WO2009149741A1

WO2009149741A1 - Animal feeding trough accessory device and method of feeding an animal

Info

Publication number: WO2009149741A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/057143
Authority: WO
Inventors: Simon Thorkelin
Original assignee: Pinaldo A/S
Priority date: 2008-06-09
Filing date: 2008-06-09
Publication date: 2009-12-17

Abstract

The animal feeding trough accessory device (1) comprises a curtain-like element (7) adapted to extend in an area (6) below a feeding trough (3). The curtain-like element (7) is adapted to carry an electric current on at least a part of its surface facing the animal when the animal is eating from the trough (3). Furthermore, a method of feeding an animal, such as a horse, is disclosed, whereby an electric current is provided on a surface in an area (6) below a feeding trough (3) in order to prevent the animal from wall kicking.

Description

Animal feeding trough accessory device and method of feeding an animal

The present invention relates to an animal feeding trough accessory device.

It is a well-known problem that some animals, especially horses, tend to start kicking with their forelegs during feeding of the animal. In this way, a horse eating from a trough hanging on a wall may kick at the part of the wall situated below the trough. Apart from being a nuisance, this behaviour of a horse may harm the legs of the horse, as well as it may cause damage to the wall of the stall.

WO 98/20729 discloses a method of inhibiting an animal from biting the wood structure of a stable or wooden fence. The method comprises embedding in lengths of the wood a thin metal wire connected to an earthed return voltage source to produce an electric voltage, so that when the electrical circuit is earthed through the mouth of the animal, a weak electrical current flows through the circuit.

GB 686,476 shows an example of an electric fence.

US 6,000,364 discloses a training installation for allowing horses to trot around an enclosed course with side walls. A driving element, which is ro- tatable around the course, is formed by a number of flexible rod elements, a first end of which is attached to an arm and a second end of which hangs free above the course. When rotating the driving element, the rod elements will contact the rear of the horses, thereby encouraging them to move in forward direction. The rod elements may be provided with electrically conducting means. The object of the present invention is to provide an animal feeding trough accessory device adapted to prevent animals from wall kicking at the feeding trough.

In view of this object, the accessory device comprises a curtain-like element adapted to extend in an area below a feeding trough, and the curtain-like element is adapted to carry an electric current on at least a part of its surface facing the animal when the animal is eating from the trough.

In this way, if the animal starts kicking below the feeding trough, its forelegs will get into contact with the electric current carrying part of the curtain-like element, whereby the animal will experience an electrical shock urging the animal to stop kicking. In fact, the animal may stop kicking after having been into contact with the electric current just a few times.

In an embodiment, the curtain-like element is mounted in a wall bracket adapted to maintain the upper area of the curtain-like element at a distance from a wall. By suspending the curtain-like element at a distance from the wall, the horse may not even hit the wall with its legs before experiencing the electric current, thereby protecting the legs of the horse as well as the wall.

In an embodiment, the curtain-like element is a flexible plate, such as a rubber plate or the like, and the flexible plate is provided with an electrically conductive wire or foil distributed over the surface of the flexible plate facing the animal. The flexible plate may form a safe element unable to damage the horse. As a flexible plate may be made of a relatively light material compared to metal, such as rubber, the device may in this way be easier and consequently cheaper to transport.

In a structurally simple embodiment, the curtain-like element is formed by a number of elongated elements being suspended substantially vertically next to each other, and each elongated element has a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to a substantially horizontally extending mounting bracket, and the second end being movable. Thereby, a relatively flexible curtain-like element may be formed by means of the substantially vertically suspended elongated elements being movable at their second ends.

In an embodiment, each elongated element has the form of a chain. Thereby, an even more flexible curtain-like element may be formed by means of the elongated elements, thereby forming a safe element unable to damage the horse.

In a structurally simple embodiment, each elongated element has the form of a preferably flexible rod or tube-formed element. A flexible element may form a safe element unable to damage the horse.

In an embodiment simple to manufacture, the first end of each elongated element is accommodated in a through hole in the substantially horizontally extending mounting bracket and has a shoulder bearing on an upper surface of the substantially horizontally extending mounting bracket, the through hole preferably having a larger diameter than the diameter of the first end of the elongated element. The elongated elements may easily be mounted by inserting the second end into the through holes from above and sliding the element through the hole until the shoulder abuts the upper surface of the mounting bracket. If the through hole has a larger diameter than the diameter of the first end of the elongated element, the elongated element may swing in the hole, thereby providing flexibility to the curtain-like element.

In an embodiment, the elongated elements are made of metal. Thereby, the electric conductivity may be obtained without further elements or materials. In an embodiment, the elongated elements are made of a synthetic material in which an electrically conducting material is incorporated. Thereby, a lighter product may be obtained.

In an embodiment, the accessory device comprises an energizer adapted to generate high voltage impulses between a first and a second output terminal, the first output terminal is electrically connected with the at least part of the surface of the curtain-like element adapted to carry an electric current, and the second output terminal is connected to ground.

