Abstract:
A water tray drinker for pigs comprising a tray wherein the water compartment thereof is divided into water compartment portions by divider walls of different heights. An adjustable valve water supply mechanism is positioned above the tray for automatically filling one or more of the compartment portions of the tray depending upon the vertical adjustment of the adjustable valve water supply.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a watering device for animals and more particularly to a water tray drinker for pigs. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   The swine industry has traditionally used nipple drinkers for water presentation to the pigs within a confinement pen. The nipple drinkers have been mounted in various ways to make water available to the pigs. The primary ways are: (1) nipple drinkers mounted in the fence-line; (2) swinging nipple drinkers suspended from the ceiling in the middle of a pen; (3) nipples mounted along side tube feeders; and (4) nipples mounted in cups on the fence-line. The above-identified systems rely upon the nipple dispensing the correct water flow rate to satisfy the pigs&#39; needs for all conditions (hot weather, overstocking of pens and bigger pigs with increased water requirements). It is evident based upon the social and vice issues of pigs that those systems do not meet the needs of the pigs in all situations. Flow rates of nipple drinkers are highly dependent upon water pressure within the lines, orifice size of the nipples for dispensing water and the cleanliness of the screens in the nipples. If any of those elements change, the amount of water being made available to the pigs impacts social and performance of the pigs. The typical pig manager is not capable of determining flow rates at a given point in time. Those conditions can be highly variable at any point, thus creating problems with flow rates that are not discernable to the manager of the pigs. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A water tray drinker for animals such as pigs is disclosed comprising a water tray having a bottom wall, upstanding opposite first and second side walls, and upstanding opposite third and fourth side walls which define a water compartment for receiving and maintaining water therein. A plurality of horizontally spaced-apart and vertically disposed divider walls, preferably two, extend upwardly from the bottom wall and extend between the first and second side walls to separate the water compartment into a plurality of water compartment portions. If two divider walls are utilized, first, second and third water compartment portions are defined. The divider walls have progressively increasing heights from the third side wall toward the, fourth side wall whereby the water compartment portions may fill progressively from the third side wall to the fourth side wall. The water compartment portion which is positioned adjacent the third side wall is in communication with a selectively adjustable valve water supply which will only fill the water compartment adjacent the third side wall unless it is adjusted upwardly to also fill the water compartment portion adjacent to the water compartment portion which is adjacent to the third side wall. Further upward vertical adjustment of the adjustable valve water supply will cause the water compartment portion adjacent the fourth side wall to also fill. 
   It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved watering tray for pigs and an associated vacuum valves system which does not rely on constant water pressure for a uniform flow rate to dispense water to pigs. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a water tray for presenting water to pigs wherein the reservoir of water within the tray provides the pigs the ability to consume water quickly so that they may get in and out of a high activity area of the pen. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a water tray of the type described which reduces potential aggression and vice problems associated with inadequate water being supplied to the pigs. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide an invention of the type described wherein the producer may readily observe the height of the water in the water tray to determine if the system is working correctly. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide an invention of the type described above wherein water is readily available for presentation to the pigs. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide watering tray of the type described which includes progressively increasing height divider walls which enables different amounts of water to be presented to the pigs. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a water tray system of the type described above which includes a vacuum water valve which is readily adjustable. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a watering tray which results in less water wastage while making a large amount of water available for individual pigs to drink. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a water tray drinker for pigs which results in fewer social, vice and aggressive behavior problems of the pigs utilizing the water tray drinker. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a water tray drinker for pigs including a water reservoir in the tray which permits the pigs to get in and out of the water quickly, thereby minimizing the potential for aggressive and vices. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a water tray drinker for pigs of the type described which enables the producer to easily provide increased water for pig intake during peak activity periods resulting in increased feed consumption and better growth rates. 
   These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the water tray drinker for pigs of this invention with the water tray being positioned between adjacent confinement pens; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum valve utilized with the invention herein; 
       FIG. 4  is a vertical sectional view of the adjustable valve water supply; 
       FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  except that the adjustable valve water supply has discontinued the supply of water to the tray; and 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the vacuum valve utilized in this invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The water tray which is utilized in this invention is referred to generally by the reference numeral  10  and includes a first side wall  12 , a second side wall  14 , a third side wall  16  and a fourth side wall  18  which extend upwardly from a bottom  20 . Preferably, the tray  10  has mounting brackets  22  extending therefrom which enable the tray to be secured to the floor of the pen by means of screws or the like extending through the brackets  22 . 
