IE84550B1 - A portable animal stall - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT A portable animal stall, particularly a cow cubicle, comprising a base and a barrier, the barrier being detachably mountable on the base. The base is preferably dimensioned to receive a single animal and, advantageously, includes one or more apertures or recesses to facilitate lifting of the stall by a fork lift. The animal stall is portable and may be dismantled for transport and storage.

Description

A PORTABLE ANIMAL STALL SEAN GILDERNEW A Portable Animal Stall The present invention relates to an animal stall. The invention relates particularly to a cow stall, or cow cubicle.

In a cattle house, it is common to provide a plurality of cow stalls, commonly known as cow cubicles. Typically, the cow cubicles are integrally formed in a row by providing a single base which carries a plurality of substantially parallel barriers, the cubicles being defined between the barriers. Alternatively, the barriers may be embedded in the floor of the cattle house itself.

The spacing between adjacent barriers is normally arranged to receive a single animal, usually a cow.

Cow cubicles are normally permanent fixtures in a cattle house. As a result, the cattle house is a dedicated asset which cannot readily be used for purposes other than housing cattle. This can be problematic, particularly in the current economic climate in which farmers are often required to diversify. Moreover, as a result of exposure to cow effluent, the barriers are subject to erosion, particularly around the area where the barrier meets the base. Since the barriers are normally permanently embedded in the base (which is usually formed from concrete) it can be expensive and time consuming to replace an eroded barrier.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the invention provides a portable animal stall comprising a base and a barrier, wherein the barrier is detachably mountable on the base.

Preferably, base is dimensioned to receive a single animal.

Advantageously, the base is shaped to define one or more apertures or recesses to facilitate lifting of the stall by a fork lift.

In a preferred embodiment, the base comprises a slab having an obverse face and a reverse face, the slab being shaped to define at least one aperture extending between the obverse and reverse faces, the barrier including one or more detachable anchors arranged for connection with one or more free ends of the barrier, the or each anchor comprising means for engaging with the reverse face of the slab wherein, during use, the barrier is connected to the or each anchor and a portion of the or each anchor and/or the or each free end of the barrier is located in the at least one aperture, the arrangement being such that the barrier extends from said obverse face and the engaging means engages with the reverse face of the slab.

Preferably, the or each anchor comprises at least one elongate member having a free end, the or each anchor being arranged so that, during use, when the engagement means engages with the reverse side of the slab, the free end of the or each elongate member protrudes through the opening formed by said at least one aperture in the obverse face.

More preferably, said free end of the or each elongate member is provided with means for receiving a bolt or other fixing means.

Preferably, the or each anchor comprises one or more elongate members extending substantially perpendicularly from a plate. The plate serves as the engaging means and the or each elongate member is dimensioned to fit through said at least one aperture so that its free end protrudes, in use, from the obverse face. The free end of the or each elongate member is preferably arranged for interconnection with a respective free end of the barrier.

Preferably, a recess is formed in the reverse face of the slab around the opening of the at least one aperture, the recess being arranged to receive the engaging means of the or each anchor.

Advantageously, one or more feet are provided on the reverse face of the base.

In a preferred embodiment, the base is tapered so that the obverse face of the base is, in use, inclined with respect to the surface on which the base rests.

From a second aspect, the invention provides a portable animal stall comprising a base and a barrier, the base advantageously being shaped to define one or more apertures or recesses to facilitate lifting of the stall by a fork—lift.

Preferred embodiments of the animal stall of the first or second aspects of the invention are shaped an dimensioned to receive a single cow.

Other advantageous features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure l is a side sectional View of a preferred embodiment of an animal stall according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side View of an anchor for use with the stall of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the base of the stall of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of the reverse face of the base of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an end view of the base of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a side section view of an alternative base; Figure 7 is a side sectional view of an alternative embodiment of an animal stall according to the invention; Figure 8 is-a close-up side sectional view of the interconnection of a barrier and anchor; and Figure 9 is a side sectional view of part of a mould for forming the base of Figure 3.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings there is shown, generally indicated as 10, a preferred embodiment of an animal stall according to the invention. For the purposes of illustration, the stall 10 is assumed to be used for housing a cow, e.g. during feeding or milking or for sleeping, and may therefore be referred to as a cow cubicle. The stall 10 comprises a base 12 and a barrier 14. The base 12 has an obverse face 16 which, during use, is upwardly facing, and a reverse face 18 which, during The barrier 14 comprises a main use, faces downwardly. part 20 which, in use, extends substantially perpendicularly from the obverse face 16 of the base 12.

