GB2240160A

GB2240160A - Valve for a feed hopper

Info

Publication number: GB2240160A
Application number: GB9027505A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Goodwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-01-10
Filing date: 1990-12-19
Publication date: 1991-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2010-12-19
Also published as: GB2240160B; GB9000569D0; GB9027505D0

Abstract

A valve for a feed hopper for animal feed is movable out of the hopper discharge orifice 10 by the animal pushing an actuator 15 extending from a bung 13 guided within the hopper in a cylindrical guide member 17 incorporating an adjustable end stop 20. The adjustment is effected by altering the position of a nut 25 on a threaded portion of a stem 21 on the guide member. <IMAGE>

Description

A Feed Valve The present invention relates to a feed valve.

There is a requirement to feed farm animals, such as pigs, on a regular basis. This is a time consuming activity and previously involved filling feed troughs from which the animals eat. These troughs are open and thus feed placed in them is readily contaminated. Feed at the bottom of the trough may never be eaten and thus periodically the trough must be emptied. A significant amount of feed is consequently wasted and it is difficult to determine with any degree of accuracy the amount of feed that is being used.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a feed valve for a feed hopper that will obviate or mitigate the above identified problems.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a feed valve for a feed hopper orifice, the valve comprising bung means, actuator means and guide means, the bung means being coupled to the actuator means and arranged to allow obstruction of a feed hopper orifice, the guide means being arranged to guide the bung means whereby the actuator means is displaceable to move the bung means in the guide means to remove obstruction by the bung means of the feed hopper orifice.

Preferably, the actuator means is displaceable by an animal, such as a pig.

Preferably, the guide means includes an end stop arranged to limit displacement of the bung means away from the orifice. Furthermore, the end stop position may be adjustable, possibly using a nut and bolt arrangement, to control the displacement of the bung means and so vary the degree of obstruction of a feed hopper orifice.

Preferably, the bung means is shaped to enter a feed hopper orifice at least to a partial extent.

Preferably, the actuator means extends through the feed hopper orifice.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a feed valve in its closed position; and Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of the valve illustrated in Fig. 1 in an open position.

Considering Figure 1, a hopper orifice 10 is defined by hopper walls 11 which may be manufactured from metal or plastics material. In its closed feed valve position a plastics material bung element 13 abuts the periphery of the feed orifice in order to effectively seal the hopper and so prevent feed stored in the hopper evacuating through the hopper orifice. Attached to or formed integral with the bung element 13 is an actuator element 15 arranged to extend through the hopper orifice 10, externally of the hopper. Arranged about the bung element 13 is a guide arrangement 17 retaining and guiding the bung element 13 in appropriate alignment with the hopper orifice 10. The guide arrangement 17 is secured to a hopper lid 19 through a rod 21 which has a threaded end carrying a nut 25.The spacing of the guide arrangement 17 from the orifice 10 may be adjusted by either tightening the nut 25 and so raising the arrangement 17 or slackening it to lower the arrangement 1 7.

In Figure 2 the feed valve illustrated in Figure 1 is shown in a raised or open position. The actuator 15 is raised by a force A applied by an animal to be fed, such as a pig. This force A may be applied by the animal's snout. With the valve in this raised or open position, feed may flow as indicated by arrows B through the hopper orifice 10 into a fall tray or trough (not illustrated). The animal then feeds from that fall tray or trough. The guide arrangement 17 incorporates an end stop 20 which limits displacement of the bung element 13 away from the orifice 10 and so controls the maximum flow of feed through the orifice. The position of the end stop 20 and thus the discharge rate through the orifice is adjusted through rod 21 by nut 25.

It is convenient for the bung member 13 to be shaped whereby it partially enters the hopper orifice 10 and so presents a better seal in the closed position whilst it would be appreciated that the actuator 15 must be of sufficient length to allow the bung member 13 to be displaced using force A. The weight of bung 13 is sufficient that when force A is removed the bung 13 reverts to the closed position illustrated in fig. 1. The bung 13 and actuator 15 along with other elements of the valve arrangement can be formed in metal or plastic and weighted if appropriate.

It will be appreciated that a feed valve in accordance with the present invention could be fabricated in a turret arrangement secured to the hopper bottom surface 11 and thus dispensing with rod 21, nut 25 and hopper lid 19. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that several feed valves could be incorporated into a single hopper and each pig allocated a respective feed valve if an operator is required to determine the amount of feed taken by each animal separate hoppers are required and by suitably monitoring the contents remaining therein the animal's consumption can be assessed.

Claims

1. A feed valve for a feed hopper orifice, the valve comprising bung means, actuator means and guide means, the bung means being coupled to the actuator means and arranged to allow obstruction of a feed hopper orifice, the guide means being arranged to guide the bung means whereby the actuator means is displaceable to move the bung means in the guide means to remove obstruction by the bung means of the feed hopper orifice.

2. A feed valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator means is displaceable by an animal, such as a pig.

3. A feed valve as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the guide means includes an end stop arranged to limit displacement of the bung means away from the orifice.

4. A feed valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein the guide means is adjustably mounted whereby the position of the end stop is adjustable.

5. A feed valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein the guide means includes a threaded mounting rod by which adjustment is achieved.

6. A feed valve as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bung means is shaped to enter a feed hopper orifice at least to a partial extent.

7. A feed valve as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator means extends through the feed hopper orifice.

8. A feed valve as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide means includes an open ended cylinder in which the bung means is slidably mounted, the base of the cylinder providing the end stop.

9. A feed valve for a feed hopper orifice, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanyng drawings.

10. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed in the foregoing specification or claims and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.