US1798395A - Brooder - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1931. F. E, BARTLETT 1,798,395

` BRooDER I Filed June 9, 1930 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 31, v1931 PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK n. BARTLETT, or MODESTO, CALIFORNIA IBROODER Application med June 9, 1930. Serial No. 459,911.

This invention relates to broeders such as used for the rearing of chicks, ducklings and other newly hatched birds, and especially to means for heating the air supplied to the Vli brooder and for maintaining constant circulation thereof.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of broeders of the character described; to provide a brooder which may be cheaply and eiic-iently heated by electric energy; to provide a brooder wherein a forced circulation of fresh air is maintained; and further, to provide a brooder wherein the circulating air is uniformly distributed so as to maintain an even temperature throughout.

The brooder is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the brooder in section,

Fig. 2 is a bottom View of the brooder, and

Fig. 3 is a cross section of one of the air circulating and heating tubes.

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly Fig. l, it will be noted that the brooder consists of a cone-shaped hover such as shown at A on the inner surface of which is secured a plurality of air circulating and heating tubes such as indicated at 1, 2, 3 and 4. The hover is suspended from the ceiling of the brooder house by a cable 5 counterweighted as at 6 and it is provided with legs 7 to space it from the floorV so that the chicks can pass from under the hover and out" into the brooder house.

The tubes indicated at 1, 2, 3 and 4 are substantially half round in cross section as shown 40 in Fig. 3, and they may be riveted or otherwise secured to the inner surface of the coneshaped hover as indicated at 7. A plate of insulating material such as shown at 8 is placed inside of each tube and extends substantially from end to end thereof. These plates function as supports for electric resistance heating elements of standard construction suchas shown at 9. The heating elements may be connected in parallel, series or whatever the case may be and they are supplied with current from an outside current source not shown. It may furthermore be stated that the circuit through the heating elements is maintained by a thermostat switch such as shown at 15 and the current is accordingly switched on and off so as to maintain a uniform temperature. This feature, however, is old and no claim is made thereto.

The tubes are open at both ends .and if the heating elements are in operation the .heat produced will cause the air to enterat the lower ends and to rise upwardly and discharge from the upper ends of the tubes into the space formed around the electric bulb 10. As the air cools it sinks toward the floor and escapes under the edges of the hover and out into the brooder house and as the lower open ends of the tubes extend to a point outside the edge of the hover fresh air will continuously enter and a continuous circulation of fresh air is maintained in underV the hover. Furthermore by placing, the several heating and air circulating tubes as shown a uniform distribution of heated air and .a uniform temperature throughout the brooder space is insured. A curtain such as shown at 14 is alsoV provided to confine the heated air against too free an escape.

By referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be noted that a considerable space is maintained between the plates 8 and the hover, and further, that openings 13 are formed in the sides of the tubes so as to communicate with this space. A certain amount of the air under the hover will accordingly enter through these openings and circulate upwardly between the insulating plate and the hover, thus reducing the temperature at this point,and furthern more, reducing radiation and conduction of heat through the metal surfaces. The thermostatic switch will of course be arranged to maintain a predetermined temperature and to do this it may automatically out off one or more elements or cut them off successively, if desired. Insulating material placed in the top of the cone as shown at 16 is also desirable as it reduces the amount of heat loss by conduction to a minimum.

ldhile certain features of the present invention are more or less specifically described, I Wish it understood that various changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. Similarly, that the materials and finishes of the several parts employed may be such as the manufacturer may decide, or varying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. In a device of the character described, a cone-shaped hover, a plurality of tubes secured to the inner surface of the hover, and electric resistance heating elements in the tubes, to heat air and to maintain circulation of air in the space formed under the hover.

2. In a device of the character described, a cone-shaped hover, a. plurality of tubes secured to the inner surface of the hover, said tubes being open at their vends and extending from the outer edge of the hover to a point adjacent the apex, and means for maintaining a continuous circulation of fresh air through the space formed under the hover, said means comprising electric resistance heating elements disposed Within the tubes whereby the air in the tubes is heated to cause thermosyphon circulation of the air.

3. In a device of the character described, a cone-shaped hover, a plurality of tubes secured to the inner surface of the hover, said tubes being inclined and open at their ends the lower ends of the tubes extending to the lower outer edge of the hover to permit admission of fresh air from points exterior of the hover, and electric resistance heating elements in the tubes to cause continuous flow of fresh air to enter the lower ends of the 'tubes and to discharge said air in a heated condition in the space formed under the hover.

4. In a device of the character described, a hover, a plurality of inclined tubes disposed adjacent the inner surface of the hover, said tubes being open at their ends and extending to the outer edge of the hover to permit continuous admission of fresh air, a partition member in each tube forming an upper and a lower air passage, heating means in the tubes for heating air passing therethrough, and for maintaining a continuous flow and circulation of fresh air, said tubes being perforated to permit recirculation of a portion of the air in the space formed under the hover.

In a device of the character described, a hover, a plurality of upwardly inclined tubes ,'lisposed adjacent the inner surface of the hover, said tubes being open at their ends and extending to the outer edge of the hover to permit continuous admission of fresh air through the lower ends of the tubes, a partition member in each tube forming an upper and a lower air passage, said tubes being perforated to form a communication between the upper air passage in each tube and the space

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