Automatic Animal Feeding Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Nov., 1892-Accented, 7th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Animal Feeding Apparatus.
1, CHARLES JAMES Fox, of 25, Balls Road, Birkenhead in the County of
Chester, Master Mariner, (retired), do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
According to this invention, there is combined with a receptacle or receptacles
constructed to hold food for animals, a timeing device, for instance a clockwork
time keeping mechanism or water or sand timeing device, or the like, which is
adapted to operate or control the apparatus directly or indirectly so as to supply
or discharge a certain quantity of food stuff or give the animals access to such
food stuff, by uncovering, exposing, or otherwise.
One controlling or releasing mechanism may be adapted to control or release one
or a plurality of food stuff receptacles or containing vessels.
The apparatus may be of metal, wood, canvas, or any suitable material.
The controlling or releasing mechanism, in some instances, is operated directly or
indirectly through a time keeping clockwork mechanism, through mechanical
means and devices, or electrically, pneumatically, or otherwise.
In some applications of the invention, the foodstuff' may be discharged from a
containing receptacle into the receptacle from which the animals feed, and this
may be done by a movable bottom, contracted neck, or other suitable means
which are so operated or controlled as to allow the contents to fall out at the
time required, that is, at the time the controlling or releasing mechanism is set
to operate them. In other applications. a tipping or tumbling mechanism may
be employed to hold and discharge or supply the foodstuff, and be operated by
the controlling mechanism or means at the time required. Again in other
applications, a containing vessel or receptacle may have a cover or other part.
which is operated at the requisite moment, by the controlling or operating device,
or is released thereby, and the contents, namely, foodstuffs, are exposed so that
the animals may feed from it.
In some cases in which more than one feeding apparatus is employed, one
controlling or releasing mechanism may be adapted to control or operate all or
several of said apparatus, and may be made to open or discover or discharge
their contents at different times or different intervals.
The different arrangements for, and manners of, operating the invention
hereinabove described are given to illustrate some suitable forins and arrange-
ments of mechanism for effecting the purposes or ends of the invention hereinabove
specified, and it is therefore to be understood that the invention is in no way
confined to such particular arrangement or features, and that it may be carried
out in a variety of ways or modifications without departing from its essential
characteristics or features.
Dated th: 10th day of
1000
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Animal Feeding Apparatus.
I, CHARLES JAMES Fox of 25 Balls Road, Birkenhead, in the County of
Chester, Master Mariner (retired) do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object an apparatus for feeding horses or other cattle,
in which a suitable box, bin, or its equivalent can be charged with a proper
quantity of feed at any time (for instance, over night) and will, at any subsequent
hour determined upon (for instance, in the early morning) discharge said feed into
the feeding troughs.
The invention will be best understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of my apparatus, broken in the centre to
economise space in the drawing;
Figure. 2, a side elevation thereof, partly in section ;
Figure 3, a perspective view, showing several feeding apparatus controlled or
operated by one clock;
Figure 4, a back elevation of the controlling mechanism for operating a plurality
of feeding apparatus;
Figure 5, a side elevation thereof;
Figure 6, a view showing how the controlling mechanism may be operated by
electrical means; and
Figure 7, a view showing a manger or containing receptacle with cover capable
of being operated at the requisite moment to expose the feed.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2-
A is the box or bin for containing the proper quantity of feed, and B a hinged
trap door located at, and forming the bottom of, the bin A. One side of this door
is hinged at, and the other end is supported, when in the position indicated, by
resting upon the arm C at the end of the rod. D. This rod slides in, and is guided
by, the channel E. FF are stops for limiting the travel of the sliding rod D.
The upper part of the rod is provided with a notch e and the rod is supported by
this notch engaging with the shoulder g of the bell crank lever G, which lever is
pivoted at and provided with a study capable of moving in the slot / of the
plate H.
The lever G is weighted at g to hold the shoulder 9 normally in
engagement with the notch e. I is an ordinary alarm clock, hinged to the plate H.
When the clock is closed against the plate H, the stud engages the key J, which
winds the alarm of the clock I.
The mode of action is as follows:-
It setting the apparatus, the trap door B is closed, and the clock J set so that
the alarm will go off at the hour it is decided that the animal shall be fed. The
proper quantity of feed is placed in the bin A. When the alarm goes off, the
key will revolve, immediately pressing aside the stud g², which releases the
lever G from engagement with the rod D. The latter, therefore, drops by gravity.
