WO1990012497A1 - Animal solids feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

An animal solids feeder (10) which includes a feed trough, a bulk feed hopper, a mouth (26) for the hopper through which particulate feed can flow from the hopper and into the trough, closure means (42, 142, 242) for the mouth (26), pivot means (46, 146, 246) for the closure means (42, 142, 242) to permit the closure means to pivot between a fully-closed mouth condition and a fully-opened mouth condition, and extension means (44, 144, 244) connected to the closure means so that movement of the extension means in a first direction causes movement of the closure means towards the fully-opened mouth condition, characterised in that extension means (44, 144, 244) is located alongside part of the hopper, in that said part of the hopper limits the permitted movement of the extension means (44, 144, 244) in the said first direction, and in that said part can deflect when so limiting the permitted movement.

Description

ANIMAL SOLIDS FEEDER

This invention relates to an animal solids feeder, and particularly to such a feeder for self dribble feeding by pigs.

Animal feed, and in particular pig feed, usually contains a number of constituents. For instance the widely used "meal" comprises the edible part of a grain or pulse such as oats and barley, ground to a coarse powder; usually a number of such powders will be mixed in proportions to suit the age or intended end use (bacon, pork) of the pig being fed. Such animal meal is particulate and relatively free-flowing under gravity, its flowability depending in part upon the particular constituents included, and especially upon the amount of oil present.

One known method of pig feeding is for the farmer to add meal intermittently to one or more open-topped troughs , in the sty or in the field. If there are a number of pigs or piglets, then although all the pigs in theory have free and immediate access to the feed, the weaker animals may not be able to compete effectively; and for both single and multiple pig feeding, since the meal is fed dry, some of it is usually wasted by falling from the snout when a pig stops eating and moves to the drinker.

It is also known to fit a bulk meal hopper above a trough, so that the meal can fall under gravity through a mouth for the hopper and so into the trough. One known proposal is that of Kluysse British Patent 805,211, with a pivoted closure member for the mouth; the closure member has an extension positioned to one side of the hopper and operable by the farmer when he wishes to move the closure member to or towards the fully-opened mouth condition to allow feed to fall into the trough. The hopper mouth is of restricted size to prevent all the meal immediately discharging into the trough, and to allow therefore a measure of dribble feeding. One disadvantage in consequence of the restricted size of mouth is that the meal may "bridge" the mouth and stop the flow of additional feed; the frequency of bridging is in part dependent upon the meal flowability and thus upon the individual constituents and the proportions used by the farmer (or the miller), and so can vary from mix to mix. Another disadvantage is that the disclosed arrangement is not suitable for self dribble feeding, as by pigs.

To reduce the problem of bridging across a hopper mouth, it is known to process pigmeal into individual pellets, but this adds significantly to the cost of the pig feed. It is also known to hang a chain within the hopper, the chain having its free end extending through the hopper mouth so that the chain can be moved by the pig to destroy the meal or pellet "bridge". hilst this latter approach is usually (but not invariably) successful, it does require a chain of a size that the pig can see and a hopper mouth of a width and depth both to accommodate the chain, and to allow it to be swung from side to side by the pig or piglet; such mouth dimension will usually be greater than appropriate for the dribble feeding of even the largest pig, and the excess feed dispensed into the trough is frequently dirtied or otherwise wasted.

It is an object of our invention to avoid or reduce the above problems. We propose arrangements particularly suited for feeders for pigs having respective live weights in the range 1-8 Kilo; 5-20 Kilo; 15-30 Kilo; and 20-100 Kilo.

As one feature of our invention we thus an animal solids feeder which includes a feed trough, a bulk feed hopper, a mouth for the hopper through which particulate feed can flow from the hopper and into the trough, closure means for the mouth, pivot means for the closure means to permit the closure means to pivot between a fully-closed mouth condition and a fully-opened mouth condition, and extension means connected to the closure means so that movement of the extension means in a first direction causes movement of the closure means towards the fully-opened mouth condition, characterised in that the extension means is located alongside part of the hopper, in that said part of the hopper can limit the permitted movement of the extension means in the said first direction, and in that said part can deflect when so limiting the permitted movement.

