GB2282741A

GB2282741A - Safety kerbing for stables etc

Info

Publication number: GB2282741A
Application number: GB9321094A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Geoffray Price
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-10-13
Filing date: 1993-10-13
Publication date: 1995-04-19
Also published as: GB9321094D0

Abstract

Safety kerbing for horses comprises kerb elements 10, 30 located in the angle between the floor and walls of stabling. The elements have an outwardly directed face 24 sloping downwardly away from the wall and towards the floor. They may be hollow concrete blocks provided with interlocking locating formations 14, 18 of their end faces. In an alternative form the elements are formed from sheet metal (fig 5) with a rubber facing. The kerbing reduces the risk of animals being injured because their legs or hooves become lodged in the wall/floor angle. <IMAGE>

Description

SAFETY KERB FOR STABLES ETC This invention relates to a tabling for horses and similar livestock e.g. stalls loose boxes and possibly transport vehicles such as cattle wagons and horse boxes, trailers and the like.

When a horse is confined in stabling such as a box or stall there is a risk that it may become cast, that is, when lying down, its legs or hooves May become lodged in the angle between the vertical face of a wall or partition and the floor making it difficult or impossible for the animal to straighten its legs, turn over, or get up with consequent risk of injury as it struggles to regain its feet. Serous injuries can result, and even minor injuries such as strains or bruising can have an adverse effect on a valuable animal and/or may affect its performance at a critical time e.g. in the case of racehorses or animals used in equestria, events.

In an attempt to avoid animals becoming cast it has been the practice for stable keepers to bank loose bedding into the angles between the walls and floor so that a sloping face rather than the acute right angle is exposed but this procedure is wasteful of bedding and is uncertain in effect as the bedding may become compressed or may be disturbed or moved away from the wall e.g. . by tiie animal pawing. Also bitere is the risk that stablehands may forget to arrange the bedding in this way.

The olij ect of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for substantially reducting the risk of animals becoming cast which is easy and economical to provide and install.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided safety herbing for use in animal stabling comprising one or more kerb elements shaped to fill the angle between the floor and wall or partition of a stall loose box or the like and having an outwardly directed face sloping downwardly away from the wall and towards the floor whereby, in use, the risk of an animal becoming cast due to its legs or hooves being lodged in said angle is avoided or substantially reduced.

According to a second aspect of the invention stabling which term includes stalls, loose boxes and transport containers for horses or other animals comprises kerbing elements or formations filling the angle between the floor and the walls or partitions of the stall or box to provide an outwardly directed face sloping downwardly away from the vertical face of the wall or partition and towards the floor whereby, in use, the risk of an animal becoming cast due to its legs or hooves being lodged in said angle is avoided or substantially reduced.

The kerb elements may take the forj of hollow section blocks, e.g. moulded from concrete or other material, to he positioned in the wall/floor angle of existing stapling; or sections e.g. of sheet metal, bent or otherwise formed to tlie appropriate profile and secured in the wall/floor angle. Said kerb elements may have an outer facing o rubber or plastics for durability, ease of cleaning, and to further reduce risk of injury.

Examples of the invention are now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first forn o kerb element; Fi. gure 2 is a similar element shaped to fit in a corner; Figure 3 is a like element to Figure 2 with provision for locating a bucket, feed bowl or the like; Figure 4 is a similar element to Figure 1 but provided itli a tray for holding grooming equipment or the like and Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectioln of another form of kerb element.

Figure 1 shows a kerb element 10 moulded as a hollow block from concrete or similar material. So that a number of blocks can be arranged end to end one vertical end face 12 defines a shallow rebate or socket 14 and the other end face 16 includes a complementary projection 13 as visible in Figure 2 so that the adjoining elements are interlocked.

In section element 10 has the shape of a truncated right angled prism, its botton and back faces 20, 22 are normal to each other to fit in the angle between the floor and the vertical face of a wall or partition of stabling such as a stall or loose box, and there is an outwardly directed sloping face 24 angled downwardly away fror the wall ad towards the floor, in tis example at an angle of about 60 to the horizontal with relatively narrow vertical and horizontal transition faces 26, 28 bounding its lower and upper edges.

To provide continuous safety kerbing all round ti!e well/floor angles corner elements 3G are provided as shown in Figure 2.

The dimensions and proportions of the elements may vary, in the example illustrated the height from floor level is around 300mm and the maximum forward extension from the wall, i.e. distance between 5ack face 22 and vertical face 26 is around 310mm.

