DE29521159U1 - Round arch self-catching feed fence - Google Patents

Description

·

Hair. July 11, 1996

William Kristen

87733 Markt Rettenbach

My reference; K 211/GM Description Round arch self-locking feeding grid

The invention relates to a round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to the preamble of claim 1.

In the well-known round-arch self-catching feeding grids of this type (DE-GM 82 04 912.2), the frame elements consist of two solid, long, straight vertical struts at a distance, one of which is bent at the top towards the other and rigidly connected to it. The struts have a fixed, unchangeable distance from each other and are both concreted into the bars that extend perpendicularly to the cattle stalls and are located at the head of the cattle. The catch swing is located on the side of the individual frame elements facing away from the bent strut and is hinged to a support that extends perpendicularly to the struts of the frame element and is adjustable in this direction, which is slidably attached to the frame element and can be secured to it. The adjustable support makes it possible to change the distance between the catch arm and the bent fixed strut of the following frame element and thus to adapt it to different neck and throat widths of the animals that are to be locked up for feeding, treatment or other reasons.

This known type of adjustment of the distance between the safety arm and the concreted strut on the other side of the free space has the disadvantage that the adjustment of the safety arm also changes the position of its lower end with the locking means located on it in the safety arm.

position along the operating tube, which requires adjustment options and additional adjustment work when adjusting.

Casting the two struts of the frame elements in concrete also requires a considerable amount of work and careful alignment before the concreting work begins, because the two struts that are connected to each other and are embedded in the concrete prevent the frame element from subsequently turning around the vertical axis. In addition, the freely projecting support of the catch arm and its holder on the frame element must be very solid in order to ensure sufficient stability against the large forces with which the caged animal occasionally presses against it.

The innovation is based on the task of creating a round tube self-catching feeding grid according to the generic term of patent claim 1, which can be installed with an optimally low amount of work, in which the catching wings are given a stable hold against forces emanating from the caged animal and in which the distance between the catching wings and the strut delimiting the free space on the opposite side can be changed in a simple manner while maintaining a high level of stability of the feeding grid.

The above-mentioned problem is solved by the features mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1.

With the new round-arch self-locking feeding grid, only one post per frame element needs to be fixed, usually concreted, in the stable floor or bars to secure the individual frame elements forming a group, whereby the frame element can be easily adjusted by turning it around the post as long as the concrete has not yet completely set. Another particularly important advantage is that the locking arms in the locking position, in which they engage at the lower end with their locking means in the counter-locking means on the operating tube

engage, are always positioned at the same point with their base along the operating tube, regardless of the set width of the respective free space, so that a change in the width of the free space in order to adapt to different neck widths of the animals does not require repositioning of the locking means on the operating tube. In addition, the individual free spaces can easily be adjusted in width to the neck width of the respective animals without affecting the stability of the catch wings and their holder, for which it is only necessary to temporarily loosen the connecting means at the lower end of the strut and at the horizontal section of the frame strut with the long vertical section, make the adjustment and then tighten again, whereby in each setting the frame tube and the struts supported on it, which have the vertical strut sections, give each individual frame element and thus also the feeding grid as a whole a high level of stability with a simple structural design.

The subclaims relate to preferred embodiments of the round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to claim 1.

The measure according to claim 2 promotes the easy width adjustment of the free space for the animal's necks and also makes it possible to free an animal that has lain down and for some reason can no longer get up from the feeding grid by releasing the strut with the long strut section in the sleeve and at the lower end adjacent to the frame tube and pivoting it far out of the frame plane while rotating in the sleeve, whereby the animal is freed from the feeding grid.

Claims 5 to 8 relate to a particularly functional and yet structurally simple, robust design of the self-locking mechanism of the safety catches at the lower end, which, in addition to the necessary simultaneous release of the closed safety catches at the lower end, also enables individual unlocking in a very simple manner when the group remains closed, particularly when it is designed according to claim 6.

Claims 9 to 12 name features which, using structurally simple means, make it possible to lock each individual catching arm in the catching position, if necessary, independently of the group-wise locking and unlocking, so that on the one hand the self-catching function is not hindered and on the other hand individual animals can be held in the feeding grid when the group-wise release takes place for the other animals.

