GB2337061A

GB2337061A - A floor with through holes having attached rubber tiles

Info

Publication number: GB2337061A
Application number: GB9908656A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Earls
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-04-17
Filing date: 1999-04-16
Publication date: 1999-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-16
Also published as: IES81112B2; GB2337061B; IES980294A2; GB9908656D0

Abstract

A floor with through holes for use in such applications as animal houses comprises a concrete base (20) having a plurality of parallel elongate apertures (21, fig.2), and a plurality of rubber floor tiles (10) fixed to the base between the apertures. The rubber tiles may have a central apex (12) parallel with the apertures, where the upper surface to either side of the apex are inclined downwardly towards the apertures. The floor tiles may be attached to the concrete base by means of nails driven through elongate housings (40) forcing integral longitudinal fingers outwards so as to grip the interior surface of the hole in the base.

Description

1 1 A Slat Floor for an Animal House 2337061 The present invention relates

to a slat floor for an animal house, and a floor tile for use in such a floor.

According to the present invention there is provided slat floor for an animal house, domprising a concrete base having a plurality of mutually parallel elongate apertures, and a plurality of rubber floor tiles disposed on the concrete base between the apertures.

The invention also provides a floor tile for a slat floor as above.

In a further aspect the invention provides a device for fixing a floor tile to a slat floor, the device comprising an elongated housing which is inserted into registering holes formed in a floor tile and in a concrete base of a slat floor, and a nail which is driven into the housing, the housing having a- plurality of longitudinal fingers which are forced radially outward by the nail to grip the interior surface of the hole in the base.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a floor tile according to an embodiment of the invention; 2 Figures 2 and 3 are elevation views of two different concrete bases to which floor tiles of Figure 1 may be affixed to form a slat floor according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a section of a floor tile in.place on a section of a doncrete base; and Figdre 5 is a perspective view of a nail and nail housing used to fix the floor tile onto the concrete base.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts, a floor tile 10 comprises a moulded length of substantially nondeformable rubber. The rubber comprises a mixture of synthetic butadiene rubber and natural rubber having a Shore hardness factor (SHF) of between 45 and 80. A rubber mixture having a specific density of 1.5 produces a rubber having a SHF of 45 while a rubber mixture having a specific density of 2.0 produces a tile with a SHF of 80. In the present embodiment a rubber having a SHF of 65 is preferably used.

The basic raw material is recycled rubber based on natural rubber.

E 1 1 The moulded rubber is cut into elongate tiles of preferred length 3.35m for ease of handling. The tile 30 is symmetrical about its central longitudinal axis A. In the present embodiment, the tile 10 has a flat base of constant width W, the width generally being between 1 3 125mm and 175mm. The tile has square cut edges 11, the edge height E being approximately 16mm. The tile has a height H preferably equal to 22mm at its centre defining a longitudinal apex 12. The upper surface of the tile slopes downwardly at a shallow angle away from the apex 12 to positions 14 equidistant from the respective square edges 11. BetWeen the positions 14 a. nd-the edges 11 the upper surface of the tile comrises strips 15 parallel to the flat base of the tile. The distance D between the positions 14 and the respective edges 11 is preferably 20mm.

In use, a plurality of floor tiles 10 are fixed to concrete slat bases 20 or 30 of the type illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 respectively. Such bases 20, 30 are provided with a plurality of mutually parallel elongate apertures 21, 31 respectively. The bases 20, 30 are, in use, supported substantially horizontally over a sub-floor so that animal waste falling on the bases eventually falls through the apertures onto the subfloor.

The bases 20, 30 provide footholds 22, 32 running between the parallel apertures for supporting animals. Animals may be housed in sheds with such concrete slat flooring for several months during the winter. Concrete is particularly uncomfortable to stand on for extended periods time and standing on such slats for long periods can prove detrimental to the health of an animal.

