Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present inverl-tiorl relates to a device for
en-ticing cattle to drink from water troughs.
BACKGROUND OF TH~ INVENTION
In order to reduce production costs most farms
which rai~e beef cattle let them graze on large tracts
of range land, which nave a natural source of water.
During fall and winter, cattle are brought in off the
10 range land and are trucked to auction marts or feed
lots. By the time the cattle are delivered, it is
commonly 24 to 36 hours since the cattle had access to
water. There is often a concern regarding the adver~e
effec-ts dehydration i5 having upon the health of the
15 cattle, this concern being most acute with the calves.
Although the corrals have water troughs, the cattle
don't know where -to look for water, and have to be
enticed. This is accomplished at the present time by
scattering hay in the vicinity of the water trough to
20 bring the cattle near, and having an employee of the
auction mart or feed lot splash water to make the cattle
aware of the location of the water. The cattle will not
drink, however, while the employee is at the water
trough. The employee must, therefore, repeatedly return
25 to the water trough and repeat the splashing procedure,
until he is satisfied that all cattle have been watered.
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;~ The problem is further exacerbated in severe winter
weather conditions. Great care must be taken in
30 ~pla~hing water near the water trough, in order to
prevent the creation of hazardous ice conditions in the
trough area. The troughs must also be checked
,periodically to ensure that they have not become frozen,
! thereby denying the cattle access to water.
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SU~MARY OF THE INVENTION
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What is required i~ a water trough for use in
wateriny range animal~ which will ~irc-ulate the wa-ter
within the trough to prevent freezing and make a noise
like running water to entice animals to drin~.
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According to the present invention there is
provided, a water trough which i5 comprised of a
10 container having a bottom and a peripheral side wall. A
pump circulates wa-ter within the container, the pump
having an inlet which is disposed below the water line
the container, and an outlet which is disposed above the
water line of the container. Water from the container
15 is drawn in through the inlet and sent cascading through
the outlet onto the surface of water in the container.
Although beneficial resui-ts may be obtained from
the use of the water trough described, even more
20 beneficial results may be obtained if the water consumed
by animals drinking from the trough is automatically
repleni~hed. This is accomplished by the preferred
feature of having a flow passage through the container.
The flow pas~age has an exterior end communicating with
25 the exterior of the container thereby permitting
~connection to a remote water source, and an interior end
jcommunicating with the interior of the container. Means
3is provided to control the flow of water connected with
the interior end of the flow passage, such that the
30 level of water in the container may be maintained at a
selected level.
Although beneficial results may be obtained by
using the water trough described, even more beneficial
5 result~ may be obtained by taking ~tep~ to exagyerate
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the sound that the water makes coming out of the outlet.
This is accomplished throuyh the preferred features of
attaching a spray no~zle on -the ou-tle-t; and having a
plurality of reducers disposed in the conn~cting pipirly
be-tween the outle-t and the spray nozzle to increase the
pressure of fluids exitin~ the spray nozzles.
Although beneficial results may be obtained by
using the water trough as described, even more
10 beneficial results may be obtained by takin~ measures to
ensure the pump inlet does not become clogged by debris.
This is accomplished by the preferred feature of having
fluids flowing through the interior end of the flow
passage directed at the inle-t of the pump such that the
- 15 inlet is washed clear of debris.
Although beneficial results may be obtained by
using the water trough as described, even more
beneficial results mav be obtained by taking measures to
20 ensure the working apparatus is not damaged by the
animals. This is accomplished by having dividers
extending between the side wall thereby dividing the
container into 8ections. The dividers are spaced above
the botto~ of the container such that a flow space is
25 provided for communication of fluids between the
' sections. One of the sections, in which the workiny
apparatus i~ housed, is enclosed at the top by a lid.
The other of the sections are open at the top such that
animals have access to the fluids contained therein.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other feat-ures of the invention will
beccme more apparent from the following descriptiorl in
which reference is made to the appended drawings,
wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a cut-away side elevation view of a
preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIGVR~ 2 is a ~ut-away end elevation view of a
10 preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of a portion of a
preferr~d embodiment of the invention.
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D~TAILED DESCRIPTIO~ OF TH~ I~VENTION
;The preferred embodiment of the invention as
illustrat~d in FIGUR~S 1 through 3 is a water trough,
jhereinafter generally referred to by reference numeral
1 0 .
Water trough 10 has as its primary component a
~container 12 to contain the water from which the animals
1will drink. Container 12 ha~ an open top portion 14, a
bottom 16, peripheral side walls 20 and peripheral end
25 walls 22. Two divider~ 24 extend transversely between
3~ide walls 20, dividing container 12 into three sections
26, 28, and 30. Dividers 24 are spaced above bottom 16
of container 12 leaving a flow space 32 for
jcommunication of fluids between sections 26, 28 and 30.
-~30 Section~ 26 is enclo~ed at top 14 of contaîner 12 by a
jlid 34. Sections 28 and 30 are open at top 14 to permit
janimals have acce~s to the fluids contained therein.
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Container 12 has ~ flow pipe 36 through bottom 16.
Flow pipe 36 has an exterior end 38 and an interior end
40. E~terior end 38 protrudes from the exterior surface
42 of container 12 and is adapted -to be connected to a
remote water source (not shown~. Interior end 40
extends into enclosed section 26 of container 12, and is
connected to flow control valve 46.
