Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a food distribution
system to provide food to a plurality of locations in a
single pass. In a preferred embodiment the food distri-
bution system is for use as a fish feeding system and the
locations are fish tanks.
Fish farms play an increasing roll in the har-
vesting oE fish. The fish are kept in large tan~s where
they grow.
There are very many types of feeders for these
tanks. These feeders range from the most simple 'on
demand' type gravity feeders to automated, computerized,
highly sophisticated systems.
In spite of the wide range of mechanical
designs available manual feeding, which is a simple
spraying over the surface of dry, semi-dry or moist food,
remains the most popular method of fish feeding in fish
farms. There are a number of reasons for this. Feeders
have to cotnply with many requirements and to work in
harsh indoor our outdoor conditions and thus to contend
with high moisture, wind, precipitation and low tem-
perature. There are different types of feed in terms of
moisture content and the size and shape of particles of
the feed the feeders are handling. Feed moisture content
is particularly important as caking and bridging, par-
ticularly when food is moist, is a problem.
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There are wide ranges of daily doses. The
doses range from 0, when the tank is empty or when it is
desired to starve the fish for a limited period, to
several kilograms per day at a reasonable accuracy of
each dose. The number of feeding sessions per each daily
dose might fluctuate from three to thirty. The food has
to be spread over a very large surface area reasonably
slowly. It is important that the fish have sufficient
time to take the food before the current washes it away.
The equipment must be reliable, easy to service
and must be inexpensive.
The majority of existing feeders are sta-
tionary, located over the water surface, and distribute
food straight underneath or have means to spread it over
a limited area. This means that a fish farm requires a
number of feeders at least equal to the number of tanks.
In most cases large tanks are used and two feeders per
tank are installed.
There are many disadvantages in this. A large
number of feeders means multiple loading and servicing
points. There are expensive automation schemes, com~
munication lines, relays and the like equipment. There
is also inevitably low electrical reliability because of
the number of units and contacts involvedO Another
disadvantage of the existing feeders is that the food is
distributed rather too fast and over a limited area which
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causes the fish to experience stress during feeding which
in turn affects the growth rate.
Furthermore the food discharging operation is
not reliable for existing types of foods. Rotation
disks, vibrators and pneumatic pistons are used but, with
so many feeders at any one farm, the loading operations
and service are time consuming and the reliability leaves
a great deal to be desired.
Attempts have been made to prove the automatic
or mechanical feeding of fish. Examples of patents
demonstrating the prior art include United States patents
4,372,252 to Lowry; 4,492,182 to Wensman; 3,523,520 to
Evans; 3,526,210 to Burton; 3,786,784 to Dils;
3,477,407 to Loudon; 4,237,820 to Muller; 3,934,038 to
Kerr; 2,941,505 to Middlen, 3,113,556 to Jarvis;
742,414 to Hale; 3,587,827 to Schoen; 3,916,833 to
Serfling; and 3,913,528 to Rutten.
However it mus~ be noted that applicants'
experience is that very few of these devices have
attained commercial acceptance.
The present invention seeks to provide a food
distribution system free of many of the disadvantages of
the prior art. Accordingly the present invention is a
food distribution system to provide food to a plurality
of locations in a single pass, the system comprising a
track extending over the location; a carriage to move
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along the track; a plurality of elongated food bins on
the carriage, drive means to drive the carriage along
the track; distribution means to move food from each
bin on an elongated front; drive means for the distribu-
tion means; control means for the drive and distribution
means; whereby food can be distributed to one or more of
the locations in a predetermined pattern.
In a preferred embodiment the system is a fish
feeding system and the locations are fish tanks.
Aspects of the invention are illustrated,
merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in
which:
Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating a
track embodiment of the present invention;
lS Figure 2 is a schematic view illustrating a
monorail embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a detail of a carriage illustrating
the action of a flat longitudinal food distribution
cylinder;
Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 in
Figure 3;
Figure 5 illustrates the food distribution
area, diagrammati~ally;
Figure 6 is a detail similar to Figure 4 but a
food distribution cylinder has compartments;
Figure 7 illustrates the operation of an augur
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type distribution means mostly for mince type food;
Figures 8 to 10 illustrate alternative distri-
bution means, namely horizontal conveyor belt, vibrating
surface, and piston type; and
Figure 11 illustrates the use of a protective
enclosure with the system.
