A METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FEEDING ANIMALS

Abstract: A method and device for feeding animals, particularly fish, comprise supply of food into a conduit (3) by a food supply member (2). The food is transported in the conduit to feed locations (5) by a fluid flow. The food supply member comprises a rotor having cells adapted to be successively filled and brought into communication with the conduit (3) to be successively evacuated by the flow of fluid maintained in the conduit on rotation of the rotor.

Description: •**_ 4 A method and device for feeding animals FIELD OF INVENTION AND PRIOR ART This invention is related to a method and device for fee- 5 ding animals in accordance with that defined in the pre¬ ambles of appendent claims 1 and 3 respectively. This prior art is disclosed in e.g. the Swedish patent specification 309 338. However, the food supply member thereof is formed by a tube portion protruding into the 10 conduit, said tube portion allowing introduction of food into the conduit when no airflow occurs therein. The food volume remains in the conduit until feeding is required, at which time a valve is opened and an air flow admitted into the conduit so that the food volume is moved forward- 15 ly in the short conduit and distributed over an adjacent fish basin. Due to the periodic distribution of food in the conduit, the length thereof must be very limited since it may otherwise be clogged. Thus, when several feed locations are present, it is necessary to provide a 20 separate food container in connection with each feed loca¬ tion, which is costly and considerably increases the work required for handling the food. Another disadvantage is that the dosage of food into the conduit probably will be less accurate. This particularly applies if the food has 25 a large grain size or tendency to agglomerate. The tech¬ nique according to the patent may in such cases be diffi¬ Λr cult to use. For wet food it is surely inapplicable. SHORT DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to reduce the dis¬ advantages discussed above associated with prior art. This -object is obtained by the features defined in the characterizing portions of claims 1 and 3 respectively. By such a successive introduction of food into the transport conduit while maintaining an air flow therein, the risk for clogging of the conduit is minimized at the same time as a very good accuracy regarding food dosage may be ob¬ tained. The continous introduction of food into the fluid flow enables food transport from a central food store to feed locations situated at great distance from the store. Reliable and constant operation is furthermore obtained in that the fluid flow in the conduit is actively used for evacuating the cells. This is particularly important with sticky or wet food. BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF DRAWINGS With reference to the appended drawings, a more specific disclosure of an embodiment example of the invention will follow hereinafter. In the drawings: Fig 1 is a diagrammatical view illustrating the device according to the invention; figs 2 and 3 are schemes illustrating the feeding; fig 4 is a partially cut view illustrating a rotor and a housing therefor included in the device; fig 5 is a view from the left of fig 4 and illustrating the lower portion of the housing; fig 6 is a view along line VI-VI in fig 5; fig 7 is a cut view in larger scale illustrating the rotor and its housing adjacent to a fill opening; fig 8 is a view frc above of fig 7; fig 9 is a view of a path selector; fig 10 is a section along line X-X -r. f-g 9; f ig 1 1 is a d iagrammatical cut view i llustrating an alter- native embodiment ; fig 12 is a section along line XII-XII in fig 11 and fig 13 is an enlarged view of a lower portion in fig 1. DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The device in fig 1 includes a - central food store or food container 1 , from which a food supply member 2 is adapted to supply food into a conduit 3. A pump 4 is arranged to cause fluid to flow through conduit 3 to a number of feed locations 5 and carry along the food on passage through supply member 2. The feed locations 5 are constituted by four net bags for fish. These net bags are located in lakes or water courses spaced from the shore. However, it is preferred that cor.po- nents 1, 2 and 4 are located on the shore while conduit 3 possibly constructed .as a flexible hose partially may run on the bottom of the lake or water course and, ashore, be digged into the ground. Along conduit 3, path selectors 7 are provided for diverting fluid/food flowinq in the con- duit to net bags associated to the path selectors, which are so designed that they in one position allow transport to a net bag at the end of conduit 3. The drive motor for pαrnp 4 is by a line 9 connected to a control unit 10, which also controls a drive motor 11 for supply member 2 via a line 12 and the path selectors via a cable 13. Control unit 10 is programmable so as to obtain desired feed conditions. For optimal fish growth, it is essential that feeding is carried out at a proper time and with food volumes adjusted in dependence upon other pa- rameters, water temperature, fish size and number. Dry food, wet food and food with humidity lying there bet¬ ween occur. An embodiment will now be disclosed with refe- c z . to figε 2- ' D .