The closure means is normally in the fully-closed mouth condition, and the extension means can be moved by an animal requiring feed to cause the closure means to pivot to open said mouth whereby to permit a dribble of feed to flow from the hopper. Preferably the closure means is a flat plate, spring biassed directly or by way of the extension means towards the mouth closure position; but in an alternative embodiment the extension means can be weighted and positioned to bias the closure means to the closure position under gravitational forces.

It is an important feature of the invention that some or all of the hopper adjacent the mouth is constructed to deflect, either to bow or to multi-bow i.e vibrate, when a hopper part is impacted by an animal requiring feed, the bowing or vibration being adapted to destroy a feed bridge within the hopper, usually across the mouth. Usefully the hopper part is a hopper wall, impacted directly by a solid impactor such as a stainless steel tube, or impacted indirectly by way of one or more coil compression springs, functioning as mentioned in the previous paragraph also as plate return springs; alternatively the plate can have a lip or equivalent impacting the hopper wall when the animal nuzzles or butts the extension. In a preferred arrangement the hopper has a sloping front wall overhanging or partly overhanging the trough; the front wall is partly or completely of a material and/or of a construction permitting the wall to bow and/or vibrate when butted by an animal.

Thus according to another feature of the invention we disclose a method of supplying a quantity of particulate animal feed into a feed trough adapted to be supplied from a bulk feed hopper which includes the step of intermittently opening a mouth of the hopper to permit said quantity to fall under gravity into the trough, the intermittent opening being controlled by a pivoted closure member characterised by the step of providing an extension to the closure member adapted for movement in a first direction towards a part of the hopper by the animal until arrested by said part of the hopper, and characterised by the further step of forming said part to deform so as to help break any meal bridge formed across said mouth.

The mouth of the hopper is normally closed by a pivoted plate, so that in a pig feeder the particulate solids feed is only discharged when the plate is pivoted by the pig to open or uncover the mouth. The plate has an extension substantially parallel to the front wall of the hopper, so that when the pig butts the extension then concurrently the plate opens the mouth, and the extension impacts the front wall, preferaly directly, to help break or destroy any meal bridge within the hopper. Food is thus discharged or dispensed substantially as and when required, and as a "dribble" feed.

There can be an over-centre device included which requires a predetermined threshold force to cause the plate to pivot from the "closed mouth" position, but once so pivoted the plate and in particular the impactor extension will thereafter rapidly pivot with a substantial impact loading against the front hopper wall - b -

i.e. that wall aligned with the trough. Additionally or alternatively, means to enhance the wall bow or continue the wall vibration can be fitted.

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Fig.1 is a perspective view of a known animal solids feeder;

Fig.2 is a part side elevation of the feeder similar to that of Fig.1 ;

Fig.3 is a part side elevation of another feeder similar to that of Fig.1 ;

Fig.4 is a part perspective view of an animal solids feeder modified according to the invention, with a closure plate and integral impactor extension;

Fig.5 is an alternative embodiment in schematic side elevation of part of a closure means and integral extension means or impactor extension.

Fig.6 is a part perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig.7 is a schematic side elevation of the embodiment of Fig.6;

Fig.8 is a front elevation of a slidable adjuster plate; Fig.9 is a side elevation of an upper part of a hopper; and

Fig.10 is a schematic side section of an another embodiment.

The animal solids feeder 10 comprises side walls 12, 14, rear wall 16, base 18, rearwardly-sloping front hopper wall 20, and rearwardly sloping front trough wall 22. Secured to the rear wall 16 is a feed tray 24, directly below (in the position of normal use) the mouth 26 of the feed hopper 4 (Fig.2) formed between rear wall 16 and the lower edge 28 of front wall 20. The mouth can be varied in size by adjuster plate 30 slidably mounted on front hopper wall 20.

In this embodiment the feed trough 2 containing the feed tray 24 is defined by rear wall 16, base 18 and a rearwardly sloping front trough wall 22 secured between and to side walls 12,14; but in an alternative embodiment the trough can be a separate sub-assembly, for instance with a forwardly-sloping rear trough wall easier for the pigs to reach and to clean of the feed discharged from the hopper. The hopper 4 is defined by side walls 12,14 and front and rear walls 20,16.

In the embodiment of Fig.2, the feed tray is slopes downwardly towards the front of the feeder, and has a front lip 32. In the embodiment of Fig.3 there is no feed tray, so that the feed discharges directly onto base 18.