The drawings show a food distribution system to
provide food to a plurality of locations. In the
illustrated embodiment the system is a fish feeding
system having a plurality of tanks 2 containing fish.
A virtue of the system is that it can provide food to a
plurality of tanks 2 in a single pass. The system
comprises a track extending over the location. The track
comprises, in Figure 1, spaced apart rails 4 positioned
over the tanks 2. There are wheels 6 on a carriage to
contact the rails 4. The carriage comprises a simple
rectangular frame 8. Food bins 12 are mounted on the
carriage. The food bins 12 are simple containers able to
receive the food. It is particularly desirable that
there be a plurality of food bins 12 on the carriage so
that differing foods can be fed to differing tanks,
depending on a feeding pattern determined by the farmer.
It is also desirable that the bins be elongated and able
to extend across the full width of a tank.
There are drive means to drive the carriage
along the track. As illustrated in Figure 1 the drive
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means comprises a carriage electric motor 14 driving the
leading wheels 6 through a simple, known drive mechanism
that need not be described in detail.
There are control means for the carriage
electric mo-tor 14. Such control means, as shown in
Figure 1, may comprise a maintained limit switch 102
which is activated by a trip at the end of pass of the
carriage and stops motor 14 when the carriage is in a
shelter. Switch 102 also activates time programmable
devices which trigger the system for the next feeding
session.
Each bin 12 has distribution means to move food
from the bin. Such means are described in more detail in
the ensuing figures. There are drive means to the
distribution means. As shown in Figure 3 the drive means
comprise an electric motor 16 having a drive shaft 17
engaging with gear wheel 18 mounted on driven shaft 20.
The driven shaft 20 is attached to, and rotates, the food
distribution means. The motor and drive means are in
casing 22.
There are control means for the distribution
drive means. Such control means, as shown in Figure 1,
may comprise simple limit switches 26 activated by trips
24. The motors 16 turn, rotating the food distribution
means.
It is envisaged ~hat, according to one embodi-
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ment, the electric motors 14 and 16 are battery driven,
with batteries chargeable by a solar panel 110 while the
carriage rests in the shelter.
Figure 2 differs from the embodiment of
Figure l by the fact that the track is a monorail 30 with
the carriage suspended from -the monorail track 30 through
upstanding chassis members 32. As is usual for monorail
there is a driven wheel 34, driven by electric motor 36.
The motor 36 drives the carriage along the monorail 30.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4 the food bins 12
useful in the present invention have a front wall 38 and
a rear wall 40, sloping downwardly to elongated roller
42, which comprises the food distribution means. There
is an inner wall 44, including a pivotal joint 46 so that
the lower portion 48 of wall 44 can be moved over the
roller 42, by the handle 50, shown in Figure 3, attached
to wall portion 48 at side wall 52 of the bin 12. By
means of this handle 50, shown in Figure 4, the gap bet-
ween the pivotal portion 48 and the roller 42 can be
varied, to regulate the rate of food discharge.
In the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 the food
distribution means comprises roller 42 located in the
base of each bin 12 and, as indicated above, attached to
driven shaft 20. Figures 3 and 4 illustrated a par-
ticularly simple, and preferred, method of distributing
food in that the edge 54 of lower portion 48 of wall 44
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is located close to the uppermost point of the roller 42.
The rear wall 40 of the bin 12 contacts the roller 42
below and behind the uppermost point oE the roller 42.
The direction of rotation is shown by the arrow 56.
It is desirable to provide the rear wall 40
with a sealing means, for example, a flexible flap 58, to
ensure a good seal against -the shaEt 42. The food can
then pass between the space between the wall 48 and the
roller 42. However as believed clear Erom Figure 4 the
arrangement is such that when the roller 42 is not
rotated the food remains in the bin 12, located by the
sea] 58. When the roller 42 rotates the food is carried
past the wall 48 to drop to the location.
As demonstrated in Figures 3 and 4 the
roller 42 may be provided with small indentations 60 to
assist in moving the food. Alternatively, and as shown
in Figure 6, the roller 42 may be provided with projec-
tions 62 to define compartments on the surface of the
roller 42 to control the volume of food dropped.
