GB2413807A

GB2413807A - Moulded floor panel for poultry

Info

Publication number: GB2413807A
Application number: GB0410161A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ken Ford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-07
Filing date: 2004-05-07
Publication date: 2005-11-09
Also published as: GB0410161D0

Abstract

A moulded floor panel for poultry comprises a grid of interconnected walls 7, 8 which extend between upper and lower faces of the panel to define an array of apertures 10 through which droppings can pass. The panel incorporates at least one elongate perching rail 11 disposed between the walls 7, 8. The or each perching rail 11 has an upper surface which is curved transverse to the length of the rail and projects above the upper face of the panel. The or each perching rail 11 may by of inverted U shape transverse cross section and may have transverse cross walls connected between the opposing sides of the U. The panel may be rectangular.

Description

24 1 3807 - 1

MOULDED FLOOR PANEL FOR POULTRY

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a moulded floor panel for use by poultry.

BACKGROUND

In poultry farming it is common to provide slatted floors for the birds to stand on, through which droppings may pass. Traditional timber slats are relatively comfortable for the birds to stand on, but in recent years moulded plastic panels have started to be used which provide considerably less comfort and may cause considerable distress over a period of time.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of floor panel which is suitable for injection moulding at relatively low cost but which provides an increased level of comfort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a oulded floor panel for poultry, having a grid of mutually interconnected walls extending between upper and lower 2 faces and defining an array of apertures by which droppings may pass through the panel, in which the panel incorporates at least one elongate perching rail which is disposed between the said walls, the upper surface of the or each rail being curved transverse to the length of the rail, projecting above said upper face.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a general view of a floor panel in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the floor panel; Fiqure 3 is a longitudinal section through the panel on the plane A-A of Fig. 2, with a middle portion omitted; Figure 4 is a transverse section through the panel on the plane B-B of Fig. 2; and Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of the region C of Fig. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS - 3

Fig.s 1 and 2 show an injection moulded floor panel 1 for use by poultry.

The panel is of substantially rectangular shape with a pair of mutually parallel longitudinal sides 2, 3 and a pair of mutually parallel shorter sides (ends) 4 and 5. The panel includes two sets of walls, which are mutually interconnected to form a grid-like structure. One set of walls 6 run parallel to the longitudinal sides 2 and 3 while the second set 7 run perpendicular to the first set, extending parallel to the shorter sides 4 and 5. The two sets of walls are of substantially equal and uniform thickness. As shown in Fig. 3, the top edges of both sets of walls 6 and 7 are substantially coplanar forming an upper face 8. Similarly, the bottom edges are also substantially coplanar forming a lower face 9. Each set of walls 6, 7 is substantially uniformly spaced, but the transverse walls 7 are spaced further apart than the longitudinal set 6. The intersecting walls 6 and 7 thus form a grid of substantially rectangular apertures 10 (Fig. 2) through which droppings may pass.

At intervals along the length of the panel, the upper edges of two adjacent transverse walls 7 are bridged by a continuous elongate top wall 11, which preferably extends across the width of the panel. As shown in Fig.s 3 and 5, each top wall 11 is arcuate in transverse cross section to project above the upper face 8. These curved top walls 11, together with the transverse walls 7 to which they are attached, form perching rails of inverted-U shape upon which the birds may stand and comfortably grip for prolonged periods.

The longitudinal walls 6 may be continuous, bridging the transverse walls 7 beneath the curved top walls 11, or they may be broken, terminating on opposite sides of the top walls 11. For maximum strength, cross walls 13 bridge the transverse walls 7 at intervals. Such cross walls 13 may or may not be aligned with the longitudinal walls 6 and are preferably fewer - 4 in number for reduced cost and ease of moulding.

The perching rails are preferably provided at regular intervals along the length of the panel, each adjacent pair being spaced apart by five intervening apertures in this example. To ensure uniformity when two or more such panels are butted end-to-end in a floor structure the sum of the distances between the two outermost perching rails and the adjacent sides 4 and 5 is equal to the spacing between two adjacent rails.

Furthermore, at one end 5 of the panel the longitudinal walls 6 terminate in a transverse wall 7 whereas at the opposite end 4 the transverse walls 6 project beyond the final transverse wall 7.

The opposite longitudinal sides 2 and 3 are provided with a series of outwardly projecting lugs 14 (Fig.s 2 and 4) co-planar with the upper face 8, which are in turn provided with depending lugs 15 at their free ends.

These form hooks which are used to suspend the floor panels in use.

The panels are hygienic and humane whilst being easy and inexpensive to mould using a simple two-part tool.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

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Claims

1. A moulded floor panel for poultry, having a grid of mutually interconnected walls extending between upper and lower faces and defining an array of apertures by which droppings may pass through the panel, in which the panel incorporates at least one elongate perching rail which is disposed between the said walls, the upper surface of the or each rail being curved transverse to the length of the rail, projecting above said upper face.

2. A moulded floor panel according to Claim 1 in which the or each perching rail is of generally inverted-U shape in transverse cross section.

3. A moulded floor panel according to Claim 2 in which the or each perching rail has a plurality of transverse cross walls connected between the opposing sides of the inverted-U section.

4. A moulded floor panel according to any preceding claim which is of substantially rectangular shape with two pairs of substantially parallel sides.

5. A moulded floor panel according to Claim 4 in which the walls include two substantially perpendicular sets of equally spaced walls which extend substantially parallel to the sides of the panel forming an array of substantially rectangular apertures.

6. A moulded floor panel according to Claim 5 in which a pair of said substantially parallel sides of the panel includes one side formed - 6 by one of said walls and another side formed by another of said walls having a plurality of projecting portions of said substantially perpendicular walls.

7. A moulded floor panel according to Claim 4, 5 or 6 in which a pair of said substantially parallel sides the panel includes a plurality of projecting flanges having depending lugs.

8. A moulded floor panel according to Claim 7 in which the flanges are substantially coplanar with said upper face.

9. A moulded floor panel for poultry which is substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

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