Flow control valve 46 is comprised of an arm 48
10 having a mountin~ end 50 and a fioat end 52. Mou~ting
end 50 is pivotally mounted in enclosed section 26 of
container 12 on interior end 40 of flow pipe 36. Float
end 52 is attached to a float 54 such that arm 48 mo~es
in response to chanyes in tne water level in enclosed
15 section 26 of container 12. Mounting end 50 of arm ~8
has a seal 56 which engages an
opening 58 at interior end 40 of fiow pipe 36 and
restricts the flow of fluids therethrough when float 54
raises arm 48 to a preset position.
A pump 60 is adapted to circulate water within
container 12. Pump 60 has an inlet 62 and an outlet 64.
Inlet 62 i8 disposed below the water ~ine 66 in enclosed
section 26 of container 12. Inlet 62 draws fluid from
25 9ection 26 of con-tainer 12, and has a mesh guard 63 to
prevent debriY from being drawn into pump 60. Outlet 64
is connected by piping 68 to two spray nozzles 70. One
of spray nozzles 70 i8 disposed above water line 66 of
each of open ~ections 28 and 30 of container 12.
30 Piping 68 between outlet 64 of pump 60 and spray
; nozzles 70 has a plurality of reducers 72, 74, 76, and
:j 78 disposed therein to increase the pressure of fluids
exiting spray nozzles 70, the operation of which will
be hereinafter more fully described. Each of reducers
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~2, 74, 76, and 78 have a wide end 86 and a narrow end
~8.
The ~peration of wa-ter trough 10 wi~l now be
5 described with reference to FIGUR~S 1 th~ough 3. Water
trough 10 is intended to be installed between two coral
enclosures with each one of open sections 28 or 30
servicing one coral enclosure. During installation
e~terior end 38 of flow pipe 36 is conne~ted via
-.10 underground water pipes to a remote water source (not
shown). Once water is supplied from the water source to
Elow pipe 36, water flows through ope~ing 58 at
interior end 40 of closed section 26 of container 12.
Water in closed section 26 flows through flow space 32
15 under dividers 24 to bring water line 66 in open
sectior~s 28 and 30 to the same level as water line 66 in
section 26. As water line 66 rises float 54 rises, and
consequently arm 48 is raised altering the relationship
between seal 56 at mounting end 50 of arm 48 and opening
20 58 at interior end 40 of flow pipe 36. When arm 48 is
at a preset position, seal 56 will engaye opening 58 and
restrict the flow of fluids therethrough. Thereafter
water line 66 will be maintained at a constant level, as
i,a loweriny of water line 66 results in float 54 falling
',25 and consequently seal 56 becoming spaced from opening 58
'permitting fluids to enter section 26 until the preset
~position of arm 48 is again reached,
When water line 66 is sufficient to permit
30 operation, pump 60 .is activated. Pump 60 draws water
from section 26 through inlet 62 and through piping 68
to spray nozzle~ 70. Water i8 sent cascadiny throuyh
jspray nozzlos 70 onto the ~urface of water in open
Isections 28 and 30 of container 12. In order to get a
:,35 stronger ~pray from pump 60, reducer~ ~2, 74, 76, and 78
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are inserted into piping 68. Following th~ pa-th ~f
water from ou-tlet 64, water enter~ wide end 86 of
reducer 72 and meets wi-th resistance exiting at narr~w
end 88. Similarly, water meets with resistance entering
narrow end 88 of reducer 74. As water exits wide end 86
of reducer ~4 however the artificial resiistance is
removed causing water to shoot up to nozzle 70. Some
water enters wide end 86 of reducer ~6 and meets with
resistance in exiting narrow end 88 of reducer 76.
10 Similarly, water meets with resistance in entering
narrow end 88 of reducer ~8. However, as water exits
wide end 86 of reducer 78, the artificial resistance is
removed causing water to shoot up to the other of
nozzles 70.
A delicate balance must be reached in adjusting the
level of spray of spray nozzles 70. The spray mu~t be
noisy enough to attract the attention of the cattle so
they know the water is there. However, the spray must
20 not be so high as to be blown by the wind on the ground
surrounding water trough 10 forming ice and creating a
hazard for the cattle. Similarly, the noise level must
not be such that it will frighten the cattle.
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25As the cattle drink from open sec-tions 28 and 30,
dividers 24 and lid 34 protect arm 48, float 54, and
' piping 68 from being damaged by the animals. Without
.'~ the protection afforded by dividers 24 and lid 34, the
~, maintenance requirements for the system would b0
30 prohibitive. As the cattle drink from open sections 28
and 30, an accumulation of debris unavoidably gets into
, the water. This debris could potentially clog inlet 62.
` To prevent this from happening inlet 62 is equipped with
,' a me~h guard 63. Mesh guard 63 can itself become
`, 35 clogged. To reduce the likelihood of this happening
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132~61
fluids flo~ing through operling 58 at in-terior end 40 of
flow pipe 36 are direc-ted at mesh 63, such that mesh 63
is cons-tantly washed ~lear of debris.
5It is often desirable to administer medicine to the
herd through the water supply. The sy~tem can readily
be adapted to accommodate a medicator. One advantage of
the present invention when used with medicators is that
; the medicine is constantly circulated throughout
10 container 12 by the action of pump 60.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, the
advantages the present invention provides over methods
pres~ntly employed for watering cattle. It will further
15 be apparent that the circulation of water in containe~
12, as described, will prevent ice from forming on the
~urface of the water in all but the severest of weather
conditions. For convenience in servicing, it may be
desirable to have pump 60 disposed external to container
20 12, rather than submersible as is depicted in the
FIGURES 1 through 3.
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