The dropping of the rod releases the trap-door B, which is then forced open by
the weight of the feed in the bin and allows the same to fall into the manger. To
wind the alarm, the clock may be opened on its hinges, as shown in Figure 1, or a
fixed clock, wound from the front, may be employed.
If it is desired to control several feeding apparatus by one clock, 1 locate the
clock in the harness room (Figure 3) or elsewhere, and operate each individual
apparatus by cords or wires K. These cords or wires are fastened at one end to
their respective bell cranks G (Figure 1) and they are all connected to the crank L
which is operated by the clock. (Figures 4 and 5) is the key which winds the

page_text: :
clock: M, a. weight attached to wire K¹ and N N¹ supporting links pivoted
together, N being pivoted to the clock, and, N' to the weight M. On one of the
supporting links is provided a stud n. The links N N', when placed in a straight
line, are adapted to support, on the pivot n', the weight M; but immediately the
alarm goes off, the key, in revolving, strikes the stud n, throwing the links out of
the straight. They collapse or fold together, and the weight M, having no longer
anything to support it, drops, pulling the wires K K' and releasing the trap doors,
as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, and thus discharge the contents of
the several feeding apparatus. When the weight has dropped, the links N fold
themselves, as shown by dotted lines, Figure 4. In some cases, the bin A may
be formed with a shute (Figure 3) to facilitate the feed being conducted or led
into the manger. This shute is provided with a hinged trap operated by the
cord K.
Figure 6 shows how the weight M may be operated electrically: N N being
the supporting links: O an armature pivoted to the supporting links in front of
the electromagnet of the-clock and at a slight distance therefrom. When the
circuit is broken, the links can be placed in a straight line to support the weight,
but immediately the circuit is closed automatically by the clock at the hour
decided upon, the current flows through the circuit, magnetising the magnet and
attracting armature O. The movement of the armature draws the supporting links
into the position shown by dotted lines. The weight M, having its support removed,
falls, pulling the cords and operating the feed. The falling of the weight pulls
the armature away from the inagnet, so that it can fall into its lowest position, the
links folding as depicted by dotted lines in Figure 4.
In Figure 7, Q is the containing vessel or manger having a pivoted cover Q,
controlled by means of a balance weight. R is a bolt holding the cover closed.
Immediately the bolt is withdrawn at the requisite moment by the controlling or
operating device, the cover flies upwards and the feed is exposed for the animals.
The cover may be actuated in the manner shown on the drawings, or in any other
suitable manner. S is toothed quadrant on the cover hinge, and T a pivoted
quadrant to which the weight U is attached. These quadrants gear with one
another, and the weight raises the cover automatically when the bolt R is with-
drawn. The bolt may be fixed on the cover or even on the weight. In some cases,
the weight may be attached directly to the cover itself, to overbalance the weight
of the same.
I have described several ways in which the invention may be carried into effect,
but it is obvious that, having once given the general idea, various modifications
may be made without departing from the nature of the invention. For example,
any suitable timing devices, having a rotating key J or its equivalent, may he
employed; also the supporting links N N', instead of being made double, may
be made single and may be adapted to support the weight M on the key J or other
part whereby, when the alarm goes off, the link is thrown off its support, by the
movement of key J and causes the weight to fall.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. In an automatic cattle feeding apparatus, the combination with the containing
receptacle or bin, of an alarm clock or like timing device, and the mechanism
described whereby a given quantity of feed can be automatically discharged from
the containing receptacle or bin at any hour determined upon, into the manger or
feed trough, substantially as set forth.
2. In an automatic cattle feeding apparatus, a series of bins each having hinged
bottoms supported by a sliding rod D resting on the shoulder g of the crank G, in
combination with the weight M operating cords K K', and weight supporting and
releasing mechanism controlled by a clock substantially as and for the purpose
described.

page_text: 3. In cattle feeding apparatus, the combination with a clock of the mechanism
substantially as described which upon, the clock reaching a certain hour is adapted
to open a valve in a shute, release the hinged bottom of a bin or withdraw a
fastening bolt from a weighted hinged cover and thus supply or give access to the
feed.
4. In an animal feeding apparatus, a feeding receptacle or manger, formed with
a hinged lid, a sliding bolt for holding the lid closed and means for automatically
opening the lid when the bolt is withdrawn, substantially as described.
5. The general combined arrangements and construction of parts forming my
improved cattle feeding apparatus and especially the various arrangements by
which the feed is automatically discharged into the feeding troughs or access
automatically given to the feed at any given hour.
Dated this 19th day of November 1892.
CHARLES JAMES FOX.