GB2382594A

GB2382594A - Portable loose boxes or stalls with fabric roof

Info

Publication number: GB2382594A
Application number: GB0128579A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Phillip P Jeans; Neil Kilbourn; Richard Rust
Original assignee: LODDON Ltd
Current assignee: LODDON Ltd
Priority date: 2001-11-29
Filing date: 2001-11-29
Publication date: 2003-06-04
Also published as: GB0128579D0

Abstract

A portable loose box or stall has wall panels which fit together as at posts 20 and connectors 21 to define a generally rectangular enclosure for an animal. A roof assembly includes a roof frame 27, a fabric roof panel 48 extending between opposed edges of the frame and an adjustable tensioning means 56 for the panel. A compound loose box, say three by two may be made in this way ,optionally with a central aisle as per an American barn, a single fabric roof covering the whole assembly. A fabric cover may be fitted at the gable end.

Description

PORTABLE LOOSE BOXES OR STALLS This invention relates to a portable loose box or stall intended primarily, though not exclusively, to accommodate one or more horses.

In a loose box, an animal is free to move around, though in a stall, an animal is normally tethered and constrained against movement by the closeness of the walls of the stall. In this specification, the term loose box will be used exclusively hereinafter, though it is to be understood that it includes within its scope various kinds of animal enclosures including true loose boxes as well as stalls. Further, the term"portable"is used herein to mean the loose box may be moved from place to place, though only after being disassembled or broken down into smaller components. Thus, the loose box may be moved around the country to be erected at horse or other animal shows, as required.

Generally, loose boxes for horses have to be robust structures, in order safely to accommodate the horses. As a consequence, even if made up from individual wall and roof panels which can be separated readily, each panel is relatively heavy and difficult to move. This is especially so for a roof panel, which must be lifted up to be located on top of the erected walls. Thus, if a conventional loose box is to be moved from place to place, it takes several men and often a crane or other hoist as well, to dismantle the loose box and then reerect it at a new location. In turn, this leads to very high costs for providing temporary stabling at events such as horse shows.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a loose box construction which may be used to provide temporary stabling and which is relatively easy to disassemble, move to a new location and re-erect there.

According to this invention, there is provided a portable animal loose box, comprising four wall panels, releasable means interconnecting the wall panels to define a generally rectangular enclosure for an animal, and a roof assembly for the enclosure which roof assembly includes a roof frame, a flexible fabric roof panel extending between two opposed first edges of the roof frame and adjustable tensioning means adapted to apply tension to the roof panel between the two opposed second edges of the roof frame.

It will be appreciated that with the loose box of this invention, the roof itself is constructed from an open framework covered by a flexible fabric such as a heavy duty canvas, a plasticised canvas material, a reinforced plastics material or some other suitable waterproof fabric. The fabric extends between two opposed first edges of the roof frame but is tensioned by applying a pulling force to the fabric, between the two opposed second edges. This tensions the fabric as a whole in both directions, in view of the slight"give"of a fabric of this kind.

In a preferred embodiment, the roof panel extends beyond one of said second edges of the roof frame and the tensioning means pulls on that part of the roof panel which extends beyond the second edge. To this end, a rigid bar or tube may be incorporated within the border margin of the roof panel and the tensioning means is secured to that bar so as to pull the roof panel, as a whole.

Preferably, the tensioning means comprises a plurality of individual straps spaced apart across the width of the roof panel and each arranged to tension the roof panel as the plurality of straps are tightened. The straps could act between said border margin of the roof panel and a suitable part of the loose

box, such as the adjacent wall panel or a part of the roof frame. More preferably, each strap acts between the free border margin of the roof panel and a tensioning rigid bar or tube secured to the inner surface of the roof panel, intermediate its ends. Such a tensioning rigid bar or tube may be secured to a flap of flexible material secured to the inner surface of the roof panel and provided with apertures through which the straps may pass, around the tensioning bar or tube. Each strap may include a strap tensioner such as a ratchet tensioner of the kind used with straps to hold down goods for example on motor vehicles.

A plurality of loose boxes of this invention may be assembled together side by side to form stabling, with a common dividing wall panel between adjacent boxes in a row and a corresponding roof frame standing up from each such dividing wall as well as from the end walls of the assembly. Individual roof panels would then be provided for each box. Further, two such rows of adjacent boxes may be erected back to back, to form a stabling block. Alternatively, two such rows may be erected facing each other with a walkway therebetween and a common roof extending over both assemblies in a socalled American bam-style arrangement. In this, a single roof frame may be provided for each pair of opposed loose boxes, with a common flexible roof panel extending thereover.

