AU598598B2

AU598598B2 - A demountable feed trough

Info

Publication number: AU598598B2
Application number: AU80104/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Daniel Charles Smith; Noel Hugh Smith
Original assignee: Smith Beverley Anne; Smith Kathleen Helen
Current assignee: Smith Beverley Anne; Smith Kathleen Helen
Priority date: 1986-10-31
Filing date: 1986-10-31
Publication date: 1990-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-23
Also published as: AU8010487A

Description

598598 PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATIO

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: P18751 Class Lodged:3'i-10-86 Int. Class Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: 7 Related Art: rmendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.I TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICCANT ANT Name of Applicant:. DANIEL CHARLES SMITH 1ever 0Ann N hod U+ ezbr A Men .6mr\~N tH Address of Aolicnt: -PO~- (7r fi~~L -M-h M+44-40M) IF2*~-;)ir o Ad Idres, of Applcant Actual Inventor: Daniel Charleoo Sith

WA..

Address for Service: Wray AJsociabes, Primar y Industry Houtse, 239 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, W.A. 6000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "A DEIVIOUNTABLE PEED TROUGH" The following statement is a full desc'ription of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me -2- The present invention relates to a demountable feed trough.

In general, feed, in the form of grain and the like, is delivered to stock animals such as sheep or cattle by either placement in a fixed trough or on the ground. The use of fixed troughs has the disadvantage that the troughs are not readily transportable to other locations for use in feeding the stock and so multiple fixed troughs are required. Also the fixed troughs tend to collect rain 100 water which must be emptied by overturning the trough.

Such handling of the trouqh places a limit upon the length of the trough which may conveniently be used placing feed4 0 on the ground has the disadvantage that much of the feed is buried into the soil and moisture in the ground affects the ft-id to reduce its useful life.

In one form the present iznvention provides a feed trough which may be readily demounted, transported and stored.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention 0 0 there is provided a demountable feed trough comprising a strip of sheet material having a pair of opposed sides 0 n. having means to receive a cable along the length of each appQ side) fixing means adjacent the ends of the strip adapted to fix the ends of the or each cable to the ground, and a plurality of supports spaced along the length of the strip to support the cable received in the sides of the strip above the ground.

According to a pref~erred feature of the invention a tensioning means is provided to tension the or each cable.

-3- Acc ording to a Preferred feature of the previous feature a resilient member is located in the length of the or each cable -l.d/or is associated with the tensioning means.

The present invention will now be described by way of one specific embodiment. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:- Figure I is a side view of a demountable feed trough in accordance with the present invention shown erected; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a fixing means o~f the demountable feed trough of figure 1; 0 0 Figure 3 is a side elevation of a fixing means of the 0~0~ demountable feed trough of figure 1; 00: 0Figure 4 its a side elevation of an alternative 0 0 support of the demountable feed trough of f~igure 1; Figure 5 is an upper perspective view of the upper end of one side of the support; 00 Figure 6 is a side elevation of the support of figure 0 4 with an alternative form of fixing; Figure 7 is a plan view of the strip of sheet material; and~ 0 *Figure 8 is an inverted plan view of the strip of s'heet material.

000As shown in the drawings the embodiment comprises a demountable feed trough 10 comprising a strip of sheet of material 12 preferably in the form of a relatively long strip of sheet material having a hem formed along each longitudinal edge. It is envisaqed that the sheet of material 12 could be made from reinti:'rced Polypropylene or sheeting or likce material which is capable of retaining particulate -,tocX feed.

-4- The feed trough also comprises a pair of cables 16 which are receivable in the hems formed along the sides of the strip of sheet material 12. If desired a single cable may be used to extend through both hems. The cables are of sufficient length to extend from either end of the sheet and are fixed at either end by a fixing means 18 shown at figure 3 which comprises a tubular member 20 having eyes 22 at either end which are intended to receive spikes 24.

The cables 16 are connected between a pair of fixing means 18 by engaging the cables to the tubular members 20 at holes 21 provide~d in the ends thereof At one end the cables are connected by means of a tensioning means 26 9099 which may take any desired form. In addition a spring 28 is located in the length of each cable to accommodate for any excessive loading that may arise in use and which would otherwise cause the cable to break or cause the 9fixing means to be loosened or the like action. Where a single length of cable 16 is used only one spring needs to be used. In addition the end of the cable 16 may be fixed to the tensioning means 26 which is in turn f ixed to the 99 fixing means by a short length of cable whereby the short length of~ cable is wound into the tensioning means 26 during the tensioning step rather than the main cable 00itself, If desired as shown at figure 5 the cables are attached to the tubular members by springs 28.

The cables 16 are supported above the ground between the fixing means by substantially U-shaped supports 30. The upper ends of the supports 30 are provided with laterally directed tubular eyes 32 which receive the cable 16. The outer or upper side of each eye 30 is formed with a slot 34 which is angularly offset to the longitudinal axis of the eye. The slots 34 facilitate the entry of the cable into the edge and the angular offset of the slots serves to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the cable from the 5 slot. The supports 30 are fixed into the ground by means of spikes 36 which may be fixed to the underneath the base 46 of the supports 30 as shown at figure 2 or by pegs 38 which are receivable through eyes 40 provided on the sides of the support adjacent the base as shown at figure 4. It has been found that the support of figure 2 can be used at the ends and/or junctions of a trough and the supports of figure 4 can be used at intermediate locations.

