GB2313034A

GB2313034A - Slurry scraper

Info

Publication number: GB2313034A
Application number: GB9709729A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcom Richard Lancaster
Original assignee: LANCASTER BROTHERS Ltd
Current assignee: LANCASTER BROTHERS Ltd
Priority date: 1996-05-15
Filing date: 1997-05-14
Publication date: 1997-11-19
Also published as: GB9709729D0; GB9610131D0

Abstract

A slurry scraper system is described which is suitable for use for cleaning slurry from pens of an animal house when the animals are present in the pens 1. The system utilises a scraper blade 21/23 which is moveable continuously or incrementally along a track. Limiting the rate of progress to less than 0.03 m/s makes this practicable. The scraper passes beneath the barrier elements 3b whose lower extremity is defined by downwardly depending fingers 31.

Description

TITLE: Improvements in and relating to slurry scraper systems DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a slurry scraper system for animals in pens, especially pigs, but without limitation to same.

The current trend in pig rearing is to provide a building having a plurality of pens disposed in side-by-side relation and with each pen accommodating a plurality of pigs. With this system the pigs have freedom to move about should they so wish.

Slurry naturally accumulates in a passage which runs through the plurality of pens.

The slurry has to be cleared regularly and this has usually been done by a tractor born scraper. To allow the tractor to move down the passage, parallel side walls of the pens have to be constructed as gates which are hinged to temporarily enclose the pigs in the remaining area of the pen whilst the passage is cleared. The need to move the animals from the passage is time-consuming. Pigs are essentially clean animals and do not naturally foul in their bedding area, thus the pen is conveniently zoned to provide a clean bedding area and a dirty area corresponding to the above passage.

Permanently installed scraper systems have been developed for use in cow houses in which parallel rows of cubicles open onto a common passage. A scraper blade is guided for movement along the passage to move slurry ahead of it and thereby clear the passage. The scraper blade may be mounted on a chain conveyor for continuous movement or in another proposal an hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly is used to move a scraper blade on an incremental basis along the passageway. Typically the incremental movement is at least 350mm and with that movement taking place in approximately 6 seconds and with an overall ram cycles of 11 seconds. Thus, the ram velocity is equal to approximately 0.058 m/s, whilst the rate of progress is equal to 0.032 m/s. This rate of progress along the passage has not be found to present any problems with cows which are relatively large compared with the size of the slurry scraper. ln applying such a scraper system to the aforesaid pig pens, the scraper would have to be positioned to pass along said passageway and under the aforesaid gates. However, in attempting to apply the mechanical slurry scraper system to pens containing smaller and relatively lethargic animals, such as pigs, it is apparent the that potential for an animal being injured by such rapid movement of the scraper blade toward the gates separating adjacent pens is high.

Indeed, since the lower extremity of the aforesaid gates comprises a continuous lower bar under which the scraper blade would have to pass, such an arrangement could possibly act in the manner of a guillotine or scissors.

Accordingly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a solution to the above-mentioned problems.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the invention provides a slurry scraper system comprising a scraper blade, a track guiding movement of the scraper blade and means for moving the scraper blade in a longitudinal direction to move slurry ahead of the scraper blade and wherein the rate of progress of the scraper blade is less than 0.03 m/s.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an animal house slurry scraper system in which the animal house is divided into at least one row of pens disposed in side-by-side relation, and comprising a scraper blade, a guide track traversing a plurality of said pens, and means for moving the scraper blade along the track through successive pens to remove slurry ahead of the scraper blade, and wherein the rate of progress of the scraper blade is less than 0.3 m/s.

By limiting the rate of progress of the scraper blade through the pen, the animal or animals then have more time to get out of the way.

The above-mentioned rate of progress takes into account any rest period. More particularly, it has been found advantageous for the movement to comprise repeated small incremental movements. It is preferred that each increment of movement is less than 300mm. Preferably the incremental movement is in the range of 50-300mm. A movement of 1oO-125mm has been found particularly satisfactory. The optimum incremental movement will depend on the specific application. For the case of 13-22 week old pigs an incremental movement of 125mm has been found to be particularly satisfactory. Movement occurs in 3 seconds and the rest period is of the order of 8 seconds. Incremental movement is conveniently achieved using a piston and cylinder assembly as employed in cow houses. The ram velocity may be the same as that used in cow houses, but the rate of progress is reduced by reducing the individual incremental distances. Of course, longer or shorter rest and movement periods may be employed with appropriate adjustments to the ram velocity. Although a ram velocity in the range of 0.031 mts to 0.058 m/s has been found satisfactory.

