Abstract: A feeder for a domestic pet has a container for holding pet food, a housing, and a cover having a closed position to prevent access to pet food in the container and an open position. The housing has an open front, a base, respective left and right sidewalls and a rear wall coupled to the base and to the sidewalls. The container is located in the base. The rear wall extends upwardly from the base and forwardly to provide a roof for the housing and terminates in a forward edge at the open front. The open front is bounded by the forward edge of the roof, forward edges of the sidewalls, and a line joining bottoms of the forward edges of the sidewalls. This line is parallel to the forward edge of the roof but forwardly thereof. The sidewalls have intermediate portions thereof located at positions between the forward edge of the roof and the said line. These intermediate portions extend more forwardly than a plane containing the forward edge of the roof and the said line.

Abstract: A feeder for a domestic pet has a container for holding pet food, a housing, and a cover having a closed position to prevent access to pet food in the container and an open position. The housing has an open front, a base, respective left and right sidewalls and a rear wall coupled to the base and to the sidewalls. The container is located in the base. The rear wall extends upwardly from the base and forwardly to provide a roof for the housing and terminates in a forward edge at the open front. The open front is bounded by the forward edge of the roof, forward edges of the sidewalls, and a line joining bottoms of the forward edges of the sidewalls. This line is parallel to the forward edge of the roof but forwardly thereof. The sidewalls have intermediate portions thereof located at positions between the forward edge of the roof and the said line. These intermediate portions extend more forwardly than a plane containing the forward edge of the roof and the said line.

Abstract: In one arrangement, a pet detection system for domestic pets comprises a passive infrared detector. The passive infrared detector as two passive infrared sensors, one of which is covered, so that the covered sensor always detects ambient temperature. A difference between the sensors is indicative of a live object being detected. Also described is equipment for a domestic pet, such as a cat flap or a pet feeder, in which access is controlled by a pet detection system as aforesaid or by a pet detection system comprising a capacitive proximity detector. The respective pet detection system detects whether a live object is present, while a pet authorisation system determines whether the live object so detected is an authorised pet.

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 feeder is provided for animals selected from domestic pets, cage birds, chickens, fish and wild birds. The feeder has a hopper adapted to hold a supply of dry feed. A chamber is adapted to receive 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 said 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. The shutter has a forward edge and a trailing edge defined in relation to the direction of rotation. The discharge outlet is provided with an enlarged end portion.

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 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: This invention provides a removable staybar that is securely attached to the window frame and removed easily, with minimal effort after installation of the window, so that the full perimeter of the window frame can be opened and unobstructed for passage of bulky items therethrough. The staybar includes two opposing ends each having a groove and surrounding ramped inner faces. These grooves each pass over a web on a respective attachment member that is fixedly mounted to a side of the window frame. Each web on an attachment member supports a corresponding pair of ramped faces. The ramped faces of each attachment member are oriented so that, when each end of the staybar is moved onto a respective attachment member, the engaging ramped faces cause the ends of the staybar to be forcibly driven toward the adjacent inner-facing sides of the window frame for a tight, abutting fit between the frame faces and respective staybar ends.

Abstract: A spark plug wire harness which includes a plurality of brackets having base portions which are secured to the valve cover of conventional internal combustion engines utilizing existing bolts and which have longitudinally and vertically aligned openings through which the spark plug wires are retained to thereby both space the wires from the engine and each other and to organize and align the wires between the distributor and the spark plugs. In some embodiments the brackets include adjustable sections.