GB2558329A

GB2558329A - An animal feeder

Info

Publication number: GB2558329A
Application number: GB1705590.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stuart Morgan Gregory; Dymock Mcintyre Robert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-04-08
Filing date: 2017-04-06
Publication date: 2018-07-11
Also published as: GB201705590D0; AU2017202290A1; IE20170073A1

Abstract

An animal feeder 10 includes a container 11 into which animal feed can be loaded. The container has openings for the mounting of feeding teats T whereby an animal suckling on the teat can draw feed from the container 11. The feeder 10 has a pair of mounting brackets 12 whereby the container can be hung from an element such as a rail or wire of a fixture such as a fence, gate or the like. To overcome the problem of the container not being held in a stable manner on the fixture and/or the teats not being presented in a desirable orientation for the feeding animals the brackets are mounted top and bottom of the container and provide engagement portions 21 that, in use of the feeder, can also engage with other elements of the fixture.

Description

(56) Documents Cited:

GB 2445348 A WO 2001/064028 A1 US 5855186 A US 3938769 A

A01K5/01 (2006.01)

GB 2113519 A CN 105432501 A US 4011951 A (71) Applicant(s):

Robert Dymock McIntyre State Highway 1, R D 5, Hunterville 4785, New Zealand (including the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau) (58) Field of Search:

INT CL A01K

Other: WPI & EPODOC (72) Inventor(s):

Gregory Stuart Morgan Robert Dymock McIntyre (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Page White & Farter

Bedford House, John Street, London, WC1N 2BF, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: An animal feeder

Abstract Title: Mounting bracket for animal feeder (57) An animal feeder 10 includes a container 11 into which animal feed can be loaded. The container has openings for the mounting of feeding teats T whereby an animal suckling on the teat can draw feed from the container 11. The feeder 10 has a pair of mounting brackets 12 whereby the container can be hung from an element such as a rail or wire of a fixture such as a fence, gate or the like. To overcome the problem of the container not being held in a stable manner on the fixture and/or the teats not being presented in a desirable orientation for the feeding animals the brackets are mounted top and bottom of the container and provide engagement portions 21 that, in use of the feeder, can also engage with other elements of the fixture.

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Title of the invention

An Animal Feeder

Background to the Invention

This invention relates to an animal feeder.

The feeding of young animals, such as calves, with a liquid feed by the use of a static feeder which has a plurality of feeding teats is known. Typically such a feeder will include an open topped container or trough which has a plurality of teats at the bottom thereof. The teats open into the interior of the container. Feed poured into the container through the. open top can thus be drawn from the container by the animals suckling on the teats.

The feeder will usually have a mounting arrangement whereby it can hang from a fixture such as a rail, wire, pipe or rail of a fence, gate, race construction. A drawback with such feeders is that the container is simply hung from the fixture and therefore is not supported in a manner which provides optimum orientation of the teats for the animals. Also the manner in which the feeder is hung from the fence does not always provide a stable mounting of the feeder.

in the following description the part of the container from which feeding teats project will be referred to as the front of the. feeder and the part of the container from which the hanging means project will be referred to as the back or rear of the feeder. Terms such as upper, top, end, underside, downwardly, bottom, floor etc. will thus be interpreted in accordance with the orientation of the container when in an in use position.

Summary of the Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide an animal feeder which includes a mounting arrangement which goes some way to overcoming at least one of these drawbacks or provides the public with a useful choice.

Broadly in one aspect of the invention there is provided an animal feeder which includes a container into which animal feed can be loaded and means for mounting of at least one teat whereby an animal suckling on the teat can draw feed from the container and at least one mounting bracket which includes a hanger for the container to be hung from a fixture and an engagement part for engagement with the fixture.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the bracket is fixed at upper and lower locations to the container.

in the preferred form of the invention there are a pair of spaced apart brackets.

in the preferred form of the invention the or each bracket is fixed to a rim at the top of the container.

in the preferred form of the invention the or each bracket is fixed to the bottom of the container.

in a preferred form the bracket(s) are removably fixed to the container.

in the preferred form of the invention the bracket the hanger is located above the top of the container.