   The side walls  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18  generally define a water compartment  24 . A first divider wall  26  extends upwardly from bottom  20  between walls  12  and  14  and it preferably has a height of 1.5 inches. As seen in the drawings, divider wall  26 , side walls  12 ,  14  and  16  define a first water compartment portion  28 . A second divider wall  30  extends upwardly from bottom  20  between side walls  12  and  14  between divider wall  26  and fourth side wall  18 , as seen in the drawings, and preferably has a height of 2.0 inches. The height of walls  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18  is somewhat greater than the height of divider wall  30 , as seen in FIG.  2 . Divider walls  26  and  30  define a water compartment portion  32  while divider wall  30  and fourth side wall  18  define a water compartment portion  34  therebetween. Although the drawings illustrate a pair of spaced-apart divider walls, any number of divider walls could be utilized although two divider walls are preferred. 
   The water tray  10  is positioned on the floor of the confinement area so that it is positioned beneath the pen divider  36  with the side walls  16  and  18  and the divider walls  26  and  30  being disposed transversely to the pen divider  36 . Thus, approximately one-half of the water compartment portions  28 ,  32  and  34  are accessible by the pigs on either side of the pen divider  36 . 
   The means for supplying water to the tray  10  is generally referred to by the reference numeral  38 . Means  38  includes a vertically disposed pipe  40  having a lower end  42  and an upper end  44 . Pipe  40  is selectively vertically adjustably secured to the pen divider-wall  36  by U-clamps  45  or the like. The numeral  46  refers to a vertically disposed pipe which is selectively adjustable positioned within pipe  40  and which has an upper end  48  and a lower end  50 . The lower end  50  of pipe  46  is positioned above water compartment portion  28 , as illustrated in the drawings. The pipe  46  is selectively vertically adjustably mounted with respect to the pipe  40  by means of a set screw  52  which threadably extends through pipe  40  for engagement with the pipe  46  to maintain the pipe  46  in selective vertical positions with respect to pipe  40 . 
   A conventional vacuum water valve  54 , such as manufactured by Rotecna S.A., Poligono Industrial. Nave n.3, 25310 Agramunt (Lleida) Spain, is mounted to the upper end of pipe  46 , as illustrated in the drawings. Valve  54  includes casing members  56  and  58  which are secured together at their peripheries by means of bolts  60 . A diaphragm  62  is secured to the peripheries of casing members  56  and  58  to define compartment portions  64  and  66  within valve  54 . A water inlet port  68  extends inwardly through casing member  58  so that the inner end thereof is in communication with compartment portion  66  (FIG.  6 ). Port  68  is in fluid communication with the interior of water pipe or tube  69  which is in fluid communication with a source of water so that water is supplied to compartment portion  66 . Diaphragm  62  is adapted to seal the inner end of port  68  to prevent water from entering the interior of compartment portion  66 . Valve  54  includes a conventional water shut-off mechanism  67 . 
   A flexible plastic tube  70  is provided in the water vacuum valve  54 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , and has its lower end  72  positioned approximately nine inches above the lower end  50  of pipe  46 , as seen in the drawings. The lower end  50  of pipe  46  is initially positioned slightly below the upper end of divider wall  26 . In normal operation, water is supplied to port  68  and flows downwardly between tube  70  and the interior of pipe  46  ( FIG. 4 ) and continues to flow until water in compartment portion  28  reaches the lower end  50  of pipe  46 . When the water in water compartment portion  28  reaches the lower end  50  of pipe  46 , the vacuum within compartment  66  in the valve  54  causes the diaphragm  62  to seal upon the inner end of the inlet port  68  thereby preventing further water from flowing into compartment portion  28 . As the pigs consume water from the water compartment portion  28 , the water level in compartment portion  28  will drop below the lower end  50  of pipe  46  which will cause the diaphragm  62  to unseat from the inner end of the inlet port  68  so that additional water will be supplied to compartment portion  28  until the water level in water compartment portion  28  reaches the lower end  50  of pipe  46  which will again cause the diaphragm  62  to seal or close the inner end of water inlet port  68 . 
   If additional water is desired to be furnished to the pigs, the set screw  52  is loosened and the pipe  46  is raised with respect to the pipe  40  so that the lower end  50  of pipe  46  is positioned above the upper end of divider wall  26  but is positioned below the upper end of divider wall  30 . Water flowing from the lower end of pipe  46  will fill compartment portion  28  with the overflow therefrom flowing into water compartment portion  32  until the water level within the tray  10  reaches the lower end  50  of the pipe  46  which will again cause the inner end of the inlet port  68  to be sealed by the diaphragm so that additional water is not supplied to the water tray. 
   If even additional water is desired to be supplied to the water tray  10 , the pipe  46  is further raised with respect to pipe  40  so that the lower end  50  of pipe  46  is positioned above the upper end of divider wall  30  but is positioned below the upper end of the side walls  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18  so that water compartment portion  34  will also be filled. 
   It can therefore be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.