GB2055544A

GB2055544A - Troughs

Info

Publication number: GB2055544A
Application number: GB8025923A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-08-13
Filing date: 1980-08-08
Publication date: 1981-03-11
Also published as: IE791556L

Abstract

The invention provides an animal feed trough. The invention solves the problem of animal feed or fluids being fouled in troughs by animals. Essentially, the animal feed trough (1) has at least one inclined open mouth (2) and comprises a flap door (13) hinged to a top member (10) to close the open mouth (2). Springs biased the flap door (13) to close the open mouth (2), thereby preventing the contents of the trough being fouled when animals are not feeding. The flap door (13) is openable inwardly by pressure from an animals head. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An animal feed trough The present invention relates to an animal feed trough.

In general, on farms animal feed and fluids are provided for animals in troughs. These troughs either stand on the ground or floor of an animal house or alternatively are mounted on a wall or pen below the body level of an animal to prevent injury to the animal's body and also to allow the animal easy access to the feed. Unfortunately this has the disadvantage that the trough is also sufficiently low for the animal to foul it and its contents with faeces.

Additionally with floor mounted troughs further fouling of the feed can occur because animals can walk into the trough.

There is therefore a need for a trough for animal feed and fluid which will prevent the feed and fluid in the trough from being fouled by the animals, irrespective of where the trough is mounted.

The present invention is directed towards providing such a trough.

The term animal feed as used hereinafter in this specification refers to any type of animal feed, for example, solid feed, granulated feed, powdered feed, and also includes fluids such as water.

According to the invention there is provided an open mouthed animal feed trough comprising a closure member to close the open mouth, the closure member being inwardly operable by an animal and spring biased towards the open mouth to a closed position to close the trough.

Preferably, the closure member is a flap door adapted to be openable on the application of pressure thereto from an animals face or head.

In one embodiment of the invention the plane of the open mouth is inclined to the horizontal, and the closure member is hingedly connected by its top edge to the trough and depends therefrom.

Preferably, a float controlled valve is mounted in the trough for delivering and maintaining a substantially constant level of water in the trough.

In another embodiment of the invention the two open mouths are provided in the trough, each open mouth being closed by an independently openable closure member.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some preferred embodiments thereof given by way of example, only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an open mouthed animal feed trough according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the trough of Fig. 1 with a closure member in a different position, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the trough of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a typical cross-sectional view of the trough of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a trough according to another embodiment of the invention, Fig. 6 is a typical cross-sectional view of the trough of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 4 there is provided a cattle drinking trough according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The trough has a pair of open mouths 2 inclined to the horizontal to allow access to the water by cattle. The trough 1 includes a base member 4, a pair of side walls 6 and 7 and front and rear end walls 8 and 9, all of sheet metal welded together. A top member 10 of sheet metal material is secured to flanges 11 by screws 12. The flanges 11 are formed by bending the top portion of the side walls 6 and 7 inwardly. The front and rear end walls 8 and 9 extend upwardly to a position intermediate the base member 4 and the top member 10, and define with the side walls and the top member 10 the open mouths 2. It can be seen that portions of the side walls 6 and 7 above the open mouths 2 are removed.

Each open mouth 2 is closed by a closure member provided by a flap door 13 also of sheet metal material. The flap doors 13 are connected to the top member 10 by hinges 14 pivotal on an anchor bracket 17. Coiled tension springs 15 biase the doors 13 outwardly towards the open mouths 2 to the closed position. The coiled tension springs 15 are connected between a bracket 16 projecting from each door 13 and the bracket 17 connected to the top member 10. The flap doors 13 abutt against inwardly projecting edges 18 of the wide walls 6 and 7 which form stop-means to retain the doors 13 in the closed position. Stop bars 19 of steel extend between the side walls 6 and 7 to limit the travel of the doors 13 in the open pOsition. The lower portion 20 of each flat door 13 projects over its corresponding end wall 8 and 9 to protect the contents of the trough 1.

An intermediate stop memberto prevent the doors 13 from closing the open mouths 2 are provided by pins 21 slidable in bores 22 in the side wall 7. The pins 21 can be removed from the bores 22 when they are not required. It can be seen from Fig. 2 that the pins retain the doors 13 just sufficiently open to enable an animal to seethe contents of the trough 1. It is envisaged that the pins 21 will be used forth first few days of use of the trough 1 until the animals realise that the trough contains water and become accustomed to the operation of the trough.

A float controlled valve 25 with a float 26 on an arm 27 is provided to deliver water into the trough 1.

The valve 25 is mounted in the side wall 6 and has a water inlet (not shown) for connection to a water supply. The float 26 maintains the level of water in the trough 1 at a suitable level. An outlet 28 and plug 29 are provided in the base member 4 to drain the trough 1.

Mounting brackets (not shown) for mounting the trough 1 to a wall or pen of an animal house are provided on the outer side of the side wall 6.

In use the trough 1 is mounted by means of the brackets (not shown) on a wall of an animal house or pen in which cattle are housed below the body level of the animals. The water suppiy is connected to the water inlet (not shown). Water then enters the trough 1 through the valve 25 and the level of water is maintained by the float 26. When an animal decides to drink from the trough 1 it presses its head against the door 13 thereby opening the door 13 and drinks. The door 13 is closed by the action ofthe spring 15 when the animal removes its head from the door.

When it is desired to retain the door 13 slightly open as shown in Fig. 2 the pins 21 are inserted in the bores 22.

