Patent ID: 8651053

Claim:
An automatic feeder for dispensing bulk feed to livestock, comprising: a feed bin for storing bulk feed material, said feed bin comprising a lower funnel portion; a vein assembly for transferring said bulk feed material from said feed bin to a trough, said vein assembly horizontally positioned below said feed bin at said lower funnel portion and above said trough, said vein assembly comprising: a rotary vein tube, said rotary vein tube housing a rotatable vein shaft which rotates inside said rotary vein tube, said rotary vein tube comprising a rotary vein tube inlet opening allowing feed to fall from said feed bin into said vein tube and a rotary vein tube outlet allowing feed to fall from said rotary vein tube into said trough, wherein at least a portion of said rotary vein tube outlet is in vertical alignment with at least a portion of said rotary vein tube inlet; and said rotatable vein shaft, comprising a shaft and a plurality of flexible wipers separately affixed as spokes to said shaft, wherein vein compartments for transferring feed are formed between said flexible wipers; said trough positioned below said vein assembly and attached to said rotary vein tube, said trough having a trough cover covering a feeding portion of said trough; a motor assembly comprising a rotary transmission means for turning said shaft and a power source for powering said rotary transmission means; a timer programmable to actuate said motor assembly at a predetermined time for a predetermined period; and supports attached to the bottom of said automatic feeder and supporting said feeder off of the ground.