The present invention further relates to a horse stall comprising an animal feeding trough accessory device as described above, wherein the accessory device is mounted under a feeding trough mounted on a wall of the horse stall. Thereby, the above discussed effects may be obtained.

The present invention further relates to a stable comprising an animal feeding trough accessory device as described above, wherein the device is mounted under a feeding trough mounted on a wall of at least one stall in the stable. Thereby, the above discussed effects may be obtained.

The present invention further relates to a method of feeding an animal, such as a horse. The method is characterized by that an electric current is provided on a surface in an area below a feeding trough in order to prevent the animal from wall kicking. Thereby, the above discussed effects may be ob- tained.

In an embodiment, the electric current is provided by a curtain-like element at a distance from a wall on which the feeding trough is mounted. Thereby, the above discussed effects may be obtained. The invention will now be explained in more detail below by means of examples of embodiments with reference to the very schematic drawing, in which

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a horse stall comprising an embodiment of an animal feeding trough accessory device according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a front view of the animal feeding trough accessory device in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the animal feeding trough accessory device in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 4 shows, on a greater scale, a detail of Fig. 3, and

Figs. 5 and 6 show different embodiments of the animal feeding trough accessory device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows an animal feeding trough accessory device 1 according to the invention, installed in a horse stall 2. A feeding trough 3 is mounted on a wall 4 at a suitable distance from a floor 5 for a horse to eat from the feeding trough. In an area 6 below the feeding trough 3, the animal feeding trough accessory device 1 is mounted on the wall 4.

The animal feeding trough accessory device 1 comprises a curtain-like element 7 suspended from a wall bracket 8 mounted on the wall 4 just below the feeding trough 3. As it may be seen from the figure, the wall bracket 8 main- tains the upper area of the curtain-like element 7 at a distance from a wall 4.

The curtain-like element 7 is adapted to carry an electric current at least on the side facing the centre of the horse stall 2, that is, on the left hand side in Fig. 1. The electric current-carrying part of the curtain-like element 7 is through the wall bracket 8 connected via a first electric wire 9 to an energizer 10 that is well-known in the art of electric fences. The energizer 10 is adapted to be connected to a not shown wall plug by means of a power cord 28 and is adapted to generate high voltage impulses between a first output terminal 11 and a second output terminal 12. The first output terminal 11 is connected to the animal feeding trough accessory device 1 through the first electric wire 9, and the second output terminal 12 is grounded via a second electric wire 13 connected to an earth spear 14 extending through the floor 5 into the soil.

If a not shown horse in the horse stall, typically when eating from the feeding trough 3, starts to kick at the wall 4 with its forelegs, the legs will come into contact with the current-carrying curtain-like element 7, and the horse will feel an unpleasant muscle contraction as a result of en electric current travelling through its body. The electric circuit is connected from the first terminal 11 to the second terminal 12 of the energizer 10 through the first electric wire 9, the wall bracket 8, the curtain-like element 7, the not shown horse body, the floor 5 and/or the ground under the floor, the earth spear 14 and eventually the second electric wire 13. The electric impulse generated by the energizer 10 is typically very brief and may be repeated, for instance, every 1 to 2 sec- onds. As most animals, such as horses, are well covered with an electrically insulating surface such as fur or the like, a relatively high voltage is required, such as 700 volts or more. However, as the duration of the charge is short, no harm is caused to the animal. Although the animal feeding trough accessory device 1 according to the invention is intended to be placed below a feeding trough, it may also be placed at a horse parking lot or similar place where animals may kick at a wall or the like.

Figs. 2 to 4 show a first embodiment of the animal feeding trough accessory device 1 shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the wall bracket 8 has the form of a substantially horizontally extending mounting bracket made of electrically conductive material, such as metal, and having an L-formed cross-section with a first leg 15 and a second leg 16, see Fig. 4. The first leg 15 is mounted against the wall 4 by means of screws 17 inserted through mounting holes 18. The wall bracket 8 is insulated from the wall 4 by means of intermediate electrically insulating rings 19 placed around each screw 17. This insulation is provided in order to ensure that the electric circuit is not short circuited through the wall 4 to the floor 5. The second leg 16 has a number of through holes 20 distributed in its longitudinal direction for the accommodation of a number of elongated elements 21 made of electrically conductive material, such as metal, and forming the curtain-like element 7. Each elongated ele- ment 21 has a first end 22 accommodated in one of the through holes 20 of the wall bracket 8 and provided with a shoulder 24 or head bearing on an upper surface 25 of the wall bracket. Furthermore, each elongated element 21 has a second end 23 being movable in order for the elongated element 21 to bend or swing. At least if the elongated elements 21 are stiff members, it is preferred that the through holes 20 of the wall bracket 8 have a larger diameter than the diameter of the first ends 22 accommodated in one of the through holes 20, so that the elongated elements 21 are able to swing freely, so that the curtain-like element 7 is provided with flexibility. Flexibility of the curtain-like element 7 is important in order to avoid damage to the animal kicking at the animal feeding trough accessory device 1 as well as to the device.

