Fluid handling – Line condition change responsive valves – With separate connected fluid reactor surface
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-02
2001-06-05
Hepperle, Stephen M. (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Line condition change responsive valves
With separate connected fluid reactor surface
C137S116500, C137S869000, C137S906000, C119S072500, C119S077000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240956
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to animal watering systems such as poultry drinker systems and more particularly to a drinker system having an improved remote control arrangement.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Drinker systems for supplying drinking water to poultry typically include an array of drinker lines, each line having numerous drinker outlets such as nipple or cup drinkers. Water is delivered to the drinker lines at a low pressure, such as a few inches of water column. A pressure regulator for each drinker line reduces the pressure of water from a common pressurized water supply and regulates the water pressure in the drinker line to maintain a predetermined level or set point. The drinker lines and regulators are arrayed around a poultry building. A spring in each regulator typically applies a force establishing the set point. The regulators are normally capable of being adjusted by changing the spring preload, but this requires the operator to go to each regulator and make the adjustment manually.
The necessity for the operator to move about the poultry floor to each regulator location in sequence to perform adjustments is time consuming, inconvenient and undesirable. The presence of humans in the poultry building may disrupt the flock. In addition, present manually controlled systems are not suited for automated control of water pressure to compensate for variables such as temperature, bird growth and the like.
Periodically the drinker system must be flushed with higher pressure water to remove stale or contaminated water or to remove water containing residual medications or nutrients. In a typical drinker system, each drinker line is connected to a normally closed flush passage that bypasses the pressure regulator supplying that line. When a flush bypass passage is opened, high pressure water flows through the corresponding drinker line and is discharged through an outlet weir. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that the control diaphragm and valve of the pressure regulator are exposed to a high pressure differential that can damage regulator components. Another disadvantage of this arrangement is that the flow passage through the regulator is not flushed when water flows through the bypass passage. The flushing operation may be accomplished using electrically operated valves in the bypass passages, but this is very expensive because in the poultry house environment the hardware including valves, wiring and electrical connectors must be highly corrosion resistant. The alternative of manually performing the flushing operation requires the operator to move about the poultry floor with the same disadvantages discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved drinker system for animals such as poultry or the like. Other objects are to provide an improved drinker system with which the need for manual adjustments of dispersed system components is eliminated and the resulting inconvenience and animal disturbance is avoided; to provide a drinker system in which both normal drinker operation and periodic flush operations are controlled from a centralized remote location; to provide a drinker system suited for automated control; and to provide a drinker system overcoming disadvantages of known systems.
In brief in accordance with the invention there is provided a drinker system for delivering water from a source of pressurized water to a plurality of drinker lines. The drinker system includes a plurality of pressure regulators each adapted to be connected between the source of pressurized water and one of the drinker lines. Each pressure regulator includes a water inlet, a water outlet and a regulating valve connected to the water inlet and providing a flow of water at a regulated reduced outlet pressure to the water outlet. Each pressure regulator further includes a movable valve control member responsive to the outlet pressure and coupled to the regulating valve for operating the regulating valve to maintain the outlet pressure at a predetermined set point. A system for establishing the set point includes a centralized control system. A plurality of air pressure conduits extend from the control system to each of the pressure regulators, and the movable control members of the regulators are responsive to air pressure supplied from the air pressure conduits. The centralized control system includes an air pressure control system for varying the air pressure in the air pressure conduits.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4640310 (1987-02-01), Hartle et al.
patent: 4708162 (1987-11-01), Bayat
patent: 4896629 (1990-01-01), Johnson
patent: 5174331 (1992-12-01), Steudler, Jr.
patent: 5184571 (1993-02-01), Hostetler et al.
patent: 5694975 (1997-12-01), Eidsmore
patent: 5771921 (1998-06-01), Johnson
patent: 5967167 (1999-10-01), Johnson
CTB Inc.
Hepperle Stephen M.
Trexler, Bushnell Giangiorgi, Blackstone & Marr, Ltd.
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