GB2157146A

GB2157146A - Animal feeding apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2157146A
Application number: GB08509031A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joachim Kieper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-04-10
Filing date: 1985-04-09
Publication date: 1985-10-23
Also published as: FR2562383A1; DE3413394A1; NL8501047A; GB8509031D0; GB2157146B

Abstract

An apparatus for the continuous feeding of laboratory animals, preferably small rodents, in animal cages with mealy feed consists of a feed vessel (2) with a meal supply and storage tube (1), the casing of the vessel being provided with feeding holes (3). Spaces (6, 7), matched to the size of the animals, are provided between the casing and the meal supply and storage tube and/or between the meal supply and storage tube and a feed plate (5) which is arranged below it. The apparatus is constructed so that relative movement with a horizontal component can be generated between the meal supply and storage tube and the feed plate through the energy of movement of the slipping in animal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for the continuous feeding of labortory animals The invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous feeding of labortory animals, preferably small rodents, in animal cages with mealy (farcinaceous) feed.

One of the customary types of feeding in the holding of labortory animals is the "ad libitum" feeding, i.e. feed is continuously available for comsumption. One requirement for achieving better investigation results is the ability to monitor the amount of feed consumed by animals at any time (daily or weekly). This assumes that contamination or scattering (burial) of the offered feed by the animals is prevented.

This problem is already solved by an apparatus in accordance with German Laying Open Print DE OS 31 06 509.

This apparatus is however only usable for feeding with grains and pellets. Feeding with mealy feed, which is increasingly required, is not possible using devices of this kind because, above all, the wall friction in the supply tube prevents reliable top-up flow of the mealy feed into the container for comsumption. However, automatic feeding is necessary over a long period of time, as a result of the many laboratory animals which have to be kept, and above all for personnel cost reasons. Moreover, a requirement for absolute reliability with regard to the supply of feed must be satisfied with respect to the animals. Accordingly, the invention is based on the object of providing an apparatus which guarantees the reliable top up flow of mealy feed from supply containers into the feed vessel, even over longer periods of time.

This object is satisfied, in accordance with the invention, in that the apparatus consists of a feed vessel with a meal supply and storage tube; in that slip-in slots matched to the size of the animals are provided between the casing and the meal supply and storage tube and/or between the meal supply and storage tube and the feed plate which is arranged below it; and in that the apparatus is constructed so that a relative movement with a horizontal component can be generated between the meal supply and storage tube and the feed plate through the energy of movement of the slipping in animals.

As a result of the horizontal components of the relative movement both the wall friction in the meal supply and storage tube as well as the support lines for the meal arch which forms are disturbed, and the static stability of the upright column destroyed, so that problemfree top-up flow of the meal feed into the feed vessel is ensured without great technical complexibility or expense.

An expedient realization of the invention consists of an arrangement in which the feed plate is rotatably journalled on the base of the vessel and in which upwardly pointing pins are arranged at the periphery of the feed plate transverse to the plane of the plate, Another expedient development of the invention consists of an arrangement in which the meal supply and storage tube is rotatably journalled and in which downwarly directed pins are arranged on a peripheral ring.

The pins on both forms of realization of the thought underlying the invention are arranged so that the animals necessarily nudge against them during access to the food and so generate a movement either of the feed plate or, in the other case, of the meal supply and storage tube.

An advantageous further development of the invention consists of an arrangement in which the meal supply and storage tube is cardanically mounted. In this manner the pins can be spared and the relative movement in the form of a pendulum movement is generated by the animals shoving directly against the meal supply and storage tube during the feeding procedure.

In order to have the possibility of only permitting animals access to the feed at specific times it is expediently proposed that a telescopic sleeve is arranged at the outer wall of the feed vessel and is axially displaceably constructed in order to open and close the feed holes.

In principle the feed holes could also be closable without a telescopic construction of the sleeve, however, should an animal be located in one of the feed holes during the closing process it would be crushed by the sleeve. This is prevented by the telescopic arrangement because the lower ring of the sleeve is pushed upwardly by a resistance (animal) and only closes the feed hole after this has been left by the animal.

The invention will now be explained in more detail and by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings which show: Figure 1 an apparatus in accordance with the invention with a rotatably feed plate, Figure 2 an apparatus as in Figure 1 but with a rotatable meal supply and storage tube, Figure 3 as Figure 2 however with a cardanically mounted meal supply and storage tube, Figure 4 the construction of the telescopic sleeve on one of the apparatuses in accordance with the invention.

