DK180826B1 - Feeding device suitable for delivering particulate grasses and legumes to equines - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a feeding device suitable for delivering particulate grasses and legumes to equines.

Description

DK 180826 B1 Feeding device suitable for delivering particulate grasses and legumes to equines Technical field of the invention The present invention relates to the field of feeding devices for equines. Background of the invention Research in equine science has shown that 60-80% of horses are suffering from stomach ulcers, because of being fed large meals, which the horse physiology is not designed to handle. Horses continuously produce stomach acid, and therefore need to eat many small meals during a day. The meals should be rich in fibres, which protects the upper stomach against the stomach acid, and result in a long chewing time. The horses produce saliva when they are chewing, and saliva contain bicarbonate neutralizes the stomach acid.

However, it is difficult to continuously feed equines the small meals.

FR2587877 discloses a feed dispensing/metering device for animals comprising a hopper whose lower opening is provided with a drum whose shaft is linked to a means for driving it in rotation. The drum comprises at its periphery cells aligned in the planes A and B parallel and perpendicular to the shaft of the drum. The hopper also comprises a slide valve for closure placed under the drum and sliding parallel to the shaft of the drum.

JPS49120769 (U) discloses an automatic feeder for cats and dogs and configured to activate at predetermined time intervals and thereby release a predetermined amount of feed. The feeder comprises a housing with oblique walls in the lower half, and a rotor with a plurality of blades extending from the lower half and up into the upper half of the housing.

> DK 180826 B1 Object of the Invention The objective of the present invention is to provide a feeding device that is suitable for continuously feeding equines with small meals of particulate grasses and legumes. Description of the Invention Research has shown that a diet with e.g., alfalfa hay has a positive effect on avoiding the formation of stomach ulcers in equines. The equines have a longer chewing time with alfalfa hay compared to other feedstuff, resulting in an increased production of saliva. Furthermore, alfalfa hay has a superior buffering capacity that increases pH in the equine’s stomach.

By providing an automatic feeding system to equines, such as horses, that can feed with alfalfa hay, it is possibly the feed the horses many small meals of alfalfa hay within a day, thereby preventing that the equines develop stomach ulcers. The inventors have found it particularly difficult to feed small meals of particulate grasses and legumes through a feeding device as the material tends to resist the gravitational forces and therefore stays within the storage tank of the device. Even when using a transport wheel, the material stays out of reach of the wheel. The inventors speculate that this is due to the very low density of the material. Surprisingly, it was found that the problem could be solved only with a specific construction as described in detail below.

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a feeding device suitable for delivering particulate grasses and legumes to equines comprising: i) a housing defining an upper chamber, and a lower tube-shaped chamber, wherein said upper chamber, preferably square tube-shaped, has straight walls and being vertically positioned during use of the device, and a lower chamber; wherein said upper chamber comprises an inlet in its upper wall adapted for receiving particulate material; and ii) a dosing unit comprising a disc or roll and a motor unit with a motor drive shaft; wherein the disc or roll is positioned within said upper chamber, and adapted for

2 DK 180826 B1 being connected to said motor drive shaft; wherein said disc or roll is provided with at least six protruding elements distributed evenly at the circumference of said disc or roll, which protruding elements extend outwardly from a central part of said disc or roll; wherein at least two of said protruding elements are in contact with a wall defining said upper chamber at all times during rotation of said disc or roll by said motor drive shaft.

In the present context, the term "equine” encompasses any member of the genus Equus.

It encompasses, e.g., any horse or pony, the taxonomic designations Equus ferus and/or Equus caballus, and/or the subspecies Equus ferus caballus.

The equine may, e.g., be a domestic horse.

It is critical that upper chamber has straight vertical walls, e.g., tube-shaped, and preferably square tube-shaped.

If not perfectly straight and vertically positioned the particulate grasses and legumes resists falling downwards towards the dosing unit.

The dosing unit comprises a disc or roll and a motor unit with a motor drive shaft.

In the present context, the terms “disc” and “roll” are to be understood broadly as a unit suitable for being rotated and for serving as a base for the protruding elements, such as a hub or ring.

The disc or roll must be positioned within the upper chamber to secure that only a small dose is delivered to the lower chamber and through the outlet therein.

Small dosages of the particulate grasses and legumes does not resists falling out of the outlet.