Preferably, the hanger includes a curved part with which, in use, a fence wire, pipe or the like is engagable.

in a preferred embodiment of the invention the curved part is in the form of an inverted substantially IT shape.

Preferably the hanger includes an arm which, in use, is engagable over a rail, rail or like element of a fence. Preferably, the arm is adjustable in position.

In the preferred embodiment of the bracket, the bracket is of a one piece construction which includes the engagement part, in one form the bracket is fabricated from a single length of metal and includes an elongate part which provides the engagement part.

According to a preferred form the bracket includes a foot on which the feeder can in part rest when standing on a surface.

In the preferred form of the invention the container includes a plurality of weils in the floor thereof and each weli includes a means for coupling a teat to the well.

The coupling means can be an opening which incorporates a screw thread.

In one form of the invention there are two brackets and a coupling member extends there between

Broadly in a second aspect of the invention there is provided an anima! feeder which includes a container into which animal feed can be loaded and means for mounting of at least one teat whereby an animal suckling on the teat can draw feed from the container and at least one mounting bracket which includes a hanger for the container to be hung from a wire, pipe or like curved profile fence element, wherein the hanger includes a curved part with which, in use, the wire, pipe or like curved profile fence element is engagable.

In a preferred form the bracket further includes an engagement part for engagement with one or more elements of the fence to further support the container.

Description of the Drawings in the following more detailed description of one embodiment of the animal feeder according the present invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation view of an animai feeder in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 Is a rear elevation view of the animal feeder shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a top pian view of the animal feeder shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 is an end elevation view of the animai feeder shown in Figures 1 to 3 but with feeding teats fitted thereto,

Figure 5 is an isometric front view from above of the animal feeder shown in Figures 1 to 4,

Figure 6 is an isometric rear view from beiow of the animal feeder shown in Figures 1 to 5,

Figure 7 is a cross sectioned view of the container, and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure. 6 but showing a further form of the feeder.

Description of Embodiments of the Invention in the drawings there are shown embodiments of a form of animai feeder according to the invention, it will be appreciated by the skilled addressee that the invention can be achieved by way of embodiments, which differ from that which is described and illustrated in the present specification.

The feeder 10 as shown in the drawings includes a container 11 which has a pair of mounting brackets 12. In use of the feeder 10 the. container 11 is conventionally mounted onto a fixture which can be e.g. a rail, pipe, wire, rail or the iike of a fence, gate, race etc. construction. For the purposes of description the fixture will herein be referred to as a (fence) rail. The orientation of the container 11, when mounted by the mounting brackets 12, is such that the open top 13 of the container is uppermost.

A rim 14 extends peripherally around the open top 13 of the container 11. As illustrated the rim 14 is a substantial construction and adds rigidity to the upper part of the container 11.

In the floor 16 of the container 11 there are a plurality of downwardly projecting wells 1 5. Each well I 5 has an external opening 1 7 into which the mounting end of an animal feeding teat can be fitted. As is evident from Fig. I, for example, the wells 1 5 project downwardly from the bottom of the container 1 I and the openings 1 7 open to the front of the container.

in the preferred form each opening 1 7 is formed with an interna! screw thread into which the threaded end of the teat T (see Fig. 4) can be screwed in order to mount the teat to the container 11. A suitable teat is the screw threaded PEACH (Registered Trade Mark) teat of Peach Teats Ltd.

As is evident from the drawings the front wail 18 of the container is in the preferred form of the invention curved relative to the back wai! i 9 of the container (see e.g. Fig 3). Consequently the axes of the welis 1 5 and openings 1 7 diverge away from the plane of the back wall 19 which means that the teats T are divergent. This has the advantage of creating more space for the feeding animals to access the teats T.

In the preferred form of the feeder the container 11 is moulded from plastics material. In one preferred form the container i i is injection moulded.

Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings the mounting bracket 12 is shown in side elevation. The bracket 12 (which in the preferred form is fabricated from a length of metal) includes an engagement part in the form of an elongate part 21. This elongate part 21 which Is bent at its lower end to form a transverse part 22 This transverse part 22 will hereinafter be referred to as the foot 22.

