Erectable trough

Abstract

A trough comprises elongate trough body ( 12 ) and at least one elongate support element ( 14, 15 ). The trough body comprises at least one longitudinal side wall portion ( 18,19 ) and a bottom portion ( 16 ) which are integral with one another, or attacked to one another along respective longitudinal edges. The support element extends along the outer face of the side wall portion, lower than an upper edge of the side wall portion but higher than the bottom portion. The support element may be restrained from moving outward, away from a longitudinal trough centreline, 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 ( 18,19 ) supported upright by tension in longitudinal supporting wires ( 14,15 ) and transverse restraint wires ( 26 ), the ends of which connect to the support wires through respective perforations ( 30 ) in the side walls.

1 . A trough comprising an elongate trough body and at least one elongate support element, wherein:
 the trough body comprises a bottom portion of the trough body and at least one side wall portion of the trough body;   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 at least one 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; and   the side wall portion is maintained upright at least in part by tension in the elongate support element.   
     
     
         2 . A trough comprising an elongate trough body and at least one elongate support element, wherein:
 the trough body comprises a bottom portion of the trough body and at least one side wall portion of the trough body;   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;   
       at least one restraint is located substantially inside the trough; 
       the elongate support element is connected to the restraint and is restrained from moving outward, away from a longitudinal centreline of the trough, at least in part by a tension in the restraint; and
 the side wall portion is maintained upright at least in part by the tension in the restraint. 
 
     
     
         3 . A trough as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the restraint extends transversely from one side of the trough to the other. 
     
     
         4 . A trough as claimed in  claim 2  or  3 , wherein the restraint is a wire. 
     
     
         5 . A trough as claimed in  claim 2 ,  3  or  4  wherein the side wall portion has at least one perforation, and an outer end of the restraint extends outwardly through the perforation to connect to the elongate support element. 
     
     
         6 . A trough as claimed in any one of  claims 2  to  5 , wherein an outer end of the restraint is formed with a loop through which the elongate support element passes to connect the elongate support element to the restraint. 
     
     
         7 . A trough as claimed in  claim 2  or  3 , wherein the restraint is a substantially rigid U-shaped bracket that extends transversely across the trough. 
     
     
         8 . A trough as claimed in any one of  claims 2  to  7 , wherein the elongate support element is substantially rigid. 
     
     
         9 . A trough as claimed in any one of  claims 2  to  7 , wherein the side wall portion is maintained upright at least in part by tension in the elongate support element. 
     
     
         10 . A trough as claimed in  claim 1  or  9 , wherein the elongate support element is tensioned between two anchor devices which are located at respective ends of the elongate support element. 
     
     
         11 . A trough as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate support element is supported at a predetermined height at one or more locations intermediate its ends. 
     
     
         12 . A trough as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate support element is a wire. 
     
     
         13 . A trough as claimed in any one of  claims 2  to  6 , wherein:
 the trough body has two opposed side wall portions which extend along respective opposite longitudinal sides of the trough 
 the trough has at least two elongate support elements which extend along respective outer faces of the two side wall portions; 
 each side wall portion has perforations which are distributed along the length of the trough; 
 the perforations in one side wall portion are respectively aligned transversely across the trough with corresponding perforations in the opposite side wall portion; and 
 
       a plurality of restraints are located substantially inside the trough with opposite ends of each restraint extending outwardly through respective pairs of transversely aligned perforations to connect respectively to the elongate support elements. 
     
     
         14 . A trough as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall portion is integral with the bottom portion. 
     
     
         15 . A trough as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trough body is formed from a sheet. 
     
     
         16 . A trough as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the sheet is continuous along the length of the trough. 
     
     
         17 . A trough as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the trough comprises discrete length portions that are distributed along the length of the trough, and each discrete length portion is formed from a respective sheet. 
     
     
         18 . A trough as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the discrete length portions are distributed along the length of the trough with adjacent discrete length portions partially overlapping one another. 
     
     
         19 . A trough as claimed in  claim 16 ,  17  or  18 , wherein the sheet or each respective sheet is made of a resilient semi-rigid material. 
     
     
         20 . A trough as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the sheet or each respective sheet is made of a plastics material. 
     
     
         21 . A trough as claimed in any one of  claims 15  to  20 , wherein the sheet or each respective sheet is provided with a line of weakness about which the sheet or each respective sheet preferentially bends when the side wall portion is made non-planar with the bottom portion. 
     
     
         22 . A trough as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the sheet or each respective sheet is creased to provide the line of weakness. 
     
     
         23 . A trough as claimed in  claim 21  or  22 , wherein the sheet is provided with perforations along the line of weakness. 
     
     
         24 . A trough as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom portion is perforated to provide one or more drainage holes.