IE73649B1 - An animal stall system - Google Patents

Description

An Animal Stall System This invention relates to an animal stall system, in particular for parlour stalls used with dairy cows.

Parlour stalls are used to provided a space for each cow during milking. The cow's head is secured during milking and the cow is fed from a trough under her head. Securing the cow's head during milking helps to keep the cows quiet and calm during milking. The number of head spaces depends on the specific milking facility.

As stated above each cow is fed during milking. If some feed remains in the trough when one batch of cows are finished, a leading cow in the next batch of cows is inclined to enter a stall other than the correct stall, being enticed by the feed. This creates a problem as the cow prevents other cows from entering the parlour, delays the milking process and invariably the farmer has to encourage the cow to proceed to her correct stall.

It is an object of this invention to overcome this problem.

According to the invention, there is provided an animal stall system comprising a frame forming an open stall and a number of associated closable stalls, each stall having an opening for through passage of an animals head, each closable stall having a barrier for closing the closable stall and means for controlled sequential opening of the barriers from an initial closed position, the opening means for each barrier being operable in response to entry of an animal into another associated stall, each stall having a head restraint to retain an animal's head in the stall, the head restraint moveable between an engaged operative position and a released position, each head r? 3649 restraint being operatively engageable with a barrier on another stall, the barrier having a lock to retain the barrier in a closed position, the head restraint when in the engaged operative position engageable with the barrier lock to open the lock to release the barrier. Thus advantageously a number of animals can be entered into the stalls in a desired sequence. Conveniently as each animal enters a stall, it releases another stall for occupation by another animal according to the desired sequence.

In another embodiment the opening for through passage of an animal's head has a tapered head inlet at an upper end of the opening for through passage of an animal's head, and the head inlet narrows to a lower neck portion for engagement behind an animal's head.

In a further embodiment, each barrier comprises a latch bar mounted on the frame adjacent the opening and moveable between an engaged position extending across the opening and a released position.

Preferably the latch bar is pivotally movable in a vertical plane about a substantially horizontal pivot axis.

Bias means may be provided to urge the latch bar towards the engaged position. Thus advantageously, when released, each latch bar will automatically engage an associated barrier lock. Conveniently, each latch bar is pivotally mounted on the frame so that it freely pivots towards the engaged position.

In a preferred embodiment, each barrier lock comprises a catch mounted on the frame and being moveable between an engaged barrier-locking position and a released position.

In a preferred embodiment, each stall has a head opening for through passage of an animals head and the head restraint comprises a crook pivotally mounted at one side of the opening for movement between a closed engaged position extending across an inlet to the opening and a i. released position, with crook locking means for releasably retaining the crook in the closed position.

In a further embodiment, a lower portion of the crook projects across the opening when the crook is in the released position, the lower portion of the crook being engageable by an animal's neck upon entry of the animal's head into the opening to pivot the crook into the closed position in which an upper portion of the crook extends across an inlet of the opening.

In another embodiment, the crook is biased towards the released position. Thus, advantageously when the crook locks are opened the crooks automatically return to the released position. Each crook is pivoted intermediate its end such that it freely pivots towards the released position.

In another embodiment, all the locking means for the crooks are interconnected for simultaneous release of the crook locking means. Preferably, the crook locking means comprises a control rod mounted between the stalls having a number of spaced-apart crook retaining lugs, each crook when in the closed position being engageable with one of the lugs to lock the crook in the closed position, the rod being moveable to disengage the lugs from the crooks to release the crooks. * In a preferred embodiment, the head opening has a tapered ‘ head inlet at an upper end of the opening for through passage of an animal’s head narrowing to a lower neck portion for engagement behind the animal's head.

In another aspect, the invention provides a stall for a stall system of the type herein described.

In a further aspect, the invention comprises a compartment incorporating a stall system as previously described, the compartment having an animal entrance, the stalls mounted within the compartment with the open stall furthest from the entrance, the closable stalls being openable in sequence towards the entrance.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:15 Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an animal stall system according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevational view of a stall forming portion of the system; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a milking 20 parlour within which the stall system is mounted.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated an animal stall system according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The system 1 is shown mounted in a milking parlour 2 having a set of stalls 1 mounted in front of a row of associated feeding troughs 3 extending along each side wall of the milking parlour 2 on each side of a central pit 4 for manure collection and removal. The parlour 2 has an animal entrance 5 leading to standing areas 6 in front of each set of stalls 1.

The system 1 has a number of stalls namely an open stall 7 at one end of the row of stalls and a plurality of closable stalls 8 defined by a number of spaced-apart frames 9, 10, 11 mounted on a support wall 12. Each stall 7, 8 has a head opening 13 for through passage of an animal's head for access to a trough 3, the head opening 13 being formed between adjacent frames 9, 10, 11. It will be noted that each opening 13 has a tapered head inlet 14 at an upper end of the opening 13 for through passage of an animal's head. The head inlet 14 narrows to a lower neck portion 15 for engagement behind an animal's head. Thus, to get access to a trough 3 an animal must insert its head through the head inlet 14 and then lower its neck down through the neck portion 15 to feed at the trough 3. The sizing of the neck portion 15 is such that an animal cannot insert or remove its head directly through the neck portion 15.

Each frame 10, 11 carries a head restraint formed by a crook 16 pivotally mounted at 17 intermediate its ends on the frame 10, 11 such that it naturally falls to a released position shown in Fig. 2, thus being simply biased towards the released position. It will be noted that in the released position, a lower portion 18 of the crook 16 projects across the neck portion 15 of the opening 13. This lower portion 18 of the crook 16 is engageable by an animal's neck upon entry of the animal's head into the opening 13 to pivot the crook 10 into a closed position in which an upper portion 19 of the crook 16 extends across the inlet 14 of the opening 13 to retain the animal in the stall, the lower portion 18 being then substantially upright at one side of the opening 13.

