Feeder for animals

Abstract

A feeder unit for animals, particularly pigs, provides feed in either wet or dry condition and comprises a trough and a shelf positioned above the trough with a water supply duct beneath the shelf for directing water through valves actuated by the pig into the trough. A hopper positioned above the shelf directs material continuously onto the shelf to be retained on the shelf by the repose angle. The pig can thus either eat directly from the shelf the feed in dry condition or can brush the feed into the trough for mixing with water and eating in wet condition.

We claim: 
     
       1. A feeder unit for animals comprising an elongate trough having a base and a sidewall for receiving and containing feed and arranged such that the head of the animal can reach over an upper front edge of the sidewall to the base for eating the feed, an elongate shelf extending substantially along a full length of the trough and providing a substantially horizontal surface for receiving feed, said horizontal surface of said shelf being arranged at a height above and rearwardly of said front edge and separate from said trough such that any feed falling therefrom along the full length thereof can fall directly vertically downwardly into the trough and so as to allow access by the head of the animal to said shelf for .Iadd..[.direct feeding.]..Iaddend. .Iadd.directly eating feed .Iaddend.therefrom, and between said shelf and said front edge to said base, and hopper means for directly and continuously depositing feed onto said shelf, said hopper means including an elongate lowermost edge, means mounting said lowermost edge and said shelf such that the lowermost edge extends substantially wholly along, adjacent to and spaced from said horizontal surface by a vertical distance and spaced from a front edge of the shelf by a horizontal distance such that the angle of repose of the feed from the lowermost edge to said shelf prevents the feed from falling over the front edge of the shelf and thus automatically controls deposit of further feed onto said shelf said mounting means including means for manually adjusting the vertical distance from the lowermost edge to the surface and being arranged to maintain said lowermost edge fixed against animal actuated movement .Iadd.in a horizontal direction, .Iaddend.said shelf and trough being arranged such that deposited feed on the shelf remains on said shelf but can be removed to the trough .[.solely.]. by .[.direct contact with.]. the animal. 
     
     
       2. The invention according to claim 1 including means for dispensing water into the trough arranged such that it avoids dispensing water onto the shelf. 
     
     
       3. The invention according to claim 2 including means actuable by the animal for controlling the dispersing. 
     
     
       4. The invention according to claim .[.2.]. .Iadd.3 .Iaddend.wherein the dispensing means is arranged beneath the shelf and arranged .[.to direct.]. .Iadd.such that .Iaddend.water .Iadd.dispensed thereby falls .Iaddend.downwardly therefrom into the trough. 
     
     
       5. The invention according to claim 2 wherein the dispensing means is arranged such that the animal is not intended to drink directly from it. 
     
     
       6. The invention according to claim 2 including timer means for periodically shutting off water supply to said dispensing means. 
     
     
       7. The invention according to claim 2 wherein the dispensing means includes a float valve for controlling the level of water in the trough. 
     
     
       8. The invention according to claim 1 including agitator means mounted on the shelf and arranged to move in a plane parallel to the shelf between the shelf and the lowermost edge. 
     