Depending upon the span of the roof, the other end of the roof panel opposed to the end which is tensioned as described above could simply be secured to the roof frame itself, adjacent the opposed wall panel. This arrangement could be used for example where the loose box has a single pitch

roof, for example where the box, or each box of a row thereof, is to accommodate only one animal. However, in a preferred arrangement, each loose box includes a central transverse dividing wall so defining two separate back-to-back loose boxes, and the roof frame is in the form of a pitch roof with gable ends and the apex extending over the dividing wall. In this case, it is preferred for the other end of the roof panel similarly to be provided with tensioning means whereby the roof panel may be tensioned from both sides, between the two opposed second edges of the roof frame, which second edges form the roof eaves. In this way, the effects of friction between the roof panel and the roof frame may be minimised, allowing a high tension to be achieved over the entire roof panel. This arrangement is also appropriate for an assembly where a pair of loose boxes, rather than being arranged back to back, face each other with a walkway therebetween and the apex of the roof panel extends centrally over the walkway.

Further to minimise friction, it is preferred for a freely rotatable roller to be provided along each second edge of the roof frame and over which the roof panel passes. This permits the extension of the roof panel beyond that second edge to be turned back to lie underneath the main area of the roof panel whilst still permitting the tension applied to that extension to be transferred to the entire roof panel.

Preferably, the roof panel is slidably connected to the first edges of the roof frame. For example, those edges may be provided with re-entrant channels and the corresponding edge margins of the roof panel are enlarged

so as to be slideable within the channels but are retained therein by the enlarged edge margin.

To facilitate portability of the loose box, the roof frame advantageously is assembled from framework trusses adapted for releasable connection to the upper parts of the wall panels. For example, the roof frame may have at least two trusses each in the form of a triangular frame with a central apex disposed between said other two edges, which thus form the eaves of the roof. Conveniently, the wall panels include vertically extending posts at their respective ends and the roof trusses have downwardly projecting pegs which locate into the upper ends of the posts. The posts may have suitable openings to permit the connection thereto of the wall panels, thereby to construct a complete loose box.

By way of example only, various embodiments of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a front view of a stabling block made up from six loose boxes and arranged in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 is a front view corresponding to that of Figure 1, but with the doored front panels removed; Figure 3 is a side view of the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 3 but showing the assembly of the roof frames to the side walls ; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side view corresponding to that of Figure 3 but with the fabric roof panel fitted ;

Figure 6 is a detail view on the roof assembly including the fabric roof panel ; Figure 7 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the sliding joint between the roof panel and a truss; Figure 8 illustrates a carrier connected to the free end of a truss member; Figure 9 is a side view of a roller for location between two roller carriers of adjacent trusses; Figures 10A and 10B illustrate in diagrammatic form the strap tensioners for the roof panel, Figure 10B taken on the arrow marked on Figure 10A ; and Figure 11 is a side view of an alternative configuration for the loose boxes, in an American barn style.

Referring initially to Figures 1 to 5, there is shown portable stabling comprising an assembly of six loose boxes arranged as an embodiment of this invention. The assembly is made up from a plurality of front panels 15 each having a central door 16 and a plurality of similar wall panels 17. Each panel 15,17 has a solid lower section 18 and a grilled upper section 19 though in the case of the door 16, this has only a solid lower section and no upper section. In the drawings, each lower section is shown as constructed from vertical boards carried within a frame and each upper section as assembled from parallel steel tubes, but other configurations are possible. For example, the lower sections could be made from horizontally-extending boards and the upper sections could be of horizontally-extending bars or the like, and of course various combinations of these could be employed. The boards themselves could be of

wood though to minimise the weight of each panel, the lower sections could be made of hollow plastics materials, reinforced if necessary. Similarly, the weight of each panel may be minimised by making the upper sections of materials other than steel tubes, such as a metallic or plastics material mesh.

Each front panel and each wall panel is provided with a connector arrangement to permit the panel to be mounted between upright hollow comer posts 20 provided with corresponding connectors. In the illustrated example, each panel has two spaced hook elements 21 on each vertical edge 22 and which may be received in a corresponding apertures in the comer posts 20. In this way, an assembly of boxes may be made to any desired size though in the drawings, the assembly is shown as being three boxes wide (Figure 1) and two boxes deep (Figure 3), with wall panels 23 (Figure 2) provided centrally and parallel to the doored front panels 15, extending along the front and rear of the assembly.