Locking means is provided to retain the crook 16 in the closed position. In this case, the locking means comprises a toggle 20 at a lower end of the crook 16 which is releasably engageable with an associated lug 21 carried on a control rod 22. The control rod 22 is rotatably mounted on a number of associated brackets 23 on each of the frames 9, 10, 11. Rotation of the control rod 22 disengages each lug 21 from its associated toggle 20 to allow simultaneous release of all the crooks 16.

A latch bar 25 is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 26 intermediate its ends on an opposite side of the frame 10 to the crook 16. In Fig. 2 the latch bar 25 is shown in an engaged position with an outer end 27 of the latch bar 25 extending across an opening 13 and an inner end 28 of the latch bar 25 housed within the frame 10. The inner end 28 is engaged by a catch 30 which releasably retains the latch bar 25 in the engaged position. The catch 30 is pivotally mounted on the frame 10 by a pivot pin 32. A catch release lug 34 is provided on the lower end 18 of the crook and is engageable with a lower end 35 of the catch 30 when the crook 16 is in the closed position to pivot the catch 30 out of engagement with the latch bar 25 allowing pivoting of the latch bar 25 to a released position as indicated by arrow X of the Fig. 2. Once the catch 30 is released when an animal inserts its head through an inlet 14 of the opening 13 and moves its head downwardly, it deflects the latch bar 25 downwardly so it can have access to the trough 3. It will be noted that the pivot mounting of the latch bar 25 on the frame 10 is such that when released the latch bar 25 will freely pivot into the engaged position shown in Fig. 2.

In use, with the system 1 installed in the milking parlour 2 as cows enter the milking parlour 2 all of the stalls except the first stall 7 are closed, therefore the first cow must enter the first stall 7. Upon insertion of the cow's head through the opening 13 to get at feed in the associated trough 3, as the cow lowers her head she engages a lower portion 18 of the crook 16 pivoting the crook 16 into a closed position, the toggle 20 engaging with a lug 21 on the control rod 22. Thus, the crook 16 is retained in the closed position and the cow's head is retained at the trough 3. As the crook 16 pivots it releases the catch 30 and hence the latch bar 25 for the next adjacent stall 8 so that another cow can enter that stall, pushing down the latch bar 25 for access to the feed in the trough 3. Entry of the cow's head into the second stall 8 releases the third stall 8 in similar fashion. In this way the stalls 8 are opened in a sequentially controlled manner. The first cow can only enter the stall furthest from the entrance 5 to the milking parlour 2 and each successive stall 8 moving towards the entrance 5 is then progressively opened by following animals. At the end of the milking period, the farmer turns the control rod 22 which releases the crooks 16 which fall back releasing the cows. When the cows leave the stalls 7, 8 each latch bar 25 also falls back and rides over its associated catch 30 to retain the latch bar 25 in the locked position. The stalls 7, 8 are then ready for the next set of cows to enter for milking.

In the embodiment described herein, the stall frames are mounted on a support wall. However, it will be appreciated that ground-engaging frames may be provided instead.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described, but may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims (7)

1. An animal stall system comprising a frame forming an open stall and a number of associated closable stalls, each stall having an opening for through passage of an animal's head, each closable stall having a barrier for closing the closable stall and means for controlled sequential opening of the barriers from an initial closed position, the opening means for each barrier being operable in response to entry of an animal into another associated stall, each stall having a head restraint to retain an animal's head in the stall, the head restraint moveable between an engaged operative position and a released position, each head restraint being operatively engageable with a barrier on another stall, the barrier having a lock to retain the barrier in a closed position, the head restraint when in the engaged operative position engageable with the barrier lock to open the lock to release the barrier.

2. An animal stall system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the opening for through passage of an animal's head as a tapered head inlet at an upper end of the opening for through passage of an animal's head, and the head inlet narrows to a lower neck portion for engagement behind an animal's head.

3. A stall system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each barrier comprises a latch bar mounted on the frame adjacent the opening and moveable between an engaged position extending across the opening and a released position. 15 8 A stall system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the latch bar is pivotally movable in a vertical plane about a substantially horizontal pivot axis. A stall system as claimed in claim 3 or

4. Wherein bias means is provided to urge the latch bar towards the engaged position. A stall system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5 wherein each latch bar is pivotally mounted on the frame so that it freely pivots towards the engaged position. A stall system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein each barrier lock comprises a catch mounted on the frame and being moveable between an engaged barrier-locking position and a released position. A stall system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each stall has a head opening for through passage of an animals head and the head restraint comprises a crook pivotally mounted at one side of the opening for movement between a closed engaged position extending across an inlet to the opening and a released position, with crook locking means for releasably retaining the crook in the closed position. A stall system as claimed in claim 8 wherein a lower portion of the crook projects across the opening when the crook is in the released position, the lower portion of the crook being engageable by an animal's neck upon entry of the animal's head into the opening to pivot the crook into the closed position in which an upper portion of the crook extends across an inlet of the opening. 10. A stall system as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the crook is biased towards the released portion. 11. A stall system as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10 wherein each crook is pivoted intermediate its end

5. Such that it freely pivots towards the released position. 12. A stall system as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11 wherein all the locking means for the crooks are interconnected for simultaneous release of the

6. 10 crook locking means, and preferably the crook locking means comprises a control rod mounted between the stalls having a number of spaced-apart crook retaining lugs, each crook when in the closed position being engageable with one of the lugs to

7. 15 lock the crook in the closed position, the rod being moveable to disengage the lugs from the crooks to release the crooks.