The distal end of the foot 22 is bent upwardly to form a return 23. The return 23 can be at whatever angle to the foot 22 is necessary to orientate the container 11 relative to e.g. the fence to correctly present the teats T to the feeding animals, in the preferred form is substantially normal to the iength of the foot 22.

The upper end of the elongate part 21 is bent into a form which includes an upwardly curved or inverted U shaped portion 24. The upper end preferably further includes an arm 26 which is in the shape of substantially an inverted L shape. The foot portion 25 of the inverted L shaped arm 26 extends substantially normal to the elongate part 21.

The return 23 has an opening. An opening is also formed in the elongate part 21 toward its upper end. These openings are not visible in the drawings. Through these openings fasteners 29 can be engaged to attach the bracket 1 2 to the container.

In the preferred form of the feeder 10 these openings are of square configuration and the fastener 29 is a coach bolt so that the square head portion of the head of the fastener 29 is retained by the opening against rotation when the fastener 29 is being tightened.

The fastener 29 at the upper end of the elongate part 21 extends through a bore formed within a moulded portion 28 which in the preferred embodiment is located in the rim 14. It will be observed from e.g. Fig. 5 that the rim 14 is of a channel form with one side of the channel created by the top edge 31 of the container 11 and the other side by a spaced apart wall 32. A recess 33 in the wall 1 9 of the container 11 locates the nut 30 of the fastener 29.

The fastener 29 which engages through the square opening in the return 23 passes through a bore formed in a moulded portion 34 at the bottom of the container 11 (see Fig. 6). A recess 35 moulded in the bottom 16 of the container 11 locates the nut 30 of the fastener 29.

Because the fasteners 29 engage in bores formed in solid plastic parts of the container 11 the fixing of the bracket 1 2 to the container is strong and stable. Also the two point fixing of the bracket 1 2 (i.e, to the top and bottom of the container 11) ensures that the container 11 is securely fixed to the bracket 1 2.

The lower fixing of the bracket 12 to the container 11 results in the foot 22 giving stability to the feeder 10 when it rests upright on the ground for e.g. washing out at the end of feeding. As is evident from Fig. 4 the underside of the foot 22 is substantially in the plane of the undersides of the wells 15 on which the feeder 10 will rest when it stands on a surface.

The container 11 is strengthened at its top by the substantial rim 14. The wells 1 5 add strength to the bottom of the container 11. Thus the container is of a robust and stable construction.

In use the feeder will usually be mounted on a fence. If the fence is a multi-wire fence the wire which supports the feeder will locate in the inverted U shaped portion 24 of the bracket 12 so that the feeder 10 hangs from the wire. The wire of the fence which is below the wire located in the inverted U shaped portion 24 will engage with the elongate part 21 of the bracket 12 and thereby support the feeder 10 in the desired orientation for the teats T to be correctly presented to feeding animals.

It will be noted that the U shaped portion 24 is located immediately adjacent the surface of the elongate part 21. As a result the location of the wire in the U shaped portion 24 and the engagement of the next lower wire against the elongate part 21 support the feeder 10 in its desired orientation without the feeder tending to tilt over.

If the fence is one that has substantially horizontal rails the arms 26 of the brackets 12 will be engaged over the rail so that the rail locates within the area between the arm 26 and the elongate part 21 of the bracket. The container 11 thereby hangs from the rail. Once again the elongate part 21 will engage with the rail and possibly the next lowermost rail of the fence to ensure that the feeder 10 is not only stable but is in the correct orientation.

In use animal feed is loaded into the container via the open top 1 3. Animals suckling on teats T fitted to the openings 17 can thus draw feed from the feeder 10. The presence of the wells 1 5 enable the container 11 to be fully emptied except for possibly a very small amount of residual feed in the wells 1 5.

The top part (24, 25) of the bracket 12 is preferably located above the top of the container 11 as shown in the drawings so that the engagement with the supporting wire/rai! is such that the next lowermost wire/rail of the fence will engage with the. elongate part 21 of the bracket 1 2.

In a preferred embodiment there is a cut out 37 (see e.g. Fig. 6) in the. transition between the arm 26 and the foot portion 25 of the L shaped arm 26. The metal taken out because of this cut out 37 permits the orientation of the arm 26 relative to the elongate part 21 to be adjusted. This enables the bracket 12 to be adjusted as required to accommodate the rail in the bracket to better secure and stabilise the feeder on the fence.

