FR2513073A1 - Bowl for individual pig feeding - has opening for food supply together with pig access opening nominally greater in size than pigs head - Google Patents

Abstract

The bowl is used to feed a pig, its internal volume being defined by a surface incorporating an opening for incoming food, together with an access opening. The two openings are connected and the transverse dimensions (L1,L2,L3) of the access opening nominally exceed those of the head of a pig. The pig has continuous access to the food across a min. surface, and its foraging movements give a bowl-cleaning effect. The bowl is used in front of an opening in a food container, its base comprising a quarter shell (60) of a reduced width (L2) and in the form of a quarter parabola. The sides of the base are extended upwards by two cheeks (61,62) tapering in height towards the front.

Description

 The present invention relates to a feed distribution system for animals and more particularly to an improvement in the structure of feeders intended for feeding pigs. The proposed feeder is essentially constituted by an individual bowl of morphology adapted to that of the head of a pig and able to be fixed on the front wall of a reservoir of food in granules or powder to deliver to an animal to the times the food in the tank.

 At present, pig feeders are designed to feed several animals simultaneously. They are generally made up of a large-capacity quasi-parallelepiped tank, about two meters in length, one meter in height and fifty centimeters in depth. Inside this volume, the food is poured by the breeder discontinuously and from above. All along the tank and at the lower part of its front face is adapted a trough of the same length. This communicates with the tank via a longitudinal slot located at the base of the front face. The food enters the trough, pushed by the gravitational force. Generally, a variable obturation system allows to regulate the flow of the food according to the level and the grain size of the food, the number of animals and the average ration assigned to each.

 Usually, each of these feeders is placed in a park with several animals. During the feeding phases, the pigs gathered in groups and facing the tank introduce their heads into part of the trough to get their food.

 Another variant of pig feeders currently used consists of a cylindrical tank inside which food is introduced. The gauge has the shape of a ring placed at the bottom and facing a circular light surrounding the cylinder.

In this case, the pigs feed in groups all around the feeder.

 These two main types of feeders, made of sheet metal, wood or masonry are very widely used because they are practical, solid and fairly low cost. Only one of them can feed a group of animals gathered in a park. In addition, the large capacity of their feed tank makes it possible to widely space their filling by the pig farmer.

 However, feeding pigs with these feeders presents a large number of implementation difficulties for the breeder. These difficulties are largely due to the special character and behavior of pigs.

 First of all, these feeders are very inert to use. Indeed, after the breeder has completely shut off the feed, there remains a large amount in the trough available to the animals. This makes it difficult to instantaneously fast animals which are very often necessary. Likewise, this type of feeder lacks flexibility of use and it is easy to see that the longitudinal dimensions of a device initially designed to feed several pigs will make it very difficult to assign it to a single animal.

 In addition, the elongated shape of the feed distribution trough is ill-suited to the spoiling temperament of the pig. It very often happens that one of the animals lies down inside this trough and deposits its excrement there. Subsequently, the pigs leave the polluted area of urine and faeces, which gradually invade the entire feed distribution trough until the farmer cleans it completely.

This leads to two major drawbacks which are, on the one hand, the frequent and unpleasant mobilization of the breeder and, on the other hand, the high proportion of contaminated and wasted food.

 In addition, due to the digging temperament of the pig, it very often happens that the obturation system as well as the feeding slot are smashed by the snout of the animals. This leads to rapid deterioration of the feeders and moreover requires very frequent maintenance and repairs, sometimes even, animals can be injured by a damaged part of the shutter.

 Furthermore, the shape and materials currently used to make this type of feeder make cleaning and disinfection difficult. This promotes local growth of polluted areas and deteriorates food hygiene conditions. Indeed, these feeders are either made of folded, riveted or welded sheet metal and therefore include a large number of folds difficult to access in which develop uncontrolled bacterial pollution, or made of wood or masonry materials which are like everyone knows it is unsuitable for very hygienic food use.

