Solar actuated animal feeder

An animal feeder includes inclined surfaces (11) engaged along their adjacent edges to form an open vertex (V) at their upper end. The inclined surfaces terminate in bent lower edges (16). A container or bin (6) is secured on the inclined surfaces to receive the open vertex therein. A hopper (30) is secured in the bin and has an opening (31) for discharging animal feed to the inclined surfaces. A feeding trough (5) has a flat surface (17a) secured to the bent lower edges (16) of the inclined surfaces. A side entry (32) provides access to the interior of the bin beneath the hopper (30) when necessary. A closure (33) is provided to close off the entry (32) when necessary.

STATEMENT OF THE PRIOR ART 
Various types of animal feeders are available and in use for storing and 
providing feed for animals in a feeding tough. The present invention 
provides a relatively simple construction which is sturdy and readily 
accessible for resupplying with feed as may be required. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an animal feeder which can be readily 
assembled on location. It may constructed in various sizes depending upon 
the use to which it is to be put and is constructed so that it withstands 
contact and being turned over, or bumping, by large animals during feeding 
from a trough forming part thereof. It includes a solar actuated power 
supply for assisting in discharging food from a food supply container to 
the feed trough as necessary or desirable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Attention is first directed to FIG. 1 of the drawings wherein the preferred 
form is represented generally by the numeral 4. It includes a feeding 
trough, represented generally at 5, a feed supply, or storage container, 
or bin 6 with a cover 7 thereon and a side entry, represented generally at 
8. The cover 7 is provided with handles as shown to assist in removal and 
positioning of the cover. The upper end 9 and lower end 10 of the 
container 8 are open, as better seen in FIG. 2, for receiving animal feed 
therein and discharging the animal feed from the container to the feeding 
trough as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
The feeding trough 5 includes a plurality of downwardly inclined surfaces 
11 which are joined together in any suitable manner, such as by nuts and 
bolts represented generally at 12 which extend through adjacent upstanding 
shoulders, or ribs, referred to generally at 13, formed on the adjacent 
edges of the surfaces 11 as shown in FIG. 1. 
The surfaces 11 are connected to form an open apex or open vertex V at 
their upper ends as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Four inclined surfaces 11 each 
of triangular form are shown in FIG. 1 as forming the downwardly inclined 
surface portion of the trough 5, but it can be appreciated that any 
suitable number of surfaces may be employed as desired to form the 
downwardly inclined surface portion of the trough. 
The downwardly inclined surface portion formed by inclined surfaces 11 of 
the feeding trough terminates in lower bent edge surface 16 on each of the 
inclined surfaces 11 which lower edge surfaces are bent out of the 
inclined plane of the inclined surfaces 11 as better seen in FIGS. 1-3. 
A bottom surface referred to generally at 17 extends or projects from the 
lower bent edges 16 of the inclined surfaces 11 of the feeding trough and 
includes a surface portion 17a which is preferably in a generally 
horizontal or parallel relation relative to the lower open end 10 of the 
bin 6 as shown in the drawings. The bottom surface 17 also includes an 
upwardly extending surface portion 18 which terminates in the inverted J 
shaped top edge 19 as shown which is above, or higher than the lower bent 
edge 16 of the inclined feeding trough surface as shown. 
The bottom surface 17 may be formed integrally with the inclined surfaces 
11 in any suitable manner such as stamping sheet metal, but preferably the 
bottom surface 17 is formed from a separate piece of metal that includes 
the portion 17a that is generally parallel to the plane of the lower open 
end of the bin 6, as well as the upwardly extending portions 18 and the 
inverted J shaped top edges 19. 
The generally parallel surface portion 17a of the separate bottom surface 
17 is secured in position underneath the lower bent edges 16 of the 
inclined surfaces 11 of the feeding trough by suitable means such as by 
nuts and bolts as represented at 12b so, as previously stated, that the 
structure can be readily assembled on location. 
The ends of upwardly extending surfaces 18 are spaced at the corners of the 
feeding trough 5 and are secured together by a brace 18a as shown to form 
an opening the the bottom surface 17 of the feeding trough for discharge 
of water from the feeding trough. 
Support legs, referred to generally at 22, extend along and underneath the 
inclined surfaces 11 of the feeding trough a suitable distance, such as by 
way of example only, as illustrated in FIG. 2 they extend from adjacent 
the open vertex V downwardly and outwardly beyond the upwardly extending 
portion 18 of the bottom surface 17. 
The extension of the legs beyond the outer or lower edges of the feeding 
trough provides stability to the structure and resists turning over when 
bumped or moved by contact with animals. Also, the legs are formed in a 
general U configuration, with the base of the U formed by two inclined 
portions 22a and 22b with the legs of the U being vertical portions 23 and 
24 depending from the inclined portions 22a, 22b, respectively, as shown 
in the drawings. This configuration provides strength to the legs and also 
forms them so the surfaces 22a and 22b and their longitudinal juncture 25 
generally conform to the juncture of the four inclined surfaces 11 at 
their adjacent, secured edges. The legs 22 are preferably secured in 
position on the feeding trough at the junctures of the four surfaces by 
nuts and bolts as shown in the drawings. 
