Abstract:
A plural nipple poultry watering system assembly combines a structural support, a water tube, plural nipples and catch cups. The watering system is assembled in multiple modules arranged serially in longitudinal alignment to provide watering systems of various lengths. It yields high water flow for maximum growth rate. In addition, the plural nipple poultry watering system can be suspended from a triangular truss system.

Description:
PRIOR RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending patent application entitled PLURAL DISCHARGE NIPPLE TYPE POULTRY WATERING SYSTEM HAVING AN ELONGATED SUPPORT BAR, HANGER, AND CUP AND KEEPER, filed Jun. 11, 1991, Ser. No. 07/713,334 now pending. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present application relates to poultry watering systems. More specifically, the invention relates to poultry watering systems having a plurality of water feeding nipples arranged in serial depending relation along a water supply tube or conduit, with an associated drip cup and a keeper coupling the cups and an overlying elongated support with a water supply tube. 
     2. Related Art 
     Heretofore, poultry watering systems for supplying drinking water to young chicks and the like have been of various structural arrangements, one of the popular types of which is the nipple type poultry water system having a plurality of valved watering nipples with actuating stems depending downwardly from an elongated, usually rectilinear, water supply tube or conduit and arranged serially along the length of the water supply tube at spaced intervals therealong. In some instances, long water supply pipe and nipple arrangements have been provided with additional support such as a support bar or rail to maintain the supply pipe aligned with a straight line, rectilinear horizontal or near-horizontal axis. In such cases, the water supply pipe is usually assembled to the support bar by a series of hanger straps having their lower portions encircling the water pipe and their upper portions secured about the support bar. Sometimes, a shaped plastic-type hanger structure has been provided to be assembled onto the water supply pipe and the support bar. Also, hanger cups have sometimes been provided, supported below each valved nipple and assembled to the water supply pipe only, but not the support bar, by a C-shaped formation extending about one side and lapping over and under vertically-aligned portions of the water supply pipe. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, an improved plural nipple type poultry watering system is provided which combines a structural support, a water tube, plural nipples and catch cups. The watering system has valved nipples with downwardly extending activating stems arranged serially along a water supply pipe at spaced intervals therealong, together with a specially-shaped extruded support rail designed to surmount and enshroud the sides and top of the water supply pipe along the full length thereof. A dependent drip collecting cup is located below each valved nipple, and a keeper structure is associated with each nipple and its cup by interengagement of mating fastening lip formations on the keeper structure and the extruded rail for restraining the water supply pipe in enshrouded relation within the extruded support rail and for fixing the drip cups at appropriate locations along the supply pipe. 
     Further in accordance with the present invention is the provision of a plural nipple type watering system as described in the above paragraph wherein the extruded support rail and associated components form modules especially adaptable to being assembled in multiple modules arranged serially in longitudinal alignment to provide watering systems of various desired lengths. 
     Other objects, advantages, and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is better understood by reading the following Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a plural nipple type poultry watering system embodying the present invention, shown as two modules assembled together along a horizontal axis; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation of an alternate embodiment of the plural nipple type poultry watering system of the present invention, shown as two modules assembled together along a horizontal axis and suspended from a supporting truss system; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of an end portion of the poultry watering system of FIG. 1, shown to enlarged scale; 
     FIG. 4 is a vertical transverse section view thereof, taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the water supply tube and extruded supporting rail of a module of the poultry watering system, viewed from an end and below; 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 are transverse end and side views, respectively, of an alternate embodiment of one of the specially configured hanger straps for securing the uppermost end portion of the extruded support rail in suspended relation from and below a truss system; 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 are side elevational and top plan views, respectively, of the keeper member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a poultry watering system in accordance with the present invention, assembled as a pair of longitudinally-aligned modules comprises modules 11, 12 assembled together at their adjacent ends in longitudinal alignment by a connector sleeve 13. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the poultry watering system of the present invention, assembled as a pair of longitudinally-aligned modules 11, 12 suspended from a truss system indicated generally by the reference character 10. The truss system shown herein is of triangular configuration having a horizontal, elongated rod member 14a spanning the length of the plural module poultry watering assembly; a pair of outer, upwardly-inclined, converging rod members 14b, 14c; a center vertical rod member 14d; and a pair of interior bracing rod members 14e, 14f, extending upwardly from the longitudinal center of the truss in outwardly-diverging relation to join the rod members 14b, 14c. 
