Animal feeding trough apparatus with hinged trough

• US 3,880,121 A
• Filed: 10/10/1973
• Issued: 04/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Big Dutchman Cyclone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Robert L Van Huis
• Inventors: Van Huis, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chamblee, Hugh R.
• Application Number:
  US05/404,981
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 119/52AF,56 198/113,115
• US Class Current: 119/57.2
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/01 Feed troughs; Feed pails A01K1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0208 with conveyor belts or the like

Abstract

An animal feeding trough apparatus comprised of a plurality of sections of trough mounted above a floor and all coupled together to provide a trough feeder. At least two of the sections are connected together with a hinged trough connector permitting the trough to be hinged so as to provide a means for raising a portion of the trough a greater distance from the floor.

Claims

1. In an animal feeding apparatus having an elongated continuous and circuitous trough for containing feed, feed supply means for supplying feed to said trough, the improvement comprising:

said trough having at least two separate sections throughout its length; and

means for pivotally connecting said sections to each other thereby permitting said sections to be arranged at an angle to each other to form an inverted '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'V'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' uNder which equipment can be moved;

said means comprising a first part telescopically connected to said one trough section and a second part telescopically connected to the other of said trough sections, said parts each having at one end thereof a cross section corresponding to the cross section of the said section of said trough to which it is to be connected and at the other end having a cross section corresponding to the cross section of the other end of the other part;

said parts each having an opening at the tops thereof;

means for pivotally connecting said parts together for pivotal movement downwardly away from openings; and

means for releasably locking such parts together when in aligned, mated position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the trough has two sides connected together by a bottom, said means for pivotally connecting said sections to each other being located at said bottom.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the trough has two sides connected together by a bottom, said means for pivotally connecting said sections to each other being located at said bottom;

and means on said sides for selectively locking said sections together to prevent pivotal movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which each of the means for pivotally connecting said trough sections together and means for locking said sections together comprise interfitting members connected together with a pin means, the pin means for said locking means being selectively insertable and removable to permit locking and unlocking of said locking means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for pivotally connecting said sections together comprise a coupler having two pivotally connected sections, one secured to one section of a trough and the other secured to another section of a trough.

6. A coupler for connecting two sections of a trough together, comprising two parts, a first part telescopically connected to said one trough section and a second part telescopically connected to the other of said trough sections, said parts each having at one end thereof a cross section corresponding to the cross section of the said section of said trough to which it is to be connected and at the other end having a cross section corresponding to the cross section of the other end of the other part;

said parts each having an opening at the tops thereof;

means for pivotally connecting said parts together for pivotal movement downwardly away from openings; and

means for releasably locking such parts together when in aligned, mated position.

7. The coupler of claim 6 in which the sections are U-shaped with two sides connected together by a bottom, said means for pivotally connecting said sections to each other being located at said bottom.

8. The coupler of claim 6 in which the means for locking said sections together includes means on at least one side of each of said sections, said means including interfitting members and a selectively removable pin for connecting said members together.