GB875897A - Improvements relating to pig feeding pens - Google Patents

Abstract

875,897. Animal feeding pens. KIDDERMINSTER STEEL Ltd. Jan. 12, 1960 [Feb. 6, 1959], No. 4217/59. Class 5(2). [Also in Group XXV] A pig feeding pen, designed to permit a pig to feed without being savaged by other pigs, comprises a gate so constructed, and so mounted on the frame 16 of the pen that it can initially be opened by a pig outside the pen, closes when the pig is inside the pen, and is automatically locked in its closed position so that it can only be opened by the pig backing out of the pen. The gate is hinged to a cross member 19 of the frame, and comprises two parts 21 and 25 hinged together at 24, the relative movement of the two parts being controlled by a stop 31. The lower part 25 of the gate comprises a cross member 28 fitted with rollers 32, the ends of the cross member engaging with latches 33 pivoted on brackets 35 fixed to the frame of the pen. The gate normally occupies the position illustrated in Fig. 3, when a pig can gain access to the pen by pushing upwards on the rollers 32, causing the two parts of the gate to pivot in jack knife fashion about the pivot 24. When the pig has entered the pen, the gate falls towards its normal position, striking the arms 37 of the latches 33, the latter pivoting to allow the ends of the member 28 to rest on the brackets 35 as shown in Fig. 5. The gate cannot then be opened from outside the pen, but can be swung rearwardly about the frame member 19 by the pig inside the pen and when this happens the gate swings back into the original position shown in Fig. 3.