U.S. Industries, Inc.

William R Williams

A feed gate arrangement is provided for the feeder units of automated poultry feed systems and the like, of the type having at least one feed conveyor with a moving feed carrier, such as an endless drag chain, conveyor belt, or similar structure. The feeder unit includes a housing through which the conveyor chain translates, and a mechanism to add fresh, make-up feed to the conveyor chain. The feed gate comprises a valve plate slidably mounted for vertical movement in an outlet trough of the housing, and meters the flow of feed onto the underpassing conveyor chain. The valve plate includes a laterally extending adjustment tab, which overlies an exterior surface of the housing, and is detachably anchored thereto at various vertical positions for adjusting the conveyor feed level from the exterior of the feeder unit.

Feed gate for poultry conveyor feeders and the like

A feeder unit is provided for automated, multi-tier animal feed systems, such as for poultry and the like, of the type having a plurality of conveyors to which feed is supplied from a remote storage bin. The feeder unit has a low profile housing, and a mounting bracket which positions the conveyor drive motor alongside the housing to minimize the overall height of the feeder unit, so that the feeder units can be vertically stacked closely together for substantial space savings and efficiency. The housings include a passageway through a sidewall and a base thereof, in which a feed supply conduit is inserted to transport feed from a remote storage bin into a hopper portion of the feeder units.

Low profile multi-tier, automated, poultry cage feeder system

Corner units for automated animal feed conveyors and the like include a wheel about which a feed carrier, such as an endless chain or belt, is guided. A wear plate and wheel mounting arrangement for such corner units comprises a wear plate having a generally regular shape with a geometric center supported on the base of the unit housing adjacent the corner thereof. A spindle rotatably mounts the wheel thereon, and is attached to the wear plate at a location eccentric to the geometric center of the wear plate, whereby rotation of the wear plate about its geometric center with respect to the housing base shifts the wheel between a first position wherein a narrow feed carrier is centered in the housing and a second position wherein a wider feed carrier is centered in the housing. Fasteners rigidly attach the wear plate to the housing base in one of the positions selected in accordance with the width of the feed carrier, thereby adapting the housing for conversion to use either narrow or wide feed conveyors.

Growing community of inventors

Roswell, GA, United States of America

William R Williams