Figure 5 simply indicates the mode of operation
according to the present invention. At the start of a
location, for e~ample the fish tanks as shown in
Figures 1 and 2, the roller 42 starts to rotate as a
micro switch 26 is tripped, moving food as shown in
Figure 4, to drop it into the fish tank. At the end of
the fish tank the trip switch is released, stopping rota-
tion of the roller 42. ~ecause of the geome-try as
illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, when the roller 42 stops
rotating -there is no food supply.
Figure 7 illustrates an alternative method of
distributing food from a bin 12. A driven shaft 64 is
attached to an augur 66. There is a plurality of
outlets 68 in the base of the bin 12. There are sealing
means on the augur 66 adjacent each outlet 68. Such
sealing means may simple comprise a rotating circular
plate 70, attached to the augur. The arrangement in
Figure 7 is that the augur 66 receives food from the bin
above and moves the food towards outlets 68. The plates
70 on the augur 66 act -to prevent the food moving further
along the augur 66 but divert the food through
outlets 68.
Figure 8 illustrates further distribution means
comprising a movable belt 72 spaced closely below a bin
outlet 74. The belt is mounted on rollers 76, at least
one of which is driven. When the food reaches the end 78
of the belt 72 it simply falls from the belt, under gra-
vity, into the fish tank. It is desirable to provide a
doctor edge 80 to remove clinging food from the belt 72.
Figure 9 illustrates a simple embodiment oE the
inventionO The distribution means comprises a plate 82
spaced closely below each bin 12 to receive food. There
is a vibrator 84 for each plate to shake food off the
3~
plate 82 to a location.
Figure 10 illustrates a distribution means
comprising an elongate cylinder 86 formed in the base of
a bin 12. The cylinder 86 is divided into compartments
88 by partitions 90. There is a piston 92 in each com-
partment and an inlet 94 for each compartment 88 com-
municates with the bin 82. An outlet 96 for each
compartment 88 is provided in the base of the bin 12 so
that the food may move to a location. The pistons 92 are
provided with sealing flaps 98 extending from themO In
the illustrated embodiment the pistons 92 are on one com-
mon connecting rod 100. This rod 100 can be recipro-
cated.
Thus retrac-tion of the pistons 92 allows food
to enter a compartment 88 through the inlets 94.
Movement of a piston 92 forward, Erom left to right in
Figure 10, forces the food from the outlet 96. At the
same time the piston 92, and then the sealing member 98,
seal off the inlet 94 to prevent food getting behind the
piston 92. Food behind the piston would restrict i-ts
reciprocation. When a compartment is empty the con-
necting rod lOn is mo~ed back Erom right to left in
Figure 10, so that the pistons are in the solid line
position in Figure 10, the inlets 94 are cleared and the
compartments 88 can fill with food ready for the ne~t
cycle.
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Thus to operate the apparatus of the present
invention the bins are filled with the appxopriate food
and power is supplied to the drive motor 14 to drive the
carriage along the track. As the carriage approaches
each tank 2 a limit switch 26 is activated by a trip 24
to start the food supply. If it is not wished to send
food to that tank then the trip 24 at the tank is
removed.
The carriage makes a single pass over all the
tanks, providing one or more foods or no food to each
tank, depending entirely on the program decided upon by
the farmer.
It will be appreciated that the mechanical trip
system 24, 26, 102 illustra-ted in Figure 1 can be
replaced by magnetic trips or the now common pho-
toelectric trips 10 and sensors 11 shown in Figure 2.
Figure 11 shows a protective enclosure 104 for
the system to receive the system when it is not moving on
the track. Such an enclosure may include a refrigerator
106 to ensure that the food is kept fresh. The enclosure
104 has door 108 and may be provided with a solar panel
110 used to charge batteries.
A video camera 112 can be mounted on the
carriage so that remote observation of the fish can be
carried out. It is also desirable to provide the
carriage with means to notify the presence o the system
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at a location, For example means to irritate the fish to
alert them to the fact that they are to feed and thus
create unconditioned reflexes. Such means may comprise
ultrasound or a powerful light beam as shown diagram-
mat.cally at 114.
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