In alternative embodiments, a spill tray can be fixed to the front of the animal solids feeder, as a forward extension of base 18; and/or a handle can be provided, as an upward extension of rear wall 16. The hopper 4 can be covered by a lid. The feeder can be of metal and/or plastics and may be shaped to permit vertical stacking for storage and transportation.

As seen in Fig.4 and in accordance with the invention the front wall 20 is made so that it can deform, typically as a bow with corresponding inward movement of sidewalls 12,14, for a reason explained more fully below. Slidable adjuster plate 24 is replaced by a member 40 having a first leg 42 and a second leg 44. First leg 42 is adapted to close the hopper mouth and is formed therefore as a closure plate; second leg 44 is at an angle thereto and is adapted to act as an impactor extension. The member 40 is pivotally mounted on the front wall 20 by hinge 46 located adjacent the hopper mouth 2, and connected to member 40 between the leg 42 and the leg 44. In a preferred embodiment, hinge 46 is sheltered by front wall 20, so that it is out of the flow path of meal discharging from the mouth 26.

In one embodiment front wall 20 is impacted directly by leg 44 itself, when leg or extension 44 is nuzzled by an animal requiring feed, front wall 20 acting to arrest movement of leg 44 against continued movement in this first direction (clockwise as seen in Fig.4). In an alternative embodiment front wall 20 is impacted directly by a thrust plate 78 (Fig.5); or indirectly by spring 48, wall 20 acting to resist the increased pressure from the spring. In a further embodiment, front wall 20 is directly impacted by a loosely-carried metal tube 178 (Fig.7). In each said embodiment, the arresting of said movement in the first direction is accompanied by deformation of front wall 20, forming either a bow which resiliently returns to the rest position, or forming a succession of such bows (perhaps of varying amplitude) and so vibrating.

Spring 48 (Fig 5) also biasses second leg 44 in a second direction (anti-clockwise as seen in Fig.4) to cause leg 42 to pivot towards the mouth fully-closed condition of Fig.4, with the terminal edge of plate or leg 42 closely adjacent rear hopper wall 16.

In alternative embodiments, the spring 48 can be located between spring retainer cups. The exposed edges of respective legs 42,44 can be shaped or covered to prevent injury to an animal impacting them edge-on. A number of such animal feeders can be placed side-by-side or formed from a unitary moulding or welding, to permit a number of animals to feed simultaneously.

In the embodiment as seen in Fig.4, member 40 is pivotally mounted on the lower edge 58 (Fig.5) of the front wall 20. In the embodiment of Fig.5 the pivot is forward of the front wall. Impactor extension 44 which in the Fig.4 and Fig.5 embodiments lies substantially parallel to front wall 20, is engaged with front wall 20 in the Fig.4 embodiment by two pins 60. However, in a preferred embodiment only one pin 60 is used, disposed centrally of front wall 20 to effect maximum bowing of wall 20.

In the embodiment of Fig.5 the hinge is formed by a bar 62 extending between upstanding arms 64 punched from the leg 44 and received in aligned holes in upstanding arms 66 secured to hopper front wall 20; the hinge and in particular each arm 66 is spaced from the lower edge 58. Pins 60 pass through a respective clearance hole 68 in the front wall. If any meal drops through a clearance hole it can be cleaned from this hinge, perhaps more easily than from the hinge 46. The hinge arrangement of Fig. 5 is arranged to be self-cleaning; preferably the arms 42,44 will in use not be directly below a clearance hole 68.

Each pin 60 has a i.ntegral head 72, and a threaded stem carrying a retaining nut 74, and end nut 76. An adjustable nut 78 limits the closeness of approach of leg 44 towards front wall 20; whilst end nut 76 limits the separation of leg 44 from front wall 20 under the action of helical coil spring 48 and the weight of leg 44. Retaining nut 74 ensures that exposed pin head 72 is carried with leg 44 as it pivots about the hinge.