-.'hi -h is ar i lε 'ly '"til suite fc OVPI l WiPO relatively dry, particularly pelletized food. Fig 2 illu¬ strates an example of a feed cycle for such relatively dry food, for which a transport fluid constituted by air is used i.e. the pump 4 is an air fan. Since conduit 3 runs to bags 5 under water, condensate may be formed in the conduit and may in combination with the food clog the conduit. To avoid this, control unit 9 is adapted to cause fan 4 to blow air through the conduit during a cleaning period 14 without operating supply mem- bar 2. Not until after this cleaning control unit 10 puts supply member 2 into operation to introduce food into the conduit. W ile maintaining continous air flow in conduit and introduction of food thereto, the air/food mixture ma without interruption be distributed to the various fish bag during the periods 15 1-154 by adjusting the selectors 7. The length of the periods may be programmed in dependance upon the feed variables discussed above. After supply of food to all bags, control unit 10 is adapted to stop opera tion of supply member 2 and cause fan 4 to operate during an additional period 16 so that a final cleaning of the conduit occurs. A varying pause 17 occurs within each feed cycle which e.g. may comprise 30 minutes. Fig 3 exemplifies a feed program for 24 hours. Tne feed time 18 comprises a large number of feed cycles. The feed time per day may be extended by periods 19 by arranging lamps 20 at bags 5. These lamps are operated by timers and photo cells to put on the lamps at a time 21 by the timer and put the same off at a time 22 when sufficient natural light is present. In a similar way, the lamps are put on at a time 23 when it has darkened and the program is ter minated at time 24 by control from the timer. Within each feed period 15 1-154 in fig 2, the operation of supply member 2 may be periodically stopped so that the fi may recover between periods of food supply. To avoid probl w__.tr. clogging of -.-h-_ ccnd-it, it _s pre. erred nor. to inte rupt operation of fan 4. O.V.P1 10 is de¬ into opera¬ The supply member 2 (figs 4-8) comprises a rotor 26, which is rotatable with a shaft 25 and comprises a number of cells 27 for food. The rotor 26 has an inner core like por tion 28 with a circular periphery and from this portion, a number of walls 29 (fig 7) projects radially. The walls define the cells 27 from each other in a tangential direc- tion. The cells 27 are open in the axial direction of the rotor and radially outwardly. The volume of the cells may be varied by mounting inserts 30 into the cells. These in¬ serts are mounted against the radially innermost bottoms of the cells so that the radially outermost portions of the inserts thereafter serve as effective cell bottoms. It is to be observed that inserts 30 are axially open. Fig 7 illustrates that every second insert 30 may have such di¬ mensions that the corresponding cells are completely preven ted from receiving food. Rotor 26 has a generally cylindrical design and the axial extent of core portion 28 is generally equal to the corre¬ sponding extent of the partitions 29 and inserts 30. The ro tor is located in a housing 31 with side walls 32 and 33 and a mantel 34 interconnecting the same. In the side wall 32 of housing 31, an inlet opening 35 is provided, which communicates with a pipe socket 36 included in conduit 3. Opposite inlet opening 35 in the other side wall 33 of the housing, an outlet opening 37 is provided which communica¬ tes with a pipe socket 38 attached to the housing and also included in conduit 3. The inlet and outlet openings 35, 37 are located in front of cells 27 in the rotor. Cn the housing side opposite openings 35 and 37, a fill op ning 39 is provided in the mantle 34 of the housing and con nected to a funnel like pipe socket 40 communicating with a food container (not illustrated). The axis 25 of rotation of the rotor is preferably berisontal and opening 39 is located at the top whi e"openings 35 and 37 are located at the bottom. ,,_--- In connection with fill opening 39 a knife 41 is provided. 5 As appears from fig 7, this knife is located so that its edge meets the cells after filling and immediately radial¬ ly outwardly of the perphery of the rotor. Thus, knife 41 will cut food pellets located in the cutting zone while a- voiding crushing and compacting of food. It is preferable 10 to arrange the edge 42 of the knife inclined relative to the rotor axis as appears by fig 8. The outlet opening 37 of the housing is so located and di¬ mensioned relative to inlet opening 35 (see fig 6) that a cell 27 approaching the openings enters into communica- 15 tion with outlet opening 37 before entering into communica , tion with inlet opening 35. This ensures that a cell which when the rotor stops after terminated feeding communicates with inlet opening 35 through a portion thereof will be ev cuated of food through a comparatively larger outlet ope- 0 ning so that no excessive food crushing will occur. The in serts 30 may be mounted and dismounted through fill openin 39. The supply capacity of the rotor may also be changed by va 5 rying its rotational speed. Another alternative is to re¬ place the rotor with another rotor having a greater extent in axial direction. It is to be observed that inlet and outlet openings 35, 37 have such dimensions compared to the wall thicknesses of 0 partitions 29 and inserts 30 that inlet opening 35 conti¬ nuously will communicate with outlet opening 37 by one or more cells 27 and through inserts 30 possibly arranged in the cells. This continuous air communication through the rotor reduces considerably the risk for clogging of con- 35 duit 3. OΛΪPI The path selector 7 illustrated in figs 9 and 10 