The supports 30 are engaged with the cables 16 at spaced intervals along the length thereof between the ends to facilitate the adequate support of the sides of the oc c trough. To provide for such engagement the sides of the oo o strip of material in the region of the hem are cut away to 0 form cut outs 42 whereby the cable is exposed. To provide "o reinforcement to the strip at the region of the cut outs 00 oO O n 42 a small strip of sheet material 44 is fixed to lie transversely across the strip, The width of the small strip of sheet material 44 is greater than the width of 09 'the cut outs 42. In addition the small strips 44 serve to 20 protect the main strip of sheet material 12 from rubbing engagement with the base 46 of the supports 30 wiich 6o9b underlie the trough.

910090 When the supports are to be located in soft or unstable o ground they may be used with a ground support as shown at 8 figure 6. The ground support comprises a flat bar 48 on which the support 30 is located. The flat bar has 4 apertures located to receive the pegs 38 of the support 18. The flat bar extends to each side of the support and has apertures at either end to receive further pegs One or both ends of the trough may be provided with transverse end walls 52 sewn across the strip, The end -6 44 0 O 1~ 0 0 4 0 nO 4 no .,,0O 0 0 o 0 o 0 04 0 04 00 4 0 04 00 04 0 44~ 4 44 04 4 4 4* 40#I 0 44 *444 0 4 oO 44 04 0 4 04 4 0 44 0 44 walls 52 serve to prevent stock feed flowing from the ends of the trough.

To store the feed trough when not in use the supports are removed and stacked, the cables 16 are removed from and the strip of sheet material 12 is rolled.

To install the feed trough the strip of sheet material is laid out. The ends of the cables which are already in the hems are fixed at either end using the fixing means 18.

The supports 30 are engaged with the cables 16 at spaced 10 intervals along the strip by locating the portions of the cable which (ire exposed at the opposed cut outs 42 with the eyes 32 of the support through the slots 34. On installation of each of the supports the cables 16 are tensioned.

If desired eyelets may be installed in the ends of the strip of sheet material in order to tie the ends of the strip to the fixing means and tension the strip, in addition if desired several strips may be interconnected end to end and the eyelets of adjacent ends can be fixed 20 together by any suitable means.

The trough according Ito the embodiment i S readily demountable for removal when not required or alternatively is readily assembled when required. In addition. the disassembled trough is readily stored since the individual components occupy relatively little space in their unassembled form, Furthermore the length of a feed trouqh can be readily varied depending on the number of units which are interconnected end to end.

In use the trough can be readily cleaned prior to use by lifting the central portion of the trough. It has been 7 found that when empty the wind will cause the body of the trough to flap to empty the contents thereof.

If desired holes with or without reinforcing or eyelets may be formed in the centre of the strip of sheet material to allow rainwater to drain from the trough.

In addition if desired the cables 16 may be received in a series of loops spaced along the length of each side of the strip rather than a hem.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present 10 invention need not be restricted to the specific scope of the embodiment described above.

o 0 4o 0 0 0 09 90

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Claims

1. A demountable feed trough comprising a strip of sheet material having a pair of opposed sides having support means to receive a cable along the length of each side, fixing means adjacent the ends of the sheet material adapted to fix the ends of the or each cable to the ground and a plurality of supports spaced along the length of the strip to support the cable received in the sides of the oteo strip above the ground.

2. A demountable feed trough as claimed at claim 1 0 wherein the support means comprises a hem formed along "eas each side of the strip.

3. A demountable feed trough as claimed at claim 1 wherein the support means comprises a plurality of loops at spaced intervals along the sides of the strip. dcao p

4. A demountable feed trough as claimed at claim 2 g, wherein the sides of the strips are formed with cut outs 0 in the region of the hem at spaced intervals along the hem wherein in use the s;upports engage the cable exposed at oo said cut outs. 0 0

5. A demountable feed trough as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein said supports are substantially U-shaped wherein when in use the free ends of each arm of the support is engagable with the cable and the base underlies the strip.

6. A demountable feed trough as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein an end wall is located at one end of the strip at least. 9

7. A demountable feed trough as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the strip is reinforced in the region to be engaged by the supports.

8. A demountable feed trough as claimed at any one of the preceding means wherein a tensioning means is provided to tension at least one cable.

9. A demountable feed trough as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein a resiliently extendable member is installed in the length of at least one cable between the ends thereof. 0 00 aa' i0

10. A demountable feed trough as claimed at claim 8 wherein the tensioning means is associated with a resiliently extendable member. 000 0 2 0 0

11. demountable feed trough substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. S" 0 DATED this TWENTY THXRD day of OCTOBER 1987. DAN cL CHA S TH Rw. 'Wray &Associates Perth, Western Australia, Patent Attorneys for Applicant.