GB2035422A

GB2035422A - Cattle shed floor gratings

Info

Publication number: GB2035422A
Application number: GB7937110A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Stamicarbon BV
Current assignee: Stamicarbon BV
Priority date: 1978-10-31
Filing date: 1979-10-25
Publication date: 1980-06-18
Also published as: DE2943739A1; DK459979A; FR2440154A1; BE879712A; GB2035422B

Abstract

Juxtaposed T-section beams 12, 13 forming a grating for a cattle shed floor are variably spaced along opposed wall recesses 16 of a manure channel 17 by interchangeable spacers 14. Each beam is of plastics reinforced by a box-section metal core, possibly inserted after extrusion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A grating for cattle sheds, and a beam for forming such a grating This invention relates to a grating for cattle sheds for convering an animal-excreta collecting space therein and comprising a plurality of beams disposed parallel to each other, and also relates to flanged beams for such gratings.

Gratings of this kind are used for example in cattle houses equipped for hydraulic removal of animal excreta. They are placed over an animal-excreta collecting space e.g. channel or cisterns, and on which the cattle stand. The beams of such gratings are formed of wood, metal concrete or plastics material. Usually the beams have a somewhat trapezium-shaped cross section and are disposed with the long side up. This manner of disposing the beams provides between them spaces for the droppings falling on the grating floor to pass through, although part of the generally viscous droppings adheres to the sides of the beams, resulting in an undesirably high level of stench, and furthermore evaporation from the adhering viscous matter leads to a build-up of caked droppings which eventually may block passages between the beams of the grating.

The invention provides a grating floor which is composed of a number of beams in which such disadvantages are mitigated, leading to an improved working and living environment for man and beast.

This has been achieved according to the invention by providing along the upper sides of the beams side flanges which form spilling edges of increased discharging tendency, so that the excreta immediately drops vertically down into the collecting space and does not slide down along the sides of the beams as a sticky mass.

The invention provides a grating for cattle sheds for covering an animal-excreta collecting space therein and comprising a plurality of beams disposed parallel to each other, characterized in that the said beams each are provided with two side flanges extending along their length to form substantially a T-section beam, the said beams being disposed in parallel to each other so that the said side flanges form part of an upper surface of the grating to provide spilling edges on either side of the said beams.

Preferably the flanged beams are made of a plastics material. Using an extrusion method in production brings the advantage that beams of any length can be made. Plastics offer the advantage, over metal and concrete, of having a lower heat transfer coefficient and therefore having a warmer feel. Plastics further have the advantage of not being liable to corrosive attack under the action of agressive components of the manure. In addition, weight plays a role in the ease with which beams are handled. Wood is, moreover, less suitable because of its high moisture absorption and its liability to rot, and the splintering tendency of wood can lead to the animals getting wounded.

To prevent, in the case of plastic beams, the feet of the animals standing on the grating floor getting caught in the slot-shaped drop-through openings on account of local bending-down of the spilling edges, the beam body is provided with a hard core, at least in the location where as a result of the bendingdown of the spilling edges the highest horizontal compression tend to occur in the elastic plastic body.

This hard core may be provided already when the beam is being produced. However, by preference the hard core is inserted after extrusion of a hollow beam with a flange, to prevent the occurrence of shrinkage stresses as a result of the cooling process.

For the same reason the wall thickness of the extruded beam is kept uniform as much as possible throughout the beam. Advantageously, the hard core is a box-shaped metal section closely fitting in the cavity in the beam.

To build up grating floors, the ends of the beams may be placed in equally spaced recesses specially made for this purpose along the upper edges of the manure channel or manure cistern. In other cases the ends of the beams are provided with fixed spacing blocks which are placed in continuous recesses on the upper edges of the manure channel.

Both methods have the drawback that they do not provide for the use of variable drop-through openings, and for adapting these openings to the size of the hooves of the cattle standing on the grating.

In the embodiment according to the invention in which the beam is provided with a hard box-shaped core, the openings then present at the ends of the beam offer a very good possibility for fitting exchangeable spacing blocks of different lengths, equipped with centring elements. The centring ele menus of the spacing blocks are a close fit in the openings in the beam. In this way it is possible to compose, with the use of the same beams, grating floors varying as regards the width of the dropthrough openings. If so desired, the spacing blocks can also be attached to the beam by means of an adhesive or by welding, in such a way that the hard core is fully isolated from the surroundings.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to some embodiments as shown in the drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a cross section of a beam according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross section of a plastic beam of modified design according to the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of part of a grating floor composed of beams according to Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross section along IV-IV in Figure 3.

