GB1591503A

GB1591503A - Heating devices for small animals such as piglets

Info

Publication number: GB1591503A
Application number: GB9754/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Bulten Kanthal AB
Current assignee: Bulten Kanthal AB
Priority date: 1977-03-11
Filing date: 1978-03-13
Publication date: 1981-06-24
Also published as: PL205254A1; JPS53134678A; SE7702813L; GB1591504A; SU751308A3

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO HEATING DEVICES FOR SMALL ANIMALS SUCH AS PIGLETS (71) We, BULTEN-KANTHAL AB, of 734 01 Hallsthammar, Sweden, a Swedish Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a heating device for small animals, in an enclosure, comprising a substantially plate-like structure provided for horizontal mounting over the floor of the enclosure and having a frame, which carries a heating element for emitting heat radiation downwards towards the floor of the enclosure and which is provided with a downwardly directed flange at the edges thereof.

Such a device is known from published Swedish Patent Application 7401481-2 and enables a uniform heating of the whole area under the same. A downwardly directed flange limits the radiation sideways and prevents draught, in particular if the device is fitted in a corner of sty, stable, or the like.

According to the invention there is provided a heating device for small animals in an enclosure, comprising a substantially plate-like structure provided for horizontal mounting over the floor of the enclosure and having a frame, which carries a heating element for emitting heat radiation downwards towards the floor of the enclosure and which is provided with a downwardly directed flange at the edges thereof, the frame being provided with corner elements for securing vertically adjustable suspension means, the corner elements being arranged to support and retain against lateral displacement the corner elements of a similar device when stacked thereon A preferred device permits reliable suspension from the ceiling of an enclosure, such as a pigsty or stable, as well as easy stacking of several such devices on top of each other when not in use.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred heating device suspended from the ceiling of a pigsty in a comer thereof; and Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the device shown in Fig. 1.

The structure shown in Figs 1 and 2 is formed substantially as a plate and comprises a rectangular body or frame consisting of generally F-shaped aluminium profile elements 1. A supporting plate 2 (about 2mm thick) made of a heat permeable material, e.g. a thermoset laminate of paper and phenolic resin, is fastened between the horizontal shanks of the F-profiles. The supporting plate 2 carries a thin foil element 3, which, when an electric current flows therethrough, generates heat substantially uniformly over the entire area thereof. A relatively thick layer 4 of a heat insulating material is located above the foil element 3, which layer is covered by a thin upper aluminium sheet 5, which is folded at its edges into downwardly directed flanges 5', the latter being fastened to the frame forming aluminium profiles by means of fasteners 6, such as rivets or screws.

Furthermore, the structure comprises a central box-like cavity 7, in which there is a preferably red, transparent plastics plate 9, which is removable by means of screws 10 for the exchange of lamp bulbs. An adjacent cavity 7' contains electric switching means (not shown) for electrical supply of the foil element 3 and the lamp 8 from a feed cable 11. The switching means are arranged to keep the pilot lamp 8 constantly lit upon putting the device into operation by means of a first switch 12 (fig. 1) located at the top side of the device, whereas the foil element can be connected and disconnected by means of a separate second switch 13.

At each of the four corners, the structure has a vertical aluminium angle profile element 14 a-d, respectively, which is riveted or screwed onto the respective corner portions of the edge-flanges 5' and which, at its top, is bent upwards and outwards in order to form a horizontal step 15 a-d, thereby enabling the stacking of several devices one on top of the other (when not in use).

At each such corner profile element, a wire 16 a-d is secured and these wires are all connected to a ring 17 so as to permit suspension from a chain 18. The upper end of the chain is hooked into a hook 20 fastened to the ceiling 19 of the pigsty or stable, whereas the free end, which is provided with a hook 21, is pulled through the ring 17 and hooked into one of the links of the chain.

Hereby, the heating device is safely suspended at a desired height above the floor 22 of the pigsty or stable, and the height can easily be adjusted at will by hooking the hook 21 into one of the adjacent links.

Such an adjustment can easily be made, since the device according to the illustrated embodiment has the dimensions 100 x 55 x 10 cm and weighs merely about 6-7 kgs.

Preferably, some of the chain links can, at some distance from the free end with the hook 21, be provided with different markings, e.g. colour markings, corresponding to a number of different height positions of the heating device. Thus, a first link marking may correspond to a free height above the floor of about 15 cm, a second of 25 cm, a third of 35 cm, etc. These markings can be used for raising the device stepwise, while a farrow of new-born pigs are growing and gradually demand more space and less and ess heat, since the piglets themselves gradually develop more heat during growth.

After 2-4 weeks, no additional heat has to be transferred from the foil element 3, and the latter is therefore disconnected by means of the switch 13. The device now serves as a heat insulating upper screen, which keeps the heat developed by the pigs and prevents draught in the illustrated corner of the pigsty or stable.

By initially mounting the heating device at a relatively low height of 15 cm and thereafter raising it stepwise, whereupon the foil element is finally disconnected, the heating power and, above all, the total energy consumption can be kept at a minimum.

However, the pilot lamp 8 should be kept lit even after the electric heat has been disconnected, so that the piglets continue to lie in their protective corner and always return there after having been fed. Hereby, the risk for the piglets to be trampled, even to death, is reduced.

