Livestock confinement structure monitor

• US 4,168,494 A
• Filed: 09/15/1977
• Issued: 09/18/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dickey-John Corporation (Churchill Industries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dickey-John Corporation (Churchill Industries, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupton, John E., Hummel, Jon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US05/833,452
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 340/213 R, 340/214, 340/224, 340/409, 340/412, 340/413, 340/416, 340/420, 340/506, 340/521, 340/531, 340/539, 340/541, 325/308
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0047 Air-conditioning, e.g. ventilation, of animal housings
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow

Abstract

A monitor for a plurality of functions associated with a structure such as a livestock confinement structure or the like including detecting fire or intrusion, and monitoring temperature, water supply, ventilation and power supply. The monitor comprises a plurality of sensors mounted at a plurality of locations about the structure adapted for detecting and/or monitoring the above mentioned parameters and providing respective electrical signals corresponding thereto. An electronic circuit is connected with the sensors and includes first indicator circuits connected with the sensors associated with temperature monitoring for producing indication signals in response to variations in the electrical signals therefrom from predetermined ranges of values, and second indicator circuits connected with the remaining sensors for producing indication signals in response to predetermined values of the electrical signals therefrom. Indicators such as visual or audible alarms are connected with the indicator circuits for producing indications in response to the indication signals. In a preferred embodiment, a radio transmitter is connected with the indicator circuits for transmitting the indication signals to a remote radio receiver for receiving the signals and including indicators such as visual and audible alarms.

Claims

1. A monitor for performing a plurality of monitoring and detecting functions in a structure comprising:

a plurality of sensor means mounted at a plurality of locations about said structure for separately detecting fire and intrusion and for separately monitoring temperature, water supply, ventilation and power supply and for providing a plurality of electrical signals corresponding respectively thereto, circuit means including first indicator circuit means connected with the temperature monitoring sensor means for producing indication signals in response to variations in the electrical signals therefrom from predetermined ranges of values, and second indicator circuit means connected with the sensor means associated with said fire and intrusion detection and with said water supply, power supply and ventilation monitoring for producing separate indication signals in response to predetermined ones of the respective electrical signals from each of said sensors, a plurality of indicator means connected in said first and second indicator circuit means for providing separate indications in response to each of said indication signals and thereby identifying the function for which an indication is being given, and display console means housing said circuit means and said indicator means for presenting a unified display of the functions being monitored.

2. A monitor according to claim 1 wherein said circuit means further includes alarm signal circuit means connected in said first and second indicator circuit means for producing an alarm signal in response to any of said indication signals.

3. A monitor according to claim 2 wherein said circuit means further includes reset means for selectively resetting said alarm signal circuit means in said first and second indicator circuit means when the respective alarm signals are given thereby, to enable said alarm signal circuit means in said first and second indicator circuit means to produce like alarm signals in response to subsequent electrical signals from said sensor means.

4. A monitor according to claim 3 wherein said circuit means further includes delay means connected with said alarm signals circuit means for producing a predetermined delay time between said indication signals responsive to said temperature, water supply, ventilation and power supply sensors and production of said alarm signal, to prevent said alarm signal from being produced in response to transient signals or the like.

5. A monitor for monitoring functions such as temperatures, at a plurality of locations in a structure comprising:

temperature sensor means for detecting temperature at a plurality of locations about said structure and for providing a plurality of temperature electrical signals corresponding thereto, and circuit means including temperature indicator circuit means connected with said temperature sensor means for producing temperature indication signals in response to variations in said temperature electrical signals from predetermined ranges of values, wherein said circuit means includes means for providing a plurality of different ones of said predetermined ranges of values, said temperature sensor means includes a plurality of temperature sensors mounted at a plurality of locations about said structure and electrically arranged in a plurality of predetermined groups and said temperature indicator circuit means includes a plurality of temperature indicator circuits, each connected with one of said groups of temperature sensors, and each of said temperature indicator circuits includes operator accessible means for selecting one of said plurality of predetermined ranges of values for its associated group of temperature sensors.

6. A monitor according to claim 5, said circuit means further including means for sequentially connecting the temperature sensors in each of said groups to the temperature indicator circuit associated with that group and for identifying the temperature sensor connected thereby.

7. A monitor according to claim 5, further including fire sensor means located in said structure for providing fire electrical signals in response to a rate of increase of temperature adjacent thereto in excess of a predetermined rate and in response to a temperature adjacent thereto in excess of a predetermined temperature, said circuit means further including fire indicator circuit means connected with said first sensor means for producing a fire indication signal in response to said fire signal, and in response to said fire sensor means becoming disconnected therefrom.

8. A monitor according to claim 7 wherein said fire sensor means comprises a plurality of fire sensors disposed in a plurality of locations about said structure, each capable of producing said fire electrical signals, said circuit means further including means for sequentially connecting said fire sensors to said fire indicator circuit means and for identifying the sensor connected thereby.

9. A monitor according to claim 5 further including water supply sensor means for detecting water pressure of the water supply at a plurality of locations in said structure and for providing a water supply electrical signal when the water pressure is below a predetermined value, said circuit means further including water supply indicator circuit means connected with said water supply sensor means for producing a water supply indication signal in response to said water supply electrical signal, and in response to said water supply sensor means becoming disconnected therefrom.

10. A monitor according to claim 5 further including ventilation sensor means for detecting air flow at a plurality of locations in said structure and providing ventilation electrical signals in response to the absence of air flow, said circuit means further including ventilation indicator circuit means connected with said ventilation sensor means for producing a ventilation indication signal in response to said ventilation electrical signal.

11. A monitor according to claim 5 wherein said circuit means includes a circuit power supply and further including power supply sensor means for providing a power supply electrical signal when the structure'"'"'s power supply is below a predetermined value, said circuit means further including power supply indicator circuit means connected with said power supply sensor means and with said circuit power supply for producing a power supply indication signal in response to said power supply electrical signal, and in response to said circuit power supply falling below a predetermined value.

12. A monitor according to claim 5 further including intrusion sensor means associated with entrances and the like of said structure for providing an intrusion electrical signal when said entrances are opened, and intrusion indicator circuit means for producing an intrusion indication signal in response to said intrusion electrical signal.

13. A monitor for monitoring a plurality of functions such as ventilation in a livestock confinement structure comprising:

ventilation sensor means for detecting air flow at a plurality of locations about said structure and for providing a plurality of electrical signals corresponding respectively thereto, and circuit means including ventilation indicator circuit means connected with said ventilation sensor means for producing ventilation indication signals in response to variations in said electrical signals from predetermined values, wherein said ventilation sensor means comprises a plurality of ventilation sensors mounted at a plurality of locations in said structure and electrically arranged in a plurality of predetermined groups and said ventilation indicator circuit means includes a plurality of ventilation indicator circuits, each associated with one of said groups of ventilation sensors and wherein said circuit means further includes means for sequentially connecting the ventilation sensors in each of said groups to the ventilation indicator circuit associated with that group and for identifying the ventilation sensor connected thereby.

14. A monitor according to claim 13 wherein said circuit means includes a circuit power supply and power supply indicator circuit means connected with said circuit power supply for producing a power supply indication signal in response to said circuit power supply falling below a predetermined value.

15. A monitor according to claim 14 further including battery means and means for automatically connecting said battery means to provide power for said circuit means in response to said circuit power supply falling below said predetermined value.

16. A monitor according to claim 14 further including a plurality of power supply sensors disposed in a plurality of locations about said structure, said circuit means further including means for sequentially connecting said power supply sensors to said power supply indicator circuit means and for identifying the sensor connected thereby.