However, to minimize the risk of any clogging of the outlet, the lower chamber is configured as a chute, and with an outlet of the same width as the upper chamber.

The chute is configured as a tube with an outlet.

The tube and outlet are of the same width as the said upper chamber.

1 DK 180826 B1 The lower chamber is configured as a chute declining 35-55 degrees relative to the upper chamber, such as 50-50 degrees, preferably 45 degrees relative to the upper chamber. The chute is configured as a tube with an outlet, and wherein said chute is shaped to prevent a child from reaching said disc or roll through said outlet. Such a shape may e.g., be that the outlet has a height of at most 4 cm, such as within the range of 0.5-4 cm, e.g., at most 3 cm, such as within the range of 1-3 cm, e.g., at most 2 cm. Alternatively or additionally, the length from the outlet to the disc or roll is at least 20 cm, preferably within the range of 25-50 cm.

The disc or roll is provided with at least six protruding elements distributed evenly at the circumference of said disc or roll, which protruding elements extend outwardly from a central part of said disc or roll. At least two of the protruding elements are always in contact with a wall defining said upper chamber during rotation of the disc or roll by the motor unit's drive shaft. This embodiment is important in order to deliver precise dosages of particulate grasses and/or legumes.

In one or more embodiments, disc or roll is provided with at least eight protruding elements distributed evenly at the circumference of said disc or roll, such as within the range of 8-50 protruding elements, e.g., at least 10 protruding elements, such as within the range of 10-40 protruding elements, e.g., at least 12 protruding elements, such as within the range of 12-30 protruding elements, e.g., at least 14 protruding elements, such as within the range of 14-20 protruding elements, e.g., at least 16 protruding elements.

In one or more embodiments, two neighboring protruding elements extending from the disc or roll create a closed space during their passing between the upper chamber and lower chamber, i.e., the protruding elements are in sliding or på DK 180826 B1 close contact with the inner surface of the upper chamber as the disc or roll is rotated by the connected motor drive shaft. In one or more embodiments, the protruding elements are made from an elastomeric material, such as rubber or polyurethane. In one or more embodiments, the disc or roll extends from a first side wall to a second opposing side wall of said upper chamber.

In one or more embodiments, one end of said disc or roll is rotatably attached to said second side wall of said upper chamber, and wherein the other end of said disc or roll is connected to said motor drive shaft through the first side wall; and wherein the motor of said motor unit is positioned within a housing releasably attached to the outer face of said first side wall.

In one or more embodiments, the feeding device further comprises a control unit configured to control the speed of rotation of the disc or roll. Hence, not only the size of the chamber formed between two neighboring protruding elements extending from the disc or roll are decisive for the dosage of particulate material delivered to the equine within a given time period, but the dosage may also be regulated by the speed of rotation of the disc or roll. The disc or roll may be coupled to a motor drive shaft, and the control unit may be configured to regulate the motor's speed (revolutions per minute), thereby indirectly regulating the rotational speed of the disc or roll.

In one or more embodiments, the feeding device further comprises a vibrating unit configured to vibrate a wall defining said upper chamber.

A second aspect relates to the use of a feeding device according to the present invention for feeding an equine with a particulate feedstuff, preferably particulate grasses and legumes and preferably in small portions during a day.

. DK 180826 B1 The particulate feed is preferably selected from the group consisting of alfalfa, hay, Bermuda coastal grass hay, sweet grass, corn plant, soybean hay, alfalfa, barley, birdsfoot trefoil, brassicas (e.g., chau moellier, kale, rapeseed (canola), rutabaga (swede), and turnip), clover (e.g., alsike clover, red clover, subterranean clover, and white clover), grass (e.g., false oat grass, fescue, Bermuda grass, brome, heath grass, meadow grass, orchard grass, ryegrass, and Timothy grass).

Preferably the feedstuff is directed from the feeding device into a trough for an equid.

The feeding device may be used for other types of feedstuff, such as pellets, but is especially designed for particulate feedstuff. The feeding device may be used to dose the particulate feedstuff into a through with another feedstuff present, i.e., dosed as an additive to feedstuff.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" or "approximately" one particular value and/or to "about" or "approximately" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about", it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.

It should be noted that embodiments and features described in the context of one of the aspects of the present invention also apply to the other aspects of the invention.

