Abstract:
The gravity fed animal feeder of the present invention provides incorporates a cradle and a hopper that can be joined into a complete feeder. The hopper has a hollow interior shaped generally like an inverted, truncated pyramid or cone that attaches to a fully integrated head. The head has a center feed aperture through which feed drops onto a bottom plate. The feed is an accessible by animals through feed ports. At the outer edge of the feed ports is a feed arrest member which helps keep feed from accidentally dropping off of the bottom plate.

Description:
[0001]    This application is based upon and claims priority from U.S. Provisional application Ser.. No. 62/032,659, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Applicants&#39; invention relates to a gravity fed animal feeder. More particularly, it relates to an improved design of a gravity fed animal feeder that improves feed movement and dispersal. 
         [0004]    Background Information 
         [0005]    A common method of hunting involves using a feeder to entice deer to a specific location. A feeder provides a way for hunters and other enthusiasts to feed deer. 
         [0006]    A healthy deer herd is one of the most important factors contributing to a successful hunting season. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The gravity fed animal feeder of the present invention provides incorporates a cradle and a hopper that can be joined into a complete feeder. The hopper has a hollow interior shaped generally like an inverted, truncated pyramid or cone that attaches to a fully integrated head. 
         [0008]    The gravity fed animal feeder of the present invention provides a novel feeder can be filled while standing on the ground. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the gravity fed animal feeder and rack. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the gravity fed animal feeder. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a side perspective, transparent view of the gravity fed animal feeder. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, side perspective view of the gravity fed animal feeder. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of the head portion of the gravity fed animal feeder. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a top view looking into the interior portion of the gravity fed animal feeder. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 10 
                 Feeder 
               
               
                   
                 12 
                 Hopper 
               
               
                   
                 12a 
                 Hopper top 
               
               
                   
                 12b 
                 Hopper bottom 
               
               
                   
                 14 
                 Cradle 
               
               
                   
                 16 
                 Head 
               
               
                   
                 18 
                 Lid 
               
               
                   
                 20 
                 Rack 
               
               
                   
                 22 
                 Feed port 
               
               
                   
                 24 
                 Leg 
               
               
                   
                 26 
                 Foot 
               
               
                   
                 28 
                 Brace 
               
               
                   
                 30 
                 Latch 
               
               
                   
                 32 
                 Shoulder 
               
               
                   
                 34 
                 Head angle 
               
               
                   
                 36 
                 Feed arrest member 
               
               
                   
                 38 
                 Bottom plate 
               
               
                   
                 40 
                 Fin 
               
               
                   
                 42 
                 Hinge 
               
               
                   
                 44 
                 Hopper angle 
               
               
                   
                 46 
                 Head rim 
               
               
                   
                 48 
                 Lock 
               
               
                   
