GB2305103A

GB2305103A - Particulate animal bedding

Info

Publication number: GB2305103A
Application number: GB9619115A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anna Margaret Robins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-09-13
Filing date: 1996-09-12
Publication date: 1997-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 2016-09-12
Also published as: GB9619115D0; GB2305103B

Abstract

Particulate animal bedding comprises discrete elements 12 each having an inner layer 1 of open cell permeable foam, and an outer layer 2 of impermeable PVC which may be spayed onto the foam. The bedding absorbs fluids through its ends and can be washed and reused.

Description

REUSABLE LIVESTOCK BEDDING DESCRIPTION Background to the Invention This invention relates to the provision of reusable bedding for the stabling of livestock, especially horses.

Traditional bedding material for horses and other livestock is straw. Straw is, however, expensive and difficult to dispose of, and so, for reasons of cost and disposal, alternative bedding materials have been introduced; for instance wood shavings, paper bedding and rubber matting.

Bedding of synthetic material for livestock has been proposed in GB-A-2258990. This publication suggests providing elongate elements and/or granules of resilient foam material of closed cell type for use as such bedding.

The applicant herein is not aware of any commercial use of such bedding material and considers that such bedding, if produced and used, would be wholly unsatisfactory since urine and other body fluids from the livestock would not be absorbed by the closed cell foam - either the fluids would remain lying on the bedding or the foam bedding would tend to float on fluids collecting on the floor of the stall.

Thus problems remain with past attempts to provide an allpurpose bedding material that is inexpensive and is neither time consuming nor difficult to dispose of. It is therefore considered desirable to provide an improved bedding material, and method of providing bedding for livestock, which reduces or overcomes the above-mentioned and/or other problems associated with the prior art.

Brief Description of the Invention According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided a bedding material for livestock comprising a plurality of individual elements each having first and second portions, the first portion being formed of foamed synthetic material of open cell type, and the second portion comprising a water-impermeable layer that has been superimposed upon the first portion.

It will be appreciated that the water-impermeable layer is thus not a skin-like finish formed as an integrally outer surface of the foam-like first portion.

Preferably the said layer is a sprayed-on coating of plastics material. Advantageously the sprayed-on coating comprises PVC.

Preferably, the thickness of said layer is at least 1% (e.g. of the order of 10%) of the thickness of the first portion when uncompressed.

Preferably, the thickness of said layer is less than 50% of the thickness of the first portion when uncompressed.

Preferably the second portion encompasses the majority of the surface of the first portion. The non-encompassed surface of the first portion provides means for the entry of fluid from the livestock (when the bedding material is in use) and for egress of cleaning fluid (when the bedding material is being cleaned to render it re-usable).

According to a second aspect of this invention there is provided bedding material for the stabling of livestock said material comprising cuboid or tubular elements consisting of permeable open-cell foam material, covered in resilient rubber or another impermeable substance.

Preferably the said impermeable layer is a sprayed-on coating of plastics material. Advantageously the sprayed-on coating comprises PVC.

Preferably the cuboid or tubular elements are no more than 20cm in length, width and height (although the elements may be of varied shapes). Preferably the elements have smooth external surfaces - although this is not essential.

Advantageously the internal, permeable foam will be exposed at the element's end faces. Water, urine and like body fluids can thus be soaked up and retained within the open cells of the foam.

Advantageously, for either aspect of the invention, the foam material may be a plastics material foam of Class A, Type B, Grade 130 of BS3379:1991. Preferably has a density in the range 19-22 kg/m3 and/or of hardness in the range 115-150 N.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of providing bedding for the stabling of livestock, said method including distributing on the floor of the stable or barn a layer of bedding material according to the first or second aspects of the present invention.

The depth of the said bedding material when laid in a stable or barn is preferably a minimum of 15cm. Optionally the bedding material may be banked up at the edges of the stall or stable to at least 45cm.

The bedding material embodying the present invention may be rendered reusable by periodic cleaning - in a mixture of water and disinfectant - and drying before replacing in the stable or barn.

Brief Description of the Drawings By way of example one embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stall of a stable or barn which incorporates bedding material according to this invention, and Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of an element of bedding material of Fig 1.

Figure 1 illustrates the stall 20 of a stable or barn in which a layer 25 of bedding material 10 has been laid to a depth centrally of the stall of at least 15cm, and banked up at the edges or side walls of the stall 20 to at least 45cm. The bedding material 10 comprises a plurality of elements 12 each having the form of a central core 1 provided by a resilient, open-cell foam or sponge of synthetic material, this core 1 being covered and encompassed all round its circumference (but not its ends) by a layer 2 of resilient, hooves-resistant rubber or other impermeable substance in contact with the core 1.

The core 1 is advantageously provided by a plastics material foam of Class A, Type B, Grade 130 of BS3379:1991 and preferably having a density in the range 19-22 kg/m3 and/or of hardness in the range 115-150 N. One such suitable foam is that known as FO-VP45 and available from Breasley Foam, Wirksworth, Derby.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the thickness of hoovesresistant layer 2 is at least 10% of the thickness of the core portion 1 when uncompressed.

