop tube 18 and 
which engages the top end of the sleeve 26 to lock the grill 50 to the 
sleeve 26. The grill 50 has circumferentially and angularly spaced ribs 62 
(FIG. 5) which are integrally molded with the annular hub 52 and with a 
bottom connecting ring 64. The ring 64 is split at one location to provide 
for slightly collapsing the ring 64. 
A molded plastic feed pan 70 (FIG. 1) includes an upwardly projecting 
center conical portion 72 surrounded by a frusto-conical portion 74. The 
portion 74 is surrounded by a channel-shaped rim portion 76 having an 
inwardly projecting upper annular lip 77. The feed pan 70 is attached to 
the grill 50 by slightly collapsing the ring portion 64 of the grill 50 
and expanding it into the channel portion 76 of the feed pan 70. 
An annular feed level control member 85 (FIG. 5) includes a tubular sleeve 
portion 87 which surrounds the feed gate 40. The sleeve portion 87 is 
adjustably connected to the feed gate by means of segmented threads 89 
within the tubular sleeve portion 87 and external thread segments 90 on 
the feed gate 40. A frusto-conical skirt portion 92 is molded as an 
integral part of the control member 85 at the bottom of the tubular sleeve 
portion 87, and a series of peripherally spaced tapered ribs or fins 94 
project outwardly from the skirt portion 92. 
In operation of the poultry feeder 10, the horizontal delivery tube 12 is 
commonly supported for adjustable vertical movement by means of 
longitudinally spaced cables (not shown) extending from winches. When the 
delivery tube 12 is in its lowest position (FIGS. 1 & 2), the bottom pan 
70 of the feeder 10 rests upon the floor 95, and the delivery tube engages 
or seats on the hub portion 52 of the grill 50. In this lowest position 
shown in FIG. 1, the feed gate 40 and feed control member 85 are in their 
highest adjustable positions to provide for maximum feed at the highest 
flooding level within the feed pan 70 at the bottom of the skirt portion 
92. In this position of the member 85, the young birds can see the feed 
within the feed pan 70 and will climb into the feeder between the ribs 62. 
As the birds grow, the delivery tube 12 and drop tube 18 are progressively 
raised while the pan 70 remains on the floor 95. As apparent from FIGS. 3 
and 4, as the drop tube 18 moves upwardly within the hub 52 of the grill 
50, the rack and pinion actuating or adjustment mechanism (FIGS. 2 & 4) 
shifts the feed gate 40 and feed level control member 85 downwardly, 
eventually to the lowest position of the feed gate 40, as shown in FIGS. 3 
& 4. In this position, the feed level, as determined by the bottom edge of 
the skirt portion 92, is at its lowest position within the feed pan 70. As 
also apparent from FIG. 4, further elevation of the delivery tube 12 and 
drop tube 18 raises the feed pan 70 above the floor 95 in order to 
position the pan lip 77 according to the size and height of the birds. As 
mentioned above, the feed level control member 85 may be manually 
positioned or rotatably adjusted on the feed gate 40 in order to manually 
adjust the highest feed level and the lowest feed level relative to the 
feed pan 70. 
While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred 
embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is 
not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be 
made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention 
as defined in the appended claims.