 Finally, the embodiment of this type of feeder, whether made of wood, sheet metal or masonry, is ill-suited to industrial mass production. The manufacturing is generally carried out, either by a craftsman, or sometimes still by the breeder himself. It is easy to see that this method of production is ill-suited to the operating conditions of modern and rational farming and does not encourage the drop in cost prices.

 The object of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks and to propose a new system for distributing feed to pigs which is both simple and suitable for being mass produced and which ensures optimum development of the feed distributed and a significant drop in the consumption index by reducing losses by ejections and soiling.

One of the main objects of the invention is to promote the hygiene and anti-pollution qualities of pig feed
- on the one hand, by forcing each animal to a car
regular cleaning of the absorption area,
- on the other hand, by removing as much dirt as possible from the
food by dejection in this same area,
- and, finally, by facilitating and making a net faster
cleaning and perfect disinfection of the food bowl which de
barrels the latter from decaying organic matter
that accumulate there.

Another object of the invention is to propose a judicious and coordinated design of the feeders and in particular a suitable assembly between
- their supply tanks,
- their shutter systems
- and their bowls for providing feed to animals, which develops the intrinsic possibilities of use of each of the sub-assemblies and thus considerably improves the overall qualities of use of these feeders.

 Finally, an object of the invention is to propose a system designed in such a way that it is durable over time without loss of performance and in particular difficult to destroy by the pigs it feeds.

 To this end, the invention essentially consists in ensuring the distribution of the food to the different animals in a park, not by making the food generally available inside a large common trough, but on the contrary by food distribution by separate bowls, each bowl being accessible only by one animal at a time.

 In addition, each bowl is given an anatomical shape adapted to the morphology and dimensions of the pig's head, which makes it possible to limit the surface area for food as much as possible and thus obliges each animal to systematically self-clean from the place where it feeds, thus continuously removing the dirt by dejection of the food.

Preferably, the bowl is constituted by a quarter-shell of quasi-paraboloid shape
- whose sides are surmounted by two flared cheeks,
the height decreases from back to front
- and comprising two adjoining openings, one intended for
connect with a food source and
the other intended to allow pigs to access the volume
inside the bowl.

 Furthermore, according to a particularly advantageous use, each of the individual bowls is adapted on a supply tank, opposite a window formed at the base and through its front wall. This window is closed in an adjustable manner by a long stainless steel pallet sliding vertically inside a suitable sheath inside the front wall of the tank. The pallet is guided on either side of the window by two grooves extending the sheath.

 The bowl is designed so that a pig feeds easily on it while being forced to stand facing the feeder. In particular, its proportions are such that the head is always held above the bowl and parallel to its axis. Likewise, the bottom of the bowl is sloping opposite the window and smooth so as to avoid the accumulation of food and reduce the internal dead volume.

 It is understood that the pig can, with its mouth in a tilted forward position, reach the window and draw through it the quantity of feed it needs, the flow rate of which is fixed by the position of the pallet of setting.

 On the other hand, the limitation imposed by the bowl on the lateral and axial evolutions of the snout and the head as well as the adapted and coordinated design to the bowl of the system for individual adjustment of the flow rate of the food combine to give the whole efficiency. and increased reliability.

 Thus, the shape of the bowl and the design of the sealing system eliminate the risk of destruction; by tearing off as a result of assaults on the pig and jamming of the pallet. Likewise, the position of the closure system at the base and next to each bowl ensures an adequate supply of the food and a total, instantaneous and safe closure in the event of fasting, the period during which the pig manifests its instincts the most. burrower and ripper.

 In the preferred design of the feeder according to the invention, the feed bowl is made of plastic and more particularly of fabric laminated with glass fibers coated with resin, in particular polyester resin. This makes it possible to easily give the bowl the required rounded shapes and to improve hygienic conditions by eliminating harmful fermentations of food in angles inaccessible to pork. In addition, the laminated materials, due to their mechanical qualities and the ease they provide in distributing the reinforcement zones, are perfectly adapted to undergo the repeated aggressions to which the pig, burrowing animal, subjects them.