4 Accordingly, the floor tiles 10 are in use fixed to the base 20 or 30 between the apertures 21 or 31 to provide a more comfortable foothold for an animal. The floor tile 10 is preferably substantially the same width W as the distance between parallel apertures, such that the opposite edges 11 are coincident with the edges 38 (Figs,. 2 and 4) of the apertures'21 or 31. Because of the gradient in the upper surface of the tile, animal waste is guided into the apertures 21 or 31. Because the floor tiles 10 are fabricated from relatively durable rubber, wear from continuous use by animals over a period of several months is mitigated. Also, it has been found that the square edges 11 are necessary to stop the animal hooves slipping off the tiles.

1 The tiles are preferably fixed to the concrete base 20 or 30 by means of a nail and housing mechanism generally indicated as 40, as shown in figures 4 and 5. The nail and housing mechanism 40 consists of a nail 41, preferably metal and coarsely threaded along part of its length, and a housing 42, preferably plastic, into which, in use, this nail 41 can be inserted. The housing 42 consists of a substantially flat circular head 43, preferably of diameter 50mm, with an integral shaft 44 protruding perpendicularly from the centre of the head 43, preferably of length 55mm and generally of width 8mm along that length. The shaft 44 comprises first and second sections 45 and 47. The first section 45, of approximately 15mm length, is adjacent the head 43 and is cylindrical with an axial bore (not shown) running through the section 45 from the head of the pin. The second section 47 comprises two fingers 46 extending from the section 45 substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis. The axial bore (not shown) running through the head 43 and the first section 45 has a diameter of roughly Smm, the diameter of the bore being substantially the same as the diameter of the nail 41. An internal collar (not shown) is provided on the fingers 46 to restrict the internal spacing between the fingers 46. The nail 41 is preferably 65mm in lenth, and when inserted into the housing 42 through the bore it extends between the fingers 46 and beyond their full length by preferably 6mm. The internal collar (not shown) on the fingers 46 ensures that with the nail 41 inserted into the housing the fingers 46 are forced slightly apart.

With the tile in place a hole 13 is drilled through the tile and into the concrete base below. The housing 42 is inserted fully through this hole, engaging into the corresponding hole in the concrete below. The nail 41 is then hammered into this in-situ housing 42, forcing the fingers of the housing apart to grip the interior surface of the hole in the base and thus fixing the tile to the concrete in the manner of a rawl plug. A combination of stainless steel washer and screw can also be inserted once a rawl plug is placed in the drilled hole.

1 It will be seen that floor tiles according to the invention can be used with bases having different distances between the parallel rows of apertures. In this case, a set of moulding dies can be employed to produce tiles of different required widths W.

6 The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

- - r 1 11 1 ' 1 7

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A slat floor for an animal house, comprising a concrete base having a plurality of mutually parallel elongate apertures, and a plurality of rubber floor tiles disposed on the concrete base between the apertures.

2. A slat floor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor tiles have a Shore hardness factor of between 45 and 80.

3. A slat floor as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper surface of the floor tiles has a central apex substantially parallel to the apertures in the concrete base and, on each side of the apex, the upper surface is inclined downwardly at a shallow angle towards the apertures.

4. A slat floor as claimed in claim 3, wherein the width of the floor tiles is substantially the same as the distance between the apertures such that opposite edges thereof are substantially coincident with the edges of the apertures.

1

5. A slat floor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper surface of the floor tiles comprises a substantially horizontal strip adjacent each of the said opposite edges.

6. A slat floor as claimed in claim 5, wherein the said opposite edges are square cut.

8

7. A slat floor as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the floor tiles are secured to the concrete base by fixing means including an elongated housing which is inserted into registering holes formed in the floor tile and base and a nail which is driven into the housing, the housing having a plurality of longitudinal fibgers which are forced radially outward by the nail to grip the interior surface of the hole in the base.

8. A slat floor for an animal house substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

9. A floor tile for a slat floor as claimed in any preceding claim.

10. A floor tile for a slat floor substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

11. A device for fixing a floor tile to a slat floor, the device comprising a fixing means as claimed in claim 7.

12. A device for fixing a floor tile to a slat floor, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

I 1 T