DE2639423A1 - METHODS AND EQUIPMENT FOR FEEDING PETS - Google Patents

Description

DIPL.-CHEM. W. RÜCKER DIPL.-ING. S. LEINE

PATENT LAWYERS

3 HANOVER. BURCKHARDTSTR. 1

TELEPHONE (OS 11) 62 84 73

"". ■ Our reference 259/124

R. C. Larsen Date 3o. August 1976

Method and device for feeding domestic animals

The invention relates to a method for feeding Domestic animals, especially pigs, by adding individually dosed amounts of feed are fed to the feeding stations for the various animals or groups of animals and the dosage of the Feed is controlled by individually adjustable feed display devices.

The invention also relates to a device for feeding of pets with conveyor devices for supplying the feed in individually adjusted portions to the feeding stations of animals or animal groups and with individually adjustable Dosage indicators that control the supply of feed.

To feed pigs in pig stalls is usually the so-called dry feeding or the so-called wet feeding common. In the latter process, wet feeding, a central mixing system is used in which the dry

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INSPECTED

Feed is mixed with water, after which the mixture is fed to the individual pig stalls in individually dosed quantities with the help of suitable conveying devices. This method is excellent to ensure an accurate mixing and dosage of the feed, however, is a thorough and elaborate purification of the mixer and of the conveyors _r necessary for preventing fermentation of the food remains which may adversely affect the health of the animals, moreover, this method requires an expensive mixing - and conveyor system.

For these and other reasons, the procedure becomes the Dry feeding is often preferred, in which the dry feed from a central silo or dry feed mixer Pig house troughs with the help of suitable conveyor systems is supplied, for example individually adjustable metering devices at each trough. The animals themselves get the water they need from so-called self-sufficiency water or drinking valves taken. The conveyor for the Dry feed is easier than wet mix and does not require extensive cleaning. The feed portions can be dosed more precisely, but this method has the. Disadvantage that the animals have the option of using dry fodder to dig and push it out of the trough or throwing out, thereby losing a certain amount of food and the dosage becomes imprecise.

With the help of both methods, the feed can be increased with the help of corresponding individually adjustable dosing devices

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the individual animals or groups of animals are dosed individually, whereby the feeding is carried out automatically can be. For example, metering devices for cattle are known in which the metering is done with the help of punch cards is controlled, which are assigned to the individual cows.

The present invention relates to a method for Feeding of pets, especially pigs, "by Supply of individually dosed amounts of feed to feeding places for the different animals or groups of animals, whereby the dosage of the feed is controlled by individually adjustable feed display devices.

The invention also relates to an implementation device of the procedure mentioned.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a method and a device of the type mentioned, through which the Disadvantages of known methods and devices are avoided and, in particular, a precise dosage is easy This is feasible while maintaining the advantages of dry and wet feeding methods without their disadvantages.

This object is achieved according to the invention by what is specified in the characterizing parts of claims 1 and 6 Characteristics.

The present invention is based on the basic idea that in many cases the old method is an optimal feeding method represents, in which a measured dry

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feed portion is carried in one bucket to a trough, while the necessary amount of water is carried in another bucket after which the buckets are emptied into the trough one after the other, whereby the dry fodder when the animals roll around in the trough, mixed with the water and bound by the water. This way the wet mix will not be substantial Quantities pushed out of the trough and as far as the buckets are concerned there are no special cleaning requirements. the Invention seeks to combine these advantages with accurate automatic dosing and reduction or elimination manual activity.

With the aid of the method according to the invention it is possible to provide a very simple conveying arrangement for the dry fodder use, as a short spout on the movable container is sufficient is. Even this sink does not require extensive cleaning, as it is not necessary to moisten it with water, which can be supplied via separate dispensing devices. The container can easily be moved manually along the row of troughs or moved automatically and can be placed on the floor or hanging.

