IE47844B1 - Dosing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to dosing apparatus, in particular to apparatus for dosing a liquid additive, especially medicine, into drinking-water for cattle, the drinking-water being pumped up from a well or a reservoir by means of a pumping device driven by the cattle when drinking-water is required.

Cattle grazing in the summertime usually suffer from intestinal worm, even to a considerable extent if the cattle grazes in the same field during the whole season. The growth of the cattle, i.e. the production of meat, is reduced on account of the intestinal worm. Means are known for treating cattle with intestinal worm. These means are to be taken for example with water, which means that the cattle has to be rounded up in order to make sure that the right dose of medicine is taken, which is very important for the treatment. However, the treatment has to take place several times at intervals during the period of grazing.

This results in a lot of work in rounding up the cattle. Therefore the treatment is often discontinued, because cattle infected.by 'intestinal worm are not really ill. In *20' order to facilitate the treatment it is advantageous to use , ,-a. dosimeter-for the anthelmintic in connection with pumps for drinking-water.' ' 47844 - 3 Federal Republic of Germany Offen!egungsschrift No. 2 309 414 describes a dosimeter for liquid additives mountable on a water tap. Such apparatus works on the basis of the ejector effect or entrainment effect which is caused by the flow of the water in the tap. Therefore the apparatus can only work at a suitably high velocity of flow of the water in the tap, i.e. when the water in the tap is under pressure. The apparatus cannot work if the water passes the apparatus as a result of a comparatively weak suction. Further the dosing with this apparatus is not sufficiently exact for the purpose aimed at by the present invention, since the quantity of the additives is dependent on the velocity of flow of the water in the tap and not only on the quantity of the flowing water.

The present invention provides apparatus for dosing a liquid additive into drinking-water for cattle, the drinking-water being pumped up from a well or a reservoir by means of a pumping device driven by the cattle when drinking-water is required, wherein a piping for the additive is connected by means of a fluid tight seal to a main suction piping, and wherein the piping for the additive is connected at its other end to a dosing member with a built-in non-return valve and placed in a container for containing the additive, which dosing member is provided with an opening for passage of the additive, the cross-section of the said opening being determined by a replaceable nozzle. - 4 Thus a dosimeter is provided which has a constant proportion of mixture under all circumstances, i.e. also during varied suction and aspiration, when the pump is started. This is due to the fact that the water in the main suction piping and the liquid in the piping for the additive comprise a system of continuous liquid columns.

The dosing member is provided with an opening for passage of the additive, the cross-section of which opening is determined by a replaceable nozzle. The opening may consist of a plate with a hole; if the dosing member and this plate are made in a suitable way, the plate may in a simple manner be replaced by other plates with other hole diameters, if it is required to change the dosing.

By using replaceable nozzles with a constant opening, a correct dosing will be secured in contrast to a nozzle with a variable, adjustable cross-sectional opening.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a dosing apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a partly sectional view of the dosing member of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1; and Figure 3 shows the dosing apparatus in a locked box connected to a water reservoir and a drinking pump for cattle.

Fig. 1 shows a water piping or main suction piping 1 which 5 is at its lower part connected to a well or a reservoir (not shown) and at its upper part, i.e. above a joint with a side piping 2, connected to a pump (not shown). This pump may be a drinking pump which undergoes a pump stroke every time a cattle puts its muzzle into a drinking trough. An additive 3 is placed in a closed but not air tight container 4. A dosing member 5 is placed in the container 4 below the water line 6 and is connected to the side piping 2, which is connected to the main suction piping 1 by means of a fluid tight seal 7. A closing valve 8 is mounted between the side piping 2 and the main suction piping 1.

The dosing member 5 is shown in more detail in Fig. 2. A screw joint 9 with a pipe stub 10 is screwed into a sleeve 11 to which a valve casing 12 with a filter 13 is fastened in such a way that a seat for a nozzle diaphragm or nozzle plate 14 is formed at the bottom of the sleeve 11 and above the valve casing 12. At the bottom of the valve casing 12, which is at the lower part shaped as a hemisphere, there is a valve opening 15 which is closed by a valve ball 16 loaded by a spring 17. - 6 The function of the dosing member depends on the non-return valve 12, 15, 16, 17 which is to be placed below the water line 6, the fluid tight seal 7 at the connection of the side piping 2 to the main piping 1 and a non-return valve, which is not shown, in the main suction piping 1 which is also to be placed below the water line of the well or reservoir.

When all these conditions are fulfilled, a system is achieved which is always filled with liquid up to the pump. When activating the pump, for example a drinking pump, liquid will be sucked from the main suction piping 1 and the side piping 2 with a constant proportion of mixture determined ; by the area of the nozzle outlet in the nozzle diaphragm or plate 14 and by the cross-sectional area of the main suction piping 1. The proportion of mixture is constant, as the supply of the additive 3 is not conditioned by any entrainment or ejector effect from the flow in the main suction piping, but by a pure suction from the pump above the seal 7.

If it is not required to add the additive 3, the valve 8 may be closed and the container 4 may be removed totally by dismantling the side piping 2 at the pipe stub of the closing valve 8. The nozzle diaphragm or plate 14 need not necessarily be placed above the valve casing 12, but may be placed at any suitable place, for example at the closing valve 8. The nozzle diaphragm or plate 14 may be shaped in any way whereby a dosing or limiting effect on a flow of - 7 liquid is obtained.

Fig. 3 shows how the apparatus is connected partly to a water reservoir 18 and partly to a drinking pump 19. The drinking pump 19 is activated by the cattle 20 to move a pump lever 21 forwards and backwards when the muzzle 22 of the cattle is pressed into a trough 23 in order to reach the liquid at the bottom of the trough. The apparatus is placed in a lockable box 24 which may be placed safely beyond the reach of the cattle.

The apparatus is easy to operate as its weight is low and it does not take up much space. The side piping 2 does not have to be longer than 50 cm.

Claims (2)

1. Apparatus for dosing a liquid additive into drinkingwater for cattle, the drinking-water being pumped up from a well or a reservoir by means of a pumping device driven by the cattle when drinking-water is required, wherein a piping 5 for the additive is connected by means of a fluid tight seal to a main suction piping, and wherein the piping for the additive is connected at its other end to a dosing member with a built-in non-return valve and placed in a container for containing the additive, which dosing member is provided 10 with an opening for passage of the additive, the crosssection of the said opening being determined by a replaceable nozzle.

2. Apparatus for dosing an additive, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompany15 ing drawings.