     
       9. The invention according to claim 8 wherein the shelf is two-sided having a first side for feeding animals facing from one side and a second opposed side for feeding animals facing the opposed side, and wherein the agitator means comprises a plurality of members each extending in a direction generally transverse to said front edge of the shelf and each separately pivotally moveable in said plane parallel to the shelf on respective pivots with the pivot of one member being arranged adjacent said first side with the member extending to said second side and the pivot of the next adjacent member adjacent the second side with the member extending to said first side. .Iadd.10. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the shelf includes an edge nearest to said front edge of the trough which presents a V-shaped cross section defined by said horizontal surface and a flange turned downwardly and rearwardly thereof. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The invention according to claim 10 wherein the shelf is separated from the trough so as to leave an open space between a lower edge of the flange and the trough. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the trough includes a first side wall having an upper front edge for access by animals on a first side of the feeder unit and a second side wall having an upper front edge for access by animals on a second side of the feeder unit, the upper front edge of the first side wall being parallel to the upper front edge of the second side wall, and wherein the shelf is positioned intermediate the front side wall and the second side wall, the shelf having a first edge for cooperation with the first side wall and a second edge parallel to the first for cooperation with the second side wall, the hopper being arranged to deposit feed onto said shelf intermediate the first and second edges thereof. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. The invention according to claim 12 wherein the shelf is separated from the trough so as to leave an open space vertically therebetween. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. A feeder unit for animals comprising an elongate trough having a base and a side wall for receiving and containing feed and arranged such that the head of the animal can reach over an upper front edge of the side wall to the base for eating the feed, an elongate shelf extending substantially along a full length of the trough and providing a substantially horizontal surface for receiving feed, said horizontal surface of said shelf being arranged at a height above and rearwardly of said front edge and separate from said trough such that any feed falling therefrom along the full length thereof can fall directly vertically downwardly into the trough and so as to allow access by the head of the animal to said shelf for directly eating feed therefrom, and between said shelf and said front edge to said base, hopper means for depositing feed onto said shelf, said hopper means including an elongate lowermost edge, means mounting said lowermost edge and said shelf such that the lowermost edge extends substantially wholly along, adjacent to and spaced from said horizontal surface by a vertical distance and spaced from a front edge of the shelf by a horizontal distance such that the angle of repose of the feed from the lowermost edge to said shelf prevents the feed from falling over the front edge of the shelf and thus automatically controls deposit of further feed onto said shelf said shelf and trough being arranged such that deposited feed on the shelf remains on said shelf but can be removed to the trough by the animal, and means for dispensing water into the trough positioned at a height lower than the shelf and including means actuable by the animal for controlling the dispensing, said dispensing means being arranged such that water dispensed thereby falls into the trough and avoids the shelf. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A feeder unit for animals comprising an elongate trough having a base and a side wall for receiving and containing feed and arranged such that the head of the animal can reach over an upper front edge of the side wall to the base for eating the feed, an elongate shelf extending substantially along a full length of the trough and providing a substantially horizontal surface for receiving feed, said horizontal surface of said shelf being arranged at a height above and rearwardly of said front edge and separate from said trough such that any feed falling therefrom along the full length thereof can fall directly vertically downwardly into the trough and so as to allow access by the head of the animal to said shelf for directly eating feed therefrom, and between said shelf and said front edge to said base, hopper means for depositing feed onto said shelf, said hopper means including an elongate lowermost edge, means mounting said lowermost edge and said shelf such that the lowermost edge extends substantially wholly along, adjacent to and spaced from said horizontal surface by a vertical distance and spaced from a front edge of the shelf by a horizontal distance such that the angle of repose of the feed from the lowermost edge to said shelf prevents the feed from falling over the front edge of the shelf and thus automatically controls deposit of further feed onto said shelf said shelf and trough being arranged such that deposited feed on the shelf remains on said shelf but can be removed to the trough by the animal, and means for dispensing water into the trough positioned at a height lower than the shelf and including means actuable by the animal for controlling the dispensing, said dispensing means being arranged such that water dispensed thereby falls into the trough and avoids the shelf, wherein the shelf includes an edge nearest to said front edge of the trough which presents a V-shaped cross section defined by said horizontal surface and a flange turned downwardly and rearwardly therefrom. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The invention according to claim 15 wherein the shelf is separated from the trough so as to leave an open space between a lower edge of the flange and the trough. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. A feeder unit for animals comprising an elongate trough having a base and a side wall for receiving and containing feed and arranged such that the head of the animal can reach over an upper front edge of the side wall to the base for eating the feed, an elongate shelf extending substantially along a full length of the trough and providing a substantially horizontal surface for receiving feed, said horizontal surface of said shelf being arranged at a height above and rearwardly of said front edge and separate from said trough such that any feed falling therefrom along the full length thereof can fall directly vertically downwardly into the trough and so as to allow access by the head of the animal to said shelf for directly eating feed therefrom, and between said shelf and said front edge to said base, hopper means for depositing feed onto said shelf, said hopper means including an elongate lowermost edge, means mounting said lowermost edge and said shelf such that the lowermost edge extends substantially wholly along, adjacent to and spaced from said horizontal surface by a vertical distance and spaced from a front edge of the shelf by a horizontal distance such that the angle of repose of the feed from the lowermost edge to said shelf prevents the feed from falling over the front edge of the shelf and thus automatically controls deposit of further feed onto said shelf said shelf and trough being arranged such that deposited feed on the shelf remains on said shelf but can be removed to the trough by the animal, and means for dispensing water into the trough positioned at a height lower than the shelf and including means actuable by the animal for controlling the dispensing, said dispensing means being arranged such that water dispensed thereby falls into the trough and avoids the shelf, wherein the trough includes a first side wall having an upper front edge for access by animals on a first side of the feeder unit and a second side wall having an upper front edge for access by animals on a second side of the feeder unit, the upper front edge of the first side wall being parallel to the upper front edge of the second side wall, and wherein the shelf is positioned intermediate the first side wall and the second side wall, the shelf having a first edge for cooperation with the first side wall and a second edge parallel to the first for cooperation with the second side wall, the hopper being arranged to deposit feed onto said shelf intermediate the first and second edges thereof. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The invention according to claim 17 wherein the shelf is separated from the trough so as to leave an open space vertically therebetween. .Iaddend.