| 摘要 |
A feeder is provided for animals selected from domestic pets, cage birds, chickens, fish and wild birds. The feeder has a hopper (3) adapted to hold a supply of dry feed. A chamber (4) is adapted to receive feed by gravity from a lower portion of the hopper (3), and has a discharge outlet (100) at one axial end of the chamber (4). A passage (105) is defined from and includes the chamber (4) and extends to an opening at the distal end of the discharge outlet (100) for discharge of feed from the feeder. An auger (11) is mounted for rotation about an axis within said chamber (4). The auger (11) is adapted as it rotates to move feed along the passage (105) to be discharged at the distal end of the discharge outlet (100). A shutter is adapted to occlude the passage (105) and is provided within the discharge outlet (100). The shutter is coupled to and rotates with the auger (11). The shutter has a forward edge and a trailing edge (122) defined in relation to the direction of rotation. The discharge outlet (100) is provided with an enlarged end portion (118). The enlarged end portion (118) has an outer wall (126) spaced from the passage (105) such that as the forward edge progressively occludes the passage (105) as the shutter rotates, any feed between the outer wall (126) and the forward edge of the shutter simply falls from the enlarged end portion (118). A drive system couples an electric motor to the auger (11) to provide drive thereto. The drive system is adapted in use to cause the electric motor to rotate the auger (11) through a discrete number of completed 360° turns such that when the auger (11) is not rotating the passage (105) is fully occluded by the shutter. |
