Animal food monitor

• US 3,929,277 A
• Filed: 12/12/1974
• Issued: 12/30/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles K. Rhea Jr, John A. Byrne
• Original Assignee: Charles K. Rhea Jr, John A. Byrne
• Inventors: Byrne, John A., Rhea, Charles K. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urynowicz, Jr., Stanley M.
• Application Number:
  US05/532,204
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.6R,92WT,61.11E,61.11H 119/51R
• US Class Current: 235/376
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0283 by weight
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A system for determining the amount of food consumed in a given period of time by each of a plurality of animals, such as cattle, comprising a feed station which the animals can enter individually and separately for feeding purposes. The feed station includes a feed hopper mounted on a scale. Means, such as a photo-electric sensing device, are provided to determine the presence of an animal at the feed hopper. Actuation of the photoelectric sensing means will energize an interrogation coil which sends an electromagnetic pulse to the animal to activate an identification tag attached to the animal. The identification tag will be a small R.F. transmitter capable of transmitting R.F. pulses equal in number to the identification number assigned to that particular animal. Each identification means will have its own source of power which is momentarily engaged during the period of time that the identification means is transmitting R.F. pulses for identifying the given animal. A magnetic reed switch will be momentarily actuated by the electromagnetic pulse from the electromagnetic interrogation coil. The overall apparatus will be provided with an R.F. receiver which will receive the pulses from the identification tag transmitter and which will address a memory cell in a memory corresponding to the number of the given animal. Thereafter, a weight-sensing device or scale will sense the amount of feed consumed by the given animal and will transfer this information into the memory cell corresponding to that animal. When the animal leaves the feed station, the information as to the amount of food consumed by that given animal will be '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'dumped'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' into the memory cell corresponding to that given animal on top of any other information that is presently in that memory cell with regard to that animal. After the animal departs, the various portions of the apparatus will be returned to zero in readiness for the entry of the next animal.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining the amount of food consumed in a given time by each of a plurality of animals comprising a feed station, a scale located at the feed station, a feed hopper mounted on the scale, means for sensing the presence of an animal at the feed station, means responsive to the actuation of the presence-sensing means to determine the identity of the given animal, consumption measuring means connected to the scale for determining the amount of food consumed from the feed hopper by the given animal subsequent to the actuation of the presencesensing means, memory means for storing the cumulative totals of food consumption of all of the animals individually, means responsive to the actuation of said identity determining means for connecting the consumption measuring means into that portion of the memory means corresponding to the given animal, and means responsive to the departure of the given animal from the feed station for returning the consumption measuring means to zero in preparation for the entry of the next animal into the feed station.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to determine the identity of said given animal includes an electromagnetic coil positioned at said feed station and responsive to the actuation of said presence-sensing means for providing electromagnetic pulses, identification means on each animal, each identification means including an internal source of power for the identification means, a transmitter, a magnetically responsive reed switch normally open but closable in response to the electro-magnetic pulses from said electromagnetic coil to power said transmitter in said identification means, means responsive to the closing of said reed switch for transmitting a predetermined number of pulses from said transmitter and corresponding to a predetermined number assigned to said given animal, means for holding said reed switch in closed position during the period of time that said identification means is transmitting said pulses, means responsive to the completion of the transmission of the predetermined number of pulses to open said reed switch, a receiver at said feed station for receiving said pulses from said transmitter, and an identification counter connected to the output of said receiver for counting the number of pulses received from said transmitter.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said memory means is comprised of a plurality of memory cells, one memory cell corresponding to each animal of said plurality of animals and wherein said identification counter connects said consumption measuring means to the cell of said memory means corresponding to said given animal.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said scale includes a hydraulic load cell adapted to produce a variable hydraulic pressure in accordance with the changes in weight in said feed hopper, means for converting the changes in pressure from said hydraulic load cell into a pair of square waves, one square wave representing the up movement of the hopper, and the other square wave representing the down movement of the hopper, said consumption measuring means including a weight counter receiving its input from said two square waves and counting the total net weight consumed from said feed hopper, said means responsive to the departure of the given animal transferring information concerning positive consumption only of feed from the feed hopper into said portion of said memory means corresponding to said given animal.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means operatively connected to said weight counter for preventing the transfer of information from said weight counter representing indicated negative consumption of feed from said feed hopper.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including means responsive to the actuation of the presence-sensing means for zeroing said weight counter.