Furthermore, it is advisable according to the invention to give the periphery of the bowl particular shapes which improve the qualities of use. So,
- on the one hand, the upper edges are folded inwards
of the two lateral sides of the bowl, this has the consequence
increase their mechanical strength while limiting
assaults on pigs with their cheeks
more food is therefore less likely to be
thrown out and trampled on,
- on the other hand, we give the front part of the bowl a section
rounded and reinforced in material so as to make it difficult
the grip of the front edge of the bowl by the jaws of the pigs and
to limit the risks of tearing and crumbling by these
last,
- finally, we extend the lower end of the bowl with a rim
that we apply to the tank
which bowl is applied so as to improve the seal between
the latter and the food tank.

 According to two preferred modes of installation, each of the bowls is supplied by an independent tank. In the first case, each of the tanks is screwed against one of the walls of the breeding park. In the other case, the continuous juxtaposition of the reservoirs constitutes one of the partitions of the park. There is then, arranged along this partition, an alignment of feed wood each opening through a window in a feed tank. These two installation methods provide significant space savings inside the park.

 Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, which description and drawings are given only by way of nonlimiting example.

On these drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional pig feeder.

 Figure 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment and use of a feed bowl for pork according to the invention.

 FIG. 3 is a detail in section of the adjustable shutter system for the feed rate of FIG. 2.

 Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the feed bowl of Figure 2.

 Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the bowl of Figure 2 and the associated food supply tank.

 Figure 6 is a front view of the bowl according to the invention.

 Figures 7 and 8 are front and side views of a feeder according to the invention intended for fattening piglets.

 Figure 9 is a perspective view of a series of pig feeders according to the invention, arranged in a park partition.

 In Figure 1, we see a conventional feeder (1) for pigs1 made of sheet metal. This consists of a large longitudinal tank 2 inside which the food 3 is introduced sequentially.

On the front face 4 of the feeder, is attached a trough 5 of the same width which communicates with the tank 2 by means of a longitudinal slot which appears at 6. The latter is closed in an adjustable manner by a wide pull tab 7 guided by heads 8, 9, 10,
... cooperating with lights 11, 12, 13,
Under the effect of the weight, the food 3 is conveyed in the trough 5 and distributed to the different animals introducing their heads into the zones 15, 16, ... 21 delimited laterally by the bars 22, 23, ... 27 .

 We notice the presence of two pigs 30 and 31. One of them 30 is lying in the trough 5. This one has just released some excrement which caused the defilements 32 and 33 of the food 3. Previously , the pig 31 pushed strongly, with its snout and several times, the zipper 7. This caused the destruction of the latter in 35 and injured the pig 31 in 36. It will later be very difficult to handle the zipper 7 which is will be blocked in particular by the deformations of the lumen 12. Furthermore, the entire soiled area 18 will be abandoned by the pigs who prefer to eat in the other areas. In addition, it is realized that the numerous angles and folds 37, 38, ... that the sheet metal fabrication of the feeder 1 required contain significant areas of latent pollution.

 In FIG. 2, there is a feeder 39 for pigs produced according to a preferred form of the invention by the adaptation of an individual feeding bowl 40 of a shape adapted to the morphology of the head of the pig, arranged on the face front and at the base of a feed tank 41. For reasons of space, the latter was fixed by means of screws 42 and 43 to one of the partition walls 44 of the breeding farm of pigs 45. The tank 41 has a hopper shape and is surmounted by a cover 46. The feed distributed to the pigs by the breeder is sequentially introduced along f inside the tank 41 to be temporarily stored there.