The container, or bin 6 may be of any suitable configuration, and as shown 
it is a quadrilateral. The four walls forming the container 6 extend 
upwardly from the lower open end 10 of the container and terminate at the 
upper open end 9 as shown. Bin supports 26 are secured to the container 
adjacent its lower open end 9 and to the ribs, or shoulders 13 of the 
inclined surfaces 11 of the feeding trough by nuts and bolts represented 
generally at 12c as shown in the drawings. 
The supports 26 for bin 6 may be of any suitable form such as plates welded 
to the lower part, or adjacent the lower end of the container 6 and 
depending therefrom as shown so that when the container is secured to the 
feeding trough, the open lower end of the container will be spaced above, 
but adjacent the inclined surfaces 11. The plates may be secured to the 
upstanding shoulders 13 of the inclined surfaces 11 by suitable means such 
as nuts and bolts 12c. 
A funnel shaped hopper 30 is secured in the bin 6, and preferably engaged 
with the walls of the bin by any suitable means such as nuts and bolts, 
represented generally at 34. The hopper is of standard configuration, and 
is provided with an opening 31 for discharge of the animal feed from the 
hopper to the feeding trough as will be described. The hopper is secured 
intermediate the upper and lower ends of the bin 6 and above the inclined 
surfaces 11 of the feeding trough as shown. The central axis of the 
opening 31 is preferably aligned with the open vertex V as shown. 
The container includes a side entry or opening of any suitable 
configuration, and is shown as rectangular with a top edge 37 and a lower 
edge 37a. A closure 33 of suitable configuration is provided for the 
opening. This provides access to the interior of the container 6 for 
access to the interior of the bin 6 as may be necessary. For example, 
replacement of the battery (not shown) or motor (not shown), as may be 
necessary, both of which are supported in the support 43 below and 
adjacent the hopper opening 31. Preferably the support 43 is aligned with 
the hopper opening 31. 
One form of the closure 33 is shown as rectangular and is also illustrated 
as being removable from the container. It includes handles 41,42 for 
assisting in positioning and removal on the bin 6. 
The closure 33 is provided with an upper projection 35 formed, or secured 
on its inner surface 35a which projection extends outwardly from the inner 
surface 35a to form a space 36 between it and the inner surface 35a of the 
closure on which it is mounted, as better seen in FIG. 4. To position the 
closure in place to close off the opening, the closure 33 is manipulated 
so that the upper edge 37 of the side entry opening is engaged between the 
upper projection 35 and the inner surface 35a of the closure as shown in 
FIG. 2 of the drawings. 
The closure 33 is then lifted until the lower edge 37a of the opening is 
aligned with the space between the lower projection 35b and the inner 
surface 35a. The closure is then lowered, or it falls by its own weight to 
engage the lower edge 37a in the space between the projection 35b and the 
inner surface 35a. The length and configuration of projection 35 which 
defines the length of upper space 36 is such that when the closure 33 
moves down, the upper edge 37 of the opening remains engaged in space 36 
between projection 35 and the surface on which it is secured. 
Removal of the closure 33 is accomplished by lifting it to elevate the 
lower projection 35b above the lower edge 37a and tilting the lower end of 
the closure outwardly to remove the lower closure out of the opening. This 
enables the closure to be lowered to be disengaged from the top edge 37 of 
the opening. 
If desired, the projections may be formed on members pivotally mounted on 
the closure which projections are adjacent, but spaced from the inner 
surface of the closure to provide spaces to engage the inner surfaces on 
the side entry. These projections would extend through the closure with 
handles on the outer ends thereof so that the projections could be 
manually moved to engage them with adjacent inner surfaces on the opening 
in the container to hold the closure in place on the container. 
Also, the closure may be pivotally mounted on the container adjacent the 
side entry therein so that it can be moved to close or open the side entry 
as desired. 
As previously noted, the support 43 supports a battery and motor therein 
and the motor rotatable shaft is represented at 49 extending upwardly from 
the motor. The battery is of any type well known to those skilled in the 
art which may be charged by a solar panel, of any suitable well known 
type, mounted on the container and represented by the numeral 45. Solar 
panel model 682 sold by Spincaster, 5674 Randolph Blvd. San Antonio, Tex. 
78233 is one type of solar panel that functions quite well. It includes an 
on/off switch, flow rate adjustment with one to six time intervals 
available during any 24 hour period. Pipe 46 receives electrical conduit 
46' that connects the battery with the solar panel as shown to convey 
power to maintain the battery charged for operating the motor. 
The motor shaft has secured adjacent, or on the upper end thereof a plate 
44 which rotates with the motor shaft when it is turned on. When the motor 
turns off, animal feed such as pellets of any well known type such as deer 
pellets, cow pellets and the like, or grains, by way of example only, corn 
or rice stack up on the plate when it stops and blocks the flow from the 
hopper opening 31. 
When the motor rotates, the plate rotates and throws the grain outwardly 
which disperses it in the container so that the animal feed is discharged 
through the container open lower end onto the inclined trough surfaces 13, 
and it then flows onto the bottom surface. If desired, upstanding members 
47 may be secured on the plate 44 in opposed relationship as shown which 
further assists in stacking the feed on the plate when the motor is shut 
off, and also assists in dispersing the feed as the plate rotates. 
The foregoing disclosure and description are illustrative and explanatory 
thereof, and various changes in size, shape and materials as well as in 
the details of the illustrated construction may be made without departing 
from the spirit of the invention.