Feeding device

Abstract

To provide a feeding apparatus that can properly adjust a feeding amount for livestock in a simple way.SOLUTION: A feeding apparatus includes: a feeder body 2 having a feed storage space 21 therein and in which a feeding hole 23 opening so as to correspond to a position of a feed receiving part 22 for receiving feed for the feed storage space 21 is formed; an adjustment plate 3 fitted to the feeder body 2 in an elevating / lowering manner so as to be capable of changing an opening degree of the feeding hole 23; elevating means 4 for allowing the adjustment plate 3 to perform an elevating operation; and a scale part 5 in which a scale for displaying the opening degree of the feeding hole 23 by the adjustment plate 3 is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to feeding devices used to feed animals, such as livestock. [Background technology]

[0002] Feed for livestock such as pigs and cows includes, for example, mash, which is made by crushing raw materials into powder, pellets, which are made by steaming crushed raw materials and pressurizing them into pellets, and crumbles, which are made by finely crushing pellets. These types of powdered and granular feed are selected according to the growth stage, size, breed, etc. of the livestock.

[0003] BACKGROUND ART Various feeders have been used for feeding powdered and granular feed to livestock (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a feeder for captive animals in which the front side of the feeder body is divided into a feeding trough and the back side into a feed trough by a partition plate, and a gap is provided between the lower part of the partition plate and the bottom of the feeder body to allow feed to flow from the feed trough to the feeding trough, the opening of which can be adjusted.

[0005] In the animal feeder of Patent Document 1, an adjustment plate that is raised and lowered via a lifting operation unit is provided below the partition plate. The lifting operation unit has a handle for forward and reverse rotation attached to an operation unit main body that incorporates a female screw member, and an operation rod that is screwed into the female screw member and hangs down, with the adjustment plate attached to the operation rod.

[0006] The adjustment plate was raised and lowered by rotating the handle of the lifting operation part forward or backward as needed, adjusting the opening of the gap below it and regulating the amount of feed flowing down from the feed trough to the feeding trough through the gap. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-16173 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] When raising livestock, it is necessary to feed them an appropriate amount of food so that they can take in the right amount of nutrients and grow and fatten. Furthermore, if more feed than necessary is given, the livestock may overeat, or the feed may become mixed with moisture or the livestock's saliva, causing mold to grow, or the feed may deteriorate, resulting in a deterioration of hygiene. Therefore, it is extremely important to properly adjust the amount of feed in the feeder.

[0009] However, in the conventional feeder structure such as that of Patent Document 1, the opening of the gap at the bottom of the adjustment plate was adjusted by eye, relying on the operator's experience, etc., making it difficult to accurately adjust the amount of feed.

[0010] Furthermore, when livestock such as pigs eat, the pig's mouth, nose, head, etc. may repeatedly hit the adjustment plate, or the worker's body or an object may suddenly come into contact with the handle, which could cause the adjustment plate to shift from its specified adjustment position, changing the opening of the gap and making it impossible to properly control the amount of feed supplied.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a feeding device that can easily and appropriately adjust the amount of feed given to livestock, regardless of the operator's experience or eyeballing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the feeding device of the present invention comprises a feeder body having an internal food storage space and a feeding opening formed therein that opens to correspond to the position of a food receiving section that receives food in the storage space; an adjustment plate attached to the feeder body so that it can be raised and lowered to change the opening degree of the feeding opening; lifting means for lifting and lowering the adjustment plate; and a scale portion formed with a scale that indicates the opening degree of the feeding opening caused by the adjustment plate.and a locking device that holds the adjustment plate at a predetermined opening of the feeding port, wherein the lifting means has an operating rod whose lower end is connected to the adjustment plate, a base that is installed on the upper side of the feeder body and through which the operating rod can be freely inserted, a male screw portion provided on the upper part of the operating rod, a rotating operating member that engages with the male screw portion that passes through the base and raises and lowers the operating rod by rotating it, and a handle attached to the rotating operating member, wherein the scale on the scale portion indicates the amount of movement of the operating rod relative to the base by the amount the operating rod protrudes upward from the base, and the locking device includes the handle that is installed so as to be movable up and down relative to the rotating operating member, and an insertion hole drilled in the vertical direction in the base so that the lower end of the handle can be inserted and removed.

[0015] The scale portion may be integrally provided in a raised shape on the rotary operation member.