includes a diverting member 44 which is rotatably supported in a base 43 and has a tapering passage 45 with a wider end 46 and a narrower end 47. The passage extends transversely to the axis of rotation of member 44, said axis being perpen¬ dicular to the plane of the drawing (fig 9). The upstream end of conduit 3 connected to the selector 7 is denoted 48 while the downstream end thereof is denoted 49. A branch conduit 50 leading to the feed location associated to the selector has an entrance denoted 51. Ends 49 and 51 are lo¬ cated adjacent to each other. The disk shaped member 44 is rotatable to and fro between the positions corresponding to the alternative positions for passage 45 indicated with full and dashed lines in fig 9. The wider end 46 of the passage communicates in both posi¬ tions with upstream end 48 of conduit 3. The narrower end 47 of the passage has, however, a cross section correspon¬ ding to only one of ends 49 and 51 so that the air/food stream may be directed into the conduit end 49 or the . branch end 51 by corresponding rotation of member 44. The device described operates as follows: upon start of the feed cycle, fan 4 is initially operated to carry out clea¬ ning before rotor 26 is put into operation. During rotation of the rotor, food will by gravity fall into the radially outwardly open cells and the food is transported away towards openings 35 and 37. As the filled cells reach inlet ope¬ ning 35, the cells will be exposed to the air flow genera¬ ted by the fan and it will force the food out of the cells and transport the food along in conduit 3. 3y continuously maintaining the air flow in the conduit and successively br ing the cells of the rotor in communication therewith, an even continuous food transport with generally constant foo concentration in the conduit will be obtained. While trans¬ porting food in the conduit, path selectors 7 are controll by control unit 10 so that the programmed distribution of food to the various bags is obtained. For the rest, the device operates in the manner already disclosed in commec- tion with figs 2 and 3. The supply member embodiment illustrated in figs 11-13 is particularly adapted for wet food of such consistency that it is pumpable. The supply member 2a is used with liquid preferably water, as transport fluid in conduit 3. Thus, pump 4 is a water pump. Supply member 2a has a rotor 26a in the form of a cylindrical disk rotatable about a shaft 25a. The rotor is located in a housing 31a formed by side walls 32a and 33a and a mantel 34a. The rotor has cells but these are constructed as axial through holes 27a lo¬ cated in a rim along the periphery of the rotor. To fill the holes 27a of the rotor, a food charge arrangement 52 is adapted to forcibly direct a stream of food through an in- let 53 in side wall 33a into holes 27a of the rotor as thes pass by the inlet. Arrangement 52 also includes a food out let 54 arranged in the opposite side wall 32a and communi¬ cating with holes 27a on the side of the housing opposite to inlet opening 53 so that outlet 54 may receive excessiv food which through inlet 53 is fed into the holes. A pump is adapted to obtain the food flow through inlet 53. Outle 54 communicates with a food container 56 by return line 57. Container 56 also communicates with pump 55. The water flow generated by pump 4 enters via conduit 3a t inlet opening 35a in sice -wall 32a. In the corresponding s wail 33a, an outlet opening 37a is provided. Openings 35a 37a are located so that holes 27a pass by the openings. As appears by fig 13, the holes 27a have a decreasing section from one side of the rotor to the other. The inlet 53 is l catec on that side of the rotor where the widest ends of t holes open while the water flow maintained in conduit 3a enters holes 27a through inlet 35a en the side of the roto where the narrowest ends of the holes open. In this way, filling and evacuating of the holes is simplified. A by pass line 58 may be arranged to cause a partial flow of water in the conduit 3a upstream the rotor 26a to pas by the rotor and be added to the conduit downstream the rotor. It is desireable that holes 27a do not contain water when reaching the fill opening 53. In order to obtain such evacuation of the holes, the housing is provided with an inlet opening 58 situated before inlet opening 53 as viewed in the direction of rotation of the rotor. To this inlet 58, a fan (not illustrated) is to be connected to direct a water evacuating air flow into said inlet 58, through the holes of the rotor and out through an outlet opening on the other side of the rotor. Through such eva¬ cuation of water from the holes, problems with dilution of the food are eliminated. As indicated with dashed lines at 59 in Fig 12, it would be conceivable to provide an inlet opening for washing the holes of the rotor with water after evacuation of the holes by the water flow in conduit 3a but before air is blown through the holes. In use of the embodiment according to Figs. 11-13 food is successively pumped into the holes 27a as the rotor is rot ted past inlet opening 53. The pumping is to be carried out with such exess that a certain quantity always passes out through outlet 54 to ensure that the holes of the rotor are completely filled. When the food filled holes reach the inlet and outlet openings 35a and 37a they are exposed to the water flov: in conduit 3a from pump 4 so tha the holes are evacuated of food. The water/food mixture is thereafter distributed in the previously described manner to the various fish bags by the selectors 7. Modifications are conceivable within the scope of the invention. Pi