The wall bracket 8 and the elongated elements 21 may be manufactured from any kind of suitable material, as long as an electric connection is made from the wire 9 to an electrically conductive part of the elongated elements 21 , whereby said electrically conductive part is exposed on the elongated elements so that an animal standing in the stall will touch it, if is starts kicking against the wall 4. For instance, the elongated elements 21 may be rods made of acrylic glass provided with an outer layer of metal foil or provided with an outer winding of metal wire. Further, the elongated elements 21 may be flexible rods or tubes, for instance made of plastic or the like, likewise provided with an outer electrically conducting layer or winding.

Fig. 5 shows the curtain-like element 7 of another embodiment of the animal feeding trough accessory device 1 shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the curtain-like element 7 has the form of a thin plate 26 made of rubber or a rubber or plastic-like material. The front side of the thin plate 26 that is directed against the animal and that is seen in Fig. 5 is provided with a pattern of connected strips 27 of electrically conductive foil or the like distributed over the entire area of the thin plate 26. The thin plate 26 may be mounted extending from a wall bracket 8 just as in the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 4 or it may be mounted in any other suitable way.

Fig. 6 shows yet another embodiment of the animal feeding trough accessory device 1 shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the curtain-like element 7 is like in the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 4 formed by a number of elongated elements 21 being suspended substantially vertically next to each other from a wall bracket 8. However, in this embodiment, each elongated element 21 is made as a piece of chain, thereby providing the flexibility to the curtain-like element 7. The chain forming elongated elements 21 may as in the other embodiments be made from electrically conductive material or, for instance, a light weight material provided with electrically conductive material on its outside.

Although in the above explained embodiments, the curtain-like element 7 is connected electrically with the first terminal 11 of the energizer 10, and the second terminal of the energizer 10 is grounded, it is also possible to provide the curtain-like element 7 with first and second electrically conductive elements connected to the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12 of the energizer 10, respectively. For instance, in the embodiments shown in Figs. 2 to 4 and 6, every other vertically extending elongated element 21 may be connected to the first terminal 11 of the energizer 10, and the remaining vertically extending elongated elements 21 may then be connected to the second terminal 12 of the energizer. In this way, the electrical circuit will be short circuited through the animal by neighbouring elongated elements 21 without need for a ground connection of the energizer 10. Similarly, the embodiment in Fig. 5 could be made with first and second electrically conductive elements separated from each other.

Claims

1. An animal feeding trough accessory device (1 ), characterized in that the accessory device comprises a curtain-like element (7) adapted to extend in an area (6) below a feeding trough (3), and in that the curtain-like element (7) is adapted to carry an electric current on at least a part of its surface facing the animal when the animal is eating from the trough (3).

2. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to claim 1 , charac- terized in that the curtain-like element (7) is mounted in a wall bracket (8) adapted to maintain the upper area of the curtain-like element at a distance from a wall (4).

3. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to claim 1 or 2, char- acterized in that the curtain-like element (7) is a flexible plate, such as a rubber plate or the like, and in that the flexible plate is provided with an electrically conductive wire or foil (27) distributed over the surface of the flexible plate facing the animal.

4. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the curtain-like element (7) is formed by a number of elongated elements (21 ) being suspended substantially vertically next to each other, and in that each elongated element (21 ) has a first end (22) and a second end (23), the first end (22) being connected to a substantially hori- zontally extending mounting bracket (8), and the second end (23) being movable.

5. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to claim 4, characterized in that each elongated element (21 ) has the form of a chain.

6. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to claim 4, characterized in that each elongated element (21 ) has the form of a preferably flexible rod or tube-formed element.

7. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to any one of the claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the first end (22) of each elongated element (21 ) is accommodated in a through hole (20) in the substantially horizontally extending mounting bracket (8) and has a shoulder (24) bearing on an upper surface (25) of the substantially horizontally extending mounting bracket (8), the through hole (20) preferably having a larger diameter than the diameter of the first end (22) of the elongated element (21 ).

8. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to any one of the claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the elongated elements (21 ) are made of metal.

9. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to any one of the claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the elongated elements (21 ) are made of a synthetic material in which an electrically conducting material is incorpo- rated.

10. An animal feeding trough accessory device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the accessory device (1 ) comprises an energizer (10) adapted to generate high voltage impulses between a first and a second output terminal (11 , 12), in that the first output terminal (11 ) is electrically connected with the at least part of the surface of the curtain-like element (7) adapted to carry an electric current, and in that the second output terminal (12) is connected to ground.

11. A horse stall (2) comprising an animal feeding trough accessory device (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the accessory device (1 ) is mounted under a feeding trough (3) mounted on a wall (4) of the horse stall (2).

12. A stable comprising an animal feeding trough accessory device (1 ) ac- cording to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device

(1 ) is mounted under a feeding trough (3) mounted on a wall (4) of at least one stall (2) in the stable.

13. A method of feeding an animal, such as a horse, characterized by that an electric current is provided on a surface in an area (6) below a feeding trough

(3) in order to prevent the animal from wall kicking.

14. A method of feeding an animal according to claim 13, characterized by that the electric current is provided by a curtain-like element (7) at a distance from a wall (4) on which the feeding trough (3) is mounted.