 We note, moreover, that through the wall of the reservoir 41 and opposite the bowl 40 is formed a window 50. The opening of this window is adjustable by means of a long stainless steel pallet 51 provided a lever and sliding along g inside a vertical sleeve 52. After adjusting the pallet 51, it can be locked in position by means of the wing nut 53. Under the effect of its weight, the food present in the reservoir 41 opens out following h inside the bowl 40 with a greater or lesser flow depending on the position of the pallet 51. In order to make its cleaning faster, easier and more effective , the reservoir 41 is removable using the bolts 54, 55, ... which connect its two parts and allow the front face 56 provided with the bowl 40 to be separated. For the same reasons and in order to optimize the conditions of hygiene and solidity, the walls and the bowl of the feeder 39 are entirely made of plastic material that layered. All fittings are made of stainless steel.

 In section 3, a distinction is made in detail between the pallet 51 and the adjustment of the flow rate of the food sliding inside the vertical sheath 52 disposed inside the front face 56 of the tank 41.

 If we refer to Figure 4, we distinguish the geometrical characteristics of the bowl 40. It consists of a quasi-paraboloid shell quarter 60 surmounted by two flared cheeks 61 and 62 whose height decreases by rear towards the front and whose upper edges 63 and 64 are folded towards the inside of the bowl 40. The front lip 65 of the bowl has no rim, of rounded and reinforced section. The periphery 66 of the bottom of the bowl is provided with a collar of suitable shape to be applied intimately to the reservoir 41, in particular by means of rivets not shown.

In FIG. 5, we see a pig 70 feeding inside the feeder 39. The food 3 is stored inside the tank 41 and descends progressively along I before opening out following h into the bowl 40 through the window 50. The window is partially closed by the pallet 51 sliding in the sheath 52. The bowl 40 is extended by a rim 67 applied in an underlying manner to the front face 56 of the reservoir. It appears that the shutter mechanism and in particular the pallet 51 are particularly able to resist attack by pigs. Indeed, the pallet 51 is
- guided over the entire length by the sheath 52,
- held laterally on either side of window 50
by grooves appearing in dotted lines at 72
- And a front stop on the lower fold 71 formed on the
front face 56 when completely closed.

 The transverse dimensions of the bowl 40 are very slightly greater than those of the head of the pig 70. Referring to FIG. 5 and evaluating the width of the bowl, it is easy to see that by tilting its head very widely, the pig can easily absorb the food and clean the bottom 73 of the bowl 40. Similarly, it can reach the feeding window 50 and pull the food at 74, on the other hand the upper edges 64 of the bowl prevent it from tearing off the closure system and to throw the food on the ground. The pork burrowing instincts are therefore confined to the bowl itself where a constant and regular self-cleaning is carried out, eliminating any birth of contamination and pollution inside.

 In FIG. 6, the optimal dimensional characteristics of an individual feed bowl for a growing pig of approximately 100 kg are summarized.

 These dimensions were defined following experiments carried out on a large population of animals and lead to the most favorable performance in terms of durability of the device, hygiene and consumption index.

In these conditions
- L1 = 320 mm (width of the bowl at the level of the tank),
- L2 = 280 mm (width of the bowl in the middle),
- L3 = 210 mm (width of the front lip 65 of the bowl)
- L4 = 140 mm (width of the feed inlet window),
- D1 = 230 mm (length between the feed inlet window
and the front lip 65).

 The widths L1, L2 and L3 thus defined allow a pig of 100 kg to feed easily while forcing it to stand facing the feeder.

 The length D1 is important because it requires the pig to have its mouth always above the bowl even if it moves back.

 The type of individual feeder produced by combining a morphological bowl 40 and a reservoir 41 provided with the pallet shutter system 51 constitutes, as we have seen, a particularly judicious and efficient use of the bowl according to the invention and particularly suitable for fattening pigs weighing around 100 kg.

 However, it will be understood that the use of the bowls according to the invention is not limited to this particular case and that they can be adapted alone or combined with others on all types of existing tanks provided with a window of food.