Figs. and 6 show a cattle drinking trough 1 according to another embodiment of the invention.

This cattle drinking trough 1 is substantially similar to the trough described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 and similar components will be identified by the same reference numeral. This trough 1 has only one open mouth 2. A flap door 13 is provided to close the open mouth 2. A rear end wall 29 extends between the base member4 and the top member 10. In this embodiment of the invention an intermediate stop member to prevent the door 13 closing the open mouth 2 is provided buy a hook member 30 pivotal in the side wall 7. The hook member 30 is slidable in an eye 31 formed by a U-shaped bracket 32 projecting from the door 13. The hook member 30 engages an end 33 ofthe bracket 32 to prevent the door 13 closing the open mouth.A shaft 34 connects the hook member 30 to a handle 36 to pivot the hook member out of engagement with the eye 31 as desired.

Mounting brackets 38 are provided on the rear end wall 29 for mounting the trough 1 to a wall or pen of an animal house.

In use, the operation of this trough 1 issubstan- tially similar to that of the trough 1 described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. If it is desired to prevent the door 13 closing the open mouth 2 the hook member 30 is pivotted into engagement with the eye 31.

When an animal applies pressure to the door 13 the door moves inwardly and the hook member 30 slides in the eye 31. When the animal is finished drinking the door 13 moves into the position shown in Fig. 6 with the hook member 30 engaging the end 33 of the bracket 32. When it is desired to disengage the hook member 30 from the eye 31 the handle 36 is rotated in the direction of the arrow A see Fig. 5.

It will be appreciated that although the trough is below the body level of the animals to avoid inqury to the animals, the water in the trough is never fouled, because each door 13 remains closed when not in use and the portion 20 projects beyond each end wall.

It will be also be appreciated that the intermediate stop member is not necessary to the invention and its is envisaged that many troughs will be manufactured without the intermediate stop member It will be further appreciated that instead of the open mouths being inclined to the horizontal as described, they could in face have been vertical.

Furthermore, it is envisaged that the troughs could be of any suitable shape, for example, they could be of partly sperical shape.

Needless to say, although the flap doors have been described as being spring biased by a coiled tension spring any suitable biasing means could have been used. Indeed, it is envisaged that a counter weight could be used to return the door to the closed position. it is further envisaged that each open mouth may be inclined outwardly upwardly, in which case, the doors would close undertheir own weight. Further materials other than sheet metal could have been used in the manufacture of the trough, for example, a plastics material could have been used.

It is also envisaged of being used as a water trough, the trough could be used for other animal feeds, for example, granular or powdered feeds, in which case the float valve would more than likely be unecessary. Needless to say, the trough could be used for feeding animals other than cattle, for example, sheep, goats and the like.

Claims

I An open mouthed animal feed trough comprising a closure member to close the open mouth, the closure member being inwardly openable by an animal and spring biased towards the open mouth to a closed position to close the trough.
2. Atrough as claimed in Claim 1 in which the closure member is a flap door adapted to be openable on the application of pressure thereto from an animals face or head.
3. A trough as claimed in either Claim 1 or2:in which the plane of the open mouth is inclined to the horizontal, and the closure member is hingedly connected by its top edge to the trough and depends therefrom.
4. Atrough as claimed in any of the preceding Claims in which a float controlled valve is mounted in the trough for delivering and maintaining a substantially constant level of water in the trough.
5. A trough as claimed in any of the preceeding Claims in which two open mouths are provided in the trough, each open mouth being closed by an independently openable closure member.
6. Atrough as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4 in which the trough comprises of base member, front and rear end walls and side walls upstanding from the base member, and a top member joining said rear end and side walls, the front end wall extending to a position intermediate the base and the top memberto define with the side walls and the top member the open mouth, and portion ofthe side walls abovethe open mouth being removed.
7. Atrough as claimed in Claim 5 in which the trough comprises a base member, front and rearend walls and side walls upstanding from the base member, and a top member joining the side walls, the front and rear end walls extending to a position intermediate the base and top memberto define with the side walls and the top member the open mouths, and portion of the side walls:abovethe open mouths being removed.
8. A trough as claimed in Claims 6 or 7 in which portion of the edges of the side walls defining each open mouth project inwardly into the open mouth, to form a stop means to retain the corresponding closure member in the closed position, the travel of each closure member in the open position being limited by a stop bar extending between the side walls.
9. Atrough as claimed in any of Claims 6 to 8 in which each closure member is biased by. a coiled tension spring extending between an inner face of each closure member and an anchor bracket connected to the top member.
10. A trough as claimed in any of the preceeding Claims in which an intermediate stop member spaced apart from each open mouth is provided in the trough for preventing the corresponding closure member closing the open mouth.
11. Atrough as claimed in Claim 10 when dependent on Claims 6 or 7 in which each stop member is provided by a pin slidable in a bore through a sidewall.
12. A trough as claimed in Claim 10 when dependent on Claims 6 or 7 in which each stop member is provided by a hook member pivotal in the side wall, the hook member being slidable in an eye formed by a U-shaped bracket projecting from the closure member into the trough, so that the hook member engages the end of the U-shaped bracket to prevent the closure member from closing the open mouth, the hook member being pivotal through an arc to disengagethe U-shaped bracket.
13. Atrough as claimed in the preceding Claims in which a lower edge of each closure member projects outwardly of the trough.
14. A trough substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.
15. A trough substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.