Abstract: A livestock feeder with the capability of removing the end walls and folding the side walls inwards. The livestock feeder has hinged side rails allowing them to be folded inwards. The livestock feeder also has a bottom bed that is not affected by weather and can be easily replaced. A removable polyethylene floor increases the life of the livestock feeder. When the end walls are removed and the side walls are folded, the feeder has a compact shape permitting efficient shipping by conventional transportation means.

Abstract: A livestock feeder for retaining hay so that livestock can consume the hay without trampling thereon is disclosed which includes a plurality of spatially disposed leg member and a plurality of substantially horizontally, spatially disposed retainer members connectable to the leg members. The retainer members are fabricated of a polymeric material having angular deflection characteristics and memory so that the retainer members can be angularly deflected by pressures exerted thereon and restored to a substantially non-deflected position when such pressures are removed.

Abstract: The invention is a feeder for horses comprising an elongate feeder housing with a feeding chamber. Feeder has a rounded front forming an elliptical arc in relation to the back with a feed access opening in the front. The feed access opening accommodates entry of a horse's head into the feeding chamber. The lower edge of the feed access opening is positioned so the bottom of the chamber is a feed holding bin. The top of the feeder has a feed delivery opening close to the back of the housing. The feed delivery opening is rectangular for accepting a hay flake, the feed delivery opening extends into the feeder housing as a feed delivery chute, allowing the hay flake to land in the back of the feed chamber with the upper portion of the flake still in the delivery chute. The feed delivery opening has a removable cover. In any embodiment, the bottom of the feeder can contain a removable plug for cleaning of the feed chamber. In one embodiment of the invention the back of the feeder contains a 90.degree.

Abstract: A hay manger for large round bales of hay has a square box at the bottom which keeps any hay that falls from the bale dry. At each corner of the box is a vertical post. The posts are connected by horizontal cross braces. Slanted bars are located at appropriate intervals to both support the hay and to keep the cattle from actually entering the box. The bars are attached to the upper horizontal cross-bars and slant towards the center of the lower box. Attached to the horizontal cross braces approximately five feet from the top edge of the lower box are L-shaped hooks which support the bulk of the weight of the large round bales. The cattle eat the hay from the bottom. Since the bale is supported by the L-shaped hooks, loose hay is easily provided for the cattle feeding. Additionally, the inward slant of the bars creates a large amount of comfortable shoulder room for the animals and keeps the majority of the hay from the ground since nearly all falling hay drops into the box.

Abstract: A feeding device for stock comprises a bin (10) having a lid or door (12), a slot (14) for the withdrawal of forage as it is consumed, a fan (16) for drawing air in through the slot (14) and out of the bin (10), and a duct (18) for discharging the air at a remote location.

Abstract: A feeder with a food protection grid for butterflies and moths is described. The feeder includes a solid core on which food may be placed. A protective screen or mesh overlays and protects the core and the food secured thereon from consumption by various insects and small animals. The feeding grid has a plurality of openings therethrough which are of an appropriate size to permit a butterfly or moth to reach the food source with its proboscis. The feeder may be hung from an overhead support and a crawling insect guard can be included to prevent small crawling insects such as ants and the like from reaching the protective grid and the food source when the feeder is hung from a tree or the like.

Abstract: A portable folding feeder for livestock having a vertically disposed back panel adapted to be secured to a vertical support wall when in use, and has a pair of side mounted doors swingably attached to either side of the back panel. A bottom flexible panel of cloth, leather or the like is mounted on the bottom of the feeder and can be folded upwardly into the feeder when not in use. A grate is provided for holding feed for the animals and is rotatably attached at the bottom of the back panel and drops forward to secure itself to both side doors when in use.

Abstract: A livestock feeder wagon includes a floor having as peripheral side wall extended upwardly therefrom to define a shallow open-topped manger for receiving and dispensing a variety of feeds. A peripheral outer rack extends upwardly from adjacent the periphery of the manger and includes a plurality of horizontally spaced apart upright outer bars, each adjacent pair defining a first feed opening. An inner rack is situated interiorly of the outer rack and includes a plurality of horizontally spaced apart inner bars extending downwardly and inwardly from the outer rack with each adjacent pair of inner bars defining a second feed opening. The lower end of each inner bar extends through a respective hole in the floor of the wagon in slide fit relation so that the inner bar is free to flex through a limited vertical movement relative to the floor whereby the inner rack acts as a shock absorber to protect both the feeder wagon and the livestock.