 In particular, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is another type of use of the morphological bowl according to the invention. It is a type of feeder 75 particularly suitable for raising piglets up to about 13 kg and consisting of a homogeneous monobloc assembly, made of laminated plastic from a row of three contiguous bowls 76a, 76b , 76c opening out and being integral with the front face of a common tank 77 provided, moreover, with a suspension system 78.

Due to the lower voracity and aggressiveness of piglets, this feeder is simplified compared to that described above; it is in particular devoid of obturation system, the food opening freely in each bowl via a recess in the front wall
In FIG. 9, two of the partitions of a pig farm 80 are recognized. One of these partitions 81 is constituted by a grid, the other comes from the juxtaposition of feeders 82, 83, ...

similar to 39 whose front wall pierced with a window 50 is provided with a bowl 40, held vertically and assembled using posts 84, 85, ... 87, ...

 We realize that the type of feed bowl for pigs provides great flexibility of use. It is in fact possible to adapt these woods to containers of very varied shapes such as angle feeders, compartment separation feeders, possibly cylindrical central feeders and, moreover, saving considerable space.

 We also realize that when used inside a feeder 1 in cooperation with a tank such as 41, this bowl provides tailor-made feeding for the pigs while freeing the breeder from the constraints imposed by standardized equipment.

 In addition, the stainless steel pallet of this feeder and the closure system that it activates allow fast and reliable fasting of animals. In addition, although remarkably light, the proposed system is durable because it is not composed of any corrosive material and its design provides it with mechanical resistance quite suited to the stresses it must undergo. In addition, the nature of the material which constitutes these walls and the design characteristics of the bowl and more generally of the proposed feeder considerably reduce the importance of soiling and eliminate pollution.

Indeed, the weight and the shape of the device allow a quick and simplified cleaning. They ensure easy detachment of adhering organic matter. The completely removable pallet allows a thorough cleaning of the feeder.

 We realize, moreover, that the anatomical shape of the bowl and its cheeks ensures optimal recovery of the food and a very significant drop in the consumption index by reducing as much as possible the losses by ejection, stains and refusals. For the same reasons and mainly thanks to the surface and the distribution of the volumes of the bowl and of the food inlet, it is easily understood that, on the one hand, the risks of pollution by soiling of the animals are eliminated and, on the other hand, the hygienic conditions of feeding are increased, the animal carrying out a systematic self-cleaning of the place where it feeds, thus permanently finding a new and unsoiled food.

 The invention having now been explained and its interest justified in detailed examples, the applicants reserve the exclusivity for the entire duration of the patent, without limitation other than those of the terms of the claims below.

Claims (11)

