| 摘要 |
An apparatus for dispensing granulated edible material to a large animal, such as a cow, a horse, or a sheep, has a housing with a tongue opening in the sidewall. A bin is located within the housing, and a downwardly oriented chute extends from a bottom of the bin. A dispensing assembly includes a stopper assembly having a stopper sized to close the chute when the stopper assembly is in a first lowered position and to allow granulated edible material to flow through the chute when the stopper assembly is in a second raised position, and an actuating block affixed to the stopper assembly at a location whereat the actuating block is accessible to the tongue of the animal when the tongue extends through the opening in the housing and the tongue may move the actuating block such that the stopper assembly moves from the first position to the second position. The actuating block has a recess in an upper side thereof positioned to receive the granulated edible material which falls through the chute, and a flow passage extending from the recess, through an interior of the actuating block, and to an exterior opening in the actuating block. In operation of the dispensing apparatus, the animal's tongue extending through the tongue opening may move the actuating block such that the dispensing rod moves from the lowered position to the raised position. The stopper is thereby moved, allowing granulated edible material to fall from the bin, through the flow passage in the actuating block, and onto the tongue of the animal.
|
