Abstract: An animal cage box has a grommet for passing a watering conduit through a box side wall. The grommet is removably attachable at an opening through the side wall, using a non-round configuration by which the grommet is aligned for insertion into a non-round opening, and turned to hold the grommet in place. A flange on the grommet body rests against one face of the side wall. The non-round configuration includes one or more tabs that can be cut from the flange and are displaced axially by a distance equal to the side wall thickness. A hinge flap that can be grasped in the fingers helps to hold, align, insert or remove and twist the grommet relative to the side wall. The disclosed arrangement further minimized the cost of using inexpensive disposable cage boxes because relatively expensive grommets, for example of stainless steel, can be cleaned and reused.

Abstract: An animal cage box has a grommet for passing a watering conduit through a box side wall. The grommet is removably attachable at an opening through the side wall, using a non-round configuration by which the grommet is aligned for insertion into a non-round opening, and turned to hold the grommet in place. A flange on the grommet body rests against one face of the side wall. The non-round configuration includes one or more tabs that can be cut from the flange and are displaced axially by a distance equal to the side wall thickness. A hinge flap that can be grasped in the fingers helps to hold, align, insert or remove and twist the grommet relative to the side wall. The disclosed arrangement further minimized the cost of using inexpensive disposable cage boxes because relatively expensive grommets, for example of stainless steel, can be cleaned and reused.

Abstract: A housing system for aquatic animals has a shelf-like rack holding tiers of individual tanks or aquariums (aquaria), each removably suspended from structural members that engage flanges of the tanks. The tanks are tilted inwardly of the rack and have covers with fittings on the higher or outer side, that intercept flow between a supply and a drain to inlet water when the tank is in the rack and to recycle the water at any tank position that is unoccupied. The inside bottom of each tank is contoured, for example with a longitudinal trough, so sediment collects at a low spot on the lower or inner side, where a drain inlet is placed to provide a drainage outlet that opens at a velocity increasing restriction at which sediment is entrained. The drain has a spring biased valve that opens the drain only when the tank is fully inserted in the rack.

Abstract: A housing system for aquatic animals has a shelf-like rack holding tiers of individual tanks or aquariums (aquaria), each removably suspended from structural members that engage flanges of the tanks. The tanks are tilted inwardly of the rack and have covers with fittings on the higher or outer side, that intercept flow between a supply and a drain to inlet water when the tank is in the rack and to recycle the water at any tank position that is unoccupied. The inside bottom of each tank is contoured, for example with a longitudinal trough, so sediment collects at a low spot on the lower or inner side, where a drain inlet is placed to provide a drainage outlet that opens at a velocity increasing restriction at which sediment is entrained. The drain has a spring biased valve that opens the drain only when the tank is fully inserted in the rack.

Abstract: A housing system for aquatic animals has a shelf-like rack holding tiers of individual tanks or aquariums (aquaria), each removably suspended from structural members that engage flanges of the tanks. The tanks are tilted inwardly of the rack and have covers with fittings on the higher or outer side, that intercept flow between a supply and a drain to inlet water when the tank is in the rack and to recycle the water at any tank position that is unoccupied. The inside bottom of each tank is contoured, for example with a longitudinal trough, so sediment collects at a low spot on the lower or inner side, where a drain inlet is placed to provide a drainage outlet that opens at a velocity increasing restriction at which sediment is entrained. The drain has a spring biased valve that opens the drain only when the tank is fully inserted in the rack.

Abstract: An animal caging system includes a support such as a ducted rack for receiving animal cages at storage locations in a high density arrangement such as for testing laboratories, breeding establishments and the like. Closed cage boxes are received at the locations, each having an air impervious bottom and sidewalls, and a lid with an air permeable membrane on a frame. Complementary water supply fittings are provided on the rear of the cage box and on the rack or support, and are positively lockable and unlockable using a slide actuator that extends from front to the rear of the cage box, preferably being mounted in the frame of the lid. The fittings include male and female connection couplings, the female one having a movable spring biased locking sleeve that controls a radially displaceable body for engaging a groove in the male coupling, and a check valve that is opened by contact with the male coupling when inserted.