     In both embodiments, a pair of like, longitudinally-aligned plural nipple type poultry watering sections 16 each comprises an extruded support rail 17 with watering nipples and drip cups assembled therewith and enshrouding an elongated, square cross-section water supply tube 18 spanning the desired number of extruded support rail sections to be assembled together. In the second embodiment, poultry watering sections 16 are suspended below the truss system 14 by a plurality of longitudinally-spaced hanger members 15 having the special cross-sectional configuration shown in FIG. 7, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     The extruded support rails 17 include a vertical, upwardly-extending planar central web portion 19 terminating in an arrowhead-shaped upper edge formation 20 of generally triangular cross-section having exterior upwardly-inclined sides 20a converging at a sharp angle to a sharp edge and having inwardly-extending barb portions 20b whose lower faces converge inwardly at greater angles than the sides 20a forming return surfaces to the central web 19. The bottom of the web portion 19 near the vertical mid-region of the extrusion has joined thereto a pair of outwardly-diverging, downwardly-inclined flange portions 21 providing a lower flanged skirt formation 22 providing a downwardly-facing cavity for receiving the square cross-section water supply tube 18 in enshrouded relation therein embracing the top and opposite side of the tube 18. 
     The flanged skirt formation 22 includes laterally-spaced locator ribs 23 spaced apart the width of the water supply pipe 18 to receive and embrace the upper portion of the water supply pipe therebetween and center the pipe within the cavity defined by the skirt formation 22; and also includes a pair of upwardly- and inwardly-inclined fastener lips 24 at the lower edges of the vertical side portions 25 extending from the inclined flange portions 21. 
     The poultry watering nipple valve assemblies 26 are located at spaced intervals along the length of the water supply pipe and extruded support rail assembly and include a nipple body 26a having external threads 26b on the upper portion thereof to be assembled into threaded apertures (not shown) in the bottom wall of the pipe 18; and a rod-like activating stem 26c movably-mounted in the nipple body 26a and projecting downwardly through an opening sized and shaped to permit sufficient lateral rocking movement by the chick pushing against the protruding lowermost exposed stem portion to activate the internal valve member to allow water to pass from the supply pipe 18 through the stem-receiving opening into the chick&#39;s mouth. Flats are provided in the lower exposed portion of the nipple body 26a to permit a tool such as a wrench or the like to grip and turn the valved nipple body 26a to thread it into the openings therefor in the hollow wall of the water supply pipe 18. 
     The keeper member is best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, and is indicated by the reference character 28. The keeper member includes a lower plate portion 29a having transverse extending shallow channels 29b to receive and hold cross-head portions of T-shaped coupling formations at the tops of the legs of the drip cups, to be later described, and has a center aperture 29c for passage of the valved watering nipple assembly therethrough. A pair of side catch formations 29d project upwardly from the mid-region of the lower plate portion 29a to embrace opposite side wall portions of the water supply pipe 18; and have catch lips 29e at their upper edges with downwardly-facing inwardly- and upwardly-converging catch surfaces to interfit with the fastener lips 24 on the skirt sides of the extruded support rail 16 and interlock the associated keeper members 28 with the support rail 16 with the water supply pipe 18 held therebetween and supporting the valved nipple assemblies by their threaded intercouplings. 
     The drip cups are indicated at 30, and include a lower bowl or cup portion 30a to be located below each associated valved nipple assembly, with a pair of opposite, upwardly-extending legs 30b provided with T-shaped heads 30c at the tops of the legs 30b, the cross portions of the T-shaped heads interfitting in the shallow channels 29b of the keeper members 28. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the plastic hanger members 15 for use with truss 10 of the second embodiment include a lower portion formed of two downwardly- and outwardly-diverging, flexibly deformable legs 31a, 31b defining a downwardly-opening recess 31c of a cross-section closely conforming to that of the arrowhead-shaped upper portion 20 of the support rail 16, terminating at the lower ends of the legs 31a, 31b with catch lips 31d as shown to fit against and restrain the barb-like return faces 20b. As shown, laterally-opening recesses 31e in laterally-protruding arm formations 31f along the mid-region of the hanger member 31 are provided to receive and hold anti-perch wires along each side of the hangers over the length of the serially-connected rail sections and associated water supply pipe to discourage poultry from perching on the upper edge of the support rail 16. The uppermost portion of the hanger members 31 have a horizontal cylindrical bore or hole 31d to receive the lower horizontal rod member 14a of the truss system therethrough and assemble these components together; and, when the arrowhead formation of the extruded support rail 16 is interfitted in the recesses 31c, intercouple the truss system and support rail or rails 16 in assembled relation. 
     Modifications and variations of the above-described embodiments of the present invention are possible, as appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.