As an alternative to the hook elements 21, the wall panels and comer posts could be drilled and connected together by means of bolts but the preferred arrangement shown in the drawings allows the rapid assembly of the portable loose boxes, without the need for specialised tools, merely by laying out the comer posts in the required configuration and then hooking the front panels and wall panels to those posts. Each comer post 20 includes a foot arrangement 24 to spread the load, especially if the loose boxes are being assembled on soft ground. Moreover, the foot assemblies may be pegged to the ground, to prevent movement of the assembly, when in use.

Once the required arrangement of loose boxes has been assembled, it is provided with a roof. This is configured from trusses 27 each of right-angle triangular form and made up from box-section tubes welded together. The trusses are disposed so that the eaves extend along the front and back of the loose box assembly (i. e. over the doored front panels 15) and the gable ends of the roof are disposed over the sides of the assembly (Figure 3). Each truss 27 is arranged to connect to a comer post 20 and for this purpose has a downwardly-projecting spigot 28 at its eave end which directly plugs into a comer post, as shown in Figure 4. At the apex end, the truss has a downwardly-directed socket 29 in which is received one of a pair of pegs 30 of an adaptor 31, the adaptor having a downwardly-projecting spigot 32 which plugs into the central comer post 33. Pairs of trusses assembled in this way are disposed over each pair of wall panels extending at right angles to the front panels 15 and each such pair are interconnected by horizontally-extending braces 34 bolted to the trusses through holes 35. The apex brace 34 also serves to interconnect the two triangular trusses making up each pair thereof.

The free end 37 of each truss tube 38 projecting beyond the underlying front panels is provided with a carrier 39 for a roller 40. The carrier has a pair of parallel plates 41, one of which has a slot 42 and the other of which a central hole 43, the two plates being joined together and having a connector portion 44 which slidingly fits within the free end 37 of the truss tube. Once fitted into the tube, the carrier is held in place by means of a nut and bolt extending through aligned holes 45.

A separate roller 40 (Figure 9) is provided for each front panel 15, between adjacent pairs of trusses. The roller 40 is provided with projecting coaxial pins 47 at each end and is of such a length that it is a free rotational fit between a pair of carriers 39. The roller is fitted in position by locating one pin 47 into the central hole 43 of one carrier and then the pin at the other end of the roller is dropped into the slot 42 of the opposed carrier.

The roof is completed by providing a fabric material roof panel 48 (or canopy), to extend between adjacent pairs of trusses 27 and over the rollers 40, as shown in Figure 6. The roof panel 48 typically is of a plasticised canvas material, so as to have high strength and also to be waterproof. Each edge 49 of the roof panel which extends parallel to the trusses 27 has a sewn-in bolt rope 50 which gives the corresponding edge 49 a much increased thickness of a generally circular form. A channel member 51, for example of aluminium, is bolted to the upper surface of the truss tube 38 of each truss and defines a pair of oppositely-directed re-entrant channels 52, each generally of circular crosssectional shape and of such a size that the thickened edges 49 of the roof panel can be slideably received therein, from one end. Once received in this way, the roof panel cannot be moved sideways out of the channel, by virtue of the presence of the bolt rope 50.

As shown in Figures 6, 10A and 108, the roof panel 48 is sufficiently long to extend over and beyond the rollers 40, the free edges 53 of the roof panel 48 being furnished with respective sewn-in tubes 54, for the full length of the associated edge. A plurality of aligned openings are provided in the roof panel adjacent each tube 54, for a purpose to be described below. Partway

between the free edge 53 of the roof panel and the part of the roof panel which overlies the apex of the trusses 27 there is provided a supporting flap 57 sewn transversely across the roof panel, an intermediate tube 58 being sewn into that flap 57. Further openings are formed through the flap in alignment with the openings adjacent each tube 54 and, on each side of the roof panel, a series of straps 55 pass through the aligned openings at the tubes 54 and 58. The two ends of each strap 55 are connected together by a respective ratchet-type strap tensioner 56 such that operation of the tensioner to shorten the effective length of the respective strap draws together the two tubes 54 and 58. Typically, there are three or four parallel spaced straps on each side of the roof panel, for effecting tensioning of each panel. Suitable operation of the tensioners 56 to tighten all of the straps more or less equally applies tension to the roof panel in the direction parallel to the trusses 27, the roof panel running around the rollers 40 as the tension is applied. Further, the roof panel will stretch slightly in that direction and this will apply transverse tension to the panel, so tightening the panel between the channels 52 in which the edges 49 of the panel are slidably received.

