Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~~~~~~J
1
FEED DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a feed distributing
apparatus for repetitive delivering of feeds to livestock
set according to a predetermined configuration and in front
of which an overhead rail extends.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The animal of a livestock are generally confined in
indoor or outdoor stalls positioned according to a specific
layout depending substantially on the available space and
the required accessibility. One usual layout is to have the
animals side-by-side in rows separated by passages for
feeding and cleaning purposes. At feeding time, the farmer
generally deposits individual rations of fodder and hay on
the ground or in mangers in front of each animal. This
repetitive duty is tedious and time consuming, especially if
there are numerous animals to feed. Additionally, when the
hay is stored in rolled hay bales, the farmers usually
unroll the~bales on the ground in front of the animals of
the same row for speeding up the distribution. Like when
individual feed rations are deposited directly on the
ground, the hay becomes rapidly contaminated with other
substances and is scattered by the animals all around the
stalls, resulting in a waste of feeds. As for mangers, they
occupy spaces and require regular cleaning.
Over the years, some feeding systems were invented for
the automation of feed distribution. Among those feeding
systems, some comprise an overhead rail with a suspended
device passing in front of each animal and which prepares
and delivers individual feed rations . However, these systems
are costly, bulky, often too sophisticated for the needs of
average farmers and are not well adapted for distributing
_ 2130~3,~
2
hay. Examples of such systems are described in U.S.
patents nos. 4,981,107 and 5,069,165.
Moreover, conventional manual distribution and prior
art devices are not well adapted for an optimized
distribution consisting of giving small amounts of feeds
to each animal during a given period of time. These
repetitive small meals stimulate the animals to eat more
and to better digest the feeds, therefore helping the
livestock to be in good health.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus adapted for an optimized distribution of feeds
to livestock set according to predetermined configuration
and where the animals are allowed to eat fodder and
possibly hay directly in the apparatus.
More particularly, the object of the present
invention is to provide a feed distributing apparatus for
repetitive delivering of feeds to livestock set according
to a predetermined configuration and in front of which an
overhead rail extends, the apparatus comprising:
hopper means for receiving fodder and having at least
one lateral opening positioned in a side wall of
the hopper means and spaced above the bottom
thereof, said lateral opening defining a means
for allowing livestock to directly eat the
fodder internally settling substantially by
gravity near the opening; and
a carriage unit comprising:
- carriage means operatively engageable with the
overhead rail and attached to the hopper
means for supporting the hopper means above
the ground and allowing movement thereof
along the overhead rail;
A
2130233
3
- driving means operatively engageable with the
overhead beam for moving the hopper means
along the overhead rail; and
- control means for controlling power supplied to
the driving means for regulating movement
of the hopper means along the overhead
rail.
The object of the present invention is also to
provide a feed distributing apparatus for repetitive
delivering of feeds to livestock set according to a
predetermined configuration and in front of which an
overhead rail extends, the apparatus comprising:
hopper means for receiving fodder and having at least
one lateral opening adjacent the bottom thereof
for allowing livestock to directly eat the
fodder internally settling substantially by
gravity near the opening;
container means for receiving hay, the container
means having a wire screen wall on at least one
lateral side thereof for retaining hay and
allowing livestock to directly eat the hay
through meshes in the wire screen wall; and
a carriage unit comprising:
- first carriage means operatively engageable with
the overhead rail and attached to the
hopper means for supporting the hopper
means above the ground and allowing
movement thereof along the overhead rail;
- second carriage means operatively engageable
with the overhead rail and attached to the
container means for supporting the
container means above the ground and
allowing movement thereof along the
overhead rail;
A
2130233
3a
- hitching means for operatively attaching in
tandem the hopper means and the container
means;
- driving means operatively engageable with the
overhead beam for moving the hopper means
and the container means along the overhead
rail; and
- control means for controlling power supplied to
the driving means for regulating movement
of the hopper means and the container means
along the overhead rail.