In another form of the invention as shown in Fig. 8 a cross member 36 extends between the elongate engagement parts 21 of the two brackets 12 and is coupled at its ends to the respective engagement parts 21. The cross member 38 provides a connection between the two mounting brackets 12 to further increase the stability of the brackets 12. However, it also increases the extent of the overall engagement part formed by the elongate parts 21 of the brackets 12 due to the outboard surface of the cross member 38 being able to engage with elements of the fence e.g. posts, rails etc...

The feeder according to the invention can be readily hung from a suitable fixture such as an element of a fence, gate, race etc. The fixture element can include a rail, wire or pipe etc... Because the. bracket(s) 12 by which the feeder 10 is hung from the fence, gate, race etc. provides an engagement part (parts 21 of brackets 12 and/or cross member 38 which engages with the and/or another part or parts of the fence, gate, race etc. Thus for example if the feeder 10 is hung from the top rail of a railed fence the outboard surfaces (relative to back wall 19 of the body 11) of parts 21 of brackets 1 2 will engage with at least the next lowermost rail of the fence. The cross member 38 will likewise engage with the next lowermost or another rail or if not it will engage with one of more of the posts of the fence. The feeder 10 is thereby not only held in a stable position relative to the fence but the teats T of the feeder 1 0 will be located in the desired orientation for the feeding animals.

The present invention has been described and illustrated by way of a specific embodiment, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the invention to such an embodiment. Modifications and changes within the inventive concept will be apparent to the skilled person.

Therefore, the Invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative means of manufacture and method, and illustrative examples shown and described in this specification. Accordingly departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the Applicant’s general inventive concept.

Claims

CLAIMS:Ί. An animal feeder which includes a container into which animal feed can he loaded and means for mounting of at least one teat whereby an animal suckling on the teat can draw feed from the container and at least one mounting bracket which includes a hanger for the container to be hung from a fixture and an engagement part for engagement with the fixture.
2. An animal feeder as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bracket is fixed at upper and lower locations to the container,
3. An animal feeder as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein there are a pair of spaced apart brackets.
4. An animal feeder as claimed in claim Ί, 2 or 3 wherein the or each bracket is fixed to a rim at the top of the container.
5. An animal feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each bracket is fixed to the bottom of the container.
6. An animal feeder as claimed in any one. of the preceding claims wherein the bracket(s) are removably fixed to the container.
7. An animal feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a hanger part of the bracket is located above the top of the container.
8. An animal feeder as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hanger includes a curved part with which, in use, a fence wire, pipe or the like is engagabie.
9. An animal feeder as claimed in claim 8 wherein the curved part is in the form of an inverted substaritiaily ll shape.
10. An animal feeder as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the hanger includes an arm which, in use, is engagable over a rail, rail or like element of a fence.
11. An animal feeder as claimed in claim 10 wherein the arm is adjustable in position.
12. An animal feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bracket is of a one piece construction which includes the engagement part,
1 3. An animal feeder as claimed in claim 1 2 wherein the bracket is fabricated from a single length of metal and includes an elongate part which provides the engagement part.
14. An animal feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bracket includes a foot on which the feeder can in part rest when standing on a surface.
15. An animal feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the container includes a plurality of wells in the floor thereof and each well includes a means for coupling a teat to the weii.
16. An animal feeder as claimed in claim 15 wherein coupling means can be an opening which incorporates a screw thread.
17. An animal feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein there are two brackets and a coupling member extends there between.
18. An animal feeder which includes a container into which animai feed can he loaded and means for mounting of at least one teat whereby an animai suckling on the teat can draw feed from the container and at least one mounting bracket which includes a hanger for the container to be hung from a wire, pipe or like curved profile fence element, wherein the hanger includes a curved part with which, in use, the wire, pipe or like curved profile fence element is engagable.

1 9. An animal feeder as claimed in ciaim 1 7 wherein the bracket further includes an engagement part for engagement with one or more elements of the fence to further support the container.

Intellectual

Property

Office

GB1705590.6

1-19