Claims: Claims 1. A method for feeding animals, particularly fish, wherei food introduced into a conduit (3, 3a) by a supply member (2, 2a) is transported in the conduit to a feed location (5) by a flow of fluid, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the food is introduced into the conduit (3, 3a) in that a number of food cells (27, 27a) of the movable food supply member (2, 2a) is successively filled and subsequently caused to communicate with the conduit to be successively evacuated by the flow maintained in the conduit. 2. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e in that food transported in the conduit (3, 3a) is diverte to different feed locations (5) along the conduit by path selectors (7) . 3. A device for carrying out the method according to claim for feeding animals, particularly fish, comprising a condu (3, 3a) leading to a feed location (5), a member (2, 2a) f supplying food into the conduit and a pressurized fluid " source (4) to provide a flow of fluid in the conduit for transport of the food, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the food supply member (2, 2a) comprises a rotor having fo cells (27, 27a) adapted to be successively filled and brou into communication with the conduit to be successively eva cuated by the flow of fluid maintained in the conduit on rotation of the rotor. 4. A device according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e in that the cells (27, 27a) of the rotor are open general in the axial direction of the rotor and that the rotor is located in a housing (31, 31a) having on opposite sides in and outlet openings (35, 37; 35a, 37a) facing generally in the axial direction of the rotor and connected to the cond 5. A device according to claim 3 or 4, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d in that the volume of the cells (27) is variabl by inserts (30) mountable in the cells and open in the axi O 6. A device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e in that the cells (27) open in the radial direction of th rotor and that a fill opening (37) is arranged in the man of the housing for filling the cells. 7. A device according to claim 6, cha r a c t e r i z e in that a knife (15) is arranged on the housing (31) at t side of the fill opening (39) which meets the cells (27) after filling and is located so that the edge thereof meet the rotor is situated just outwardly of the periphery of t rotor. 8. A device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e in that the outlet opening (37) of the housing is located and dimensioned in such a manner relative to the inlet opening (35) of the housing that a cell (27) approaching the openings enter into communication with the outlet ope¬ ning before entering into communication with the inlet opening. 9. A device according to any of claims 3-8, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that a controll unit (10) for controllin the operation of the rotor (2) and a pump (4) to generate the fluid flow is adapted to operate the pump during a cle ning period after terminated operation and/or before putti the rotor into operation. 10. A device according to any of claims 3-9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that one or more path selectors (7) are located along the conduit, said selectors serving to diver food transported in the conduit (3, 3a) to various feed locations (5) . 11. A device according to claim 10, c h a r a c t e r i z in that each of said path selectors comprises a rotatable diverting member (44) having a tapering passage (45), the wider end (46) of which in each of two positions of the me ber communicates with the upstream end (48) of the conduit ( connected to the selector, while the narrower end (47) in of these two positions communicates with either the feed l OMPI -/ W1P0 tion (via 51) associated to the selector in question or the downstream end (via 49) of the conduit. 12. A device according to any of claims 3-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a food charging arrangement (52) f filling the cells of the rotor is adapted to forceibly direct a flow of food through an inlet (53) into the cells of the rotor as these pass by the inlet and that the arrangement comprises a food outlet (54) communica¬ ting with the cells (27a) to receive excessive food which through the inlet has been fed into the cells before the cells are put into communication with the conduit (3a). 13. A device according to claim 12, c h a r a c t e r i z in that the cells comprise generally ..axial through holes (27a) in the rotor, said holes having a decreasing sectio from one side of the rotor to the other, and that the inl (53) of the food charging arrangement is located on " that side of the rotor where the widest ends of the holes open while the fluid flow maintained in the conduit enters the holes from that side of the rotor where the narrowest end of the holes open. 14. A device according to claim 12 or 13, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a pressurized fluid source is adapted, when a liquid is used as transport fluid in the conduit ( to direct an air flov; for evacuation of liquid through an inlet (58) into the cells or holes (27a) of the rotor aft evacuation of the food therein by the liquid flow in the conduit (3a) and before filling the same.

Inventors: WENSMAN BRITTA, WENSMAN GUNNAR
Applicants: WENSMAN BRITTA, WENSMAN GUNNAR
Application year: 1982
Main classification: A01K61
IPC codes: A01K5, A01K61, B01F15