Preferably the layer 2 is achieved by spraying on a plurality of separate coatings of PVC to build up the desired thickness. One sprayable PVC that has been found suitable is known as CAS.501 obtainable from Chemique Adhesives and Sealants Limited, Aldridge, West Midlands.

This is supplied in a blend of volatile hydrocarbons and ketones (including toluene and acetone) as solvents, with a viscosity of 200cps at 20 C and can be applied by conventional spray eqipment to leave a coating resistant to water, dilute acids and alkilis, diesel oil and petrol. For best results, the first coat is applied wet to penetrate the surface cells of the foam and provide adhesion, and the or each subsequent coat is applied "dry" (by using a part trigger opening) so as to bridge over the cells of the foam. Optionally, a final "wet" coat provides a semi-gloss finish.

Since the foam core portion 1 is not entirely covered by the layer 2, water, urine and/or other body fluids can (in use of the bedding material) pass through the uncovered zones - e.g. at the ends of foam portion 1 - and be soaked up by the open-cell foam. If any such body fluids which are held by some of the elements 12 are expelled by pressure, e.g. due to the animal standing or lying down thereon, such expelled fluids will flow over the impermeable layers 2 and be absorbed by the foam portion 1 of one or more other elements 12 located therebeneath in the layer 25. As å result, the overall upper surface of the bedding - as presented by the impermeable layers 2 of the topmost elements (and represented by a continuous line in Fig 1) will tend to be maintained in a substantially dry state.

Furthermore, by providing for the impermeable layers 2 to be relatively thick, e.g. at least 10% of the uncompressed thickness of foam portion 1, and of hooves-resistant material, the elements 12 are resistant to wear and/or damage from the hooves of the livestock. Advantageously the hooves-resistant layer 2 is of a different material to the foam material of core 1.

Optionally, the composite elements 12 can be produced by cutting off from a long length of foam-core, impermeable layer-coated, extrudate or molding.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art. All such modifications and embodiments are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the invention is not to be deemed limited to the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.

Claims

1. A bedding material for livestock comprising a plurality of individual elements each having first and second portions, the first portion being formed of foamed synthetic material of open cell type, and the second portion comprising a water-impermeable layer that has been superimposed upon the first portion.

2. A bedding material according to Claim 1, wherein the thickness of said layer is at least 1% of the thickness of the first portion when uncompressed.

3. A bedding material according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the thickness of said layer is of the order of 10% of the thickness of the first portion when uncompressed.

4. A bedding material according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the thickness of said layer is less than 50% of the thickness of the first portion when uncompressed.

5. A bedding material according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the said layer is a sprayed-on coating of plastics material.

6. A bedding material according to Claim 5, wherein the sprayed-on coating comprises PVC.

7. A bedding material according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the second portion encompasses the majority of the surface of the first portion.

8. Bedding material for the stabling of livestock, said material comprising cuboid or tubular elements consisting of permeable open-cell foam material, covered in resilient rubber or another impermeable substance.

9. Bedding material according to Claim 8, wherein the cuboid or tubular elements are no more than 20cm in length, width and height.

10. Bedding material according to Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the elements have smooth external surfaces.

11. Bedding material according to any one of Claims 8 to 10, wherein the internal, permeable foam is exposed at the element's end faces.

12. Bedding material according to any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the said impermeable substance is a sprayed-on coating of plastics material.

13. Bedding material according to Claim 12, wherein the sprayed-on coating comprises PVC.

14. Bedding material according to any preceding Claim, wherein the foamed material is a plastics material foam of Class A, Type B, Grade 130 of BS3379:1991.

15. Bedding material according to any preceding Claim; wherein the foamed material has a density in the range 19 to 22 kg/m3.

16. Bedding material according to any preceding Claim, wherein the foamed material has a hardness in the range 115 to 150 N.

17. Bedding material substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

18. A method of providing bedding for the stabling of livestock, said method including distributing on the floor of the stable or barn a layer of bedding material according to any one of the preceding Claims.

19. A method according to Claim 18, wherein the depth of the said bedding material when laid is a minimum of 15cm.

20. A method according to Claim 18 or Claim 19, wherein the bedding material is banked up at the edges of the stall or stable to at least 45cm.

21. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 18 to 20, wherein the bedding material that has been laid includes bedding material according to any one of Claims 1 to 17 that has been rendered reusable by cleaning.

22. A method according to Claim 21, wherein used and soiled bedding material is taken up from the floor of the stable or barn, is cleaned by a process including washing the bedding material in a mixture of water and disinfectant, followed by drying, and is subsequently relaid in the stable or barn.

23. A method according to Claim 18 and substantially as herein described.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A bedding material for livestock comprising a plurality of individual elements each having first and second portions, the first portion being formed of foamed synthetic material of open cell type, and the second portion comprising a water-impermeable layer superimposed upon, but not entirely covering, the first portion.

4. A bedding material 'according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the thickness of said layer is less than 50 of the thickness of the first portion when uncompressed.