A non restrictive description of preferred
embodiments will now be given with reference to the
app
A
~~3~23~
4
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus according
to the a first embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus according
to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an elevation view of an alternative
embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a schematic upper view of the apparatus of
FIG. 2, showing the apparatus in a curved section
of the overhead rail.
FIG. 5 is a schematic and simplified side view of the
hopper, shown the inclination of the walls
according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, showing
the apparatus with a battery.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a stain gauge used in
an
embodiment of the balance that may be provided
with the apparatus according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus l0 is hung
under an overhead rail 20 extending above and in front of
animals of a livestock set in a location such as a barn or
even outdoor, according to a predetermined configuration.
When installing the overhead rail 20, the layout is so that
the apparatus 10 can be easily reached by the animals for
allowing them to eat the feeds directly therein. These
animals may be arranged in specific groups where each group
has its own feeding requirements, such as the quantity of
feeds to eat, the travelling speed of the apparatus 10, etc.
~ i 34~ ~~
Of course, the overhead rail 20 may comprise curves, storage
locations ~ switching systems or any other additional feature
that can usually be found in devices using overhead rails.
The purpose of the apparatus l0 in FIG. 1 is to feed
5 the livestock with feeds substantially consisting of fodder.
The fodder is preferably a mix of grains and coarsely
chopped stalks. The apparatus l0 comprises a hopper 30 for
receiving the fodder. Optionally, another receptacle may be
provided as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4. The second
receptacle is preferably a container 40 for receiving the
hay. Of course, equivalent elements not strictly falling
within the grammatical definition of these words but doing
substantially the same function are also suitable.
The hopper 30, preferably having an opened top for
easying the loading of the fodder therein, has solid walls
32 and at least one lateral opening 34 adjacent the bottom
thereof and extending longitudinally on a side allowing
livestock to eat the fodder directly through the opening 34.
The opening 34 may be closed by a hinged door 36 kept opened
during livestock feeding by a locking means, such as the
elastic 38. Of course, more than one opening 34 may be
provided on other sides of the hopper 30 for simultaneous
distribution to animals on two rows and in a head-to-head
configuration.
The design of the hopper 30 and the usual cohesion of
the fodder are so that the fodder settles substantially by
gravity near the opening 34 without exiting in large
quantities. Any person skilled in the art can easily design
the hopper 30 for that purpose. For example, the front wall
37 may be inwardly inclined so that the top of the hopper 30
is smaller than its bottom for preventing compaction.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the front wall 37 may be
inclined of an angle 8 greater than the angle of inclination
of the rear wall.
If two openings are provided in the hopper 30 for the
simultaneous distribution to animals on two rows and in a
2~3~~3~
6
head-to-head configuration, both opposite walls may be
inclined of an angle 8, as shown in FIG. 5, for preventing
compaction. It should be noted that the angle is not
necessarily the same for the two walls.
Additionally, the muzzle of the animals and the small
vibrations when the apparatus l0 is moving may contribute to
the continuous flow of fodder near the opening 34. The
inclined rear wall helps guiding the gravity falling fodder
near the opening 34.
In FIGS. 2 and 3, the container 40 is preferably made
of wire screen walls 42. The container 40 may further have
an opened top for loading purposes and a funnel-shaped
cross-section. Although the container 40 has a cage-like
structure, the container 40 only has to have a wire screen
wall 42 on at least one lateral side thereof for retaining
hay while allowing livestock to eat the hay through meshes
44 in the wall 42.
When used together, the hopper 30 and the container 40
are attached to a carriage unit 50 comprising a first
2o carriage 60 for supporting the hopper 30 above the ground
and a second carriage 70 for supporting the container 40
above the ground, if any.
Both~first carriage 60 and second carriage 70 comprise
respectively wheels 62 and 72 operatively engageable with
the overhead rail 20 for allowing movement along it. The
carriages 60 and 70 are preferably connected respectively to
the upper part of the hopper 30 and of the container 40 by
means of swivels, respectively numbered 64 and 74. As shown
in FIG. 4, the swivels allow the apparatus to to move along
a curved section 22 of the overhead rail 20. The
longitudinal beams 33 and 43 may be provided with a
plurality of holes (not shown) allowing the swivels to be
set in a suitable location depending on the design of the
curves.