Abstract: This feeder for bales of feed material consists of a wall structure defining an enclosure adapted to receive one or more bales of feed material. The wall structure has openings whereby animals gain access to the feed material. At least one reserve bale support is mounted on a top peripheral edge of the wall structure. A reserve bale is deposited into the enclosure by pivoting the bale support.

Abstract: A livestock feeder of, for example, welded construction, comprises a vertically extending support leg and a plurality of inclined support legs having upper ends secured to the vertical support leg. The vertical support leg extends upward through a bale-supporting platform in the form of a woven wire screen to define a "spear" portion which penetrates the hay bale when the bale is positioned on the screen, to retain the bale on the screen. The woven wire screen is supported on a plurality of horizontally disposed support members having inner ends secured to the vertical support leg and/or the upper ends of the inclined support legs, and outer ends secured to a ring member within which the woven wire screen is disposed. The inclined support legs and the vertical support leg are also interconnected by first brace members and the inclined support legs and the outer ends of the horizontally disposed screen-supporting members are interconnected by second brace members.

Abstract: An improved livestock handling apparatus and method include a frame mounted on wheels having a plurality of stanchions arranged in side-by-side relationship along sides thereof such that livestock can place their heads through the stanchions in a first position, and reach feed placed in troughs and bales placed on rails spaced interiorally to the apparatus. Locking mechanisms, each comprising a pivotally mounted latch abutting an upper end of a pivotable sidebar of each of the stanchions, automatically lock the sidebar in a second position such that an animal cannot pass its head into, or remove its head from, one of the stanchion. A deactivator, including an axially rotatable rod having nubs spaced therealong, interacts with the latches to deactivate the locking mechanisms such that the livestock can pass their head through and remove their head from the stanchions.

Abstract: A portable mobile livestock feeder includes a pair of feeding troughs for holding a flowable granular-type of feed material, a feeding hopper for holding a stem roughage-type feed material, and a mobile chassis for supporting the feeding troughs and the feeding hopper in a generally level stationary relation to the ground surface and for movement across the ground surface. The feeding troughs extend longitudinally in laterally spaced relation to one another and have open tops through which livestock can reach to eat the granular-type feed material from the feeding troughs. The feeding hopper has a bottom floor positioned between the feeding troughs at the level of the open tops of the feeding troughs. The feeding hopper also has an enclosure mounted on and extending above the floor and the feeding troughs.

Abstract: A portable and collapsible livestock feeder, is designed for both easy erection and also for collapsed storage for transport, manual or otherwise. The side panels of the feeder are hinged, or otherwise pivotally secured, to a back panel of the structure, and a hinged bottom is also attached to the back panel. A feeder grate maintains a lower horizontal pivotal connection with the back panel, but is releasably attached, when in a forwardly sloping condition, at its upper portion to and between the side panels. Releasing the grate from the side panels enables the grate to be thrust back and swing against the back panel for storage when the side panels are collapsed over the grate. Tail gate support brackets are provided for mounting the feeder. The grate extends upwardly above the collapsed feeder to provide a handle.

Abstract: An improved livestock handling apparatus and method include a frame mounted on wheels having a plurality of stanchions arranged in side-by-side relationship along sides thereof such that livestock can place their heads through the stanchions and reach feed placed in troughs and bales placed on rails spaced interiorally to the apparatus. Locking mechanisms, each comprising a pivotally mounted latch abutting an upper end of a pivotable sidebar of each of the stanchions, automatically lock such that an animal cannot pass its head into, or remove its head from, one of the stanchion. A deactivator, including an axially rotatable rod having nubs spaced therealong, interacts with the latches to deactivate the locking mechanisms such that the livestock can pass their head through and remove their head from the stanchions. A selectively openable gate at one end of the apparatus provides interior access to the apparatus.