The innovation is explained in more detail below using the drawing of an example.

In the drawing shows:

Fig. 1 shows a section of an innovative round-arch self-locking feeding fence viewed from the front, i.e. from the side facing away from the livestock stalls,

Fig. 2 shows a section of the feeding grid according to Fig. 1 on a larger scale, showing a frame element with the catch arm in the open position,

Fig. 3 the feeding grid according to Fig. 2 in cross section along the section line III - III in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 shows a section of the feeding grid according to Fig. 1 on a larger scale, showing a frame element with the catch arm in the closed position,

Fig. 5 the feeding grid according to Fig. 4 in cross section along the section line V - V in Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 a section of the feeding grid according to Fig. 1 on a larger scale, showing on the left a frame element with the catch swing in the open position and on the right next to it a frame element with an individually locked closed position,

Fig. 7 the mechanism for rotating the operating tube in

riege-
and 8 lung position or in open position, each seen from the side,

Fig. 9 a detailed view from above, partially broken away, to clearly show a locking hook attached to the operating tube by means of a sleeve, and

Fig. 10 a side view of the lower part of a safety catch in the open and closed positions with illustration of the individual release by hand or foot.

The round-arch self-locking feeding grid shown in the drawing has several frame elements R arranged next to one another, which are identical to one another and are anchored in the stable floor 1 and extend in a common frame plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the livestock stalls and essentially vertical to the stable floor 1. In Fig. 1, the frame plane is parallel to the drawing plane and the longitudinal axes of the livestock stalls extend perpendicular to the drawing plane.

Several frame elements R each form a group that can be operated with a common actuating device, explained in more detail below, and are rigidly connected to one another by means of a horizontal frame tube 2 rigidly attached to them.

Each frame element R has a vertical support post 3 which is anchored at its lower end in the stable floor 1 and extends upwards at least to the neck height of the animals to be caged.

Furthermore, each frame element R has a first strut 4 on the left side in Fig. 1 with a long vertical

•J t ♦ · · * f »·*

»■*· ♦

len strut section 4a, which is detachably connected at its lower end to the frame tube 2, with its vertical strut section 4a extends from the frame tube 2 to at least the neck height of the animals, is bent towards the support post 3 following the vertical strut section 4a and is laterally adjustable with respect to the support post 3 by means of an end section 4b extending parallel to the frame tube 2.

Each frame element R is further provided with a second strut 5, which has a vertical strut section 5a that is shorter than the strut section 4a and is located on the other side of the frame element R, the right side in Fig. 1. The second frame strut 5 is detachably connected to the frame tube 2 at its lower end and reaches with its vertical strut section 5a to a height below the neck of the standing animal. From the upper end of the vertical strut section 5a, the second strut 5 extends with a strut section 5b diagonally upwards to the upper end of the support post 3, to which it is rigidly connected, e.g. welded.

On the right-hand side of each frame element R for the viewer of Fig. 1, a catch swing 6 is attached to it, which is mounted on the outside of the associated frame element R between its ends so that it can pivot between an open position and a closed position about a pivot axis 6c perpendicular to the frame plane and located at a height below the neck of the standing animal. The catch swing 6 consists of a straight section 6a and a round-arch section 6b adjoining it at the top, which is bent parallel to the frame plane.

The frame elements R each define a free space F between themselves with the mutually facing outer vertical strut sections 4a and 5a for tightly accommodating an animal's neck, and the curved catch wing section 6b is bent inwards towards the free space F adjacent to the second frame strut 5.

The catch swing is shown in Fig. 1 in the first and third livestock stands (counting from the left) in its open position and in the second and fourth livestock stands (counting from the left) in the closed position, whereby in the open position it crosses the free space F for the animal's neck diagonally downwards with the part of its straight section 6a located below the axis of rotation 6c and is located with the round-arch section 6b outside the free space F. From this open position, each catch swing 6 can be pivoted by the animal by lowering its head into the closed position, in which the straight section 6a of the catch swing 6 extends vertically and the round-arch section 6b bridges the free space F over the animal's neck to the adjacent vertical strut section 4a of the following frame element R.