The full lines in Figure 1 represent, in cross section, the outline of a grating beam 1 according to the invention. The substantially rectangular body 2 of the beam is provided at the top with a flange 3 forming spilling edges 4. If the beam is made of a rigid material, e.g. concrete, the edges 4 will not bend down when locally subjected to vertical loading by the foot of an animal. However, if certain plastics are chosen as construction material for the beam, the chance of the edges 4 bending down is much greater. The dotted line in Figure 1 shows how the beam is deformed if a vertical force is exerted on a spilling edge 4. The edge 4 bends down, with a moving hinge point at 5, so that the end 6 of the edge 4 comes to occupy the position indicated by 6'.

Because point 6 moves to the left over a distance 'x', the top slot of the passage space between beam 1 and a juxtaposed beam gets wider. Because of the elasticity of the body, hinge point 5 is pressed inwards (5'), the plastic material in the region A being compressed. To prevent this compression, and hence the bending-down of the spilling edges, the body 2 is, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, provided with a hard core 7, as shown in Figure 2. The hard core 7 is provided at the location where the compression occurs. The core preferably consists of a box-shaped metal section, which may have been inserted after production of the beam. To suppress the shrinkage stresses and tensile stresses occurring in the body as a result of the cooling, the walls 8, 9, 10 and 11 are made about equally heavy.

The use of a hollow hard core offers the advantage of a saving of material, and further provides the opportunity to use the openings at the ends of the beam as locations for fixing exchangeable spacing blocks, as will appear from Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 shows two juxtaposed beams 12 and 13, provided with spacing blocks 14 and 15, the cheeks 22 of which grip around the beams. The beams rest in a continuous recess 16 of the manure-channel wall 17.

The spacing blocks determine the width of the passage space 18 between the beams 12 and 13. By varying the thickness of the cheeks 22, the slot between the beams can be varied in width and adapted to the size of the hooves of the animals and the nature of the manure. As indicated by Figure 4, the spacing blocks are provided with centring elements 19 which closely fit in the cavity 20 of the beam. As shown by Figure 3, the passage space 18 has a strong auto-discharging tendency already immediately below the surface of the grating thanks to the presence of the spilling edges 4. The droppings of the animals will directly fall, immediately they have been shoved or kicked over the ends 6, vertically into the maure channel, so that the side walls 21 of the beams are no longer liable to fouling.

To prevent manure collecting at the place where two spacing blocks adjoin, it is advisable to bevel the cheeks 22 as indicated by the dotted line 23 in Figure 3.

The beams are by preference made by an extrusion method from thermoplastics such as PVC, polyethylene polypropylene and copolymers or mixtures thereof.

Claims

1. A grating for cattle sheds for covering an animal-excreta collecting space therein and comprising a plurality of beams disposed parallel to each other, characterized in that the said beams each are provided with two side flanges extending along their length to form substantially a T-section beam, the said beams being disposed in parallel to each other so that the said side flanges form part of an upper surface of the grating to provide spilling edges on either side of the said beams.

2. A grating according to Claim 1, wherein the said flanged beams are made of a plastics material.

3. A grating according to Claim 2, wherein the said beams are provided with internal reinforcing means whereby resistance to lateral inward deformation of the beams is inhibited when vertical loading is applied to the side flanges thereof.

4. A grating according to Claim 3, wherein the said internal reinforcing means is a metal reinforcing means of box-section.

5. A grating according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the said beams are separated one from the other by spacing elements.

6. A grating according to Claim 5, wherein the said spacing elements are provided with cheeks to enclose end side portions of the said beams.

7. A grating according to Claim 6, wherein the said cheeks of the spacing elements are bevelled to provide a dropping surface.

8. A grating according to any of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the said spacing elements are removable spacing blocks.

9. A grating according to Claim 8, wherein the said spacing blocks are adapted to fit into an end opening in the said beams.

10. A grating according to Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompany drawings.

11. A beam for a grating for cattle sheds, characterized in that the beam is made of a plastics material provided with two flanges extending along its length to form substantially a T-section beam, and is provided with internal reinforcing means whereby lateral inward deformation of the beams is inhibited when vertical loading is applied to the side flanges thereof.

12. A beam according to Claim 11, wherein the said internal reinforcing means is a metal reinforcing means of box-section.

13. A beam for a cattle grating as claimed in Claim 11, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.