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US 8,707,908 B2Granted
Poultry weighing apparatus
AssigneeBig Dutchman International GmbH
InventorsJohann Grave, Bernard Heinrich Südkamp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A poultry weighing apparatus includes a support surface configured to permit at least one fowl to stand thereon. A force sensor is operably connected with the support surface, and detects the weight of the fowl or fowls on the support surface. A second sensor is operably connected with the support surface, and detects at least one additional physical characteristic, other than weight, of the fowl or fowls standing on the support surface.
Claims12
An apparatus for weighing an individual fowl in a poultry house or the like, comprising:
- a support surface shaped to support a plurality of live fowls standing thereon;
- a force sensor operably connected with said support surface, continually detecting the weight force of the fowl or fowls standing thereon during operation, and generating an associated weight force sensor signal;
- an evaluation unit operably connected with said force sensor, having prestored weight data for individual fowls of a corresponding age, and comparing sudden changes in said weight force sensor signal potentially associated with an individual fowl moving onto or off of the support surface with said prestored weight data to define a weight difference which is only recorded as the weight of an individual fowl on said support surface when said weight force difference is within a stored, predetermined range of individual fowl weight forces of fowls of the corresponding age.
An apparatus for weighing live poultry and the like, comprising:
- a support surface shaped to support only a single fowl standing thereon;
- a force sensor operably connected with said support surface, continually detecting the weight force of the fowl standing thereon during operation, and generating an associated weight force sensor signal;
- an evaluation unit operably connected with said force sensor, having prestored weight data for individual fowls, and comparing sudden changes in said weight force sensor signal with said prestored weight data to define a weight difference which is recorded as the weight of the single fowl on said support surface only when said weight force difference is within a stored, predetermine range;
- a first temperature sensor operably connected with said support surface, said first temperature sensor configured to measure the body temperature of a fowl on said support surface, wherein said first temperature sensor comprises a radiation receiver which receives temperature radiation for a defined region of said apparatus, and wherein said first temperature sensor is disposed generally above said support surface, and is inclined downwardly to pass through a horizontal plane that is located beside said support surface and coplanar with the same;
- and
- a second temperature sensor located on said support surface and detecting the temperature of at least one of the feet of the fowl on said support surface.
3 more elements
An apparatus for weighing live poultry in poultry houses and the like, comprising:
- a first support surface shaped to support a plurality of live fowls standing thereon;
- a force sensor operably connected with said support surface, and detecting the weight force of the fowl or fowls standing thereon;
- a reduced size second support surface provided above said first support surface and adapted to receive only one fowl at time thereon;
- a contact temperature sensor associated with said second support surface which detects the temperature of the feet of the fowl standing thereon;
- and
- a radiation temperature sensor disposed above said second support surface and oriented to receive radiation from the region of said second support surface on which the body of the fowl is disposed.
3 more elements
A poultry weighing apparatus, comprising:
- a support surface configured to permit at least one fowl to stand thereon;
- a force sensor operably connected with said support surface and detecting the weight of the fowl or fowls standing on said support surface;
- a second sensor operably connected with said support surface and detecting at least one additional physical characteristic, other than weight, of the fowl or fowls standing on said support surface;
- and wherein
- said support surface defines a first support surface and is adapted to receive and support thereon a plurality of fowls;
- and including
- a reduced-size second support surface provided above said first support surface and adapted to receive only one fowl at a time thereon;
- a contact temperature sensor arranged in said second support surface which detects the temperature of the feet of the fowl standing thereon;
- and
- a non-contact radiation temperature sensor arranged above said second support surface and oriented to receive radiation from the region adjacent to said second support surface on which the body of the fowl is disposed.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.