In the self-locking closed position, the lower end of the catch arm 6 is fixed and releasably locked to a horizontal operating tube 7 which is mounted on the frame elements R and on the support posts 3 so that it can rotate about its longitudinal axis. This operating tube 7 extends along the frame elements R which form the associated group and is provided with releasable locking means, which are explained in more detail below, which work together with counter-locking means, also explained in more detail below, on the lower end of each catch arm 6 to lock the catch arm 6 in the closed position.

In the embodiment shown, the end section 4b of each first strut 4 slideably engages in a sleeve 8 attached to the top of the associated support post 3 and can be clamped therein in different longitudinal positions by means of a clamping device not shown in detail in the drawing, e.g. a clamping screw. This makes it possible to adjust each vertical strut 4 laterally within a predetermined range parallel to the plane of the drawing in Fig. 1 after loosening the clamping device on the sleeve 8 and after loosening its lower end from the frame tube 2, and thus to adjust the distance between the vertical strut sections 5a and the vertical strut sections 4a at each

Free space F must be changed and adapted to the respective neck width of the animal to be confined.

As can best be seen in Fig. 5, each frame strut 4 is detachably connected to the frame tube 2 at its lower end by means of a clamp 9 and, as shown in Fig. 5 with dot-dash lines, after loosening the clamp 9 and the clamping device on the sleeve 8, can be pivoted out of the plane of the frame elements R in a plane extending perpendicularly to the frame tube 2 about the central axis of the sleeve 8, whereby it is also possible to easily free an animal from the feeding grid that has become stuck between the vertical strut sections 5a and 4a for some reason.

The operating tube 7 extends at approximately the same height as the frame tube 2 on the side facing away from the frame elements R and, like the frame tube 2, is rotatably mounted on the individual uprights 3 of the frame elements R of the group in a ring eyelet 9 that is firmly connected to the relevant upright 3 and is attached to the two-part clamp 10 that connects the frame tube 2 to the upright 3 and is firmly attached to the latter.

For self-locking, group-wise unlocking and individual unlocking, each catch arm 6 has at its lower end a telescopic tube 6d which can be extended and retracted within limits and which is provided at its free end with a U-shaped bracket 11 which, with its legs 11a, 11b parallel to the telescopic tube axis and the operating tube 7, slidably spreads around the operating tube 7. The free end of one leg of the U-shaped bracket 11, here the leg 11b facing the frame tube 2, forms a slope S which, when the catch arm 6 is in the closed position, rises in the direction of its closing movement, i.e. from right to left in relation to Fig. 1, from a height slightly below the lower apex line of the operating tube 7 to a height slightly above this apex line.

j ♦

For each catch arm 6, a plate-like catch hook 12 extending approximately tangentially thereto is attached to the operating tube 7 at a point which, viewed in the closing direction, is located immediately behind the U-shaped bracket 11 of the catch arm 6 when the latter assumes its closed position. By rotating the operating tube 7, this catch hook 12 can be adjusted between the catch position best seen in Fig. 7 and the release position best seen in Fig. 8, whereby in the catch position it lies horizontally on the underside of the operating tube 7, tangential to it, and extends into the path of movement of the slope S at the bottom of the leg 11b of the U-shaped bracket 11 and in the release position it is inclined with respect to the horizontal and is thereby pulled out of the path of movement of both legs 11a, 11b of the IT bracket 11. In the catch position of the catch hook 12, the U-bracket 11 is pushed up together with the telescopic tube 6d by the catch hook 12 when these parts are moved over it during the movement of the catch arm 6 from the open position to the closed position and the leg 11b of the U-bracket 11 slides along the catch hook 12 with its slope S. After the catch arm has reached the closed position, the U-bracket 11 falls back down immediately behind the catch hook 12 and is then prevented from moving in the opposite direction, i.e. towards the open position, by the catch hook resting on the front side behind the slope S on the bracket leg 11b until the catch hook 12 has been moved from the catch position according to Fig. 7 to the release position according to Fig. 8 by turning the operating tube 7.

