A New or Improved Portable Apparatus for Feeding Lambs, Sheep and the like, also available for other purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Portable Apparatus for Feeding Lambs, Sheep
and the like, also available for other purposes.
I, GEORGE BURDETT, of South Holland Saw Mills, Spalding, in the County of
Lincolnshire, Timber and General Building Material Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
My invention relates to a new or improved portable apparatus for feeding
sheep, lambs and the like, and has for its objects to effect the carriage of the
food from place to place, in a more convenient and expeditious manner than
hitherto, and the entire avoidance when feeding lambs with lamb food, of the
ewes participating therewith, the said apparatus being available (when not
needed for feeding purposes), for storing the said food and or implements in use
about a farm, pasture, or the like.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have hereunto
appended a sheet of drawings in which;-
Fig. 1 represents an end elevation of my said improved apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a side view of same.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section upon the line AB of Fig. 4.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section upon the line CD of Fig. 3 while
Fig. 5 is a vertical section upon the line EF of Fig. 3.
My invention consists of a strongly framed movable house A, preferably
rectangular in plan, the ends BC, sides EF and roof G of which may consist
of strong match or other boarding or corrugated galvanised iron, (a roof made
of the latter material being suggested by H in Fig. 4) while the floor G¹ may
be of floor boarding. The house A is mounted upon three or more suitable
wheels J and provided at its front end B with a hinged door K, adapted to be
fastened by any suitable means. To one or both of the sides EF is fitted rigidly
or otherwise suitable troughs L L the sides of which N N support suitably dis-
posed coverings of corrugated galvanised iron such as M M¹ for protecting lambs
from bad weather whilst feeding, and an inclined open rack 0. The portions P
of the troughs LL' extend a suitable distance within the sides EF and carry
hinged flaps Q, the positions of which are regulated and adjusted by the means
of pivotted arms R, the under surfaces of which are ratchetted, and adapted to
engage the upper edges of the said flaps.
At each side of the house, and connected to the ends of same, are guides S,
in which slide suitable shutters T, adapted to be held in any required position
by means of flat plates T¹ screwed or otherwise fastened thereto, the said plates
፫ ነ

page_text: having perforations or holes 12 which coincide with similar perforations or holes
in the guides S, a suitable suspended pin U being provided at either or both
ends of the shutters T for inserting in the perforations or holes T2 for retaining
the said shutters in the raised positions required.
For annexation to the house A I provide one or more portable pens, which
consists of boarded sides V V₁ with a hurdle or railed front W the rails of which
may be placed at any distance apart capable of permitting the passage of lambs
between them, the said sides and front being so connected together as to be
easily separated and packed away within the house A when not required for use.
In order to facilitate the transportation of the whole from place to place, the
lower rails X at the sides of the house A. may be extended in length so as to
protrude beyond the ends BC, to form hand holds for this purpose, or for the
fixation of hooks to which a rope, chain, or the like may be attached.
The manner of using the apparatus is as follows:-
In the interior of the house A is stored the various food-stuffs used, and when
hay is the food employed the shutter T on one or both sides of the house may
be raised into the position shewn at the left hand side of Fig. 4, the hay being
then passed over one or both of the hinged flaps Q, which in conjunction with
the rails O form a compact rack and provide a good storage for the hay, which
can be pressed closer up to the rails O, as consumed by altering the position of
the hinged flaps Q along the ratchet arms R.
When such foods as cake, lamb-food, chaff etc. are being given the hay racks (
are temporarily out of use, and in this case the shutter or shutters T is or are
lowered more or less into the trough or troughs LL', as shewn at the right hand
side of Fig. 4, the space below the bottom of the said shutter or shutters being
regulated (according to the nature and size of the food being used) by means
of the before mentioned suspended pin or pins U, being inserted into such of the
perforations or holes T3 in the plate or plates T¹ as may be required, the food
being then placed into the receiver or hopper formed by the shutter or shutters T
and the hinged flap or flaps Q, the curvature of the said flaps providing for the
proper feeding of the food to the base of the troughs LL.
In feeding lambs it is essential that the ewes should be kept from the trough
or troughs, and I effect this by means of the movable pen V V W, which, when
placed into the position shewn in Figs. 1 3 and 4 entirely encloses the feeding
trough or troughs, and by reason of the front portion W being railed in, it
follows, that owing to the spaces between the said rails being only just sufficient
to allow the lambs to pass through, the ewes are effectually excluded.
The storage capacity of the house and the details of material, configuration,
and design may be arranged and modified to suit various requirements, and
when not being used for feeding purposes the said house is available for
storage of food or implements or any other uses to which it may be adapted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1st. The improved portable apparatus for feeding sheep, lambs and the like,
substantially as herein described and shewn.
2nd. The improved portable feeding appliance for lambs, sheep and the like,
consisting of the combination of a wood or other house A, having at either end
a door K, and at the sides troughs, such as LL', the sides of the said house or
appliance being provided with shutters such as TT adapted to slide vertically
in guides S, and be adjusted in height by the means of suspended pins U,
engaging with holes T in plates T¹ connected thereto, the whole being mounted
upon wheels such as J to facilitate transportation from place to place substan-
tially as herein described and shewn.
3rd. In an improved portable appliance as set forth in the preceding claim, a
the combination therewith of one or more movable pens, consisting of ends V V!

page_text: and railed front W, the latter adapted to permit the passage of lambs and to
exclude ewes and other larger animals, substantially as set forth and shewn.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1899
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.