NZ504747A - A dispenser for dispensing a substance such as vitamins and minerals into a stock water trough - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing substance, such as minerals, vitamin, or bloat oil into a stock water trough. The dispenser includes a housing, which encloses a holding tank 3 for the substances to be dispensed. A water-powered motor 8 is arranged to drive pump 8a; the pump is connected to the interior of the tank 3 by a hose 9, and the pump outlet is through hose 9a. The motor is also connected to a ball cock 10 and to the trough by an outlet hose 12. The outlet pipe 15 from the ball cock is connected to an adjustable control valve 17. The control valve 17 can be set to direct water coming from the outlet pipe 15 either to the motor inlet hose 18 or to the bypass line 19, or to split the water between hose 18 and line 19 in any desired proportion. Water directed to the motor inlet hose 18 passes through the water motor 8 resulting in the substance to be dispensed from tank passing through hose 9a to the outlet hose 12, through the housing, and into the trough.

Description

Patents Form No. 5 No. 504747 Date: 10 March 2000 Intellectual Property Office of NZ 3 1 MAY 2S01 RECEIVED Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION IMPROVED DISPENSER We, KEVIN JOSEPH McWHIRTER and JENNIFER JAYNE McWHIRTER, both New Zealand citizens, both of 7 Gerrard Road, Winton, Southland, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: REGQ106G10832MARK 1 10085C0HPLETE PAT- -250.00 R£G0lO6GlG832NftRf< 1 10085GST v Title: IMPROVED DISPENSER The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing substances such as minerals, vitamins, or bloat oil to stock in drinking water.

There are a number of substances which have to be internally administered to stock on a regular basis. These substances typically are mineral supplements such as copper, zinc, magnesium or selenium salts, vitamins or other dietary supplements, or medication such as bloat oil. It is possible to administer the substances by drenching or by injection or by the use of solid licks or slow release boluses, but it is convenient to have a system of 10 administration of the substances which is not require constant handling of the animals (as with the drenching or injection), which is reasonably low cost (slow release boluses are expensive) but which can be relied upon to deliver a reasonably accurate dose to each animal. Solid licks are inexpensive, but crowding around a lick can mean that less dominant animals receive little or none of the substance, and some animals dislike the 15 taste of the lick and simply do not use it.

The above described disadvantages can be overcome by adding the substances to be dispensed into the supply of stock drinking water; all of the animals will drink regularly, and the amount which they drink will be related to their own body weight, so that the 20 amount of the substance which they ingest will be correct.

A number of systems are known in which the substance to be dispensed is added into the inlet line for the stock water trough. Such systems are reliable and give good results, but are relatively expensive because in a majority of cases the water supply also is used 25 for purposes other than stock water, and it therefore is necessary to incorporate nonreturn valves into the system to prevent back flow of the substance being dispensed. A further problem is that some existing pipelines are made of low density alkathene, which 2 Intellectual Property i Office of N.Z 11 JUN 2001 RECEIVED ; is attacked by some of the substances to be dispensed, such as bloat oil.

One known system seeks to overcome this problem by locating dispensing apparatus actually in the water trough. However, this system is rather limited in size and thus is 5 suitable only for smaller herds. Further, this system requires a separate dispenser for some substances-- for example, zinc must be dispensed separately, and so must bloat oil. This often is inconvenient in practice, particularly if large herds are being treated.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser which overcomes 10 the above described problems.

The present invention provides a dispenser for dispensing a substance into a stock water trough, said dispenser comprising: a tank for containing the substance to be dispensed in liquid form; a pump adapted to pump the substance to be dispensed from the tank into 15 a water trough; a water motor adapted to power said pump, a pipe connectable between the outlet of a trough ball cock and a control valve; said control valve being adapted to direct incoming water from said pipe to a bypass pipe and/or to the inlet of said water motor Preferably, the dispenser is arranged to float in a water trough and said bypass pipe and said outlet pipe open directly into said trough.

By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention, Fig 2 is a flow diagram showing the pattern of liquid flow through the dispenser. 3 Referring to the drawings, a dispenser includes a housing 2 (shown with the protective lid removed) which encloses a holding tank 3 (shown in broken lines) for the substance to be dispensed. The tank 3 is fitted with a drain tap 4. The housing 2, housing lid (not shown) and tank 3 are made of a tough, light material such as an impact resistant 5 plastics material. The upper surface 5 of the housing 2 is fitted with an access port 6 closed by a removable lid 7, through which the tank 3 can be supplied with the substance to be dispensed.

The upper surface 5 of the housing 2 supports a water powered motor 8 which is 10 arranged to drive a pump 8 a; the pump is connected to the interior of the tank 3 by a hose 9, and the pump outlet is through hose 9a. The motor 8 also is connected to a ball cock 10 as herein after described, and to the trough by an outlet hose 12. The motor 8 and pump 8a may be any of a number of known types (eg. 'Chemilizer Medicator' HN 55 or 'Dosatron' (Trade Marks)).