Abstract: The device disclosed includes an outer cage of bars through which cows may pass their heads and necks, but not their shoulders. The device includes an inner cage, which holds a cylindrical hay-bale. The arrangement is such that the cows must reach through the bars of the outer cage in order to reach the hay in the inner cage. The device includes a trough which extends between the two cages, so that any hay that falls from the cow's mouth while the cow has its head between the bars is caught in the trough. The feeder practically eliminates hay wastage.

Abstract: A livestock feeder has a trough bed and a bin for storing and dispensing feed mounted above and spaced from the bed, the bin being collapsible onto the bed for facilitating shipment and storage of the feeder. When the bin is collapsed onto the bed, the livestock feeder can support a payload without damage to the collapsed bin. The feeder may include wheels to define a wagon bunk-type feeder, wherein the feeder can be converted to other uses when the bin is in the collapsed position.

Abstract: A horse feeder includes a ground supported frame with a basket portion pivotally mounted on the frame for holding hay or similar feeding material. The basket has forward and rearward walls formed of racks to allow horses to pull hay through the rack for feeding. A pair of side walls connect the racks and orient them so as to diverge from the lower end, to receive hay between the forward and rearward racks. The basket is pivotally mounted for selective pivotal movement between a generally upright feeding position and a loading position with the basket pivoted to one side. A handle with a projecting leg is operably mounted to the ground supported frame such that the projecting leg may be selectively journaled through a hole in the adjacent side panel of the basket portion. One hole is located in the basket portion such that the basket will be locked in an upright position. A second hole is located such that the basket will be locked in the loading position, oriented to one side.

Abstract: A supporting standard for stationary farm implements is configured with a horizontally extending trough-like foot of downward-narrowing cross-section to enable the foot to sit lightly on soft earth and be easily extracted from frozen soil.

Abstract: A livestock feeder device comprises an inner frame defined by an upper circular rail and a lower circular rail resting against the ground together with a number of uprights for receiving and confining a cylindrical bale. An outer frame around the inner frame is defined by a lower panel and an upper area having inclined spaced bars arranged so that the animal can present its head through the bars but is halted at the shoulder. The spacing between the inner and outer frames is such that the animal can reach the bale and is encouraged by the frame to eat with its head remaining between the inner and outer frames so as to deposit any waste in that area for subsequent eating. This avoids the trampling of any waste and thus reduces losses.

Abstract: A feeding apparatus for animals, particularly horses, comprising:a hopper to contain particulate fodder having an upper and lower opening;a compartment adjacent the hopper to contain strawlike fodder having an outer perforate side and an upper opening;a trough disposed near the lower opening of the hopper to receive fodder discharged from the hopper by gravity feed action; anda lid to cover both the upper openings the hopper and compartment are separated by an upstanding partition member and the perforate side generally overlies the trough to enable an animal to feed from both the compartment and trough.

Abstract: A portable and collapsible manger which is assembled from bottom, front, left and right side plates attached by means of piano hinges to a back plate wherein a manger enclosure is formed, together with a hay rack attached between the side plates to facilitate the loading and feeding of fibrous feeds.

Abstract: Animal feeding apparatus including a base portion, a support portion, a divider portion and a trough portion; the base portion including a pair of spaced substantially horizontal longitudinal sections, the longitudinal sections being disposed substantially parallel to each other, each of the longitudinal sections having a height significantly greater than the thickness thereof; the support portion including a plurality of spaced transverse members, each of the transverse members extending between the longitudinal sections along the length thereof, an undercarriage disposed adjacent one end of the base portion, the undercarriage including a transverse axle and wheels disposed adjacent the ends of the axle, a hitch disposed adjacent the end of the base portion remote from the undercarriage; the divider portion including an elevated longitudinal center section, the center section being supported on and affixed to the transverse members, the center section being disposed in a generally horizontal orientation inte

Abstract: A feeding railing for animals comprising a frame, a plurality of vertical spikes fastened to said frame and adapted to extend pairwise behind the animal's head on both sides of the neck and being spaced apart by a distance which is larger than the width of the neck and smaller than the width of the withers of the animal and comprising at least one wheel supporting the frame so as to be movable along the ground, comprising a frame which has connected with it a floor plate extending rearwardly over a given distance near the ground. Driving means comprising buffer means for the wheel for storing energy during the rotation of the or each wheel in one direction and by releasable guard means for blocking the rotation in the other direction can be provided.