It is obvious that the unlocking of an individual safety catch 6 can be accomplished not only by turning the operating tube 7 and the associated pivoting of the safety catch hook 12 from the catch position into the release position, but also by pushing the U-bracket up by hand or with the foot in the closed position of the safety catch 6 so far that the bracket leg 11b is raised above the height of the safety catch hook 12 and then the bracket 11 with the telescopic tube 6d and the rest of the safety catch 6 is moved back into the open position.

· r ·

16
can be gert.

In order to be able to adjust the longitudinal position of the catch hooks 12 along the operating tube 7 precisely to the correct closed position of the respective catch arm 6, each catch hook 12 is attached to a sleeve 14 that surrounds the operating tube 7, can be adjusted along it and can be tightened to it, which at the same time also forms a stop for securing the U-bracket 11 and thus the lower end of the associated catch arm 6 in its closing direction, so that the bracket 11 is secured in the closed position of the catch arm 6 on one end by the sleeve 14 and on the other end by the catch hook 12.

Preferably, as can best be seen in Fig. 7 and 8, a locking pin 15 is attached to each U-bracket 11 of a safety lever 6, which engages under the operating tube 7 when the safety lever 6 is in the closed position at a distance that is at least as large as the release stroke h (Fig. 11) of the U-bracket 11.

Each catch rocker 6 can be individually locked independently of the locking device at its lower end in the closed position with a further locking device, which is designed as a stop 16a on a lever 16, which can be pivoted about a rotation axis 17 perpendicular to the frame plane into a first angular position (Fig. 6 right) in which it rests on the catch rocker 6 in the closed position above its pivot axis 6c on the side facing the associated frame element R.

The lever 16 can be pivoted from the first angular position into a second angular position in which the stop 16a with its surface on the opposite side acts as a stop for limiting the open position of the catch swing 6. This other surface is covered with a damping cushion 18.

The pivot axis 17 is attached to a gusset plate which is located between the support post 3 and the second strut 5 on the frame element R

and also contributes to further increasing the rigidity of the frame element R.

As can best be seen from Fig. 7 and 8, the operating tube 7 is rotatable by means of a lever arm 19 rigidly connected to it and a pull and push rod 20 acting on its free end, the end of which remote from the lever arm 19 is hinged to an operating lever 21 eccentrically to its axis of rotation 22.

To better illustrate the individual release in an otherwise closed group, the operating tube 7 and the safety arm 6 with telescopic tube 6d and U-bracket 11 are shown in Fig. 10 and 11 from the opposite direction to that seen in Fig. 1.

Particularly for large feeding area widths with a relatively small neck width of the animals to be tied up, it is recommended, as shown in Fig. 1, 2, 4 and 6, to divide the space between the first strut 4 and the support post 3 by means of an intermediate strut 4c attached to the first strut 4.

The feeding grid is preferably made of steel tube.

Claims (12)

