| 摘要 |
A trough includes an elongate trough body and at least one elongate support element. The trough body includes at least one longitudinal side wall portion and a bottom portion which are integral with one another, or attached to one another along respective longitudinal edges. The support element extends along the outer face of the side wall portion. The support element may be restrained from moving outward, away from a longitudinal trough centerline, by connecting a restraint located inside the trough to the support element. The side wall portion is maintained upright partly by tension in the support element or in the restraint. In one embodiment, a plastics sheet material is bent into a U-shaped animal feed trough with opposite side walls supported upright by tension in longitudinal supporting wires and transverse restraint wires, the ends of which connect to the support wires through respective perforations in the side walls. |
| 主权项 |
1. A trough comprising an elongate trough body, at least one elongate support element and at least one transverse restraint, wherein:
the trough body comprises a bottom portion of the trough body and at least one side wall portion of the trough body; the trough body is formed from at least one resilient semi-rigid sheet; the side wall portion extends along a longitudinal side of the trough; a lower longitudinal edge of the side wall portion is attached to, or continuous with, a longitudinal edge of the bottom portion; the elongate support element extends along the outer face of the side wall portion and is lower than an upper edge of the side wall portion but higher than the bottom portion; the transverse restraint extends transversely across the inside of the trough, intermediate the ends of the trough, and is lower than the upper edge of the side wall portion but higher than the bottom portion, the transverse restraint comprising a flexible wire; the elongate support element is connected to the restraint and is restrained from moving outward, away from a longitudinal centerline of the trough, at least in part by a tension in the restraint; the elongate support element is tensioned between two anchor devices which are located at respective ends of the elongate support element; and the side wall portion is maintained upright in part by tension in the elongate support element, in part by the tension in the restraint, and in part by the side wall being biased to push outward against the elongate support element by the resilient semi-rigidity of the sheet. |
