GB1591504A - Heating devices for small animals such as piglets - Google Patents

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION

( 11) ( 21) Application No 40806/79 ( 22) Filed 13 March 1978 ( 62) Divided out of No 1 591 503 _ ( 31) Convention Application No.

7702813 ( 32) Filed 11 March 1977 in n ( 33) Sweden (SE) ( 44) Complete Specification published 24 June 1981 ( 51) INT CL 3 A 01 K 29/00 ( 52) Index at acceptance Al M FA ( 54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO HEATING DEVICES FOR SMALL ANIMALS SUCH AS PIGLETS ( 71) We, BUOTEN-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 described in our copending British Patent Application No 9754/78 (Serial No 1591503) from which the present application is divided.

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 for horizontal mounting over the floor of the enclosure and means for adjusting the elevation of the structure, the structure having a frame which has a downwardly directed flange at the edges thereof and which is made of substantially F-shaped profile elements each arranged with the upright limb of the F vertical and the transverse shanks of the F horizontal and inwardly directed, there being provided a plate of heat permeable material received between the horizontal shanks of the profile elements and supported thereby, and an electric heating element in the form of a foil element carried by the plate for emitting radiant heat downwardly toward the enclosure floor, the radiant heat being limited sideways by the downwardly directed flange.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred heating device suspended from the ceil 55 ing of a pigsty in a corner thereof; and Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section through the device shown in Figure 1.

The structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 is formed substantially as a plate and com 60 prises a rectangular body or frame consisting of generally F-shaped aluminium profile elements 1 A supporting plate 2 (about 22 mm thick) made of a heat permeable material, e g a thermoset laminate of paper 65 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 70 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 75 edges into downwardly directed flanges 5 ', the latter being fastened to the frame forming aluminium profiles 1 by means of fasteners 6, such as rivets or screws.

Furthermore, the structure comprises a 80 central box-like cavity 7, in which there is a preferably red, transparent plastics covering plate 9, which is removable by means of screws 10 for the exchange of lamp bulbs.

An adjacent cavity 7 ' contains electric 85 switching means (not shown) for electrical supply of the foil element 3 and the lamp 8 for a feed cable 11 The switching means are arranged to keep the pilot lamp 8 constantly lit upon putting the device into operation by 90 means of a first switch 12 (Figure 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 95 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 100 1591504 1 591 504 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 2 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 a 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 newborn pigs are growing and gradually demand more space and less 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 25 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 to 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 65 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 switched off 70 The invention can be modified in several ways within the scope of the inventive idea presented in the following claims.

Claims (6)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1 A heating device for small animals in 75 an enclosure, comprising a substantially plate-like structure for horizontal mounting over the floor of the enclosure and means for adjusting the elevation of the structure, the structure having a frame which has a 80 downwardly directed flange at the edges thereof and which is made of substantially F-shaped profile elements each arranged with the upright limb of the F vertical and the transverse shanks of the F horizontal 85 and inwardly directed, there being provided a plate of heat permeable material received between the horizontal shanks of the profile elements and supported thereby, and an electric heating element in the form of a foil 90 element carried by the plate for emitting radiant heat downwardly toward the enclosure floor, the radiant heat being limited sideways by the downwardly directed flange 95

2 A heating device as claimed in claim 1, in which the structure has a central cavity in which a pilot lamp is located.

3 A heating device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the heat permeable material 100 is a thermoset resin laminate.

4 A heating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a layer of insulating material is placed on top of the foil element in order to substantially prevent 105 upward heat transfer.

A heating device as claimed in claim 2 or in claim 3 or 4 when dependent on claim 2, in which the pilot lamp is connectable independently of the connection of the 110 foil element so that the foil element can be disconnected while the pilot lamp is kept lit.

6 A heating device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there is provided an electric cord provided with a 115 shortening device, which cord is connectable, in a stretched condition, to a ceiling socket by means of a plug, which is arranged to be pulled out from the ceiling socket should the heating device fall 120 MARKS & CLERK Chartered Patent Agents 57-60 Lincolns Inn Fields, London, WC 2 A 3 LS.

Agents for the Applicants Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by The Tweeddale Press Ltd, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1981 Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC 2 A I AY, from which copies may be obtained.