An important feature of the present invention relates to the automatically controlled supply of water is separated from the dry feed, and in a preferred embodiment the water is supplied from a tank that is assigned to the feed container, which even makes a special installation device becomes superfluous for water. Another very important one The feature of the present invention is that it

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in practice is possible when using a movable ~ Container, which is divided into two or more chambers, the individual individual openings and devices for individual

have visual initiation of the delivery stream ⁷ , controlled by the feed excitation devices, in a selectable manner to automatically feed individually set feed mixtures to the individual troughs, which is practically impossible with conventional feeding systems. Even medication can be added automatically and individually dosed to the dry food or the water in the same way, if the water inflow with the container follows.

The container can be moved manually or fully automatically, and the feed display devices can be arranged in a central unit, stationary or in connection with the movable container _r or can preferably be arranged in direct connection with the feeding places.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown will.

Show it

1 schematically shows a plan view of an embodiment the feeding device according to the invention according to the present Invention in a pigsty, Fig. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of a feeding container or -Wagon for use in the device according to the invention,

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.. Fig. 3 is a front view of the feeding

vragens according to Fig. 2

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the feed display devices and

5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the feed the feeding trolley and the display devices.

FIG. L schematically shows a pigsty 2 which is provided with eight pig boxes 4 _r which are arranged in two parallel rows _r between which there is a cleaning aisle 6 , while feeding aisles 8 are provided between the opposite sides of the pig boxes 4 and the outer walls are, in which a feeding cart Io or a feeding cart can be moved along troughs on the outside of the pig stalls 4. The path of the feeding cart Io is formed by a rail 14. Above the troughs 12 a display device is arranged on a longitudinal rail 16 (Fig. 3 and 4), which consists of a number of pins 18 _r actuate the control devices for the feed delivery on the feeding wagon la, when this along the troughs 12, preferably with a constant low speed is moved »

Between the feeding operations is the feeding carts la, as shown in FIG / _r .: 1 is in. A feed storage space 2o arranged.

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During the feeding process, the feeding cart Io is moved along the rail 14 by leaving the room 2o, as indicated by arrow 22.

. In Fig. 2 is an example of a feeding cart Io which has an open container 24 for dry food and a water tank 26. The trolley Io has wheels 28, two of which are guided along the guide rail 14.

The feeding cart Io is supplied with electricity via a suspended cable 3o that is attached to an overhead line 32 depends. The cable 3o is connected to a column 34 at the rear end of the carriage Io. In addition, the upper one is The end of the column 34 is provided with a double warning or signal lamp 36 which indicates the direction of movement of the carriage.

The trolley Io is with an electric gear motor provided that the car has a constant low speed in the forward direction during the feeding process, such as indicated by arrow 4o, confers. The motor 38 is reversible, such that the car or the cart Io in his The initial position can be moved back when the feeding process is finished.

The feed dispensing device of the wagon Io has a tube 42 with a downwardly directed spout 44 over that the dry fodder is dispensed from the container 24 into the troughs 12 of the pig stalls 4, when the sink drains the troughs happens during the feeding process. The water from the

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Tank 26 is fed to troughs 12 via a conduit or pipe 46 having a spout 48. The tube 42 is with an inner Provided transport and metering device, for example with a screw conveyor, with which the dry fodder, preferably Feed meal into the troughs 12 is conveyed. Between the pipe 46 and the water tank 26 is a metering pump or arranged a similar device for metering the liquid, for example an electromagnetically operated valve.

The metering devices for the feed and the water are controlled with the help of a conventional sensor mechanism controlled having a feeler arm 5o protruding from the side of the cart or wagon Io in such a way as to that the outer end 52 of the arm 5o with the feeding indicator pins 18 on the rail 16 can cooperate. When the cart Io is moved forward, the pins cause the outer end 52 of the feeler arm 5o, and 5 to bend back this movement is used to actuate the dispensing devices in any conventional manner, for example a drive motor for the said screw conveyor or the valve. Thus, the car yields for everyone Passage of a pen 18 dispenses a metered amount of food and water, and the total dose will depend on the number the pins along the trough. This number is adjustable and the total dose can be adjusted accordingly.

As shown in FIG. 2, a medicine bottle 54 is connected to the water outlet pipe 46.

