Abstract:
An animal feeder includes a feed container containing animal feed for use in spreading the animal feed onto the ground over which the animal feeder is positioned. A housing moves between open and closed positions, wherein the closed position, the housing is positioned so that it substantially encloses a motorized animal feed dispenser positioned in proximity to a hole in the feed container through which the animal feed passes from the container. In the closed position, the sides of the housing completely block the dispensing of the animal feed onto the ground. In an open position, the housing is positioned so that the motorized animal feed dispenser is exposed for dispensing of the animal feed onto the ground. Also, in the closed position, physical access from outside of the housing to the animal feed residing on the animal feed dispenser and through the hole is prevented.

Description:
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/865,906, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of bulk storage and transfer of materials, and more particularly, to the transfer of bulk materials from a storage device, such as the transfer of animal feed. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Deer hunting is a multi-million dollar sport, with some of the most expensive equipment and gear. For many years, hunters have utilized automatic deer feeders, which are timed to disperse various types of deer feed, such as corn, out of a container onto the ground to attract the deer to a desired hunting location. Similar feeders are also used on farms and ranches to automatically feed livestock at designated times. 
     Generally, such feeders comprise a large barrel-like container in which the feed is stored, where the container is raised many feet from the ground through the use of tripod stilts or hung from a tree. At the bottom of the feed barrel, there is a hole through which the feed drops onto a timed and motorized dispenser, which is activated at desired times during the day and has a rotating fan-like mechanism to disperse the feed over a large area on the ground around where the feeder is located. 
     A problem with such feeders is that the motorized dispenser and the hole in the storage container are exposed even when not in use. Such exposure allows animals, such as squirrels and raccoons, access to the feed causing more feed to come out, thus causing waste. 
     Moreover, moisture and humidity are leading problems in such feeders, including protein feeders for cattle and other livestock, wherein the moisture and humidity causes certain feeds to clump in large chunks, thus fouling the feeder mechanism and clogging the hole at the bottom of the feeding barrel, preventing the feeder from satisfactorily spreading the feed externally from the storage barrel, or from being dispensed from a protein feeder. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. I illustrates an animal feeder configured in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a partial cross-section of an embodiment of the present invention configured in a closed position. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a partial cross-section of an embodiment of the present invention in an open position. 
         FIGS. 4A-4B  illustrate an animal feeder configured in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5-6  illustrate processes configured in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system/controller configured in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that various changes to the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the following more detailed description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is presented for purposes of illustration only and not limitation to describe the features and characteristics of the present invention, and to sufficiently enable one skilled in the art to practice the invention. 
     The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term “and/or” when used in the context of a listing of entities, refers to the entities being present singly or in combination. Thus, for example, the phrase “A, B, C, and/or D” includes A, B, C, and D individually, but also includes any and all combinations and subcombinations of A, B, C, and D. 
     As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method, and/or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a feeder  100  configured in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. A feed barrel or container  101  is raised from the ground on legs or stilts  102 . Alternatively, such a feed barrel  100  could be hung from a tree or other apparatus including a man-made apparatus, as is known in the art. Such other embodiments are not shown, but are understood to be within the scope of the present invention. 
     Though not described in any further detail, feeder  100  includes a dispensing mechanism  200 , which dispenses the feed  220  contained within the feed container  101  as it falls through a hole  104 , as is known in the art. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a partial cross-section of an embodiment of the dispensing mechanism  200  shown in a closed position. Only a bottom portion of the feed container  101  is illustrated in this figure. As described previously with respect to  FIG. 1 , animal feed  220  will be stored inside the feed container  101 , and will pass through a hole  104  in the bottom of the feed container  101  landing on a platform of a feed spreading motorized dispenser  210 , which may revolve/spin at a relatively high speed under the control of the feeder control unit  201  when the feeder control unit  201  determines according to its programming that the motorized dispenser  210  is to be in operation. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , some of the feed  221  has fallen through the hole  104 , and resides on the platform of the motorized dispenser  210 . However, because the housing  202  is raised to enclose the area in the vicinity of the platform of the motorized dispenser  210 , animals (e.g., squirrels, raccoons) are unable to physically access the feed  221  and/or manually spin or revolve the platform  210 , which in turn would cause more of the feed  220  to fall through hole  104  and be accessible as feed  221  for such animals. Moreover, the housing mitigates the clumping of the feed  220  at and near the hole  104  due to the effects of humidity and/or moisture. 
     Coupled to the feeder control unit  201  is an electric motor  203 , which may be powered by an electrical storage unit, such as a battery (not shown), inside the feeder control unit  201 . Operation of the electric motor  203  may be performed in conjunction with a timing mechanism that is programmed into the feeder control unit  201  for spreading the animal feed by the spinning of the motorized dispenser platform  210 . A separate electric motor (not shown) within the feeder control unit  201  may be utilized to revolve/spin the dispenser platform  210 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , there is illustrated a simplified flow diagram of a process  500  for operating and controlling embodiments of the present invention. Such a process  500  may be implemented within the feeder control unit  201  utilizing mechanical and/or electrical and/or electronic mechanisms. For example, as will be further described with respect to  FIG. 7 , timing, operation, and control of the process  500  may be implemented with a data processing system, such as a programmed computer/controller. The process  500  may begin in step  501  with the feeder control unit  201  initiating a feeder cycle in which it is programmed for spreading the animal feed  221  externally from the feeder  100 , such as onto the surrounding ground. In step,  502 , the electric motor  203  is activated to lower the housing  202 . The motor  203  operates to turn a thread  204  (e.g., an ACME threaded rod), which is threaded through a matching nut  205  (e.g., an ACME nut) affixed to the bottom of the housing  202 . Coupling of the thread  204  to the electric motor  203  may be accomplished in any well-known manner, including but not limited to, one or more interlocking gears (not shown). 
