GB514506A - Improvements in or relating to devices for housing animals and plants - Google Patents

Abstract

514,506. Endless chain conveyers. CORNELL, F. D. Feb. 6, 1939, No. 3859. [Class 78 (i)] [Also in Groups I and X] A building for housing animals or plants is provided with containers for the beings that are circulated continuously on endless tracks around perforated partitions connected to an air-conditioning plant. The tracks are parallel to each other to provide a work alley provided with lights to illuminate the containers as they pass along the alley, the remaining containers being in darkness. Means are provided automatioally to supply food and water to animals and to remove droppings, or means are provided automatically to supply water to plants in pots and to empty periodically some or all the liquid in the pots. A building for housing poultry or rabbits is provided with perforated partitions 4, 5 extending from the floor 2 to the ceiling 3 and connected to an air-conditioning plant 15 arranged beneath the floor. Battery cages for the animals are moved continuously on endless tracks 6, 7 around the partitions, the cages in the work alley being illuminated by sources of light 10, the others being in darkness. Food is supplied from troughs 23 on trucks 22 in the work alley B, and water is supplied to troughs 24 carried by the cages from a stand pipe 25 having spring-controlled taps 26 actuated by projections 27 on the cages. For use with poultry, the cages have egg-receiving trays 21. Droppings plates 28 are arranged beneath the cages and are cleaned as they pass stationary scrapers 55, Fig. 1. A building for housing animals such as cattle has stalls 30, Fig. 3, suspended from endless tracks '7 and moved continuously around partitions 5 separated by an illuminated work alley B. The partitions are perforated and connected to an air-conditioning plant 15. Water is supplied from a stand pipe having a spring-controlled tap 36 operated by projections 37 on the stalls. Projections 34 on the stalls open a trap door 33 to supply food from a hopper 32 to a manger 31. Droppings are removed from the stalls while they are in darkness, by a stationary scraper 38 arranged to be in the path of the rear part of the platform of each stall. Plants in pots suspended from endless tracks 7, Fig. 4, are circulated continuously around spaced perforated partitions 5 supplied with air from an air-conditioning plant 15. The space between the parallel partitions is used as a work alley B, and is illuminated by lamps 10, so that the plants are alternately in the light and in the dark. While they are in the light, they are rotated slowly. The pots are supplied with water by their engagement successively with the handle 45 of a spring-controlled valve 44 in a stand pipe 43, and are tilted to empty some or all the liquid by their engagement with stationary posts.