Haar, 11 July 1996 Wilhelm Kristen 87733 Markt Rettenbach My reference: K 211/GM SchutzansDrüche 1. Round arch self-locking feeding grid, with a) several frame elements (R) arranged next to one another and anchored in the stable floor (1), which extend in a common frame plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the livestock stalls and essentially vertical to the stable floor (1) and between them, with outer vertical strut sections (4a, 5a), each define a free space for the tight accommodation of an animal's neck, and b) one catch swing (6) on each frame element (R), which is mounted on the outside of the associated frame element (R) between its ends and can be pivoted about a pivot axis (6c) perpendicular to the frame plane and located at a height below the neck of the standing animal, and consists of a straight section (6a) and a round-arch section (6b) adjoining it at the top, which is bent inwards parallel to the frame plane towards the adjacent free space (F), c) wherein the catch swing (6) in the open position with the part of its straight section (6a) located below the axis of rotation crosses the free space (f) for the animal's neck diagonally downwards and is located with the round-arch section (6b) outside the free space (F), while in the closed position of the catch swing (6) which can be brought about by the animal by lowering its head the straight section (6a) of this extends vertically, the round-arch section (6b) crosses the free space (F) over the animal's neck to the adjacent vertical strut section (5a) of the following frame element (R) and the catch arm (6) is fixed with its lower end to a horizontal operating tube (7) or the like which is mounted on the frame elements (R) so as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, which extends along the frame elements (R) forming a related group and is provided with locking means (12) which can be disengaged by turning the operating tube (7) and which interact with counter-locking means (11) at the lower ends of the catch arm (6), characterized in that d) the frame elements (R) of the group are connected to one another below the free spaces (F) for the animal necks by means of a horizontal frame tube (2) rigidly attached to them and e) each frame element (R) is provided with aa) a substantially vertical standpipe (3) to be anchored at its lower end in the stable floor (1) or bars and extending at least to the height of the animals’ necks, bb) one on one side of the support post (3) the first strut located at a distance from this (4) with a long vertical strut section (4a) which can be detachably connected to the frame tube (2) at its lower end, with its vertical strut section (4a) extending from the frame tube (2) to at least the neck height of the animals, is bent towards the support post (3) following the vertical strut section (4a) and is secured by means of a the end section (4b) extending parallel to the frame tube (R) is adjustable laterally with respect to the support post (3), and cc) a second strut (5) with a shorter vertical strut section (5a) which is located on the other side of the support post (3) having the catch swing (6) at a distance from the latter, is detachably connectable to the frame tube (2) at its lower end, extends from the latter with its vertical strut section (5a) to a height below the neck of the standing animal and extends from there to the support post (3), to which it is rigidly connected. 2. Round-arch self-locking grille according to claim 1, characterized in that the end section (4b) of each first strut (4) slidably engages in a sleeve (8) fastened to the top of the associated support post (3) and can be braced therein in different longitudinal positions. 3. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating tube (7) is rotatably mounted on the support posts (3) of the frame elements (R) of the group. 4. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to claim 3, characterized in that the operating tube (7) extends approximately at the same height as the frame tube (2) on the side thereof facing away from the frame elements (R). 5. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking arm (6) is formed at its lower end by a telescopic tube (6d) which can be extended and retracted within limits and which is provided at its free end with a U-shaped bracket (11) which is connected to its legs {lla, lib) parallel to the telescopic tube axis and the operating tube (7) slidably spread around the operating tube. 6. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to claim 5, characterized in that for each catch arm (6) the free end of one leg (lib) of the U-shaped bracket (11) forms a slope (S) which, when the catch arm (6) is in the closed position, rises in the direction of its closing movement from a height slightly below the lower apex line of the operating tube (7) to a height slightly above this apex line, and that for each catch arm (6) on the operating tube (7) a plate-like catch hook (12) extending approximately tangentially thereto is attached at a point immediately behind the U-shaped bracket (11) of the catch arm (6) in the closed position, which can be adjusted by rotating the operating tube (7) between a catch position and a release position in such a way that in the catch position it lies horizontally on the underside of the operating tube (7) and moves into the path of movement of the slope (S) on the one Legs (lib) of the U-bracket (11) and, in the release position, is inclined with respect to the horizontal and is thereby pulled out of the movement paths of the legs (lla,lib) of the associated U-bracket (11). 7. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to claim 6, characterized in that each catch hook (12) is attached to a sleeve (14) surrounding the operating tube (7), adjustable along the latter and clampable thereto. . Round-arch self-locking grate according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that a locking pin is attached to each U-bracket (11) of a locking arm (6), which engages under the operating tube (7) when the locking arm (6) is in the closed position at a distance which is at least as large as the individual release stroke of the U-bracket (11). 9. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each locking arm can be individually locked with a further locking device at its lower end in the locking position, independently of the locking device. 10. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to claim 9, characterized in that the further locking device is designed as a stop which can be pivoted about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the frame plane into a first angular position in which it rests on the catching swing arm in the catching position above its pivot axis on the side facing the associated frame element. 11. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to claim 10, characterized in that the stop can be pivoted from the first angular position into a second angular position in which it acts as a stop for limiting the open position of the locking arm. 12. Round-arch self-locking feeding grid according to claim 11, characterized in that the stop in the second angular position rests on the locking arm via a damping cushion.