AU620284B2 - Scratch tray feeder - Google Patents

Description

C-o02:3019' 8 1 5 J, 3/7 /91 "re 6 0284F R S F Ref: 187020

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT '*00c 0 Q o 0 0 0r C 00 0 QO

ORIGINAL

0 0 0 000 o .o 0 0 0' 0 o a co. Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Johann Biscan Lot Main Road Richmond Vale New South Wales 2323

AUSTRALIA

Johann Biscan Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Scratch Tray Feeder ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [31] Application No(s) [33] Country [321 Application Date PK1908 AU 23 August 1990 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815/3 5880/3 -2- SCRATCH TRAY FEEDER FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to scratch tray feeders and more particularly to such feeders as may be used with very young chickens, turkeys or ducks.

In commercial breeding environments, special feeding arrangements need to be made for very young birds, for example for chickens aging from day old chicks to two weeks of age. Such chickens are conventionally fed from scratch trays, that is to say open trays in the shape of square or rectangular prisms of height of a mere few centimetres. These trays are hand filled twice daily. Young chickens feed from these trays but scratch large amounts of food beyond the trays to the floors of feeding sheds, thus wasting the same. Further, in such conventional feeding systems strong chickens tend to feed very well, weaker chickens being obliged to wait until strong chickens have eaten before they can feed.

The death rate is high and of course, stronger chickens enjoy weight gains far exceeding those of weaker chickens who survive.

An improved feeding system for young chickens is obviously highly desirable and it is an object of this inventi,)n to provide such a system.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION This invention in one broad form provides apparatus for supplying feed to a plurality of scratch trays, said apparatus comprising a longitudinally extending pipe having located in an underside thereof a plurality of spaced apertures, a pair of angled feed pipes extending from beneath each said aperture to convey feed to individual said scratch trays, and a single vertically orientated pipe extending beneath the last of said apertures to convey feed to a single scratch tray, said vertically orientated pipe being provided with switching means adapted to actuate an auger or like drive means to drive feed material through said 30 longitudinally extending pipe when required.

It is preferred that the angled feed pipes be of PVC plastics material, being tubular and of approximately 40 mm diameter. The angles of these pipes to the horizontal may be adjusted by trial and error to afford the desired feed flow but the angle between any such pipe and the vertical for conventional feedstock for young chicks ranges between 450 and 530 with the most preferred angle being about 490.

L1, 4 i '489h 0 o 0 0 -3- It is also well known that very young chicks in the first few days of life, tend to scratch most vigorously at their feed and will dispense feed material to a greater degree than older chicks who scratch less vigorously.

The vertical downpipe associated with the final aperture in the longitudinally extending feed pipe is preferably provided with sensing means adapted to switch off the auger which drives feed material through the longitudinal pipe, when the scratch tray beneath this vertical pipe, and consequently all other scratch trays, is (are) full. The sensing means will also operate to reactivate the auger to force more feed material through the longitudinal pipe, when the scratch tray beneath the Svertical pipe has its food content reduced to a predetermined level. As will be appreciated by the man skilled in the art, various sensing arrangements would fulfil this requirement. The preferred such arrangement utilises a beam of light or other radiation at or near the o top of the vertical pipe which detects the presence or otherwise of feed material in that portion of the vertical pipe. Alternatively, a spring loaded flap may be located in the top region of the vertical pipe, this flap being adapted to actuate a switch when the top pipe portion is S 20 devoid of feed material, that switch in turn, actuating the auger or Sa other drive means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS By way of example only, one embodiment of a feed system in accordance with this invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a feed system in accordance with this embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of one pair of angled feeding arms of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of an end vertical feed pipe of this embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, main feed line 1, preferably circular in section, is suspended approximately 720 mm above the horizontal floor level of the shed in which it is disposed. Feed material is fed by auger or other suitable motor driven device through end 2 of feed line 1 towards end 3 thereof. Feed line 1 is provided on its underside with a plurality of TMS/28291 -4spaced openings (not shown) through which feed material flows by gravity feed to angled pipes 4, 5 and vertical end pipe 6. The lower extremities of angled pipes 4 and 5 are typically cut-off in a vertical plane.