As shown in Figure 5, the roof panel at each end of the assembly of six loose boxes is provided with a side panel, secured to the main area of the roof panel inboard of the bolt rope 50. This side panel is cut and shaped to match the wall panels 17 and trusses 27, and is secured to the wall panels along the upper edge of the lower section, so covering the upper section of those wall panels. In this way, a through-draught can be prevented.

Figure 11 shows an alternative configuration to that described above.

Again, loose boxes 60 are provided in two rows 61 but separated by a walkway 62, the front panels 15 having doors confronting each other on each side of the walkway. The outwardly-facing rear panels for each row of loose boxes is a simple wall panel 17, as is used for the side walls 63. With this arrangement, the trusses 27 are mounted above the side walls 63, as described above, but the adaptor 31 supports a central truss section 64 spanning the walkway 62 and joined to the two trusses 27 by means of horizontal braces 34, as described above. The roof panel used with this configuration is of a greater length in order also to cover the central truss section, but in other respects the alternative configuration is essentially the same as that described above.

The embodiments described above are relatively easy to assemble where required, and be dismantled and moved to another location when no longer needed. No special tools are required for this purpose and relatively low manpower requirements. The panels separate down to a series of similar components which mostly can be flat-packed, to facilitate transport on a flatbed truck, trailer or the like.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A portable animal loose box, comprising four wall panels, releasable means interconnecting the wall panels to define a generally rectangular enclosure for an animal, and a roof assembly for the enclosure which roof assembly includes a roof frame, a flexible fabric roof panel extending between two opposed first edges of the roof frame and adjustable tensioning means adapted to apply tension to the roof panel between the two opposed second edges of the roof frame.
2. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roof panel extends beyond one of said second edges of the roof frame and the tensioning means pulls on the part of the roof panel which extends beyond that second edge.
3. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 2, wherein a substantially rigid elongate member is incorporated within the border margin of the roof panel beyond said second edge of the roof frame, and the tensioning means acts on the elongate member.
4. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein a freely rotatable roller is provided along said second edge of the roof frame beyond which the roof panel extends, whereby the roof panel may run over said roller during tensioning.
5. A portable loose box as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the border margin of the roof panel opposed to that border margin which extends beyond said second edge of the roof frame is directly secured to the roof frame.

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6. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tensioning means comprises a plurality of straps interconnecting the border margin of the roof panel and a fixed part of the frame, each of said straps being provided with a respective strap tensioner.
7. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tensioning means comprises a plurality of straps interconnecting the border margin of the roof panel and a reaction member provided on the underside of the roof panel partway along its length, each of said straps being provided with a respective strap tensioner whereby the border margin of the roof panel may be drawn towards the reaction member.
8. A portable loose box as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the border margin of the roof panel opposed to that border margin which extends beyond said second edge of the roof frame also extends beyond the other second edge of the roof frame and is provided with tensioning means similar to that at the other end of the roof panel.
9. A portable loose box as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the roof panel is slidably connected to the first edges of the roof frame.
10. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first edges of the roof frame are provided with re-entrant channels and the corresponding edge margins of the roof panel are enlarged so as to be slideable within but retained by the channels.
11. A portable loose box as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the roof frame is assembled from trusses adapted for releasable connection to the upper parts of the wall panels.

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12. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 11, wherein the roof frame has at least two trusses each in the form of a triangular frame having a central apex disposed centrally between said other two opposed edges.
13. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 12, wherein each roof truss comprises a pair of similar right-angle triangular frames releasably secured together in a common plane with their respective upright members secured together.
14. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 12, wherein each roof truss comprises a pair of similar right-angle triangular frames releasably secured together in a common plane with a further roof frame secured between the respective upright members of the similar frames.
15. A portable loose box as claimed in any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the wall panels include vertically-extending posts at their respective ends, and the roof trusses have downwardly-projecting pegs which locate into the upper ends of the posts.
16. A portable loose box as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the roof panel has depending flaps adapted in use to cover at least a part of an adjacent wall panel.
17. A portable loose box as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
18. Portable stabling assembled from a plurality of loose boxes as claimed in any of the preceding claims, and including a plurality of pairs of boxes with a common roof panel extending over each such pair.