Abstract: An automatic pet feeder, comprising a bowl with a plurality of compartments, a cover and a sensor, the bowl being rotated relative to the cover to sequentially expose each the compartments, the bowl having location regions detectable by the sensor, each location region having a first edge and a second edge, the motor being driven at a first speed until the first edge is detected, and the motor being driven at a second, slower speed until the second edge is detected, stopping the motor.

Abstract: A pet fountain comprises an upper bowl, a base including a lower bowl. The upper bowl can be secured to the base so that it is elevated above the level of the base. The lower bowl is sufficiently large to accommodate the upper bowl when the upper bowl is not secured to the base. The internal space of the lower bowl has at least one span that is slightly greater than the longest measurement across the upper bowl.

Abstract: A feeder is provided for animals selected from domestic pets, cage birds, chickens, fish and wild birds. The feeder has a hopper to hold a supply of dry feed. A chamber receives feed by gravity from a lower portion of the hopper, and has a discharge outlet at one axial end of the chamber. A passage is defined from and includes the chamber and extends to an opening at the distal end of the discharge outlet for discharge of feed from the feeder. An auger is mounted for rotation about an axis within the chamber. The auger is adapted as it rotates to move feed along the passage to be discharged at the distal end of the discharge outlet. A shutter is adapted to occlude the passage and is provided within the discharge outlet. The shutter is coupled to and rotates with the auger.

Abstract: A feeder for feeding animals selected from domestic pets, cage birds, chickens, fish and wild birds. A hopper holds feed, an electric motor and a battery holder A chamber receives feed from the hopper, and has a discharge outlet for discharge of feed. An augur is mounted for rotation and receives drive from the electrical motor. As the augur rotates, it moves feed along the chamber towards the discharge outlet. An indexing mechanism indexes individual turns of the augur. The feeder supplies feed to the discharge outlet in metered amounts. The feeder is formed as two units, namely a base unit with a hopper unit mounted on the base unit. The base unit mounts the electric motor and battery holder. The hopper unit includes the hopper itself, the chamber and the augur. The hopper unit is freely separable from the base unit for cleaning or for filling the hopper.

Abstract: A method of operation of a pet door system with a controllable lock and circuitry including a resonant circuit having an antenna and an element to vary the resonant frequency of the circuit according to a setting parameter, a drive circuit for driving the resonant circuit with a drive signal, and a demodulator, the method including a setting-up operation comprising varying the setting parameter while driving the resonant circuit at a first driving frequency, detecting a first value of the setting parameter at which the resonant circuit is substantially in tune while the resonant circuit is driven at the first driving frequency, and storing the first value of the setting parameter. The method further includes a reading operation comprising reading the first value, driving the resonant circuit at the first driving frequency with the setting parameter set to the first value, and attempting to derive data from the demodulator.

Abstract: A method of operation of a pet door system with a controllable lock and circuitry including a resonant circuit having an antenna and an element to vary the resonant frequency of the circuit according to a setting parameter, a drive circuit for driving the resonant circuit with a drive signal, and a demodulator, the method including a setting-up operation comprising varying the setting parameter while driving the resonant circuit at a first driving frequency, detecting a first value of the setting parameter at which the resonant circuit is substantially in tune while the resonant circuit is driven at the first driving frequency, and storing the first value of the setting parameter. The method further includes a reading operation comprising reading the first value, driving the resonant circuit at the first driving frequency with the setting parameter set to the first value, and attempting to derive data from the demodulator.

Abstract: A feeder for feeding animals selected from domestic pets, cage birds, chickens, fish and wild birds. A hopper holds feed, an electric motor and a battery holder A chamber receives feed from the hopper, and has a discharge outlet for discharge of feed. An augur is mounted for rotation and receives drive from the electrical motor. As the augur rotates, it moves feed along the chamber towards the discharge outlet. An indexing mechanism indexes individual turns of the augur. The feeder supplies feed to the discharge outlet in metered amounts. The feeder is formed as two units, namely a base unit with a hopper unit mounted on the base unit. The base unit mounts the electric motor and battery holder. The hopper unit includes the hopper itself, the chamber and the augur. The hopper unit is freely separable from the base unit for cleaning or for filling the hopper.

Abstract: A pet door unit allowing entry to and egress from a dwelling of an animal includes a pet door provided with a latch. The pet door is mounted for movement to allow passage of an animal when the latch is disabled. The pet door unit includes an animal detector for detecting an animal seeking passage past the pet door. A controller allows selection of a permitted passage condition. A disabler selectively disables the latch. Other arrangements described include systems for controlling entry and exit for different animals in different time frames, systems that detect an animal by a tag carried by the animal, systems that detect a door, systems that detect whether an animal has actually passed through the door and in which direction, and systems that record time and direction of passage, a preferred coil geometry for tag detection, and a preferred latch.

Abstract: A self-cleaning assembly comprising an enclosed casing 1 with a movable piston 31 and filters 32,33 therein. The preferred assembly has a casing 1 with a dirty water inlet 5, a first outlet 6 for clean filtered water and a second outlet 7 for the removal of sludge from the casing. The filter assembly is constructed and arranged to provide, in its normal operating mode, a liquid flow path through the filter 32,33 in a first direction between the dirty water inlet 5 and the clean water outlet 6 and, in a cleaning mode, to provide a liquid flow path in a second direction between the dirty water inlet 5 and the sludge outlet 7. In the cleaning mode, the movable member 31 compresses the filters 32,33 during the liquid flow in the second direction and contaminant is released therefrom for removal from the filter assembly via the second outlet 7. In an alternative embodiment, the sludge outlet 7 is omitted and sludge is removed from the casing via the outlet 6.

Abstract: A pet door unit allowing entry to and egress from a dwelling of an animal includes a pet door provided with a latch. The pet door is mounted for movement to allow passage of an animal when the latch is disabled. The pet door unit includes an animal detector for detecting an animal seeking passage past the pet door. A controller allows selection of a permitted passage condition. A disabler selectively disables the latch. Other arrangements described include systems for controlling entry and exit for different animals in different time frames, systems that detect an animal by a tag carried by the animal, systems that detect a door, systems that detect whether an animal has actually passed through the door and in which direction, and systems that record time and direction of passage, a preferred coil geometry for tag detection, and a preferred latch.

Abstract: A pond pump having a housing (1) enclosing a synchronous motor (9) with a drive shaft (40) on which an impeller (20) is loosely fitted so that, on start up, the shaft (40) can rotate relative to the impeller (20) until a pair of diametrically opposed keyways (43) on the shaft engage and entrain keyways (27) on the impeller (20) to rotate it continuously in one direction. If the drive shaft initially rotates in the opposite direction, pegs (25) on the rear face of the impeller (20) engage with a detent (60) located behind the impeller (20) to stop said rotation until the motor (9) restarts and rotates the drive shaft (43) in said first direction. One end of the drive shaft (40) is received in a first bearing (50) mounted in the housing (1), the other end of said shaft being received in a blind bore (28) in the impeller (20) which is coaxial with the axis of rotation of the shaft (40).