The plurality of side-by-side pens are defined by side partitions comprising barrier elements which may be fixed or moveable, but usually comprise a combination of at least one fixed barrier element and at least one movable barrier element. The partitions may be formed by a plurality of spaced vertical bars. The spacing of the bars is dictated by the size of animals to be contained within the pens. Because the scraper blade has to move through the pens it has to pass under the barrier element. By arranging for the lower extent of the barrier element to be formed by a plurality of spaced downwardly depending members where the scraper blade passes underneath it, the likelihood of animal entrapment is minimised. Indeed, such an arrangement allows the animals' legs to pass through the spaced bars effectively toppling the animal back into the pen.

A further aspect of the invention provides an animal house slurry scraper system in which the animal house is divided into at least one row of pens disposed in side-byside relation and a permanently installed slurry scraper is provided by which a scraper blade thereof is guided to move through successive pens passing under respective pen defining barriers.

The slurry scraper system may conveniently comprise a track extending through the successive pens and means for moving the scraper blade along the track. The blade may be moved continuously or incrementally and the rate of progress may be as previously discussed.

It will be apparent from the above that the slurry scraper system can be used whilst the animals are still in the pen.

Accordingly, another aspect of the invention provides a method of removing slurry from an animal house accommodating a plurality of pens disposed in side-by-side relation, with each pen accommodating at least one animal, in which method a permanently installed scraper system is moved through successive pens and passes under respective pen defining barriers.

A notable feature is that the scraper is moved through the pens in the presence of the at least one animal. The animals would usually have unrestricted movement within the pens. In fact, movement of the scraper system through the pens stimulates movement for the pigs and, as a consequence, they tend to feed more which is advantageous in speeding up the weight gain.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a pig house divided into pens, Figure 2 is a side view of one pen looking in the direction of arrow A of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pig house showing one pig pen.

Referring to the drawings, a building housing pigs is divided into a plurality of rectangular pens 1, which are disposed in side-by-side relation. As illustrated there are two rows of pens disposed as a mirror image. The plurality of side-by-side pens 1 are defined by side partitions 3 comprising a fixed barrier element 3a and a movable barrier element 3b. The barrier elements may comprise a plurality of spaced vertical bars or a solid sheet 5 and in the case of the fixed barrier elements, the restraint means is defined within a rectangular frame 7 having upper and lower horizontals and opposite end verticals. The movable barrier element 3b is hinged and is of a length corresponding to the width of the pen so that it can be moved, as denoted by arrows - one of which is referenced x, through 90 to create a smaller enclosure. Feed and water is supplied to one end of the pen and the other end of the pen provides a soiling area 8. The floor 11 of the pen may slope from the feed end to the soil area. Conveniently the floor 13 of the soil area is at a lower level than that of the rest of the pen and forms a recessed passageway 15 running transversely across the plurality of side-by-side pens from one end of the housing to the other and defined between raised edges 17, 19. The movable barrier element extends across the passageway in its normal position when the pigs have access to all the pen and is described in further detail hereinafter.

A slurry scraper system is disposed to traverse along the slurry passage 15 whereby soiled bedding can be removed mechanically. In the illustrated embodiment the slurry scraper system comprises scraper means 20 conveniently comprising two arms 21, 23 which are pivotably connected to a central body 25 to hinge outwardly therefrom and the body incorporates a mechanism (not described in further detail) which is in cooperating engagement with an actuating bar 27 which extends along the passage and is in cooperating engagement with a guide track 19. The central body preferably has streamlined front and rear ends. The elongate bar is mounted for reciprocating movement as detailed by arrows B and the reciprocal movement serves to move the scraper bar incrementally along the passage, moving the slurry ahead of it. Conveniently a double acting hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly is used to reciprocate the actuating member and this is controlled by an hydraulic pump and appropriate valving.

Such a system is well known in mechanical scraper systems applied to cow houses but as has been indicated previously the incremental movements employed in such systems are unsuitable for pig houses. Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention the stroke of the piston is limited to provide an incremental movement of no more than 300mm.

