The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 18, 2007
Filed:
Feb. 15, 2005
Joe Mathews Pound, Ingram, TX (US);
John Allen Miller, Kerrville, TX (US);
Gary Ray Earl, Kerrville, TX (US);
Randy Wayne Ryan, Jr., Harper, TX (US);
Joe Mathews Pound, Ingram, TX (US);
John Allen Miller, Kerrville, TX (US);
Gary Ray Earl, Kerrville, TX (US);
Randy Wayne Ryan, Jr., Harper, TX (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
Deer and other nocturnal animals may be allowed to feed from a feeding device which also restricts feeding by squirrels, birds, and other diurnal feeders. The apparatus includes a walled enclosure having a sloped bottom for facilitating the gravity flow of animal feed toward an outlet from which the feed can then be accessed by the target animals. The opening is provided with a sliding cover which is controllably movable between a first position aligned over the opening to prevent dispensing of feed, and a second position removed from the opening to allow dispensing of feed. To prevent blockage of the cover by the feed when the cover is moved from the open to the closed position, an internal member is disposed within the enclosure which creates an accumulation chamber or dead space into which feed can be readily moved out of the path of the moving cover. In use, the cover can be moved to the first, closed position during daylight hours to prevent or limit feeding by diurnal feeding animals, and to the second, open position during night hours to allow feed to be dispensed to nocturnal feeding animals.