The ball cock 10 may be any of a range of known types, and is secured to the rim of a water trough 13 (shown only in part) so that the ball extends outwards into the trough and floats on the surface of the water in the trough in use. Water is supplied to the ball cock 10 by a water pipe 14, in known manner.

The outlet pipe 15 from the ball cock 10 normally would pass directly into the trough, but in the present invention the outlet pipe 15 is connected through a filter 16 to an adjustable control valve 17. The control valve 17 can be set to direct the water coming from outlet pipe 15 either to the motor inlet hose 18 or to the bypass line 19, or to split 25 the water between hose 18 and line 19 in any desired proportion.

Water directed to the bypass line 19 passes through the housing 2 and directly into the 4 trough.

Water directed to the motor inlet hose 18 passes through the water motor 8; the flow of the water operates the motor 8 which powers the pump 8a; the greater the flow of water 5 through the motor 8, the faster the pump pumps the substance to be dispensed from the tank 3 through the hose 9. Thus, the rate at which the substance is dispensed into the trough is controlled simply by controlling the amount of water diverted through inlet hose 18. The substance to be dispensed leaves the tank 3 through the hose 9, and then passes through hose 9 a to the outlet hose 12, which passes through the housing 2 and 10 into the trough.

The bypass line 19 is fitted with a tap 20 which can be used to divert water from the line 19 directly into the tank 3.

The above described dispenser is used as follows:- first, the farmer must calculate the amount of substance to be dispensed; the factors which must be considered for this calculation are well established and will not be discussed . Secondly, the farmer must establish the approximate daily volume of water which the animals are drinking; this may be done by metering the water supply or simply by filling the trough with a known volume 20 and observing how fast it is consumed. From this, the farmer may calculate the rate at which the substance should be dispensed to achieve the desired daily dosage in the animals' drinking water. It will be appreciated that the term "substance" could include a mixture of many different substances, if appropriate.

The dispenser is positioned ready for use in the water trough, preferably floating in roughly the centre of the trough, so to be out of reach of stock. The dispenser can be secured in position by any suitable means, but preferably the securing means is flexible (e.g. elastic bungy cords), so that the dispenser can move away when nudged by stock -this helps to prevent damage by stock rubbing against the dispenser.

The outlet pipe 15 from the ball cock 10 is connected to the filter 16 as shown in Fig. 1. 5 The required dose of the substance is then placed in the tank 3 through the access port 6, and the lid 7 secured. The dose may be already dissolved, but if the dose is in solid or concentrated form, the dose is then diluted as necessary by adding water directly to the tank through the tap 20. The valve 17 is adjusted to give a predetermined amount of flow through the water motor 8 (as hereinafter discussed) and the lid (not shown) is 10 secured over the upper surface 5 of the housing 2, to protect the equipment.

When stock drink from the trough, the water level in the trough drops, and the floating ball of the ball cock drops with the water level. This operates the ball cock in known manner, allowing water to flow through the water pipe 14 and then through the outlet 15 pipe 15. Part of the incoming water may flow through the bypass pipe 19, depending upon the setting of the control valve 17. The remainder of the water flows through hose 18 and powers the water motor 8, operating the pump 8 a to pump the substance to be dispensed from the tank 3 and out through the lines 9 a and 12, into the trough. The amount of substance dispensed will of course depend upon the setting of the control 20 valve 17. Typical rates are a 2/100 ratio or a 1/100 ratio at 2psi-80psi pressure and 0.06 - 44 litres per minute volume. The outlet water from the motor 8 passes into the trough through the hose 12.

Final adjustment of the correct dispensing rate can be made by trial and error - for 25 example, if the 24 hour dose has been used up within twelve hours, then clearly the dispensing rate needs to be cut by approximately 50 percent. It generally is considered desirable for the substance to be dispensed over the whole of the specified time, rather 6 than being dispensed at a higher concentration during only the first part of the time.

The above described dispenser could stand on the ground or other suitable support beside the trough, rattier than in the trough. However, if such arrangement were used with a cattle trough it would be advisable to prevent access by the cattle to the dispenser, to prevent the cattle rubbing on the dispenser.

A check valve could be fitted to the inlet line 14 to the ball cock 10, to prevent back flow, but it is believed that this would not be necessary.

Claims (4)

What we claim is:

1. A dispenser for dispensing a substance into a stock water trough, said dispenser comprising- a tank for containing the substance to be dispensed in 5 liquid form; a pump adapted to pump the substance to be dispensed from the tank into a water trough; a water motor adapted to power said pump; a pipe connectable between the outlet of a trough ball cock and a control valve; said control valve being adapted to direct incoming water from said pipe to a bypass pipe and/or to the inlet of said water motor. 10

2. The dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said dispenser is supported by a buoyant housing and is adapted to float in a water trough, with said bypass pipe opening into the trough. 15

3 The dispenser as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a manually controllable tap arranged to supply water directly to said tank.

4. A dispenser for dispensing a substance into a stock water trough, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying 20 drawings. Intellectual Property I Office of N.Z 11 JUN 2001 received ; 8