[0017] The locking device may include a rotation lock structure that locks the rotation operation member or the handle with the base to prevent rotation of the rotation operation member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The feeding device of the present invention includes a feeder body having an internal feed storage space and a feeding opening that opens to correspond to the position of a feed receptacle in the storage space, an adjustment plate attached to the feeder body so as to be movable up and down so as to change the opening degree of the feeding opening, a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the adjustment plate, and a scale with markings indicating the opening degree of the feeding opening adjusted by the adjustment plate. This allows the opening degree of the feeding opening to be accurately adjusted using the scale as a guide. As a result, the amount of feed given to livestock can be easily set appropriately, leading to successful livestock rearing. Furthermore, a locking device is provided to hold the adjustment plate at the predetermined opening degree of the feeding opening, preventing the adjustment plate from accidentally shifting position and changing the opening degree of the feeding opening. This allows for proper feeding management and successful animal rearing and fattening. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory vertical cross-sectional view of a feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the feeding device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is an enlarged view of the upper side of the lifting means and the periphery of the locking device of the feeding apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of the upper side of the lifting means and the periphery of the locking device of the feeding apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the locking device of the feeding apparatus of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, using preferred embodiments. However, the following embodiments are merely examples of realizing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0022] The feeding device of the present invention is an animal feeder that stores a certain amount of feed for livestock such as pigs and cows and other farm animals, and adjusts the required amount of feed from that amount to feed the livestock.

[0023] Figures 1 to 5 show one embodiment of the feeding device of the present invention. As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, feeding device 1 according to this embodiment comprises a feeder main body 2, an adjustment plate 3, a lifting means 4, a scale 5, and a locking device 6.

[0024] The feeder body 2 is a storage tank for storing feed and is a feeding means equipped with a feed port for dispensing a fixed amount of feed. The feeder body 2 has an internal storage space 21 for storing livestock feed, a feed receiving section 22 installed below the storage space 21 to receive feed from the storage space 21, and a feed port 23 that opens at a position corresponding to the feed receiving section 22.

[0025] 1 and 2, the feeder body 2 has left and right side walls 24, 24, a front wall 25, and a rear wall 26, and is formed into a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. In FIG. 1, the right side is the front side, and the left side is the rear side.

[0026] The hollow interior space of the feeder body 2, surrounded by side walls 24, 24, a front wall 25, and a rear wall 26, serves as the food storage space 21. The top surface of the feeder body 2 is formed with an opening 27, which communicates with the storage space 21.

[0027] The side walls 24, 24 of the feeder body 2 are made of vertically elongated rectangular flat plates and are arranged parallel to each other with a specified distance between them. The rear wall 26 of the feeder body 2 is made of a horizontally elongated rectangular flat plate and is connected to the side walls 24, 24 so as to close the rear sides of the side walls 24, 24.

[0028] The front wall 25 of the feeder body 2 is disposed opposite the rear wall 26 at a predetermined distance, and is disposed so as to close off the front side of the accommodation space 21 .

[0029] In this embodiment, front wall 25 of feeder body 2 is integrally formed with upper end wall 25a, which is formed in a substantially vertical shape so as to close off the upper side of the front face, inclined portion 25b, which is connected to the lower end of upper end wall 25a and slopes downward so as to gradually approach rear wall 26, and hanging wall 25c, which hangs down from the lower end of inclined portion 25b. Front wall 25 of feeder body 2 also has lower end wall 25d, which is formed in a substantially vertical shape so as to close off the lower side of the front face.

[0030] Sloping portion 25b of front wall 25 causes storage space 21 to gradually narrow in width downward. Furthermore, a feeding space 28 is formed on the front side of feeder body 2, i.e., in front of sloped portion 25b and hanging wall 25c, where livestock can put their heads in to eat the feed in feed receptacle 22. Therefore, sloped portion 25b and hanging wall 25c can be said to form a partition wall that separates the interior space of feeder body 2 into storage space 21 and feeding space 28 from the front to the rear.

[0031] In this embodiment, hanging wall portion 25c is provided at a slight incline relative to the vertical direction so that its lower end is closer to rear wall portion 26. A rear bent wall portion 25e is integrally provided at the lower end of hanging wall portion 25c and is bent so as to incline toward rear wall portion 26.

[0032] Feed receptacle 22 is provided on the lower side inside feeder body 2. In this embodiment, feed receptacle 22 is provided such that horizontal section 222 on which feed is placed is positioned a predetermined distance below the lower end of rearward bent wall section 25e of front wall 25, for example.