Abstract: An animal feeding system employs an openwork manger suspended in such manner as to cause a feeding animal to raise its head in grasping hay between opening of the manger and upon pulling tending to tear hay flakes and bunches apart. Means is provided to discourage animal penetration to beneath the manger thus precluding fouling of that area and possible animal bunching in restricted space.

Abstract: The livestock feeder includes a relatively shallow, open top tank having a substantially solid bottom and generally vertical side and end walls, a rack located inside the tank for receiving different types of feed and having a plurality of horizontally spaced frame members which extend upwardly from the tank bottom with their lower ends spaced inwardly from the tank walls to define feeding troughs therebetween, and an outer framework having a plurality of frame members which are arranged to discourage the withdrawal of loose feed from the feeder. In a preferred embodiment the frame members are horizontally spaced in parallel relationship and extend diagonally from the upper extremity of the tank walls. Adjacent pairs of the diagonally extending outer frame members define a vertically angled opening through which individual livestock can project its head, while standing on the ground outside any one of the four sides of the feeder, and eat feed held in the rack and/or the feeding troughs.

Abstract: The invention comprises a farm wagon of the possum belly type which may be used as a bale hauler, a feeder wagon, or a general purpose farm wagon. With end pipes and connecting cables installed, two tiers of cylindrical bales may be hauled. With sides of open planking installed, the low height of the bed enables livestock to feed directy from the wagon. A second tier of sides may be added to give greater hauling capacity, or the sides and ends may be completely removed for general purpose hauling.

Abstract: An improved feed bunk assembly embodying a portable superstructure which can be quickly and easily assembled or disassembled as needs require. In a preferred embodiment the superstructure includes load supporting post means which may be slip fit in feed bunk apertures and thereby stabilized. The invention further contemplates that the feed bunk may mount a longitudinally oriented device which may be employed to introduce feed of selectively different types into one side of a feed bunk or the other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel, portable, animal feeding station which provides livestock, at virtually any desired location, waste-free access to fibrous feed material in quantities heretofore unobtainable with a portable unit. Compacted fibrous feed is charged into a rectangular-shaped, variable volume hopper formed by a pair of upstanding stationary, spaced-apart, opposing end walls and a pair of movably suspended mesh-covered side panels. The side panels are movably suspended on sloping tracks mounted interior the end walls such that the panels are positioned by gravity against the confined feed mass. Feeding livestock are able to grasp the fibrous feed through the mesh according to their need, and in doing so forcibly urge the panel, along the sloping tracks, against the remaining feed mass.

Abstract: A livestock feeder having a plurality of animal feeding openings includes feed-holdback apparatus for preventing unnecessary waste of feed. The feeder comprises a support frame having a floor surface and at least one vertically extending side wall comprised of elongated upwardly extending pipe segments. A feedreceptive enclosure is defined between the side wall and the floor surface and is accessible to the livestock through a plurality of animal feed openings disposed within the vertical walls between the pipe segments therein. The holdback means comprises substantially C-shaped brackets which include an upper and lower horizontal portion and an integral vertical portion extending between the horizontal portions. The horizontal portions of the holdback structures include means for attaching same to the vertical segments of the side walls. The holdback apparatus defines a feeding compartment into which livestock may extend their heads for eating feed within the apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus for loading, transporting and feeding large hay bales and hay stacks. An open bottomed trailer includes a frame mounted on a wheel assembly. Four panels mounted on the frame comprise a plurality of spaced bars. A pivotal lift supported within the panels includes a pair of pivotally supported forks and a hydraulic cylinder to pivot the forks and to lift a hay bale or stack supported thereon. In feeding, the lift is lowered and animals are allowed to feed on the hay through the barred panels.