In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 common parts are designated by the same reference numeral. In the Figures the reference numeral 1 designates a meal supply and storage tube which dips into a feed vessel 2. The feed vessel 2 has a vessel casing 4 which is provided with feeding holes 3. A feeding plate designated with the reference numeral 5 is provided at the base of the feed vessel. Slip-in slots 6, 7 are provided to permit the animals access to the feed. The slip-in slot between the meal supply and storage tube 1 and the vessel casing 4 is designated by the reference numeral 6 and the slip-in slot between the feed plate 5 and the lower edge of the meal supply and storage tube 1 is designated by the reference numeral 7.

In Figure 1 the feed plate 5 is rotatably mounted on the base 8 of the vessel in the bearing 9. The reference numerals 10 designate the upwardly pointing pins arranged at the periphery of the feed plate 5.

The pins 10 are arranged on the periphery of the feed plate 5 at a pitch such that they are able to satisfy a double function, namely to act on the one hand as a creep barrier for the animals and to serve on the other hand as a lever arm for the required angular movement of the feed plate which are generated by the animals during access to the feed.

As the column of meal of the meal supply and storage tube 1 stands on the feed plate 5 the angular movement is transmitted from the feed plate to the column as exclusively horizontal components whereby, as already described above, a continuous topping up flow is guaranteed as the feed is consumed by the animals.

In the embodiment of Figure 1 the meal supply and storage tube 1 is vertically adjustably held in the feed vessel 2 by means of the clamping ring 16. In the embodiment of Figure 2 the vertical adjustment is effected in like manner by changing the axle length of the bearing 12.

In Figure 2 the base of the feed vessel 2 is constructed as a ieed plate 5, and is thus rigidly connected therewith. In order to generate the requisite relative movement between the feed plate and the meal supply and storage tube 1 the latter is rotatably suspended on the cover 11 of the feed vessel 2 in the bearing 12. The requisite angular movement is generated by the eating animal, as in Figure 1, via pins 13 which are secured to the meal supply and storage tube 1 via the peripheral ring 14 and which point downwardly.

In Figure 3 the feed plate 5 simultaneously forms the base of the vessel, as in Figure 2. No pins are used here in order to generate a relative movement between the meal supply and storage tube 1 and the feed plate 5 but instead the meal supply and storage tube itself. For 'his purpose, and in order that the movement can be generated from all sides of the feed vessel 2, the meal supply and the storage tube 1 is suspended in the feed vessel 2 by means of a cardan or gimbal bearing 15. The eating animal nudges after slipping in through the feed hole 3 against the meal supply and storage tube 1 and sets the latter in a pendulum movement, the predominantly horizontal component of which guarantees the back up of flow of the meal feed out of the tube.

In Figure 4 the telescopic sleeve 17 consists of a sleeve ring 19, which is rigidly connected with an actuating member 18, and a further sleeve ring 20 which hangs loosely in this sleeve ring 19. Only the sleeve ring 20 engages in the closed state of the feed holes 3 over and beyond these feed holes so that, in the case of resistance by an animal which is still located in the feed hole 3 the sleeve ring 20 only lies on the animal with its own weight and only closes the feeding hole 3 when the latter is free. Closure means here the covering over of the feed hole 3 to such an extent that it is unpassable for the laboratory animal.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the continuous feeding of laboratory animals, preferably small rodents, in animal cages with mealy (farcinaceous) feed, characterised in that the apparatus consists of a feed vessel (2) with a meal supply and storage tube (1); in that the casing (4) of the vessel is provided with feeding holes (3); in that slip-in slots (6, 7) matched to the size of the animals are provided between the casing (4) and the meal supply and storage tube (1) and/or between the meal supply and storage tube (1) and the feed plate (5) which is arranged below it; and in that the apparatus is constructed so that a relative movement with a horizontal component can be generated between the meal supply and storage tube (1) and the feed plate (5) through the energy of movement of the slipping in animals.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the feed plate (5) is rotatably jour nalled on the base of the vessel, and in that upwardly pointing pins (10) are arranged at the periphery of the feed plate (4) transverse to the plane of the plate.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1. characterised in that the meal supply and storage tube (1) is rotatably journalled; and in that downwardly pointing pins (13) are arranged on a peripheral ring (14).

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the meal supply and storage tube (1) is cardanically mounted.

5. Apparatus in accordance with the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a telescopic sleeve (17) is arranged at the outer wall of the vessel casing (4) and is axially displaceably constructed in order to open and close the feeding holes (3).

6. Apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1.

7. Apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 2.

8. Apparatus as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 3.

9. Apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 4.