In an alternative embodiment, the pin 60 is slidable with clearance both through hole 68 in the hopper front wall 20, and through another clearance hole in the impactor extension 44 , so that leg 44 can compress spring(s) 48 even though movement of pin(s) 60 into the feed is resisted by compacted meal or pellets. The leg 44 in this embodiment is again heavier than the closure plate 42 so that the member 40 tends to pivot under gravity about hinge 46 to assist the spring 48 to bias the leg 42 towards the closure position for mouth 26. Hinge 46 is mounted on the lower edge (in use) of front wall 20, by a clevis and a bolt lying parallel to lower edge 58.

In another alternative embodiment, the pin 60 is secured to the front hopper wall, and a clearance opening is provided only in the impactor extension 44. When therefore the member 40 is pivoted by the pig, th«. pin 60 remains protruding from the impactor extension, and to protect the pig the pin includes a shaped end i.e. so that the pig is not injured if it contacts the pin.

In the embodiment of Fig.6 the extension plate or leg 144 has a rearwardly directed lip 145 limit the amount of feed likely to be nuzzled by the animal over the extension 144 and between extension 144 and front wall 20. The lip also helps prevent injury to the animal, by concealing the free edge of extension 144. The lip 145 can also be used as a direct impactor against front wall 20, but this is a less preferred arrangement than the use of small area (high unit loading) impactors such as tube 178, positioned to impact the front wall 20, at a location spaced away from sidewalls 12,14.

The pivot means includes side stems 146 which engage in bushes carried by sidewalls 12, 14 of feed trough 2 (Fig.2). In an alternative embodiment the stems 146 are inwardly directed and are carried by the sidewalls 12,14, with corresponding bushes mounted on plate 144.

In this embodiment, suited for free flowing feed such as animal pellets, the closure member 142 has its terminal edge (in the closed condition of mouth 26) adjacent rear hopper wall 16. Rear hopper wall 16 includes slot 6 usable as a carrying handle, for the smaller sizes of feeder.

As a further feature of this embodiment the size of the mouth 26 in the fully-opened mouth condition can be altered in discrete steps by adjuster slide 90, so that single figure numbers of pellets can be dispensed on each dribble feed, and up to several hundred pellets. Rear hopper wall 16 mounts bolt 92, being sandwiched between bolt head 94 and locking nut 96. Slide 90 includes a vertically extending slot 98, embracing bolt 92. In the position shown in Fig.7, the slide has been lowered to its minimum position, engaging closure member 142 to further help prevent dribble feeding; this position is thus suited for feeder transport or for movement from one animal pen to another. If the slide is lifted, as by grip 100 and retained, as by adjustable wing-nut 102, then the area of the mouth in the fully-opened mouth condition when closure member 142 is pivoted away, is increased. In an alternative embodiment, instead of being planar, plate

142 is part-circular in side-section, having its centre on the axis of pivot means 146. In a further embodiment, the lower edge of the slide 90 can be angled forwardly, to provide a better seal against dribble flow in the transporting condition.

In the embodiment of Figs.8-10, the terminal edge 242a of the closure member 242 is spaced from hopper rear wall 116.This embodiment is thus particularly suited for use with the so-called "sticky meal", which is favoured as an animal feed in some countries and which might bridge between the terminal edge 142a and rear wall 16 (Fig.7). Closure plate 240 is pivotally mounted at 246, and its closure member 242 cooperates with the lower edge 190a of slide 190 to form a gap 226, which acts as a mouth for the dribble feed. The size of gap 226 can be infinitely adjusted by captive nut 202, rotatably mounted in a lip 204 of hopper 4, to suit the type of feed e.g. meal or pellets, so as to prevent dribble feeding until extension 244 is actuated. Rotation of nut 202 raises or lowers slide 190, by means of the threaded end 190a of link 190b, received in the tapped portion 202a of nut 202.

