GB724161A - Poultry batteries, laying cages and similar apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

724,161. Battery-cage feeders. PATCHETT, Ltd., R. J. Sept. 11, 1953. [Sept. 13, 1952] No. 23047/52. Class 5 (2). A feeding-appliance for a battery-cage comprises a carriage 3, provided with foodtroughs 4 and water-troughs 5, adapted to be reciprocated backwards and forwards along the line of cages 2, the carriage being driven by an endless cable 13 which always travels in one direction, means being provided for automatically disconnecting the carriage from one run of the cable at the end of its forward travel and reconnecting it to the other run to effect its return movement. The cable is driven continuously by a motor 12 and carries a thimble 14 which engages a hinged bracket 27 on the carriage to traverse the latter along rails 7 on the top of the battery 1. The hinged bracket can be deflected upwardly by a fixed abutment 16 at the end of the forward travel and the thimble then passes on around the pulley 9A and eventually engages a pivoted hook 28 to move the carriage backwardly, this hook being in turn disengaged by an abutment 30. The troughs 5 have weirs 21 and are connected by a drain-pipe 23 with a sump 24. At the end of the forward travel, the troughs 5 engage pivoted taps 18 on a watersupply pipe 17 whereby the troughs are flushed with water, the excess escaping over the weirs, down the pipe 23 and into the sump 24, the latter being provided with a pivoted door 25 which is simultaneously opened by a cam 3]. In a modification, the bracket 27 is fixed and has an aperture surrounded by spaced, spring- loaded balls which yield to permit passage of the thimble at the end of the travel of the carriage or in the event of obstruction.