GB2232054A

GB2232054A - A holding device

Info

Publication number: GB2232054A
Application number: GB9011522A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William John Pritchard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-05-31
Filing date: 1990-05-23
Publication date: 1990-12-05
Also published as: AU5613990A; GB9011522D0

Abstract

A device to hold a feeding bottle for animals that is simple and easy to make. One end (5) of the device is so shaped and dimensioned that the teat of the feeding bottle cap protrudes therethrough and cannot be accidentally knocked out of the holder (2) by the feeding animal. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: A Holding Device The present invention relates to a device for holding a feeding bottle. The feeding bottle is preferably for lambs but may be used for other bottle fed animals.

Bottle holders for bottles for feeding animals are known, but have many disadvantages. Often they are designed only to take a particular size of bottle. Some are only designed to take a bottle fed from a common source of milk for a plurality of animals. Some holders do not overcome the difficulty that the bottle can be tipped out of the holder by a feeding animal.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a holder that overcomes these disadvantages. A further object of the invention is the provision of a holder that can be made very inexpensively and easily.

The present invention provides a holding device for a feeding bottle, said device including: an arcuate base, one end of said base being open, said base being shaped so as to be capable of receiving thereon one of a variety of sizes or shapes of bottles; a conical shaped guiding closure, said closure being integrally formed with the second end of said base and including a recess of a size sufficient to receive therein but not therethrough a plastic cap of an animal teat (attached to said bottle) such that only the nipple of said cap protrudes therethrough, said cap being releasably held in said recess such that a feeding animal cannot accidentally knock the bottle out of the holder.

Preferably said base is semi-circular in shape or com prises a series of flat surfaces each at an angle to adjacent surfaces, such that the overall effect of the surfaces is to produce a base that is curved in appearance from a distance.

Preferably the device is made from a moderately rigid plastics material. Preferably said device is formed integrally and by injection molding.

Preferably the base has therethrough a plurality of holes such that the device can be secured to an appropriately sloping surface. In this manner a plurality of devices can be secured to the same surface such that a plurality of animals can be fed simultaneously and without the need for hand feeding.

By way of example only a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a cross section of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, a holding device 2 includes a base 3 and a conical shaped guiding closure 4. The closure 4 has a hole 5 therethrough. The hole 5 is smaller in diameter than the end 6 of the closure 4 so as to form a flat surface 7 at the end 6 of the closure 4.

The end 6 also includes a straight sided portion 8 such that the end 6 forms a recess. The recess 6 and the diameter of the hole 5 are such that a nipple of an animal teat on a feeding bottle (not shown) may pass through the hole 5. The flat surface 7 of the recess 6 prevents the remainder of the teat from passing through the hole 5. The diameter of the hole 5 is such that the teat is held within the recess 6 with the nipple protruding through the hole 5 such that a feeding animal cannot knock the bottle out of the holder 2.

The conical shaped closure 4 is used to guide the bottle into the holder 2.

The base 2 includes three flat portions 3a, each portion 3a being set at an angle to the adjacent portions 3a such that from a distance the base 3 is arcuate. If so desired, the base 3 may be an arc of a circle in crosssection. The portions 3a are of sufficient length to hold substantially all the length of a bottle placed thereon. The bottle used need not be of a uniform size and shape, but may be any available bottle suitable for holding the required quantity of milk for the animal to be fed.

A plurality of holes 9 through the base 3 may be used to secure the holder 2 to a sloping board (not shown). If so desired a plurality of holders 2 may be secured to the same board adjacent one another such that a plurality of animals may be fed simultaneously.

In practice it has been found that if the closure 4 is at an angle of approximately 135 degrees to the straight side of the base 3 then the holder 2 can accommodate a wide variety of shapes and sizes of bottles. Further, it has been found that if the board on which said plurality of holders 2 is mounted is at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground it is then almost impossible for the animal being fed to tilt the bottle from which it is feeding.

The holder 2 is formed in one piece from any suitable material. The most suitable material has in practice been found to be a semi-rigid plastics material of known type.

Preferably the holder is formed by injection molding.

Claims

1. A holding device for a feeding bottle, said device including: an arcuate base, one end of said base being open, said base being shaped so as to be capable of receiving thereon one of a variety of sizes or shapes of bottles; a conical shaped guiding closure, said closure being integrally formed with the second end of said base and including a recess of a size sufficient to receive therein but not therethrough a plastic cap of an animal teat (attached to said bottle) such that only the nipple of said cap protrudes therethrough, said cap being releasably held in said recess such that a feeding animal cannot accidentally knock the bottle out of the holder.

2. A holding device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said device is formed integrally from a plastics material.

3. A holding device as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said device is formed by injection molding.

4. A holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said recess includes a hole therethrough, said hole being of a diameter such that the nipple of said cap can protrude therethrough.

5. A holding device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said device includes a plurality of holes on said base for securing said device to a sloping board.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said board is sloping at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground and the angle of slope on the conical closure is 45 degrees.

7. A feeding device for a plurality of bottle fed animals wherein said device includes a sloping board to which is secured a plurality of holding devices as claimed in either claim 5 or 6.

8. A holding device for a feeding bottle substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.