Animal husbandry – Watering or liquid feed device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-02
2001-10-30
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Watering or liquid feed device
C119S072500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308657
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a drinking valve for, in particular, small animals such as hens or the like, in accordance with the preamble to claim
1
.
The drinking valve referred to here is generally employed in the factory farming of, preferably, small animals such as chicks, hens, geese, ducks, turkeys or the like. The drinking valve makes it possible for the animals themselves to cover their requirement for water.
A plurality of drinking valves are usually associated with an elongated drinking line. For this purpose, the drinking valves are connected to an elongated water supply line in order to form the water supply element of the drinking line. The known drinking valves require a relatively expensive, watertight connection to the water supply line. The drinking valves are, in the main, screwed into the water supply line. For this purpose, both the drinking valves and the acceptance holes in the water supply line must have threads. Such a connection is quite expensive.
The invention is based on the object of creating a drinking valve which ensures a simple and reliable, in particular reliably watertight, connection to a water supply element.
A drinking valve to achieve this object has the features of claim
1
. Because the casing of the drinking valve has an acceptance part and a connecting part, which are connected together by connecting means, part of the casing, preferably the connecting part, can always remain on the water supply element, preferably permanently connected to it or even connected to it so that it cannot be released. A plurality of connecting means are preferably provided which make it possible to connect—rapidly and so that they can be released at any time—the other parts of the drinking valve, in particular the connecting part to the valve arrangement, to the part of the casing directly connected to the water supply element, in particular the connecting part, by, in particular, simply pushing them together. The exchange of defective drinking valves can take place in a simple manner because the connecting part of the respective drinking valve remains on the water supply element and, therefore, only the remaining part of the drinking valve has to be exchanged.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting means, preferably snap-in connections, are arranged in the casing, particularly in fact within the casing. In consequence, the connecting means are accommodated in a protected manner in the drinking valve and, more particularly, they are screened from external influences, for example dirt.
In addition, provision is made for the connecting means, in particular snap-in connections, to be arranged outside, preferably below, the water supply line. By this means, the free pipe cross section of the water supply line is not restricted by the connecting means.
In a preferred embodiment of the drinking valve, both the acceptance part and the connecting part have a substantially rotationally symmetrical configuration. In particular, the acceptance part and the connecting part have an approximately sleeve-type shape. Consequently, they can be easily pushed into one another.
So that the production of the preferably snap-in connection between the connecting part and the acceptance part can, in particular, be carried out simply, at least one guide is provided between the acceptance part and the connecting part. The acceptance part and the connecting part preferably have two guides at a distance from one another and arranged on opposite sides of the connection. In this way, the acceptance part can be pushed, with concentric guidance, into the connecting part and, by this means, the connection can be produced simply and, more particularly, without destruction.
In accordance with a further, possibly independent, embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the valve arrangement, in particular an upper pin of the same which is supported in the casing so that it can move up and down, to be secured from falling out of the casing. This facilitates the assembly of the drinking valve.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the drinking valve has two connecting means, in particular snap-in connections, available—and, in fact, additionally to the snap-in connection between the connecting part and the acceptance part of the casing—by means of a snap-in connection between the connecting part of the casing and the water supply element, in particular the water supply line. In this way, the complete drinking valve can be fastened to the water supply element exclusively by snap-in connections. The snap-in connection between the connecting part and the water supply element is preferably designed in such a way that the connecting part can only be released from the water supply element with difficulty or not at all. This ensures that in the case of a defective drinking valve, for example, deliberate release is only possible of the snap-in connection between the acceptance part and the connecting part and, in the case of an exchange of the drinking valve, it is not necessary to exchange the connecting part also because the latter remains on the water supply element, in particular the water supply line.
In accordance with a further development of the invention, the snap-in connection between the connecting part and the water supply element is held, preferably positively, by the acceptance part so that it is practically impossible to release it in an acceptance hole of the water supply element, in particular the water supply line. This positive locking of the snap-in connection between the connecting part of the drinking valve and the water supply line is maintained by a corresponding configuration of the acceptance part of the casing until such time as the snap-in connection between the acceptance part and the connecting part is released.
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Lehmkuhl Ludger
Schumacher Egon
Abbott Yvonne R.
Jordan Charles T.
Lubing Maschinenfabrik Ludwig Being GmbH & Co. KG
Technoprop Colton LLC
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