Only after 6-8 weeks, the piglets can manage completely without the heating device, so that the latter can be dismounted and stacked together with similar devices, temporarily out of use.

The electric cable or cord 11 is preferably connected by a plug 23 into a socket-outlet 24 adjacent to the ceiling hook 20, and the cord is stretched by means of a shortening device 25 of known type. If the low weight heating device for some reason should fall down from the ceiling 19 on top of the piglets, the plug 23 will be pulled out from its socket 24 and the current will be swtched off.

The invention can be modified in several ways within the scope of the inventive idea presented in the following claims.

Attention is directed to our copending application No. 40806/79 (Serial No.

1 591 504), which was divided from the present application and which discloses and claims a heating device for animals such as piglets.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A heating device for small animals in an enclosure, comprising a substantially plate-like structure provided for horizontal mounting over the floor of the enclosure and having a frame, which carries a heating element for emitting heat radiation downwards towards the floor of the enclosure and which is provided with a downwardly directed flange at the edges thereof, the frame being provided with corner elements for securing vertically adjustable suspensioin means, the corner elements being arranged to support and retain against lateral displacement the corner elements of a similar device when stacked thereon.

2. A heating device as claimed in claim 1, in which the frame is rectangular.

3. A heating device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the corner elements comprise vertically arranged angular profile elements each fastened onto the outside of a respective frame corner and each having a horizontal step extending outwardly from the corner.

4. A heating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which wires, each secured to a respective corner element, are connected to a ring, through which a suspension chain can be pulled, the chain having at its free end a hooking means which, upon pulling the chain-end through the ring, can be hooked into a chain link of the part of the chain which is not pulled through the ring corresponding to a desired height adjustment.

5. A heating device as claimed in claim 4, in which some of the chain links are provided with height adjustment markings.

6. A heating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating element comprises a foil resistance element, a plate of heat permeable material being secured to the frame and serving as a carrier for the foil element, the structure having a central cavity, in which a pilot lamp is located.

7. A heating device as claimed in claim 6, in which the heat permeable material is a thermoset resin laminate.

8. A heating device as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which a layer of insulating material is placed on top of the foil element in order to substantially prevent upward heat trans

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. wire 16 a-d is secured and these wires are all connected to a ring 17 so as to permit suspension from a chain 18. The upper end of the chain is hooked into a hook 20 fastened to the ceiling 19 of the pigsty or stable, whereas the free end, which is provided with a hook 21, is pulled through the ring 17 and hooked into one of the links of the chain. Hereby, the heating device is safely suspended at a desired height above the floor 22 of the pigsty or stable, and the height can easily be adjusted at will by hooking the hook 21 into one of the adjacent links. Such an adjustment can easily be made, since the device according to the illustrated embodiment has the dimensions 100 x 55 x 10 cm and weighs merely about 6-7 kgs. Preferably, some of the chain links can, at some distance from the free end with the hook 21, be provided with different markings, e.g. colour markings, corresponding to a number of different height positions of the heating device. Thus, a first link marking may correspond to a free height above the floor of about 15 cm, a second of 25 cm, a third of 35 cm, etc. These markings can be used for raising the device stepwise, while a farrow of new-born pigs are growing and gradually demand more space and less and ess heat, since the piglets themselves gradually develop more heat during growth. After 2-4 weeks, no additional heat has to be transferred from the foil element 3, and the latter is therefore disconnected by means of the switch 13. The device now serves as a heat insulating upper screen, which keeps the heat developed by the pigs and prevents draught in the illustrated corner of the pigsty or stable. By initially mounting the heating device at a relatively low height of 15 cm and thereafter raising it stepwise, whereupon the foil element is finally disconnected, the heating power and, above all, the total energy consumption can be kept at a minimum. However, the pilot lamp 8 should be kept lit even after the electric heat has been disconnected, so that the piglets continue to lie in their protective corner and always return there after having been fed. Hereby, the risk for the piglets to be trampled, even to death, is reduced. Only after 6-8 weeks, the piglets can manage completely without the heating device, so that the latter can be dismounted and stacked together with similar devices, temporarily out of use. The electric cable or cord 11 is preferably connected by a plug 23 into a socket-outlet 24 adjacent to the ceiling hook 20, and the cord is stretched by means of a shortening device 25 of known type. If the low weight heating device for some reason should fall down from the ceiling 19 on top of the piglets, the plug 23 will be pulled out from its socket 24 and the current will be swtched off. The invention can be modified in several ways within the scope of the inventive idea presented in the following claims. Attention is directed to our copending application No. 40806/79 (Serial No.

2. A heating device as claimed in claim 1, in which the frame is rectangular.

fer.

9. A heating device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the pilot lamp is connectable independently of the connection of the foil element so that the foil element can be disconnected while the pilot lamp is kept lit.

10. A heating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there is provided an electric cord provided with a shortening device, which cord is connectable, in a stretched condition, at a point adjacent to the ceiling fastening of the suspension means, to a ceiling socket by means of a plug, which is arranged to be pulled out from the ceiling socket should the suspension means loosen or break.

11. A heating device for small animals in an enclosure, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.