GB2145316A

GB2145316A - Receptacles for animal feedstuff

Info

Publication number: GB2145316A
Application number: GB08411558A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Howard Bebbington
Original assignee: TRIAM SOUTH WEST Ltd
Current assignee: TRIAM SOUTH WEST Ltd
Priority date: 1983-08-24
Filing date: 1984-05-04
Publication date: 1985-03-27
Also published as: GB8322717D0; GB8411558D0

Abstract

A container 4 is pivotally mounted on a ground-engaging base 2 so as to be rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, and is provided with a canopy 12 to protect the contents of the container 4, for example minerals for animals, from adverse weather conditions. The arrangement is such that the container 4 is orientated in use so that the back wall of the canopy faces into the prevailing wind. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Receptacles This invention relates to receptacles for use in the open air, and is more particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with feed receptacles for animals.

It is standard farming practice for the intake of cattle and sheep grazing in open fields to be supplemented by concentrated minerals which are placed in a trough in the field where they can be taken by the animals at will. However, the minerals are very easily spoiled due to adverse weather conditions or by being spilled or fouled by the animals. It is therefore usual for only small amounts of minerals to be placed in the trough at a time and for the trough to be manually replenished at intervals. This is costly in labour terms and does not prevent a substantial proportion of the minerals from being spoiled.

It is an object of the invention to provide a receptacle which may be used for feeding minerals to animals in open fields and which minimises spoilage of such minerals.

According to the invention there is provided a receptacle comprising a ground-engaging base and a container pivotally mounted on the base so as to be rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and provided with a canopy to protect the contents of the container from adverse weather conditions, the arrangement being such that the container is orientated in use with a back wall of the canopy facing into the prevailing wind.

In use of such a receptacle for feeding minerals to animals in the manner already described, it will be appreciated that the minerals are prevented from being spoiled by the effects of adverse weather conditions due to the provision of the protective canopy, and more particularly from the effects of driving rain or snow since the canopy will automatically be orientated so that the back wall of the canopy faces into the prevailing wind. This enables larger quantities of minerals to be placed in the field at any one time without increasing spoilage, and thus considerably reduces the man hours expended in replenishing the feed.Furthermore the container is preferably mounted a sufficient distance above the ground to prevent the minerals in the container from being fouled by the animals, and the base is preferably sufficiently stable to prevent the receptacle being upturned by the animals leading to spillage ofthe minerals.

Conveniently the canopy is so shaped that the effect of the wind acting on the canopy will automatically tend to orientate the container such that the back wall of the canopy faces into the wind. For example, the canopy may have an opening at the front through which access to the contents of the container is obtained, and the opening may be so shaped as to cause the effect of the wind entering this opening to tend to orientate the container such that the back wall of the canopy faces into the wind.

Furthermore the centre of gravity of the container may be offset from the axis of rotation towards the front of the container.

In order to assist correct orientation of the container with respect to the wind, the container may also be provided with a wind vane disposed with its axis extending in a direction from front to back of the container. Preferably the vane is mounted on the top of the canopy, and the vane may also overlap the front of the canopy in order to maximise the torque exerted by the wind acting on the vane.

The base may comprise an upright member on which the container is mounted, and at least three, and preferably four, extensions supporting the upright member. The extensions are conveniently detachable to enable the receptacle to be transported. The container may be of moulded fibreglass construction and may comprise a base trough for the minerals and the canopy which is mounted on top of the base trough by bolts which extend through adjacent flanges on the base trough and the canopy.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred form of receptacle in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa side view of the receptacle; Figure 2 is a rear view of the receptacle; and Figure 3 is a view of the receptacle from above with the front of the receptacle being towards the bottom of the figure.

The illustrated receptacle is intended to contain minerals for feeding to cattle or sheep in open fields.

The receptacle, generally indicated by the reference numeral 1 in the drawings, comprises a groundengaging base 2 and a feed container 4 pivotally mounted on the base so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The base 2 comprises an upright member 6 and four detachable extension angles 8 made of angle iron which are readily attachable to, and detachable from, stubs 10 welded to the upright memberS.

The container 4 comprises a moulded fibreglass canopy 12 and a moulded fibreglass base trough 13 provided with respective connecting flanges 14 and 15 which are joined together by nuts and bolts (not shown). The canopy 12 is formed with a wind vane 18 on the top of the canopy 12 with its axis extending in a direction from front to back of the container 4.

The canopy 12 is open at the front at 16 so as to provide access for the animals to minerals contained within the base trough 13, and accordingly the flanges 14 and 15 do not extend along thefront of the container 4, as is apparent more particularly from Figure 3.

The manner in which the container 4 is mounted on the base 2 will now be more particularly described. Welded to the top of the upright member 6, which is of box section, is a bearing assembly 20 which is accommodated within a recess 21 in the bottom of the base trough 13, the recess 21 itself being formed within a recessed slot 22 in the bottom of the base trough 13, as shown in Figure 2. The bearing assembly 20 is held within the recess 21 by two support members 25 and 26 made of angle iron which are bolted to the base trough 13 within the recessed slot 22, and which are fixed to the rotatable part of the bearing assembly 20 by being clamped between a plate 27 and a hub 28.

Various modifications of the above described receptacle are feasible. For example, the extension angles of the base, which are preferably of considerable length, may be foldable for ease of transport in which case the extension angles need not be detachable from the upright member. Furthermore the extension angles may be braced by bracing members extending between adjacent extension angles. The canopy may be variously shaped and the wind vane may optionally be omitted or may be made to overlap the front of the canopy. Where a wind vane is provided, this may be detachable. Also the front of the base trough may be detachable for ease in cleaning, and the base trough may be formed in one piece with the canopy which may have a back wall which is curved parallel to the ground.

Claims

1. A receptacle comprising a ground-engaging base and a container pivotally mounted on the base so as to be rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and provided with a canopy to protect the contents of the container from adverse weather conditions, the arrangement being such that the container is orientated in use with a back wall of the canopy facing into the prevailing wind.

2. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein the canopy is so shaped that the effect of the wind acting on the canopy will automatically tend to orientate the container such that the back wall of the canopy faces into the wind.

3. A receptacle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the canopy has an opening at the front through which access to the contents of the container is obtained.

4. A receptacle according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the centre of gravity of the container is offset from the axis of rotation towards the front of the container.

5. A receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the container is provided with a wind vane disposed with its axis extending in a direction from front to back of the container.

6. A receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the base comprises an upright member on which the container is mounted, and at least three extensions supporting the upright member.

7. A receptacle according to claim 6, wherein the extensions are detachable to enable the receptacle to be transported.

8. A receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the container is of moulded fibreglass construction.

9. A receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises a base trough and the canopy which is mounted on top of the base trough by bolts which extend through adjacent flanges on the base trough and the canopy.

10. A receptacle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A receptacle according to any preceding claim, being a feed receptacle for animals.