, DK 180826 B1 Brief description of the figures Figure 1 discloses a perspective view of a feeding device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 2 discloses a perspective view of a feeding device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, where a side wall has been removed to show the inside; and Figure 3 discloses a part of the dosing device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

References 100 Feeding device 200 Housing 210 Upper chamber 212 Lid 214 Wall section 216 Wall section 220 Lower chamber 222 Outlet 224 Lower wall section 310 Disc or roll 312 Protruding element 320 Motor unit Detailed Description of the Invention Figures 1 and 2 disclose perspective views of a feeding device 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

The feeding device 100 is especially suitable for delivering particulate grasses and legumes to equines and comprises a housing 200 and a dosing unit 310.

0 DK 180826 B1 The housing 200 defines an upper chamber 210, and a lower tube-shaped chamber 220. The upper chamber 210 is square tube-shaped and is to be positioned vertically during use of the device 100. The lower chamber 220 is configured as a tube-shaped chute with an outlet 222. The lower chamber 220 and the outlet 222 is of the same width as the upper chamber 210. The upper chamber 210 is provided with a lid 212 for covering an inlet.

The dosing unit comprises a disc or roll 310 and a motor unit 320 with a motor drive shaft (not shown). As can be seen from Figure 2, the disc or roll 310 is positioned within the upper chamber 210 and is provided with at least eight protruding elements 312 distributed evenly at the circumference of the disc or roll 310 and extending outwardly from a central part of the disc or roll 310. The number of protruding elements may vary, but there has to be enough to provide the correct dosage of a small meal of particulate grasses and legumes to an equine, and also to secure that at least two of the protruding elements are in contact with a wall defining the upper chamber 210 at all times during rotation of the disc or roll 310 by said motor drive shaft.

In Figure 2 this is exemplified with the protruding elements 312A, 312B that are each in contact with each wall section 214, 216. A lower wall section 224 of the lower chamber 220 defines the chute-shape.

The angle of the lower wall section 224 relative to the upper chamber (wall section 214) may vary, but it is preferred that it is at least 30 degrees.

Figure 3 discloses a part of the dosing device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Claims (7)

o DK 180826 B1 PATENTKRAV A feeding device (100) suitable for supplying particulate grasses and legumes to equidae, comprising: i) a housing (200) defining an upper chamber (210) and a lower tubular chamber (220), the upper chamber (210), preferably tubular in a square manner, has straight walls (214, 216) and is positioned vertically using the device (100); wherein the upper chamber (210) comprises an inlet in an upper part of the walls, the inlet being arranged to receive particulate material; and il) a metering unit comprising a plate or roller (310) and a motor unit (320) having a motor drive shaft; wherein the plate or roller (310) is positioned inside the upper chamber (210) and arranged to be connected to the motor drive shaft; wherein the plate or roller (310) is provided with at least six projecting elements (312) evenly distributed on the circumference of the plate or roller (310), which projecting elements (312) extend outwardly from a central part of the plate or roller ( 310); wherein at least two of the projecting elements (312) are in contact with a wall defining the upper chamber (210), at all times during the rotation of the plate or roller (310) by means of the motor drive shaft; characterized in that the lower chamber (220) is arranged as a chute which slopes 35-55 degrees relative to the upper chamber (210); wherein the chute is arranged as a tube with an outlet (222), the chute being designed to prevent a child from reaching the plate or roller (310) through the outlet (222); and wherein the tube and the outlet (222) have the same width as the upper chamber (210). The feeding device (100) of claim 1, wherein the protruding members (312) are made of an elastomeric material, such as rubber. A feeding device (100) according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein the plate or roller (310) extends from a first side wall to a second opposite side wall of the upper chamber (210). DK 180826 B1 10 The feeding device (100) of claim 3, wherein one end of the plate or roller (310) is rotatably attached to the second side wall of the upper chamber (210), and wherein the other end of the plate or roller (310) is connected to the motor drive shaft through the first side wall; and wherein the motor of the motor unit (320) is positioned inside a housing removably attached to the outer surface of the first side wall. A feeding device (100) according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a vibrating unit adapted to vibrate a wall defining the upper chamber (210). Use of a feeding device (100) according to any one of claims 1-5 for feeding a horse animal with a particle feed, preferably particle grasses and legumes. Use according to claim 6, wherein the feed is led into a trough for an animal of the equine family.