Improvements in or relating to Feeding Appliances for Live Stock.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1890
Improvements in or relating to Feeding Appliances for Live Stock.
A communication from WILLIAM H. WELLSTEED, of Brampton, County of Della,
State of Michigan, in the United States of America, Farmer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
This invention relates to feeding appliances for live stock.
The object of the invention is to regulate the supply of feed to an animal
so as to prevent too rapid eating, insufficient mastication and waste of feed.
It consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts
hereinafter particularly described.
The device comprises a backboard or base or support upon which the several
parts of the feeding apparatus are mounted, and a reservoir for holding the grain
of feed. It may be conveniently made of sheet metal and of any convenient
shape. It is attached at the back to the board or other support and is provided
at the top with a suitable cover. It is preferably formed with a funnel-shaped
bottom or made to converge towards a contracted discharge opening at its lower
end. When made of light sheet metal, the lower end of the reservoir or feed
receptacle may be fitted and held in a funnel shaped spout or nozzle which is
formed with a bracket for its attachment to the backboard or other support; but
the shape and construction of the feed reservoir or supply spout may be modified.
A vertically movable feed pan or trough is provided and supported below the
feed reservoir and adapted to normally close the discharge opening in the
feed spout or nozzle. It may be conveniently constructed, by stamping it in one
piece from sheet metal with a conical or rounded protuberance projecting
upwardly from its bottom into and adapted to close the opening in the lower end
of the spout or nozzle. This protuberance may, however, be dispensed with
and the discharge opening of the feed receptacle or spout closed and regulated
by the bottom of the pan or trough itself. To provide for the required vertical
movement of the trough it is preferably hinged at the back at about the level of
the lower end of the spout or nozzle.
The pan or trough is yieldingly supported against the lower end of the supply
tube or reservoir by a weighted lever fulcrumed between its ends upon an arm
or bracket and provided in its forked outer and upturned end with an anti-friction
roller which engages the bottom of said trough near its front side. Upon the
inner or rear end of said lever the weight is adjustably secured by a set screw or
other suitable means. The outer end of the arm or bracket is bent upwardly,
passing through an opening in the weighted lever and is threaded at its
extremity to receive a recessed nut which is provided with a cushion of rubber
or other suitable elastic material and serves as an adjustable stop for limiting
the downward movement of the trough, and regulating the discharge of grain

page_text: .
or feed from the reservoir into the trough. This stop serves also to adjust the
device for grain or feed of different kinds, by permitting a greater or less
depression of the trough as required. Grain or other feed being placed in the
reservoir is automatically supplied therefrom at a limited rate by the animal
depressing with its nose the trough in the act of eating therefrom. Each time
the trough is thus depressed the lower end of the feed reservoir or spout is
opened more or less, allowing a limited quantity of grain or feed to flow into
the trough, and whenever the nose of the animal is withdrawn or raised the
weighted lever instantly raises the trough and cuts off the flow of grain or feed.
The animal is thus prevented from eating too rapidly and is compelled to masti-
cate and digest its feed more thoroughly, thereby enabling it to assimilate a
larger percentage of its feed and to be kept in better and healthier condition
with less feed than when the usual methods and appliances are employed. The
waste that occurs from scattering, slobbering or moistening with saliva what is
not eaten, when a considerable quantity of grain or feed is given to the animal 1
at once, in the usual way of feeding, is prevented and the disorders of the
alimentary canal resulting from improper eating are also avoided. A great
Baving will thus be effected by the device, not only on account of the greater
benefit derived from a given quantity of feed when thoroughly masticated but
also on account of the prevention of waste, as above explained.
Various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction of
the apparatus may be made without material effect upon the results and without
departure from the intended scope of the invention, as for instance a spring may
be employed to raising the trough instead of a weighted lever.
1000
ย
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Feeding Appliances for Live Stook.
A communication from WILLIAM H. WELLSTEED, of Brampton, County of Della,
State of Michigan, in the United States of America, Farmer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered. Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to feeding appliances for live stock.
The object of the invention is to regulate the supply of feed to an animal
BO as to prevent too rapid eating, insufficient mastication and waste of feed.
It consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts
hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing like fetters designate the same parts in both
figures.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section from front to rear in a plane indicated by the
line 11, Fig. 2 of a feeding apparatus embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is
a front elevation and partial vertical cross-section in a plane indicated by the
line 22, Fig. 1.
A designates a backboard constituting the base or support upon which the
ecveral parts of the feeding apparatus are mounted.
B is a reservoir for holding the grain or feed. It may be conveniently made
1