In order to permit the scraper means to move along the passage 15 without having to hinge the barrier elements 3b across the pen and remove the pigs from the soiling area 8, there has to be a clearance between the floor 13 and the lower extremity of the barrier element 3b. However, if the lower extremity of the barrier element were too high from the floor, pigs could pass from one pen to the next or get their head through sufficiently to worry pigs in the next pen should they so wish. Accordingly, it is imperative that the clearance is kept as small as practicable. If the bottom edge of the barrier element was solid this would present a potential safety hazard as the action of the scraper blade passing such a solid bottom edge has the potential to act like a guillotine which would exert a considerable shear force. Accordingly, the barrier element 3b has at least its lower edges formed by a plurality of downwardly depending fingers 31 whose length is tailored to allow the scraper means to pass underneath - see dotted outline in Figure 2.

The spacing of the fingers would allow the legs of animals to pass between in the event that the animal does not step away from the scraper blade. If the legs are urged through the barrier, then the pigs' body would be caused to topple into the pen.

In the illustrated embodiment, the fingers 31 depend from a horizontal bar 33.

This would be set at a height somewhere around the hip or shoulder height of the animal using the pen. In the illustrated embodiment the fingers 31 extend upwardly at 31' to form the rest of the barrier element and terminating at an upper horizontal bar.

When the scraper blade has completed its movement from one end of the house to the other to deposit the collected slurry and any accompanying bedding at that end, the blade is returned to its starting end. Preferably the same movement/rest sequence is followed. The arms fold to lie adjacent the body of the scraper blade for the reverse journey.

It will be understood that the various aspects of the invention are applicable to animals, other than pigs, which are housed in pens.

Claims

1. A slurry scraper system comprising a scraper blade, a track guiding movement of the scraper blade and means for moving the scraper blade in a longitudinal direction to move slurry ahead of the scraper blade and wherein the rate of progress of the scraper blade is less than 0.03 m/s.

2. An animal house slurry scraper system in which the animal house is divided into at least one row of pens disposed in side-by-side relation, and comprising a scraper blade, a guide track traversing a plurality of said pens, and means for moving the scraper blade along the track through successive pens to remove slurry ahead of the scraper blade, and wherein the rate of progress of the scraper blade is less than 0.3 m/s.

3. A scraper system as claimed in claims 1 or 2 in which the rate of progress takes into account any rest period.

4. A scraper system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the movement of the scraper blade comprises repeated small incremental movements.

5. A scraper system as claimed in claim 4 in which each increment of movement is less than 300mm.

6. A scraper system as claimed in claims 4 or 5 in which movement is in the range of 50-300mm.

7. A scraper system as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which movement is in the range of 100-125mm.

8. A scraper system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7 comprising an incremental movement of 125mm with the movement taking place over a period of 3 seconds and the rest period is of the order of 8 seconds.

9. A scraper system as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the means for moving the scraper comprises a piston and cylinder assembly.

10. A scraper system as claimed in claim 9 in which the ram velocity is in the range of 0.031 m/s to 0.058 m/s.

11. A scraper system as claimed in claim 2 or anyone of claims 3 to 10 when appendant on claim 2 in which the plurality of side-by-side pens are defined by side partitions comprising barrier elements which may be fixed or moveable, but usually comprise a combination of at least one fixed barrier element and at least one moveable barrier element.

12. A scraper system as claimed in claim 11 in which the partitions comprise a plurality of spaced vertical bars.

13. A scraper system as claimed in claim 11 or 12 in which the scraper blade moves through the pens by passing under the barrier element.

14. A scraper system as claimed in anyone of claims 11, 12 or 13 in which the lower extent of the barrier element is formed by a plurality of spaced downwardly depending members.

15. An animal house slurry scraper system in which the animal house is divided into at least one row of pens disposed in side-by-side relation and a permanently installed slurry scraper is provided by which a scraper blade thereof is guided to move through successive pens passing under respective pen defining barriers.

16. A scraper system as claimed in claim 15 comprising a track extending through the successive pens and means for moving the scraper blade along the track.

17. A scraper system as claimed in claims 15 to 16 in which the blade is moved continuously or incrementally.

18. A scraper system as claimed in claim 15, 16 or 17 in which the rate of progress of the scraper blade is less than 0.03 m/s.

19. A method of removing slurry from an animal house accommodating a plurality of pens disposed in side-by-side relation, with each pen accommodating at least one animal, in which method a permanently installed scraper system is moved through successive pens and passes under respective pen defining barriers.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 in which the scraper is moved through the pens in the presence of at least one animal.

21. A method as claimed in claims 19 or 20 in which the animals have unrestricted movement within the pens.

22. A method as claimed in anyone of claims 19 to 21 in which the rate of progress of a scraper blade is less then 0.03 m/s.

23. A slurry scraper system constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in anyone of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

24. A method of removing slurry from an animal house substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.