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arranges that with the tube 46 with the help of a special dispensing nozzle (not shown) which when the feeler arm encounters a beveled block 56 (Fig. 4) which is on the Rail 16 is arranged, an upward movement of the arm 5o causes. This movement of the arm 50 becomes it used to dispense a dosed amount of medication in to control the tube 46 from which the drug along with the next portion of water is dispensed into the trough just below the display block 56, since this is also with an upright pin 58 is provided which has an operation for dispensing both dry food from your tube 42 and the medicated water from pipe 46 introduces. In this way it is possible to automatically set a predetermined one To deliver drug dose or number of doses to each of the troughs 12, e.g. for small pigs that have just been brought into one of the pig stalls in the barn.

The outer end 52 of the feeler arm 5o is, as indicated at 6o, pivotally connected to the arm 5o to allow the feeler arm 5o to display the means on the rail 16 free to pass during the return movement of the wagon Io, if this is after the end of the feeding process is on his way back, e.g. to the feed spexcher room 2o, in which the car is reloaded. Even loading can be carried out fully automatically.

In Figure 5, a preferred embodiment is one Feeding wagon or a feeding cart Io 'according to the

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present invention illustrated. The container 24 'for Dry feed is divided into two rooms 25 and 27. The space 25, which, as shown, is considerably larger than that Space 27 is intended to hold dry staple food, for example ground grain, during the smaller space 27 is provided to accommodate powdered protein concentrate. The container 24 · is shaped like a silo with a funnel-shaped lower part, which is for the large room 25 in a centrally arranged screw conveyor 62 opens, which can be driven with the aid of an electric motor (not shown) to forward ground grain from space 25 to promote a transverse screw 64. At the bottom of the smaller space 27 for the protein concentrate is a metering device 66 arranged, which is intended to deliver protein concentrate portions directly to the transverse conveyor screw to give, in which the protein concentrate is mixed with the supplied ground flour.

The cross auger 64 is driven by a reversible electric motor 68, whereby the dry feed, the is fed to the middle part of the screw 64, fed to the corresponding opposite ends as required can be, wherein the carriage is designed so that it can supply two rows 12 of troughs. The screw 64 is on both ends connected to open output spouts 7o and 72, from which the dry feed freely down into the Feed troughs 12 on both sides of the feed alley 8 can be emptied.

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The feeding cart © lo ¹ is provided with a water tank 26 ¹ , from which water is supplied with the aid of a pump 74 via corresponding output openings 76 and 78 which have magnetic valves. Dosing devices 82 for medicaments are arranged between the solenoid valves 8o and the corresponding dispensing ends of the tubes 76 and 78.

At the upper end of the front of the container or receptacle 24 ', a cross rail 84 is attached to both of them Ends outside the container a group of photoelectric sensors 86 and 88 is arranged, each group three Pairs of lamps and photocells 9o, 92 and 94 arranged opposite one another, which are arranged one above the other.

The top pair of sensors 9o is intended to control the delivery from the space 25 and the water tank 26 '. The middle one The pair of sensors 92 is intended to control the discharge from the room 27, while the lowest pair of sensors 94 is intended to control the metered supply of medication to the feeding stations.

To activate the corresponding sensor groups 86 and, feed metering display devices in the form of cards are used, which have different lengths and are arranged in the path of movement of the corresponding sensor groups, e.g. at Wires 96 and 98 are suspended, which are stretched along both sides of the feeding aisle 8. The long edges of the Dosing cards are bent over so that the cards can be suspended from the wire 96 or placed on one another. the top card Io2 activates the top sensors 9o while

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the middle and bottom cards Io4, I06 are intended for this purpose are to activate the sensors 9 2 and 94 accordingly.

The delivery amounts of the screw 62 and the metering device 66 can be adjusted in such a way that a ratio between the appropriate feed is obtained as desired. On the other hand, the mixing ratios can be simple determined by the length of the corresponding cards Io2, Io4 and it will be found that it is very easy for the farmer to change the card length according to the to adapt to the respective requirement. The medicine cards Io6 can be used to impulse the drug delivery to control, whereby these can be very short, but, if necessary, in consecutive positions.

