GB2137466A

GB2137466A - Lamb reviver

Info

Publication number: GB2137466A
Application number: GB08408258A
Authority: GB
Inventors: K F Woolston
Original assignee: WILKSON TIMOTHY JOHN
Current assignee: WILKSON TIMOTHY JOHN
Priority date: 1983-04-05
Filing date: 1984-03-30
Publication date: 1984-10-10
Also published as: GB8408258D0

Abstract

A lamb reviver for warming and drying weak lambs comprises a box having a perforate floor (9) through which warm air from a fan heater enters a plurality of zones (12-15) separated from each other by dividers (16). Air flows up through each zone to a common space below the lid of the box, and thence to an exit. The dividers are removable to increase the size of the zones. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Lamb reviver This invention relates to a lamb reviver, that is to say an apparatus for warming and, if appropriate, to an extent drying cold and/or wet lambs liable to die from exposure.

It is well recognised that the death of lambs during periods of cold and/or wet weather at lambing time represents a considerable financial lost to the sheep farmer. It has been proposed to revive lambs which would otherwise probably die by placing the lambs in a lamb reviver which consists of a box having a closable lid and a perforate floor through which warm air may be blown at the lambs. In such revivers the box defines a single chamber to hold a plurality of lambs, and the perforate floor consists of expanded metal or similar material. Warm air is blown directly at the lambs through the floor, e.g.

from an electric fan heater.

The present invention realtes to an improvement in such revivers.

According to the present invention a lamb reviver comprises: a box defining a chamber for receiving lambs to be revived, the chamber having a perforate floor through which warm air may enter the chamber; and means dividing the chamber into a plurality of separate zones into which one or more lambs may be placed isolated from contact with lambs in adjacent zones.

It has been found with prior art revivers that there are problems in reintroducing revived lambs to their mothers. This is believed to be due to contact between the lambs in the reviver which results in a mixing of the characteristic smells of the lamb, and according gives rise to the rejection problem. By dividing the chamber into a plurality of zones it has been found the problem of rejection has been substantially eliminated, and accordingly the invention represents a considerable improvement in the utility of lamb revivers.

Preferably, one or more of the dividing means is removable in order combine two or more adjacent zones in order to form relatively large zones to accommodate twins, triplets or quads.

A further preferred feature of the invention comprises the use of an air deflector located between the source of hot air and the perforate chamber floor.

Such a deflector preferably takes the form of an elongate ridged sheet running along the longitudinal centre of the receiver, the deflector being effected to cause the warm air to flow from the source to the perforate floor via elongate passages defined between the lateral edges of the deflector and the adjacent wall surface of the box. It has been found that the use of such a deflector substantially improves warm air distribution within the reviver and generally improves the performance of the reviver.

Another preferred feature of the invention is that the box is fitted with a lid which defines an exit aperture at the upper end of the box. The dividing means terminate below the level of the lid whereby air from each zone may flow along the underside of the lid towards the exit aperture. With this arrangement, the build up of the warm moist air within the box is eliminated, and there is substantially no possibility of air from one zone entering another zone.

The above and further features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the lid removed; Figure 2 is a section on the line ll-ll of Figure 1 with the lid in place; and Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1, with the lid in place.

Referring to the drawings, the lamb reviver 1 comprises a rectangular box 2, having side walls 3,4; end walls 5,6; and a lid 7. Intermediate the lid 7 and the base 8 a floor 9 of expanded metal is suitably supported to divide the box into a chamber 10 for the receipt of lambs and an air distribution chamber 11.

The lamb chamber 10 is divided into a plurality of zones 12-15 by removable dividers 16. Each zone is sized to receive two small lambs, and is accordingly suitable for receipt of a single lamb or twins. If triplets or quads are to be revived a divider 16 is removed in order to form a larger zone. The dividers 16 are effective to prevent contact between lambs in adjacent zones, and accordingly substantially eliminate the rejection problem referred to above.

It will be noted that the upper edges 17 of the dividers terminate below the level of the lid 7 to define an open space 18 immediately below the lid.

At one end of the lid, an exit aperture 19 is defined so that air from the space 18 may leave the chamber.

Since air is constantly flowing upwardly through the zones 12-15 into the space 18, there is substantially no danger of air exiting from one zone entering any other zone as air flows through the space 18 towards the aperture 19.

Warm air is blown into the chamber 11 by any suitable means, e.g. by means of a fan heater 20 directed into an aperture in the end wall 5. An elongate ridgeshaped deflector 21 is mounted within the chamber 11 to prevent the fan heater 20 from blowing air directly th rough the perforatefloor9 into any of the zones 12-15. The deflector 21 defines passages 22 at either lateral edge between the deflector 21 and the adjacent side walls, and it is by these passages that warm air enters the zone above the deflector 21, and then through the perforate floor 9 into the lamb chamber 10.

Urine and faeces from the lambs fall through the perforate floor 9 and are shed by the sloping upper surface of deflector 21 into removable trays 23, which constitute the base of the box.

