Abstract: A pet door has a frame defining an access aperture and a pivotally-hung aperture-closing flap therein with a catch to secure the flap against opening in one direction. The catch is supported on a toggle joint spring-biased against one of two adjacent abutments. The second abutment, which is displaceable, is normally positioned to prevent collapse of the toggle joint whereby the catch is maintained in a flap-securing position. The second abutment is part of a magnetically-activated catch control mechanism, comprising (i) a rotationally mounted disc or lever bearing the abutment and (ii) a rockable lever interconnected with the disc. The rockable lever bears magnet(s) co-operable with a key magnet on a pet collar. When the key magnet is presented to the pet door, it repels the magnet(s) on the rockable lever causing the interconnected disc to rotate, displacing the second abutment.

Abstract: The door closer is of the kind which acts, for example between a door hinge stile and a hinge jamb and has a body for mounting usually in the stile, from which body a spring-biased tension member extends correspondingly for anchoring to an anchoring point (for example in the jamb), wherein a hydraulic cylinder-piston damper is interposed between the tension member and a biasing spring therefor, the damper being adapted to allow fluid in use to flow restrictedly past the piston when the tension member (12) is moved in door-closing and door-opening directions; characterized in that the cylinder of the hydraulic cylinder piston damper is formed of a plastics material, and the cylinder is resiliently expansible in response to an increase in pressure therein such that the clearance between the piston and cylinder is increased to permit increased flow of fluid around the piston.

Abstract: A rotary feeder for animals comprises a base defining or containing a plurality of food receptacles disposed around the base, an indexable cover rotationally supported by the base and having an opening giving access to each receptable in turn when the cover is indexed. Detachably mounted to the cover and rotatable therewith is a motor drive unit having an output member drivingly engageable with the base and operable, when the motor thereof is periodically energized, to rotate the drive unit and with it the cover so as to index the cover opening in turn from receptacle to receptacle.

Abstract: A pet door has a frame member with a laterally-projecting tunnel formation together defining a portal through which a pet may pass. A flap is located in the portal for closing the portal, the flap being displaceable in one or other of two directions by a pet, to enable the pet to pass through the door in one direction or the other. The tunnel formation provides a ledge which confronts an adjacent opening edge of the flap when the latter is displaced in at least one opening direction, the frame member defining a step down or rebate which disposes the ledge sufficiently spaced away from the adjacent edge of the flap when the flap is displaced in the said direction as to ensure that a pet's paw cannot become trapped and jammed between the flap edge and the ledge.