A control unit C on the trolley Io 'serves to control the delivery to the opposite rows of troughs to control the direction of movement of the carriage.

The dosing control device can be selected in such a way that that it responds to any type of code setting devices that are connected to the individual pig boxes or centrally are arranged with an alignment device of the feeding wagon or even on the wagon itself.

The correct dosage of the dry feed is of course more important than the appropriate dosage of the water, and it is therefore within the scope of the invention, a to provide more or less constant or uniform water supply to each pig box, namely through water

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Supply facilities that are independent of the feeding trolley, while the dosage of the required individual Feed quantities from the wagon. It is important, however, that the water is not added much later than the supply of dry fodder, and it is therefore necessary the supply of feed and water to any one Way to coordinate, and it should therefore be considered to use the water supply control device as a Part of the feed display device or the control devices to train.

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Claims (1)

Expectations 1. A method for feeding pets, especially pigs, by supplying individually dosed amounts of feed to feeding places for the various animals or groups of animals, the dosage of the feed being controlled by individually adjustable feed display devices, characterized in that a storage and dispensing container for dry Feed for the continuous delivery of dry fodder is guided past the feeding places, that water from a water supply system is supplied to the corresponding feeding places essentially simultaneously with the delivery of the dry fodder and that both the supply of the dry fodder and the supply of the water are controlled by the feed display devices. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the feed display devices are provided for the optional control of the delivery of two or more dry feed substances which are contained in corresponding chambers of the delivery container. -15-709811 / 027 9 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the water dispensing device is moved together with the container / preferably as a water tank on the container. 4. The method according to claim 1/2 or 3, characterized / that separate display or actuation devices, which are assigned to the individual feeding points, are used to the supply of drugs or other substances to either the dry feed or the water to the individual feeding places is given, to control individually. 5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that individual feed display devices are arranged at each feeding place for controlling dispensing devices located on the container when the container is moved past the feeding places or along the feeding places. 6. Device for carrying out the method according to claim 1, with conveying devices for supplying the feed in individually set portions to the feeding places of the animals or groups of animals and with individually adjustable dosage display devices which control the supply, characterized in that the conveying devices are provided with a storage and dispensing container ( Xo) are formed for dry fodder, 709811/0279,. which can be moved along a series of feeding stations (12) and with dispensing devices (42) for continuous dispensing or metering of dry feed to the feeding places is provided, and that a water supply system (48, ...) is provided, which by the display devices for substantially simultaneously to the supply of dry fodder taking place dosed supply of the corresponding feeding places with water is controllable. 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the container is divided into two or more compartments for receiving different types of dry feed or feed additives and that the display devices control the flow rate from the compartments in an individual and selectable manner. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the output openings of the corresponding compartments of the container are connected to a mixing chamber which is formed, for example, by a common outlet which has a mixing and conveying screw. 9. Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the water supply device has a water dispensing opening which is arranged in connection with the movable container and preferably in connection with a water tank arranged on the container. 7 09811/0279 " ¹ ^ -α 7- Ιο. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that a storage container for a liquid, for example for a liquid medicament, is provided in connection with the container, that the storage container has an outlet connection to the water outlet and a valve which can be actuated independently and optionally by the feeding display devices to open and close the outlet connections. 11. Device according to one of claims 6 to Io, characterized in that the adjustable display devices are arranged stationary at each of the corresponding feeding points and that the movable container is provided with test devices for determining the setting of the display devices and for controlling the dosing devices. 12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the display devices have display elements of elongated shape which point in the direction of movement of the container that sensor devices are assigned to the container during the continuous movement past the feeding places, which can be actuated by the elements for control of the dosing devices according to the length of the display elements. 13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the display devices for the optional control 7 0 981 1/0279 ^: -i8- the delivery quantity from two or more departments or storage containers of the container have a number of display elements, each arranged in a characteristic or specific part of the cross section of the movement path of the container are. 14. Device according to one of claims 6 to 13, characterized in that the metering devices for the dry feed and the water are connected to one another in such a way that they can both be actuated by one and the same display device. 709811/0279 Blank