When the hopper 30 and the container 40 are used in
tandem, hitching means 80 are provided in the carriage unit
7
50 for securing together the adjacently disposed hopper 30
and container 40. Such hitching means may comprise a solid
bar 82 or a chain (not shown) operatively attached between
the hopper 30 and the container 40. Of course, any other
mechanical equivalent may be suitable as apparent to a
person skilled in the art.
The carriage unit 50 further comprises driving means
engageable with the overhead beam 20 for translating the
hopper 30 and the container 40 along the overhead rail 20.
l0 The driving means preferably comprises at least one
electrical motor 24 mechanically connected to wheels
engageable with the overhead beam 20. Such wheels may be the
wheels 62 or 72, or wheels 26. Power is delivered to the
electrical motor 24 by electric contacts 25 extending along
the sides of the overhead rail 20. Alternatively, one or
more batteries 29 (FIG. 6) may be used for providing the
electrical power.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the electrical motor
24 is directly mounted on the first carriage 60 or the
second carriage 70, if any. It should be understood that
this definition also encompasses the embodiment were the
driving means is mounted on the first carriage 60 and the
second carriage 70. If there is only one carriage provided
with the driving means, the other one is simply towed or
pushed depending on the travelling direction.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, the driving means
may be on an independent driving carriage 28. The driving
carriage 28 may be a device for another distribution purpose
or simply another apparatus (not shown) according to the
present invention.
Control means for controlling the driving means are
further provided for regulating the movement of the
apparatus 10 by modifying, for example, the power supplied
to the electrical motor or motors 24. The control means
comprises a control panel 90 which may be provided directly
on the apparatus l0 or on a remote location, such as the
8
wall in a barn. Programmable computer and timer, positioning
means and 'other controlling equipment may be included in the
control means, as it can be apparent for a person skilled in
the art.
In use, the hopper 30 is loaded with fodder. The
container 40 is loaded with hay if one used. The farmer then
sets the control means for automatically feeding one or
several groups of animals during a given period of time. The
quantity of feeds supplied to the animals may be controlled
l0 by varying the time the apparatus 10 is feeding them. The
apparatus l0 may be stopped completely for short periods of
time in front of each animal or may be slowly moved in front
of them during the whole feeding time. A combination of
these sequences is also possible. The animals will then eat
fodder in the hopper 3o through the opening 34 when it is in
their range. The feeds delivered with the apparatus l0 is
thus clean and supplied in short quantities and thereby
helping the digestion of the animals for instance.
Preliminary results show that the animals eat more
feeds when the apparatus l0 is constantly moving because
they grasp a maximum quantity of feeds in their mouth before
the apparatus l0 is out of their range. This way of doing is
believed to be very efficient for feeding livestock.
Typically, the feeding time of a group of 20 cows set
in a row of about 25 meters is between 6 and 8 hours, with
the apparatus travelling back and forth at about 5 meters
per minute (8 cm/s). Since the feeding time is directly
proportional to the travelling speed, the feeding time may
be reduced with a faster setting.
Of course, the hopper 30 described hereinabove may be
used in conjunction with a container 40 as illustrated, or
with another device, such as a rolled hay bale distributing
apparatus.
Moreover, it is possible to provide a balance on the
hopper 30, container 40, or both, for measuring the quantity
of feeds eaten in a group. The balance may comprise strain
~~~~~J~~
9
gauges 100 (FIG. 7), which are preferably mounted on the
swivels 64, 74 or both. An electrical circuit connects the
gauges to the control panel 90. Alternatively, the balance
may be a hydraulically actuated balance (not shown).
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have
been described in detail herein and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited to these precise embodiments and
that various changes and modifications may be effected
therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the
invention.