                 50 
                 Feed aperture 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0016]    Referring to the figures,  FIG. 1  illustrates that the improved feeder  10  can be filled with, and provide for animals, virtually any non-liquid feed or supplement such as corn, pellets, protein powder, or solid animal and ingestible that will flow with gravity (collectively referred to herein as “feed”). The shape and angle of the hopper  12 , and the design of the protein head  16  keep the feed or supplement from flowing onto the ground. 
         [0017]    Feed is loaded into the feeder  10  through an aperture that is covered by a hinged lid  18 . The feeder  10  has a hollow interior to accept feed. Gravity pulls the feed downwardly from the hopper  12  to the head  16 . The head  16  has one or more feed ports  22  that allow animals to access the feed, but that resist feed from just running out onto the ground. The lid  18  may be held in place using a latch  30 . Likewise, a lock  48  may be used to resist the opening of the latch  30 . 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the hopper  12  is inserted and urged into the cradle  14  such that the rack  20  holds the feeder  10  in the correct position to dispense feed to animals. The hopper  12  and cradle  14  are shaped and sized to join together. The rack  20  is essentially a frame with legs  24  extend downwardly from a cradle  14  designs to hold the feeder  10  in position. The legs  24  are attached to the cradle  14  and extend downwardly. At an end opposite of the cradle  14 , a foot  26  may be attached to the leg  24 . The foot  26  helps keep the leg  24  from inserting into the earth. In order to provide strength for the rack  40 , appropriate braces  28  may be added to the rack  20  structure. The cradle  14  has an outer circumference that defines a cradle aperture through which the bottom of the feeder  10  may be inserted. A shoulder  32  attached to the side of the hopper  12  engages with the cradle  14  to hold the feeder  10  in place. It is anticipated that the feeder  10  baby inserted into the cradle  14  without a shoulder  32 . However, the weight of the feeder  10  would cause it to be difficult to remove the feeder  10  at a later time. In  FIG. 1 , the improved feeder  10  is shown held on a rack  20 , however the feeder  10  may be held in place in a variety of other embodiments, such as suspending the feeder  10  from a tree or other structure. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows the feeder  10  removed from the cradle  14 . When in use the feeder  10  can be slid into an aperture of the cradle  14  which holds the feeder  10  off the ground in an upright position. The external shape of the feeder  10  and the shape of the cradle  14  aperture tend to cause the feeder  10  to come to rest in a relatively vertical position when the feeder  10  is urged through the cradle  14  aperture and held by the rack  20 . The aperture is sized so that the head  16  and lower portion of the hopper  12  pass through the aperture, but the funnel-like shape of the hopper  12  causes the hopper  12  to be held in the cradle  14  aperture. The outer circumference of the hopper  12  increases from its hopper bottom  12   b  to its hopper top  12   a  at the top of the feeder  10 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  also shows the bottom plate  38  and the feed port  22  of the head  16 . Support members  40  form the sides of the feed port  22 , and look somewhat fin-like and are attached to the bottom plate  38  of the head  16 . The head angle  34  directs feed in the interior of the feeder and toward the center and bottom of the head  16  where it is dispersed out through the feed ports  22 . Movement of the feed out of the feed port  22  tends to be arrested by the feed arrest member  36 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows the body of the feeder removed from the cradle with the sides of the hopper  12  being semi-transparent in order to illustrate the interior of the hopper  12 . The feeder  10 , and consequently the hopper  12 , are generally hollow, inverted truncated pyramid, or inverted truncated cone, shaped with the circumference anticipated to be circular or polyhedral. In the figures herein, the feeder  10  circumference is shown to be generally rectangular however it is anticipated that many other circumference shapes could be used. A lid  18  is rotationally attached, via one or more hinges  42 , to the hopper top  12   a.  The movable lid  18 , when opened, allows feed to be deposited in the interior of the feeder  10 , and when closed, helps keep moisture and other contaminants out of the interior of the feeder  10 .  FIG. 3  helps illustrate the angles from the Hopper top  12   a  to the hopper bottom  12   b,  and in the head  16 . The circumference of the hopper  12  at the hopper top  12   a  is greater than the circumference of the hopper bottom  12   b.  Thus, the sides of the hopper  12  angle inwardly to create a hopper angle  44 . The head  16  is at the bottom of the inverted truncated pyramid shape created by the hopper  12  in the head  16 . The hopper  16  sides angle inwardly to an aperture, and the inward angle creates a head angle  34 . Together, the hopper angle  44  and the head angle  34  tend to direct feed into the center bottom aperture of the head  16 . A bottom plate  38  is connected at the bottom of the head  16 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view of the feeder. In this view, the head  16  and the lid  18  are shown removed from the hopper  12 . The bottom feed aperture  50  leading to the bottom plate is shown. Feed tends to travel down through the interior of the hopper  12  in the head  16  and exits through the feed aperture  50  where it rests on the bottom plate  38  until consumed by an animal. At the hopper top  12   a  is an aperture that allows feed to be filled into the feeder  10 . The top aperture is covered by a hinged lid  18  that is swung open to load the feeder  10  with feed, and closed when in use to keep rain, debris, pests, and the like from accessing the interior of the feeder  10  and the feed. This view also shows the funnel-like nature of the interior of the hopper  12 . The head  16  is shown with the bottom plate  38  and support member fins  40 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  shows the head  16  of the improved feeder  10 . The head  16  is shaped to fit against the hopper bottom  12   b.  In the illustrated embodiment, the head  16  has an inverted, hollow pyramid shape in the interior that helps feed not get clogged in the interior as it drops. The head  16  has a bottom plate  38  that arrests the downward movement of the feed. The feeder  10  may have one (1) or more feed ports  22 . Animals are directed to the feed ports  22  by fins  40 , which also act as support members and attach to the bottom plate  38  of the head  16 . This view also helps show the funnel-like shape of the interior portion (although shown from the exterior) head  16 . This view shows the feed arrest members  36  that extend across the bottom portion of the feed ports  22 . The feed arrest members  36  are extensions of, or attached to, the bottom plate  38  and turn generally upwardly in order to help keep feed from pouring out of the feeder  10  when an animal is not eating. 
         [0024]    Feed drops from the hopper  12  into the head  16  and is directed towards the feed aperture  50  of the head  16  by the funnel or inverted pyramid-like shape of the head  16 . The support members  40  hold the bottom plate  38  in place below the bottom aperture  50 . Feed arrest members  36  extend across the bottom portion of the feed ports  22  to help diminish unwanted feed spillage. 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a view of the interior of the feeder hopper  12  and head  16 . It illustrates the funnel shaped interior of the feeder  10  is shown having a hopper angle  44  and a head angle  34 . The funnel-shaped interior of the feeder  10  helps the feed to fall downwardly and directed toward the center feed aperture  50  when the feeder  10  is in use. At the center of the feeder  10  interior below the feed aperture  50  can be seen the bottom plate  38 , which arrests the movement of the feed and upon which the feed rests on felt eaten by an animal or otherwise removed. The feed ports  22  allow animals access to the feed lying on the bottom plate  38 . 
         [0026]    Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.