In this embodiment, the plate 242 is self-weighted to pivotally return to its rest position against pin head 272, though a return spring (such as spring 48 of Fig.5) can be used in addition. Preferably stainless steel tube 178 is used to impact front wall 120, though again (but less preferred) lip 245 can be so used. An advantage of our arrangement is that leg or plate 42,142 will normally effectively close mouth 26 (as will plate 242 for gap 226) so that the pig or other animal will usually first clean the trough of previously discharged meal, before demanding further meal by pushing leg or plate 44,144. The angle between legs 42,44 and between legs 142,144 is selected so that movement of leg 44,144 concurrently acts both to open mouth 26 by pivoting away leg 42,142 and to apply pressure by way of springs 48 to front hopper wall 20 sufficient to cause wall deformation e.g bowing or vibration. Upon mouth 26 being opened, usually only a small quantity (or dribble) of feed will flow before a bridge is formed acr _"oss the mouth; when feed is next demanded, this bridge is then destroyed upon front wall 20 being next deformed. This procedure is continually repeated until the pig has had sufficient meal. Another advantage of our arrangement is that a pig quickly learns that it is necessary to impact leg 44 to obtain food. A further advantage is that the hopper mouth 26 can be of a shape and size suited to dribble feeding, since any consequential bridging (because the mouth has been made smaller than in conventional hopper-fed feeders) can be destroyed by the front wall deformation.

The animal solids feeder according to this invention can if required include an associated water or liquids drinker, with outlet 300. However, because of the described dribble-feed arrangement and the likelihood that such limited-quantity

"portion feed" will be consumed before the pig leaves the trough, a separate drinker as conventionally used in pig farms can continue to be used without the substantial waste of meal of some known feeders.

Although shown as a single-cubicle animal solids feeder, in an alternative arrangement a single hopper can be used to discharge feed to more than one trough section, the individual trough sections being separated by solid plates equivalent to side members 12, 14 to keep at least the jaws of the pigs separate whilst they feed.

Claims

1. An animal solids feeder which includes a feed trough, a bulk feed hopper, a mouth for the hopper through which particulate feed can flow from the hopper and into the trough, closure means for the mouth, pivot means for the closure means to permit the closure means to pivot between a fully-closed mouth condition and a fully-opened mouth condition, and extension means connected to the closure means so that movement of the extension means in a first direction causes movement of the closure means towards the fully-opened mouth condition, characterised in that the extension means is located alongside part of the hopper, in that said part of the hopper limits the permitted movement of the extension means in the said first direction, and in that said part can deflect when so limiting the permitted movement.

2. An animal solids feeder according to Claim 1 characterised in that the extension means is a plate, and in that the plate has a plate aperture, and in that the hopper has a hopper aperture in the said part of the hopper, the hopper aperture being in alignement with said plate aperture, and in that an abutment pin is located in said apertures.

3. An animal solids feeder according to Claim 2 characterised in that a coiled compression spring is positioned between the plate and the said part of the hopper to restrain movement of the plate in said first direction, the coil spring also urging the plate in a second direction opposed to said first direction to return the plate to its rest position, and in that the coil spring is located around the abutment pin, and in that the pin has heads at both ends, the heads being larger than the respective apertures whereby to limit movement of the plate away from the said part of the hopper in said second direction to define thereby the fully-closed mouth condition.

4. An animal solids feeder according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 characterised in that the plate includes a lip, the lip being remote from the pivot means and being inwardly directed towards said part of the hopper.

5. An animal solids feeder according to Claim 1 characterised in that the pivot means is a pair of pivots to either side of the extension means and mounted on the hopper at positions spaced from said part.

6. An animal solids feeder according to Claim 5 characterised in that the pair of pivots are mounted respectively on opposed side walls of the feed trough.

7. An animal solids feeder according to Claim 1 characterised in that adjustment means are provided to vary the area of the mouth in the said fully-opened mouth condition.

8. An animal solids feeder according to Claim 7 characterised in that the adjustment means and the extension means have cooperating surfaces respectively shaped so that the adjustment means can be set to a zero mouth area condition.

9. An animal solids feeder according to Claim 1 characterised in that the extension means is for self-operation by a pig, to effect impact when moved by the pig in the first direction on said part of the hopper to help break a feed bridge across the mouth of the hopper, and to permit the restart of dribble feeding under gravity from the hopper into the trough.

10. A method of supplying a quantity of particulate animal feed into a feed trough adapted to be supplied from a bulk feed hopper which includes the step of intermittently opening a mouth of the hopper to permit said quantity to fall under gravity from the hopper into the trough, the intermittent opening being controlled by a pivoted closure member characterised by the step of providing an extension to the closure member adapted for movement in a first direction towards a part of the hopper by the animal until arrested by said part of the hopper, and characterised by the further step of forming the said part to vibrate so as to help break any meal bridge formed across the mouth ,