[0033] Feed receiving section 22 is integrally formed with, for example, a rear inclined section 221 that slopes downwards from rear wall section 26 toward the front, a horizontal section 222 connected to rear inclined section 221, and a front inclined section 223 that slopes upwards from the front end of horizontal section 222 toward the upper end side of lower end wall section 25d of front wall section 25. Rear inclined section 221 of feed receiving section 22 faces storage space 21 of feeder body 2, and causes feed stored in storage space 21 to flow down to the horizontal section on the front side.

[0034] The feeder body 2 may be configured such that, for example, a water supply section or water supply device that allows livestock to drink water is provided further below the feed receptacle 22.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the opening formed by the lower end of rearwardly curved wall portion 25e of front wall 25, horizontal portion 222 of feed receiving portion 22, and left and right side wall portions 24, 24 constitutes feeding opening 23. An adjustment plate 3 is installed at the position of feeding opening 23. By raising and lowering adjustment plate 3, the opening degree D of feeding opening 23 can be adjusted, and the amount of feed replenished from storage space 21 to horizontal portion 222 of feed receiving portion 22 can be adjusted.

[0036] Adjustment plate 3 is an opening degree adjustment means that is attached to the inside of feeder body 2 via lifting means 4 so that it can be raised and lowered, allowing the opening degree D of feeding opening 23 to be changed. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, adjustment plate 3 is formed, for example, with a contour shape that is approximately horizontally elongated and rectangular, so that when it is lowered to its lowest position, it completely closes feeding opening 23.

[0037] The adjusting plate 3 is disposed parallel to the hanging wall portion 25c of the front wall portion 25. The upper end of the adjusting plate 3 is provided with a front bent wall portion 3a that is bent forward in a generally V-shape.

[0038] In this embodiment, a front bent wall portion 3a is provided on the adjustment plate 3 side and a rear bent wall portion 25e is provided on the hanging wall portion 25c side, thereby relatively reducing contact friction between the adjustment plate 3 and the hanging wall portion 25c, allowing for smooth lifting and lowering operations, and keeping the gap between the adjustment plate 3 and the hanging wall portion 25c as small as possible to prevent food leakage.

[0039] Furthermore, the left and right sides of the adjustment plate 3 are guided up and down along guide portions 29 provided on the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 24 of the feeder body 2.

[0040] The lifting means 4 is a lifting means for raising and lowering the adjustment plate 3 to adjust the opening degree D of the feeding opening 23. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the lifting means 4 has, for example, a base 41 attached to the feeder body 2, an operating rod 42 having the adjustment plate 3 attached to its lower end and which can be inserted freely to move up and down through the base 41, and an operation input means 43 provided on the upper side of the operating rod 42.

[0041] The base 41 is a support base member that supports the components of the lifting means 4 and the adjustment plate 3. In this embodiment, the base 41 is installed in a position close to the opening 27 at the upper end of the feeder body 2, spanning horizontally between the upper end wall 25a of the front wall 25 and the upper end portion of the rear wall 26. The base 41 is made of a member that is U-shaped in cross section and long on one side, such as a channel member, and is positioned so that it crosses the center of the opening 27 at the upper end of the feeder body 2 from front to back, with both ends fixed to the front wall 25 and the rear wall 26.

[0042] The base 41 is attached at an incline such that the front end is slightly lower than the rear end. A through-hole 44 is provided at the midpoint between the front and rear of the base 41, allowing the operating rod 42 to be inserted freely through the through-hole.

[0043] The operating rod 42 is, for example, a rod-shaped body that is long in the vertical direction, and the adjustment plate 3 is connected to its lower end. A male threaded portion 42a is formed on the upper side of the operating rod 42. The male threaded portion 42a of the operating rod 42 is inserted through the through-hole 44 of the base 41 and is movable up and down along the longitudinal axis.

[0044] An operation input means 43 is provided on a portion of the male threaded portion 42a of the operating rod 42 that protrudes upward from the base portion 41.

[0045] The operation input means 43 is a means for inputting a driving force for moving the operation rod 42 up and down. The operation input means 43 has a rotation operation member 45 that is engaged with the male thread portion 42a of the operation rod 42 and installed on the base 41, and a handle 46 attached to the rotation operation member 45.

[0046] The rotation operation member 45 is, for example, a long, plate-like lever member. One end of the rotation operation member 45 is provided with a female thread portion 45a that screws into the male thread portion 42a of the operating rod 42. The rotation operation member 45 is connected to the base 41 of the operating rod 42 so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions around the central axis of the operating rod 42.