page_text: of sheet metal and of any convenient shape. It is attached at the back to the
board A or other support and is provided at the top with a suitable cover b. It
is preferably formed with a funnel-shaped bottom or made to converge towards
the contracted discharge opening at its lower end. When made of light sheet
metal, as shown, the lower end of the reservoir or feed receptacle is fitted and
held in a funnel-shaped spout or nozzle C which is formed with a bracket c for
its attachment to the backboard A or other support; but the shape and con-
struction of the feed reservoir or supply spout may be modified.
D is a vertically-movable feed pan or trough supported below the feed reser-
voir B and adapted to normally close the discharge opening in the feed spout or
nozzle. It may be conveniently constructed, as shown, by stamping it in one
piece from sheet metal with a conical or rounded protuberance & projecting
upwardly from its bottom into and adapted to close the opening in the lower end
of the spout or nozzle C. This protuberance may, however, be dispensed with
and the discharge opening of the feed receptacle or spout closed and regulated by
the bottom of the pan or trough itself. To provide for the required vertical
movement of the trough it is preferably hinged at the back to the board A on
about the level of the lower end of the spout or nozzle C.
The pan or trough D is yieldingly supported in the lower end of the supply
tube or reservoir by a weighted lever E fulcrumed between its ends upon an arm
or bracket F and provided in its forked outer and upturned end with an anti-
friction roller which engages the bottom of said trough near its front side.
Upon the inner or rear end of said lever the weight G is adjustably secured by a
set screw g or other suitable means. The outer end of the arm or bracket F is
bent upwardly, passing through an opening in the lever E, and is threaded at
its extremity to receive a recessed nut H which is provided with a cushion h of
rubber or other suitable elastic material and serves as an adjustable stop for
limiting the downward movement of the trough and regulating the discharge of
grain or feed from the reservoir into the trough. This stop serves also to adjust
the device for grain or feed of different kinds, by permitting a greater or less
depression of the trough D as required. Grain or other feed being placed in the
reservoir B is automatically supplied therefrom at a limited rate by the animal
depressing with its nose the trough D in the act of eating therefrom. Each time
the trough is thus depressed the lower end of the feed reservoir or spout is
opened more or less, allowing a limited quantity of grain or feed to flow into
the trough, and whenever the nose of the animal is withdrawn or raised the
weighted lever E instantly raises the trough and cuts off the flow of grain or
feed. The animal is thus prevented from eating too rapidly and is compelled
to masticate and digest its feed more thoroughly, thereby enabling it to assimi-
late a larger percentage of its feed and to be kept in better and healthier con-
dition with less feed than when the usual methods and appliances are employed.
The waste that occurs from scattering, slobbering or moistening with saliva what
is not eaten, when a considerable quantity of grain or feed is given to the animal
at once, in the usual way of feeding, is prevented and the disorders of the alimen-
tary canal resulting from improper eating are also avoided. A great saving will
thus be effected by the device, not only on account of the greater benefit derived
from a given quantity of feed when thoroughly masticated, but also on account
of the prevention of waste, as above explained.
Various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction of
the apparatus may be made without material effect upon the results and without
departure from the intended scope of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In feeding apparatus of the class described the combination with a feed
reservoir or supply spout, of a vertically-movable trough adapted to close the

page_text: discharge opening of said reservoir or spout, and a weighted lever normally
holding said trough in position for closing said reservoir or spout, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In feeding apparatus of the class described the combination with a feed
reservoir or spout, of a depressible trough normally closing the discharge open-
ing of said reservoir or spout, and a lever fulcrumed between its ends on a suit-
able support and having one end engaging said trough and the other provided
with a weight, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In a feeding apparatus of the class described the combination with a feed
reservoir or spout and a vertically-movable trough adapted to close the discharge
opening of said reservoir or spout, of a weighted lever normally holding said
trough elevated, and an adjustable stop for limiting the downward movement
of said trough, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In a feeding apparatus of the class described the combination of a depres-
sible trough, a feed reservoir or spout adapted to be closed by said trough, means
for holding said trough normally in position for closing said reservoir or spout,
and an adjustable stop for limiting the downward movement of said trough and
regulating the supply of feed from said reservoir or spout to said trough, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In feeding apparatus of the class described the combination of a feed reser-
voir or spout, a depressible trough, means for holding said trough normally
. elevated, an arm or bracket underneath said trough, a recessed nut threaded upon
said arm or bracket and provided with a cushion which serves as an elastic stop
to limit the downward movement of said trough, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
G. In feeding apparatus of the class described the combination with a suitable
support, of a feed reservoir or spout, a depressible trough hinged to said support
beneath and adapted to close the discharge opening of said reservoir or spout,
- an arm or bracket extending from said support underneath said trough and
serving as a stop to limit its downward movement, and a weighted lever ful-
crumed on said arm or support in engagement with said trough and holding the
same normally elevated to cut off the supply of feed from said reservoir or spout
to said trough, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7. In feeding apparatus of the class described the combination of a feed reser-
voir or spout, a depressible trough, an arm or bracket located beneath the trough
and a lever fulcrumed between its ends on said arm or bracket and provided
at one end with a weight and at the other end with a roller adapted to bear
against the bottom of said trough, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 16th day of September 1899.