     As the ACME threaded rod  204  is turned, this will cause the entire housing  202  to begin descending, which will expose the motorized dispenser platform  210 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 3 , which shows the dispensing mechanism  200  shown in an open position. Once the motorized dispenser platform  210  is exposed, in step  503 , the feeder control unit  201  will cause it to begin spinning in order to spread the animal feed  221  falling through the hole  104  externally from the feed container  101 . Once the feeder control unit  201  determines that the spreading of animal feed  221  is to be discontinued (e.g., in response to the end of a predetermined time period), in step  504 , it will stop the spinning of the motorized dispenser platform  210 , and cause the motor  203  to operate in a reverse direction, which turns the ACME threaded rod  204  in an opposite direction, thus lifting the entire housing  202  until it substantially encloses the previously exposed motorized dispenser platform  210  and the hole  104  as the ends  230  of the housing  202  substantially, or completely, rest against the feed container  101 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The ends  230  may have a gasket (e.g., rubber, leather, etc.) to provide an additional seal against the bottom of the container  101 . 
     It should be noted that the housing  202  is illustrated in a cross-sectioned manner in order to show the motorized dispenser platform  210 , feed control unit  201 , and motor  203 , which are all contained inside the housing  202 , which may be of a cylindrical, rectangular, or other geometrical shape. 
     Referring next to  FIGS. 4A-4B , there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the present invention. A dispensing chute  400  is illustrated in a cross-sectioned view attached to an opening or hole in a feed container  401 , which is not fluffier illustrated for the sake of simplicity. Regardless of the embodiment of the feed container  401 , feed  420  contained within the feed container  401  will be available inside the chute  402  for dispensing out of the open end  403  of the chute  402  as feed  421 . 
     Operation and control of the motor  404 , and operation and control of any other motor utilized to dispense the feed  420  from the container  401  through the chute  402 , may be controlled with a feeder control unit  460 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , there is illustrated a simplified flow diagram of a process  600  for operating and controlling embodiments of the present invention. Such a process  600  may be implemented within the feeder control unit  460  utilizing mechanical and/or electrical and/or electronic mechanisms. For example, as will be further described with respect to  FIG. 7 , timing, operation, and control of the process  600  may be implemented with a data processing system, such as a programmed computer/controller. The process  600  may begin in step  601  with the feeder control unit  460  initiating a feeder cycle in which it is programmed for dispensing the animal feed  420  externally from the feeder  400 . In step,  602 , a motor  404  operates an ACME threaded rod  405 , which is threaded through a gate  406 , which has a matching ACME nut so that when the ACME threaded rod  405  is turned in one direction, the gate  406  translates sideways to open, such as illustrated in  FIG. 4B . In step  603 , the feed  420  is dispensed out of the chute  402 , such as with another motor (not shown). In step  604 , the motor  404  can be reversed so that the gate  406  is drawn back in through the hole  407  to close off the opening  403  of the chute  402  from the feed on the other side of the gate in the chute  402 . With such an apparatus, the motor  404  can be operated to open and close the gate  406  in order to open or close of the escape of animal feed  420  from the opening  403  in the chute  402 . 
     The shape of the chute  402  may be cylindrical, rectangular, or other geometrical shape, with the gate  406  matching an inside dimension of the chute  402 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , there is illustrated a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system/controller  712 , which may be implemented within the feeder control units  201 ,  460 , such as for operating the processes  500 ,  600 . The components of the system  712  may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or controllers (e.g., a microcontroller)  716 , a system memory  728 , and a bus  718  that couples various system components including system memory  728  to the processing unit  716 . Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to such a configuration. 
     The bus  718  represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (“ISA”) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (“MCA”) bus, Enhanced ISA (“EISA”) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (“VESA”) local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnects (“PCI”) bus. 
     The system  712  may include a variety of computer system readable media. Such media may be any available media that is accessible by the system  712 , and may include both volatile and non-volatile media, and/or removable and non-removable media. 
     The system memory  728  may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (“RAM”)  770  and/or cache memory  772 . The system  712  may further include other removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storage media. By way of example only, the storage system  774  may be provided for reading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media (not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical media may be provided. In such instances, each may be connected to the bus  718  by one or more data media interfaces. As will be further described below, the memory  728  may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules that are configured to cavy out the functions of embodiments of the present invention (e.g., processes  500 ,  600 ). 
     The system  712  may also communicate with one or more external devices  714  such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display  724 , etc.; one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the system  712 ; and/or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enable the system  712  to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Such communication can occur via I/O interfaces  722 . Still yet, the system  712  can communicate with one or more networks such as a local area network (“LAN”), a general wide area network (“WAN”), and/or a public network (e.g., the Internet) via a network adapter  720 , including in a wireless manner (e.g., Bluetooth). As depicted, a network adapter  720  may communicate with the other components of the system  712  via the bus  718 . It should be understood that although not shown, other hardware and/or software components may be used in conjunction with the system  712 . Furthermore, the system  712  may communicate with motors  750 , such as the motors  203 ,  404 , and the other motors disclosed herein, in order to implement the processes  500 ,  600 .