1. A lamb reviver comprises: a box defining a chamber for receiving lambs to be revived, the chamber having a perforate floor through which warm air may enter the chamber; and means dividing the chamber into a plurality of separate

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Lamb reviver This invention relates to a lamb reviver, that is to say an apparatus for warming and, if appropriate, to an extent drying cold and/or wet lambs liable to die from exposure. It is well recognised that the death of lambs during periods of cold and/or wet weather at lambing time represents a considerable financial lost to the sheep farmer. It has been proposed to revive lambs which would otherwise probably die by placing the lambs in a lamb reviver which consists of a box having a closable lid and a perforate floor through which warm air may be blown at the lambs. In such revivers the box defines a single chamber to hold a plurality of lambs, and the perforate floor consists of expanded metal or similar material. Warm air is blown directly at the lambs through the floor, e.g. from an electric fan heater. The present invention realtes to an improvement in such revivers. According to the present invention a lamb reviver comprises: a box defining a chamber for receiving lambs to be revived, the chamber having a perforate floor through which warm air may enter the chamber; and means dividing the chamber into a plurality of separate zones into which one or more lambs may be placed isolated from contact with lambs in adjacent zones. It has been found with prior art revivers that there are problems in reintroducing revived lambs to their mothers. This is believed to be due to contact between the lambs in the reviver which results in a mixing of the characteristic smells of the lamb, and according gives rise to the rejection problem. By dividing the chamber into a plurality of zones it has been found the problem of rejection has been substantially eliminated, and accordingly the invention represents a considerable improvement in the utility of lamb revivers. Preferably, one or more of the dividing means is removable in order combine two or more adjacent zones in order to form relatively large zones to accommodate twins, triplets or quads. A further preferred feature of the invention comprises the use of an air deflector located between the source of hot air and the perforate chamber floor. Such a deflector preferably takes the form of an elongate ridged sheet running along the longitudinal centre of the receiver, the deflector being effected to cause the warm air to flow from the source to the perforate floor via elongate passages defined between the lateral edges of the deflector and the adjacent wall surface of the box. It has been found that the use of such a deflector substantially improves warm air distribution within the reviver and generally improves the performance of the reviver. Another preferred feature of the invention is that the box is fitted with a lid which defines an exit aperture at the upper end of the box. The dividing means terminate below the level of the lid whereby air from each zone may flow along the underside of the lid towards the exit aperture. With this arrangement, the build up of the warm moist air within the box is eliminated, and there is substantially no possibility of air from one zone entering another zone. The above and further features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the lid removed; Figure 2 is a section on the line ll-ll of Figure 1 with the lid in place; and Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1, with the lid in place. Referring to the drawings, the lamb reviver 1 comprises a rectangular box 2, having side walls 3,4; end walls 5,6; and a lid 7. Intermediate the lid 7 and the base 8 a floor 9 of expanded metal is suitably supported to divide the box into a chamber 10 for the receipt of lambs and an air distribution chamber 11. The lamb chamber 10 is divided into a plurality of zones 12-15 by removable dividers 16. Each zone is sized to receive two small lambs, and is accordingly suitable for receipt of a single lamb or twins. If triplets or quads are to be revived a divider 16 is removed in order to form a larger zone. The dividers 16 are effective to prevent contact between lambs in adjacent zones, and accordingly substantially eliminate the rejection problem referred to above. It will be noted that the upper edges 17 of the dividers terminate below the level of the lid 7 to define an open space 18 immediately below the lid. At one end of the lid, an exit aperture 19 is defined so that air from the space 18 may leave the chamber. Since air is constantly flowing upwardly through the zones 12-15 into the space 18, there is substantially no danger of air exiting from one zone entering any other zone as air flows through the space 18 towards the aperture 19. Warm air is blown into the chamber 11 by any suitable means, e.g. by means of a fan heater 20 directed into an aperture in the end wall 5. An elongate ridgeshaped deflector 21 is mounted within the chamber 11 to prevent the fan heater 20 from blowing air directly th rough the perforatefloor9 into any of the zones 12-15. The deflector 21 defines passages 22 at either lateral edge between the deflector 21 and the adjacent side walls, and it is by these passages that warm air enters the zone above the deflector 21, and then through the perforate floor 9 into the lamb chamber 10. Urine and faeces from the lambs fall through the perforate floor 9 and are shed by the sloping upper surface of deflector 21 into removable trays 23, which constitute the base of the box. CLAIMS

1. A lamb reviver comprises: a box defining a chamber for receiving lambs to be revived, the chamber having a perforate floor through which warm air may enter the chamber; and means dividing the chamber into a plurality of separate zones into which one or more lambs may be placed isolated from contact with lambs in adjacent zones.

2. A lamb reviver according to claim 1,wherein at least one of the dividing means is removable to combine adjacent zones into a larger zone.

3. A lamb reviver according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the box has a lid, and the upper ends of the dividing means terminate below the level of the lid.

4. A lamb reviver according to claim 3, wherein an exit aperature is defined at one end of the lid.

5. A lamb reviver according to any preceding claim, wherein the source of warm air produces a forced current of warm air, and deflector means are provided to control the flow of the forced current of warm air.

6. A lamb reviver according to claim 5, wherein the deflector means prevents direct impingement of the current of warm air on the underside of the floor.

7. A lamb reviver according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the deflector means comprises an elongate ridged metal sheet extending along the longitudinal centre of the box.

8. A lamb reviver substantially as herein described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.