The kerb elements 10, 30 may be permanently fixed, e.g. by being cemented in place, or may merely rest in position. In the wall angle, their weight and the interlocking connection referred to above being sufficient to keep them in place. Sloping face 24 may be at angles other than that referred to above and it need not be planar, a rounded face might be employed and/or the corners at :its liner and lower edges could be rounded to merge witit the horizontal and vertical faces 28, 2G.

When installed the safety kerbing prevents the legs or hooves of a horse or similar animal becoming lodged or wedged in the floor/wall angle so that the risk of the animal being cast is avoided or very substantially reduced.

Furthermore the use of the kerbing provides substantial economies in bedding and racilitates cleaning as dirt cannot accumulate In te wall/floor angle where it is difficult to remove.

Specially shaped kerb elements can readily be provided e.g. a nosing for flanking the end of a stall partition or or post, or mitre ended elements for fitting into or around corners or the like.

Two specially shaped elements are shown in Fi Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3 an internal corner element 30a, basically as in Figure 2, is provided with a circular cut-out 32 to receive a feed or water bucket or bowl so that it cannot be knocked over. n Figure 4 a straight element 10e generally as shown in Figure 1 has a flat tray ss integrally moulded onto a centre region convenient for holding grooning utensils and the like which are often mislaid if put do on the floor among the bedding.

Another form of kerb element of formation is shown in Figure 5 comprising a pressing 40 of galvanised sheet steel or other metal formed to the section shown with securing flanges 42, 44 at its upper and lower longitudinal edges to be secured to the wall 46 and floor 40 respectively by screws or other fastenings. The section includes the sloping outer face 24a with horizontal and vertical faces 28a, 26a, so that the angle and dimentions of the installed kerbing are substantially as described with reference to Figure 1. For added durability and further protection against injury the outer face of the metal sheet has a coating 50 of rubber or plastic and the flanges 42, 44 are preferably rendered over with a suitable sealing compound to make the joints watertight and give a heat finish.

Kerbing elements of formations similar to that shown in Figure 5 could be fabricated from timber or possibly extrusions of plastics material with or witllout protective coating. Block-type elements as shown in Figures 1-4 could also be formed from rubber or plastics though this might be too costly for some applications.

Where boxes, stalls or other stabling are being newly constructed the kerbing of the invention will preferably be built in as an integral art of the structure and could be formed on site e.g. by poured concrete using suitably shaped form work.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Safety kerbing for use in animal stabling comprising one or more kerb elements shaped to fill the angle between the floor and wall or partition of a stall, loose box or the like and having an outwardly directed face sloping downwardly away from the wall and towards the floor whereby, in use, the risk of an animal becoming cast due to its legs or hooves being lodged in said angle is avoided or substantially reduced.
2. Kerbing as in Claim 1 wherein the kerb elements are hollow section blocks to be positioned in the stabling wall/floor angle in use.
3. Kerbing as in Claim 2 wherein said blocks are moulded from concrete.
4. Kerbing as in Claim 2 or 3 wherein said blocks have a rebate or socket in one end face and a complementary projection on the other end face to interlock the adjoining elements in use.
5. Kerbing as in Claim 2, 3 or 4 including a formation to receive a bucket or bowl or in the form of a tray for other other articles.
6. Kerbing as in any preceding claim including a corner element shaped to locate in the angle between two adjoining walls.
7. Kerbing as in Claim 1 formed from sheet material shaped to the appropriate profile and adapted to be secured in the wall/floor angle.
8. Kerbing as in Claim 7 formed from sheet metal.
9. Kerbing as in any preceding claim formed from plastics material.
10. Kerbing as in any preceding claim including an outer facing of rubber or plastics material.
11. Kerbing as in any preceding claim wherein said outwardly directed face is a planar face sloping at an angle of about 60 degrees to horizontal.
12. Kerbing as in any preceding claim having a height from floor level of about 380 mm with a maximum forward extension from the wall surface of about 310 mm.
13. Safety kerbing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in one or more of the accompanying drawings.
14. A stall, loose box, transport vehicle or other stabling for horses or other livestock including safety kerbing as defined by any one of the preceding claims.
15. Stabling which term includes stalls, loose boxes and transport containers for horses or other animals; comprising kerbing elements or formations filling the angle between the floor and the walls or partitions of the stabling to provide an outwardly directed face sloping downwardly away from the vertical face of the wall or partition and towards the floor whereby, in use, the risk of an animal becoming cast due to its legs or hooves being lodged in said angle is avoided or substantially reduced.