1. Feeding bowl (40, 76) for pork (70), whose internal volume  laughing is delimited by a surface comprising  - an opening intended to allow its communication with  a source of food,  - and an opening to the outside, intended to allow  pigs to access the interior volume of the bowl,  the two openings possibly being contiguous,  this feed bowl being characterized in that said opening  on the outside has transverse dimensions (L1, L2, L3)  slightly higher than the head of a pig  (thanks to which, only a pig can have  (access to the food contained in this bowl, and  (moreover through a minimal surface ;;  ( Thereby  (. on the one hand, pork is forced to perform  (systematic self-cleaning of the place  (where it feeds,  (. on the other hand, the defilements of the food,  (in particular by dejection, are eliminated,  (. and finally this food bowl allows ali  (custom pork mention. 2. Morphological bowl (40, 76) for feeding pigs (70) according to the  claim 1, intended to be mounted frontally on the face  before a reservoir (41, 77) of food (3) and opposite a  orifice passing through the wall of this tank,  said bowl being characterized in that  - its lower part consists of a quarter of a shell  (60) of reduced width (L2) and of shape close to a quarter  tier parabololde,  - this quarter shell having its two sides surmounted by  two flared cheeks, in particular two cheeks (61 and 62) of which  the height decreases from the back to the front of the bowl  (thanks to which, once pressed against the  (front of the tank, this bowl will have  (an exterior opening morphologically  (adapted to the head of the porc. In particular, the  (pork can reach with its snout,  (having the head very bent, any place of the  (bottom of the bowl. However, the pork will be very  (embarrassed by the sides of the bowl to push  (its snout inside the opening orifice  (song in the tank. 3. Morphological bowl (40, 76) for feeding pigs (70), char  terized in that the edges of its two cheeks (61 and 62) are  edges (63 and 64) folded inwards  (thanks to which the mechanical resistance of  (these sides will be reinforced vis-à-vis  (constraints imposed on them by pork  (and releases of food to the outdoors will be  ( limits. 4. Morphological bowl (40, 76) for feeding pigs (70) according to the  claim 3, characterized in that the lip (65) of the part  front of said quarter shell (60) is  - without rim,  - of rounded section,  - and possibly of reinforced thickness,  (thanks to which this diffi  {the eyelash will not be destroyed by the pig,  (last often taking it in his jaw  (and pulling it. 5. Morphological bowl (40, 76) for feeding according to one of the claims  cations 2 to 4, intended to be fixed to the base of a tank (41) of  food (3) next to a window (50) used in this  tank,  said bowl being characterized in that the lower part of said  quarter shell is extended by a flange (67) intended to be  applied to the tank,  (thanks to which the tightness between the  (see and the bowl applied will be improved. 6. Morphological bowl (40, 76) for feeding pigs according to one  of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is produced  made of plastic and in particular laminated fiber fabric  resin coated glass,  (thanks to what  (. on the one hand this method of manufacturing per  (will put to realize the rounded shapes  (required thus avoiding fermentation  (food in inaccessible angles  (to pigs and thereby improving con  (hygiene editions,  (. on the other hand, the resistance of the bowl per  (will put to undergo without damage the agreements  (repeated sions to which pig, animal  (ripper, will submit it. 7. Morphological bowl (40, 76) for feeding pigs according to one  of the preceding claims,  characterized in that its lateral dimensions are close to the following  - width of the bowl at the level of the tank (L1) = 320 mm,  - width edge to edge of the bowl in the middle (L2) = 280 mm,  - length between the tank and the front face of the bowl (D1) =  230 mm. 8. Pig feeder, consisting of a feed tank (41)  structure (3) comprising on its front face at least one window (50)  intended to allow the passage of food (3), this window  (50) being in particular provided with a variable shutter system by  curtain (51), said supply assembly being characterized in that  that opposite at least one of said windows, is adapted a  morphological feeding bowl (40) according to one of the claims  previous statements,  (thanks to what  (. on the one hand, the use of this bowl may  (be easily modulated,  (. on the other hand, the pork will not be able to  (damage the closing system in es  (saying to rummage inside the fe  (to be with its snout. 9. Feeder (75) intended particularly for fattening  piglets,  characterized in that it is constituted by a homogeneous assembly  monobloc made of plastic  - a food tank (77),  - whose front face is provided with at least one morpholo bowl  supply (76a, 76b, 76c) according to one of the claims  cations 1 to 6 and in particular a row of such bowls  each of said bowls being integral with the front face of the tank  (77) by providing through the latter a recess at the  through which the food is freely conveyed from the tank to  inside the bowl (76a, 76b, 76c)  (thanks to which, by its shape and its concept  (simplified tion, this feeder will be perfect  (highly adapted to the less aggressive temperament  (sif and less voracious piglets.  wall.  a food reservoir (82, 83) disposed along said  - And each adapted to a window (50) opening into  - distributed along at least one of the side walls of the park  of those described in one of claims 1 to 8,  - an alignment of several bowls (40, 76a, 76b, 76c) of the type  said assembly being characterized in that it comprises  a breeding farm (80) for several pigs,  10. Individual power supply unit (82, 83...) Inside 11. Pig farm, characterized in that one of its  side partitions consists of a wall (44) to which is fixed  at least one feeder (39, 75) according to one of claims 8  and 9.