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Marvin E Knowles

James A Knowles

Larry M Knowles

Joseph E Knowles

An improved gravity feeder for poultry and domestic animals which will dispense variable quantities of feed depending upon the dietary requirements of the particular fowl or animal is disclosed. The gravity feeder includes a generally cylindrical feed storage hopper having top and bottom openings mounted on an underlying circular feed tray having an upwardly projecting conical surface and an upwardly extending peripheral side wall wherein feed is dispensed for consumption. The feed tray includes a plurality of hopper support pads disposed at regular angular intervals about the conical surface of the tray coincident with a diameter of the hopper so as to provide adequate support for the same when disposed in functional relation to the feed tray. The hopper support pads are provided with at least one horizontally disposed slot being adapted to interlock with a corresponding pattern of mating notches formed about the lower interior edge of the hopper securing the hopper to the tray and simultaneously setting a vertical dimension for feed discharge openings formed therebetween. In an alternative embodiment the hopper support pads include a plurality of horizontally disposed slots configured vertically to interlock with the mating notches formed on the hopper to provide incremental vertical adjustment of the feed discharge openings to increase the amount of feed dispensed in order to meet the dietary requirements of a particular species at the various stages of life cycle and production.

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Rose Hill, NC, United States of America

Marvin E Knowles