IE42298B1 - Apparatus for use in feeding animals - Google Patents

Abstract

1524442 Feeding animals FUNKI MASKINFABRIK AS 12 Feb 1976 [24 Feb 1975] 05506/76 Heading AIM Animal feeding apparatus comprises a feeding trough 8 supplied with dry fodder from a container 1 and with water from a tank 9 at timed intervals, the trough having guard doors 21, 22 opened at timed intervals to give animals access to the trough. Supply of feed to the trough is controlled by a shutter 3, supply of water is controlled by a valve 17, and the doors are linked and controlled by a rod 27. The controls are interconnected and operate in a determined sequence at determined hours. Fodder is supplied to the container 1 by a chain conveyor (not shown), the maximum amount in the container being determined by adjustable telescopic tubes projecting into the container from the conveyor. The water tank has a float-controlled inlet valve 12.

Description

PATENT APPLICATION BY (71) AKTIESELSKABET FUNKI MASKINFABRIK, A DANISH COMPANY, OF KIRKEVAENGET 5, GJELLERUP, HAMMERUM, DK-7400 HERNING, DENMARK.

P'ict I2{p This invention relates to apparatus for use in feeding animals.

When feeding animals, it is often desirable to use wetted fodder, that is, particulate fodder and liquid together forming a wet mash. This is partly because certain animals in certain periods of growth may obtain better benefit from wetted fodder than from dry fodder, and partly because the animals do not know how to take in the amount of water which corresponds to the amount of dry fodder, and this may cause constipation and other digestive troubles. 1 However, known forms of wetted-fodder feeding have caused great hygienic problems as the leavings of wetted fodder such as e.g. wet bone meal may give rise to very serious bacterial and mould growth in the feeding devices.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for the feeding of animals with wetted fodder, which combines the security and hygiene of dry-feeding with the better assimilation attainable with wetted fodder.

According to the present invention we provide apparatus for use in feeding animals comprising a trough having an open top through which the animals can pass their muzzles to consume the contents of the trough, means for feeding particulate fodder to the trough, means for feeding liquid to the trough so that the particulate fodder and the liquid together form a wet 42398 mash in situ in the trough, and door means associated with the trough and operable to screen the open top of the trough against passage of animal muzzles during the formation of the wet mash.

Preferably the dry-fodder is portioned in a simple feeding trough in predetermined amounts and at determined hours; water, skim milk, or other liquid is portioned in the feeding trough in predetermined amounts and at determined hours; and trough-closing door means are opened at determined hours.

In this manner the risk of fermentation and bacterial growth in connection with wet leavings of fodder in the dosage devices and supply tubes of a feeding apparatus is completely avoided, but nevertheless the advantages of a wetted feed are obtained, as the animals do not have access to the fodder before it has been soaked by the amount of liquid delivered to the trough.

If it is arranged that the animals are not over-fed, it will also be possible by this procedure to avoid dangerous fermentation and bacterial growth in the feeding trough.

For certain animals at certain stages of development it is not sufficient that the dry fodder is merely mixed with liquid in the correct manner; the dry fodder must be given the opportunity during a certain not insignificant time to absorb the liquid and form a wet mash, so that the animals may get the full benefit of the fodder without risk of indigestion. This desideration is obtained by arranging that the opening of the door means of the trough takes place a considerable time after the combining of the dry fodder and the liquid, 42398 Preferably the means for feeding the particulate fodder include a container for the particulate fodder and ducting extending downwardly from the bottom of the container to the trough.

Preferably*also the means for feeding the liquid comprises a 5 container for the liquid and a pipe extending downwardly from the bottom of t(ie container to the trough.

Preferably also the door means include depending flap means hingeable laterally of the trough between an inner position t permitting access to the trough and an outer position in which 10 the top opening of the trough is screened.

An especially appropriate exemplary arrangement of the apparatus according to the invention has a mutual sequence control device, e.g. mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric, to control the flows of dry fodder and liquid, and the opening and closing of the door means of the feeding trough.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing showing animal feeding apparatus :A dry-fodder container 1 with contents of particulate dry20 fodder 2 is closed at the bottom by a sector closure 3 which can be turned around a pivot 4 between open and closed positions by influence through a pull or wire 5, the directions of movement of which are indicated by means of a double arrow 6.

Under the sector closure 3 one or more outlet ducts 7 are situated which leads the dry fodder downwards into a rather smooth and simple feeding trough 8 with an open top.

In a liquid container 9 a float valve is situated consisting of a float member lo, a connecting rod 11, and a float valve 12. The liquid supply to the float valve 12 takes place through a tube 13 which can slide up and down in a sleeve 14 in which the tube 13 can be fastened by means of a tightening screw 15, and through this adjustment of the tube 13 t-e maximum liquid contents of the liquid container can be adjusted as indicated by a double arrow 16.

At the bottom of the liquid container 9 is situated an outlet valve 17 which can be operated by means of a valve rod 18 which can be raised and lowered as indicated by a double arrow 19. From the outlet valve 17 a liquid outlet tube 20 leads downwards to the feeding trough 8.

A pair of flaps 21, 22, which are suspended on hinges 23, for pivotal movement laterally of the trough, in the outer position shown, screen the trough 8 against access of the animals thereto. However, the flaps 21, 22 are interconnected by means of a pair of pivotally interconnected rods 25, 26, an actuating rod 27 being fastened to a pivot 28 which connects together all three rods.

By moving the rod 27 as indicated by a double arrow 29 the access to the trough 8 can be opened or closed.

Two or more of the movements indicated by the double arrows 6, 16, 19 and 29 can be reciprocally interconnected, directly or indirectly, with a view to having the desired operations executed at a preselected, determined sequence and/or at determined hours.

The means for supplying dry fodder 2 are not shown in the drawing, but can take the form of e.g. an endless chain with scrapers which scrape the dry fodder forwards through a supply duct, and adjustment of the maximum amount of dry fodder 2 in the container 1 can be effected in a known manner by means ofadjustable telescope tubes which project downwards from the conveyor tube into the dryfodder container 1.

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus for use in feeding animals comprising a trough having an open top through which the animals can pass their muzzles to consume the contents of the trough, means for feeding particulate fodder to the trough, means for feeding liquid to the trough so that the particulate fodder and the liquid together form a wet mash in situ in the trough, and door means associated with the trough and operable to screen the open top of the trough against passage of animal muzzles during the formation of the wet mash.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for feeding the particulate fodder include a container for the particulate fodder and ducting extending downwardly from the bottom of the container to the trough.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fodderfeeding means include a valve at the bottom of the container actuable to control the downward flow of fodder through the ducting to the trough.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for feeding the liquid comprises a container for the liquid and a pipe extending downwardly from the bottom of the container to the trough.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquidfeeding means include a valve at the bottom of the container actuable to control the downward flow of water through the pipe to the trough.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the door means include depending flap means hingeable laterally of the trough between an inner position permitting access to the trough and an outer position in which the top opening of the trough is screened.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, including means for controlling the operation of the fodder-feeding means, the liquid feeding means, and the door means.

8. Apparatus for use in feeding animals, substantially as herein5 before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.