[0047] The rotary operating member 45 is formed so that one end thereof that engages with the operating rod 42 is close to the base 41, while the other end is inclined upward, and a handle 46 is attached to the other end portion that is positioned with a small gap between it and the base 41.

[0048] Furthermore, a rising piece 47 is bent upward and provided integrally with one end of the rotation operation member 45. The rising piece 47 is formed to rise from the rotation operation member 45 in a state of being slightly inclined with respect to the base 41.

[0049] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the handle 46 is made of, for example, a cylindrical rod member, and is inserted into an engagement hole 45b that is drilled so as to penetrate vertically through the other end side of the rotation operating member 45 so as to be freely movable up and down.

[0050] The upper and lower ends of the handle 46 are provided with stopper portions 461 that protrude radially to prevent the handle 46 from coming off the engagement hole 45b of the rotation operation member 45. The stopper portions 461 are formed, for example, in a flange-like shape from the upper or lower end of the handle portion and with a protruding width that allows them to catch on the edge of the engagement hole 45b of the rotation operation member 45.

[0051] With this configuration of lifting means 4, when handle 46 is moved upward, handle 46 is grasped by hand and rotated, and operating rod 42 is rotated forward or backward about its axis via rotation operating member 45, causing male thread portion 42a of operating rod 42 to thread up and down relative to female thread portion 45a of rotation operating member 45. This causes operating rod 42 and adjustment plate 3 connected to its lower end to move up and down, and the opening degree D of feeding opening 23 can be adjusted to be larger or smaller.

[0052] Locking device 6 is a locking means that holds adjusting plate 3 at a predetermined opening degree D of feeding opening 23. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, locking device 6 includes a rotation lock structure that prevents rotation of rotation operating member 45 by engaging handle 46 with base 41. That is, by restricting the rotation of rotation operating member 45, locking device 6 prevents the up and down movement of operating rod 42 and adjusting plate 3, thereby holding adjusting plate 3 at a predetermined adjustment position and maintaining the predetermined opening degree D of feeding opening 23.

[0053] In this embodiment, the rotation lock structure of the locking device 6 includes the handle 46 and an insertion hole 61 provided in the base 41. The insertion holes 61 in the base 41 are drilled in the vertical direction at two positions where the handle 46 and the base 41 overlap in a plan view, corresponding to the position of the handle 46 attached to the other end of the rotation operating member 45. The insertion holes 61 in the base 41 are provided as holes with a larger diameter than the stopper portion 461 on the lower end side of the handle 46, and the lower end of the handle 46, including the stopper portion 461, can be inserted vertically in a removably manner.

[0054] When performing a locking operation using the locking device 6, the handle 46 is rotated together with the rotation operation member 45 to one of the rotation positions (solid line position X1 and two-dot chain line position X2 in FIG. 5) where the handle 46 overlaps with the base 41 in a plan view, and with the handle 46 aligned with the insertion hole 61 of the base 41, the handle 46 is lowered so as to be inserted into the insertion hole 61. As a result, the lower side of the handle 46 engages with the base 41, locking the rotation of the rotation operation member 45 and, as a result, the adjustment plate 3 is held in position.

[0055] On the other hand, when releasing the locking by the locking device 6 and operating the adjusting plate 3 to move up and down, simply moving the handle 46 upward releases the engagement between the lower end of the handle 46 and the base 41. Note that the locking device 6 is not limited to the one described above, and any other locking structure may be used, such as a structure in which a separate pin member or the like locks the rotation operating member 45 and the base 41.

[0056] Scale unit 5 is an opening degree scale means on which scale 51 is formed to indicate the opening degree D of feeding port 23 by adjustment plate 3. In this embodiment, scale unit 5 is installed on the upper side of feeder main body 2, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, and is provided integrally with rotation operating member 45 installed on base 41 of lifting means 4.

[0057] The scale portion 5 is configured by forming a scale 51 on the rising piece 47 of the rotary operating member 45. The scale 51 is displayed so that the amount of upward projection of the operating rod 42 from the base 41 can be measured, and by displaying this projection amount, the amount of movement of the operating rod 42 relative to the base 41, i.e., the amount of vertical movement of the adjustment plate 3, is indicated.

[0058] The scale 51 of the scale section 5 has scale lines formed at predetermined intervals (for example, 1 mm intervals), with 0 representing the upper end position of the operating rod 42 when the adjustment plate 3 is lowered to the lowest position and closing the feeding opening 23. The range of the scale 51 of the scale section 5 may be formed to match the upper and lower limits according to the adjustable opening degree D. For example, the scale 51 may be formed so as to indicate up to the upper limit position of the operating rod 42 when the adjustment plate 3 is raised to the highest position and completely opening the feeding opening 23.

