US2243159A - Chick brooder - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1941.

G. M. KEPPLER 2,243,159

CHICK BROODER Filed Jan. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j Mai M 51m.

A iiomeys G. M. KEPPLER 2,243,159

CHICK BROODER May 27, 1941.

Filed Jan 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A iiomcys Patented May 27, 1941 CHICK BROODER Glenn M. Keppler, North Manchester, Ind.

Application January 2, 1940, Serial No. 312.127

2 Claims.

This invention relates to chick breeders, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will provide for free entrance and eXit of chicks from device without direct draft on the chicks within said device and will have the humidity therein reduced to a minimum without the use of forced ventilation and will prevent the chicks from crowding one on the other when hovering under the heating means of the device and consequently obviates loss by death of chicks injured by crowding as specified.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel construction of heating means for the device which besides assuring of ample heating of the device to a desired temperature at a nominal cost, will bring about a gradual circulation of air into and about the entire interior of the device and from the latter so as to assure of a minimum amount of humidity l within the confines of the device and thereby bring about healthier chicks with loss of chicks by death reduced to a minimum.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention,

reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a bottom plan view illustrating a brooder constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the brooder.

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating arrangement of double curtains for the brooder to bring about an indirect entrance of air to the interior of the brooder from the exterior and to preheat the air before reaching the interior of the brooder.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the brooder with the heating means therein.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view showing means of removably mounting the guard in. the brooder over the heating means.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a solid top wall or ceiling and 6 depending walls supported at selected distances from a floor or surface by adjustable legs 1. The depending the supporting surface will permit the use of walls 6 being spaced from I curtains designated generally by the character 8 on said side walls to permit chicks to readily pass into and. from the interior of the device without direct draft on the chicks within the confines of the device from the exterior of the latter.

Retaining strips 8' are detachably secured to the lower edges of the depending walls for clamping the curtains onto the depending walls so that said curtains will be draped to form inner and outer pairs of curtains forming therebetween an air space S. The inner curtains at certain corners of the device are cut away to form ports or slots Hi to permit the air circulating in. the space to enter the interior of the device.

An electric heating means indicated generally the character I3 is arranged on the ceiling 5 and spaced from the depending walls and consists of a deflector plate H of substantially rectangular shape secured to and spaced from the ceiling by fastening means l2. The deflector plate I i being of the shape specified provides an air opening l3. angers of the insulator type indicated by the character [4 are carried by and depend from the deflector plate for supporting an electric heating coil !5, the shape of which is substantially rectangular and said heating ccil i5 is connected to electric leads [6. An electric switch I! of the thermostatic control type is mounted on the interior of the device by a bracket l8 and is connected into the leads l8 for making and breaking the circuit to the heating coil in accordance with the temperature which the thermostatic switch I! is set to provide within the device. Also connected in the electric leads are electric lamps l9 and 2:3. The electric lamp !9 is located on the ceiling within the opening L? of the deflector while the electric lamp 2!) is arranged eXt-eriorly cf the device. The purpose of the electric lamps is to provide illumination.

A foramincus guard 23 of substantially rectangular shape is detachably secured on the ceiling by fasteners 24 and encloses the electric heating element. The purpose of the guard is prevent the chicks from crowding too close to the heating element one upon the other which would tend to in iure the chicks. The legs I ing adju table permit the distance between the guard e the supporting surface to be varied so as to a t device for housing different size ch' 5 and still prevent them from crowding one other as stated. hi operation when the electric heating means is throwing oil heat, it is to be understood that the heat radiates from the heating element in all directions. However, due to the natural tendency for heat to rise, the heat will strike the deflector H and some of which will be caused to travel outwardly and downwardly within the device while some of the heat will pass through the opening l3 of the deflector and strike the ceiling and follow along the ceiling toward the depending walls. As the heat travels toward the depending walls it cools and naturally descends to rise again toward the heating elements owing to the heat being thrown off by said heating elements and rising.

In other words, the heat travels in paths of substantially oval shape as indicated by arrows in Figures 1 and 4 within the device and with 1e ventilator ports 2i opened or partially open by slide plates 22 some of this heated air traveling along the ceiling will reach the ventilators and pass to the exterior of the device.

Air exteriorly of the device being cooler than the air within the device will enter the spaces 9 between the inner and outer curtains by passing under the outer curtains and on contacting the warm air within the device will be checked thereby from passing directly into said device and will be caused by the warm air to rise in the spaces 9 and travel longitudinally therein until reaching the ports 10 and then pass through said ports I into the interior of the device and gradually commingle with the warmer air within said device. The air traveling along the spaces 9 contacting the inner curtains will be warmed or preheated prior to reaching the interior of the device. Thus it will be seen that with the heating element in operation establishing the air circulation as specified within the device there will be a gradual change of air from within the device to the exterior with air entering the device in an indirect manner so as to prevent direct draft on the chicks and bring about healthier air for the chicks to live in with humidity reduced to a minimum.

A device of the character described and shown in the drawings will be economical to manufacture and maintain in operation and will provide healthy conditions under which the chicks may live and thrive.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a brooder of the character described, a rectangular shaped frame including a ceiling of solid construction and depending connected walls, adjustable legs for the support of said frame, adjustable ventilators in the frame, inner and outer pairs of curtains detachably secured on and depending from said depending walls and providing therebetween an air passage of rectangular shape, certain of said inner curtains having ports at one end thereof to admit air from the passage into the frame at diagonally located corners thereof, a deflector plate secured on and spaced from the ceiling and having an opening, an electric heating means supported by said deflector plate in a plane therebelow so that heat thrown off thereby will rise and strike said deflector and extend laterally therefrom and also pass through the opening of the deflector plate and strike the ceiling and follow the ceiling toward the depending walls, said heated air descending Within the frame when arriving near the depending walls and passing toward the center of the frame and rising toward the heat thrown off by the said electric heating means.

2. In a brooder, a rectangular shaped wall construction including vertical walls positioned at right an les to each other, a flat horizontal ceiling for said wall construction, inner and outer curtains secured to and depending from each vertical wall to form a continuous air passage of rectangular shape, every other inner curtain being cut away at one end to form an air port communicating the air passage with the space defined by said walls and the ceiling at diagonally located corners formed by said walls, a heating means carried by the ceiling Within the walls, and supporting means for the walls.

GLENN M. KEPPLER.

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