Beneath each feed aperture in pipe 1 other than the last (which feeds pipe 6) a bracket or L-shaped pipe section member 8 is provided, preferably formed of moulded PVC material or alternatively fabricated of aluminium or galvanized steel plate. Pipes 4, 5 extend from L-shaped member 8. The vertical height of the base of member 8 above the lower extremities of pipes 4, 5 is 630 mm whereas the distance between respective lower extremities of pipes 4, 5 is 1450 mm. A holder 9 of rubber or rubber-substitute material is provided between pipe 1 and pipes 4, 5 which, in combination with member 8, closes the region to allow consistent flow of feed material from pipe 1 to pipes 4, 5. The holder 9 of rubber or rubber substitute material is typically hooked over a pair S 15 of hooks 10 formed in the upper sides of member 8. Each hook 10 is bent over to form a gap 11 between its extremity and member 8. One such gap 11 is smaller than the other. Typically, a 3 mm gap is provided at one side whereas a 10 mm gap is provided at the other. According to this arrangement, holder 9 would be retained within hook 10 at one side when detached from hook 10 at the other.

Co Pipe 6 is provided at its upper end with a sensing device and switch box arrangement adapted to actuate the feed material auger motor selectively as above indicated, to ensure constant provision of feed material to the respective scratch trays.

00: 25 The apparatus of this invention is estimated to save at least two o ¢1hours labour per day in that scratch trays no longer need to be manually filled. Further the health of workers in this field Is currently adversely affected by dust inhalation in feed sheds and reduction of human time spent in such environment will clearly be advantageous.

Again, with all chickens having available food on a 24 hour per day basis, the average weight should be more even.

When hand feeding of very young chickens is effected, the scratch trays must be soaked for manure removal whereas the system of this invention allows the scratch trays to be cleaned by mere sponging.

Thus the system of this invention has clear advantages over conventional techniques for feeding young birds and is believed commercially viable.

TMS/28291

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus for supplying feed to a plurality of scratch trays, said apparatus comprising a longitudinally extending pipe having located in an underside thereof a plurality of spaced apertures, a pair of angled feed pipes extending from beneath each said aperture to convey feed to individual said scratch trays, and a single vertically orientated pipe extending beneath the last of said apertures to convey feed to a single scratch tray, said vertically orientated pipe being provided with switching means adapted to actuate an auger or like drive means to drive feed material through said longitudinally extending pipe when required.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the angled feed pipes are formed of PVC plastics material, being tubular and of approximately mm diameter.

3. Apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the angle between the angled feed pipes and vertical ranges between 450 and 530 with the most preferred angle being approximately 490.

4. Apparatus of any one of the preceding claims wherein the vertical downpipe associated with the final aperture in the longitudinally extending feed pipe is provided with sensing means adapted to switch off the auger or like drive means which drives feed material through the longitudinal pipe, when the scratch tray beneath the vertical pipe is full.

Apparatus of claim 4 wherein the sensing means comprises a beam of light or other radiation at or near the top of the vertical pipe which detects the presence or otherwise of feed material therein.

6. Apparatus of claim 4 wherein the sensing means comprises a spring loaded flap located in the top region of the vertical pipe, the flap being adapted to actuate a switch when the top pipe portion is devoid of feed material, the switch in turn actuating the auger or other drive means.

7. Apparatus of any one of the preceding claims wherein an L-shaped elbow pipe section connects each said pair of angled feed pipes to said longitudinally extending pipe.

8. Apparatus of claim 7 wherein said L-shape member comprises a pair of attachment elements on their upper surfaces such that an elastic element or a rubber band may extend between the two elements, and over the longitudinally extending pipe. 489h d 6

9. Apparatus of any one of the preceding claims wherein each angled downpipe is cut-off at its lower end in a substantially vertical plane. Apparatus for supplying feed to a plurality of scratch trays, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this SEVENTEENTH day of JULY 1991 Johann Biscan 0000 00 e Q 0 0 Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON o o 0 0 oo 00 3tt00 0, TMS/28291