[0059] For example, when operating the handle 46 of the lifting means 4 to raise or lower the adjustment plate 3, the operator can accurately adjust the appropriate opening degree D of the feeding opening 23 by aligning the upper end 42t of the operating rod 42 with any desired scale line on the scale 51. Note that the scale section 5 may be configured to indicate the amount of movement of the operating rod 42 relative to the base 41 by forming a scale on the operating rod 42 itself or by forming a raised portion with a scale on the base 41. Also, for example, a rotation speed indicator or the like may be attached to the rotary operating member 45, and the opening degree of the feeding opening may be indicated from the raised or lowered position of the operating rod and adjustment plate 3 based on the rotation speed or the like.

[0060] Next, an example of how to use the feeding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0061] Powdered food such as crumbled feed is poured into the storage space 21 through the opening 27 at the top end of the feeder body 2, and a certain amount of food is stored in the storage space 21.

[0062] For example, the operator operates the handle 46 of the lifting means 4 to raise and lower the adjustment plate 3 to adjust the opening degree D of the feeding opening 23 according to the breeding conditions, such as the type and size of the livestock being raised. As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the operator can accurately adjust the adjustment plate 3 to achieve the appropriate opening degree while checking the scale 5 on the rotary operating member 45 connected to the handle 46 on the upper side of the feeder body 2 and the position of the upper end 42t of the operating rod 42. Furthermore, because the scale 5 is located on the upper side of the feeder body 2 near the handle 46 operated by the operator, the scale 5 is easy to check visually, making operation easy.

[0063] After adjusting the opening of feeding port 23 with adjustment plate 3, locking device 6 is placed in the locked state by lowering handle 46 so that it is inserted into insertion hole 61 of base 41, as shown in Figure 5. In this state, handle 46 and base 41 are locked, and rotation of rotation operating member 45 is inhibited, thereby locking adjustment plate 3 so that it does not move up or down from the adjusted position.

[0064] By locking the adjustment plate 3 in this way so that it is held in the adjusted position, the adjustment plate will not shift even if, for example, the mouth, nose, or head of a livestock hits the adjustment plate or the operator's body suddenly hits the handle, and the opening degree D of the feeding port 23 can be maintained at an appropriately adjusted level. As a result, the amount of feed given to livestock can be appropriately controlled, allowing livestock to be raised and fattened while being well-managed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0065] The feeding apparatus of the present invention can be suitably used to feed livestock animals such as pigs and cows, and other animals while appropriately adjusting the amount of feed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 Feeding device 2 Feeder body 21 Containment Space 22 Feeder 23 Feeding port 3 Adjustment plate 4 Lifting means 41 Base 42 Operation rod 42a male thread 44 through holes 45 Rotation operating member 46 Handle 47 Rising part 5 Scale 51 scale 6 Locking device 61 Insertion hole

Claims

1. a feeder body having a food storage space therein and a feeding opening formed therein that opens corresponding to the position of a food receiving portion that receives food in the storage space; an adjustment plate attached to the feeder body so as to be able to move up and down so as to change the opening degree of the feeding port; a lifting means for lifting and lowering the adjustment plate; A scale portion having a scale formed thereon that indicates the degree to which the feeding port is opened by the adjustment plate; a locking device that holds the adjustment plate at a predetermined opening degree of the feeding port, The lifting means includes an operating rod whose lower end is connected to the adjustment plate, a base portion installed on the upper side of the feeder body and through which the operating rod can be inserted, a male screw portion provided on the upper portion of the operating rod, a rotary operating member that engages with the male screw portion that passes through the base portion and that raises and lowers the operating rod by rotary operation, and a handle attached to the rotary operating member. the scale of the scale portion indicates the amount of movement of the operating rod relative to the base portion by the amount of upward projection of the operating rod from the base portion, The locking device is characterized in that it includes a handle that is freely movable up and down relative to the rotating operating member, and an insertion hole that is drilled in the base in the vertical direction so that the lower end of the handle can be inserted and removed.

2. 2. The feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scale is integrally provided on the rotation operating member in a raised shape.

3. A feeding device as described in either claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the locking device includes a rotation lock structure that engages the rotation operating member or the handle with the base to prevent rotation of the rotation operating member.

Images