The barrier 14 further comprises a detachable anchor 22 for securing the main barrier part 20 to the base 12. The anchor 22, which is shown more clearly in Figure 2, comprises engaging means in the form of a plate 24, and two substantially parallel elongate members, or bars 26, 27, which extend substantially perpendicularly from the In the preferred embodiment, the respective of the bars 26, plate 24. free ends 28, 27 are narrower than the rest of the bars 26, 27 and are each provided with an aperture 30, 31 for receiving a bolt, or other suitable fixing means. It will become apparent from the following descriptions that the stall 10 is portable and may readily be dismantled to facilitate transport or storage.

The base 12 is now described in more detail with reference in particular to Figures 3 to 5. The base 12 comprises a substantially rectangular slab and is hereinafter referred to as slab 12. The slab 12 is preferably formed from concrete but may alternatively be formed from any other suitable conventional material. One end 32 of the slab is preferably thicker than the other end 34 to make the slab 12 wedge—shaped. This allows effluent, water and other liquids to run off the obverse face 16 of the slab 12 during use. The reverse face 18 of the slab 12 is preferably provided with spaced apart feet 36. During use, when the feet 36 are resting on the ground (not shown) the gaps 38 defined between the feet 36 provide locations from which the slab 12 may be lifted using, for example a fork-lift (not shown). In alternative embodiments (not illustrated), the slab may be provided with one or more apertures or recesses for receiving the fork, or similar part, of a fork—lift, or similar lifting device.

At least one aperture is formed in the slab 12 and extends from the obverse face 16 to the reverse face. In the preferred embodiment, the slab 12 defines two such apertures 40, 42. Conveniently, the apertures 40, 42 are located adjacent one corner at the thicker end 32 of the slab 12. 42 are preferably spaced—apart along a notional axis that runs substantially parallel of the slab 12. extend through the The apertures 40, with the sides 13, It is also preferred that the apertures 40, slab 12 substantially perpendicularly with the reverse face 18 and substantially parallel with one another. In the preferred embodiment, a recess 44 is formed around the area where the apertures 40, 42 open onto the obverse face 18 (which in the illustrated embodiment happens to coincide with one of the feet 36). The recess 44 is dimensioned and arranged to receive the plate 24 of the anchor 22 as is described in more detail below.

In use, the bars 26, 27 of anchor 22 are inserted through apertures 40, 42 respectively until the plate 24 engages with the reverse face 18 of the slab 12. The respective dimensions of the bars 26, 27 and the apertures 40, 42 are such that the bars 26, 27 fit closely against the sides of the apertures 40, 42 in order to substantially eliminate any lateral movement of the barrier 14 during use. The bars 26, 27 are further dimensioned so that their respective free ends 28, 29 protrude through the respective openings of apertures 40, 42 in the obverse face 16 (see Figure 1). In this position, the plate 24 is seated in the recess 44 so that it does not protrude beyond the general level of the portion of the reverse face 18 which surrounds the apertures 40, 42. The main part 20 of barrier 14 is then connected to the anchor 22.

For this purpose, the barrier part 20 has two free ends 21, 23 arranged for interconnection with respective free ends 28, 29 of bars 26, 27. the barrier part 20 is formed from hollow tubing of, for In the preferred embodiment, circular or box section, and the free ends 21, 23 of example, are arranged to fit over a respective free end 28, bars 26, 27. The free ends 21, 23 are each provided with apertures.(not visible) for receiving a bolt, or other fixing means. The arrangement is such that, when the ends , 23 are fitted over the ends 28, 29, the apertures in ends 21, 23 are in register with apertures 30, 31 in ends 28, 29. One or more respective bolts 50, 51, or other suitable fixing means, are then inserted through the respective connected ends 21, 28 and 23, 29 to secure the barrier part 20 to the anchor 22. This is illustrated more clearly in Figure 8. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the free ends of the barrier part may be dimensioned to fit inside the free ends of the bars, or be interconnected in any other suitable way.

When the barrier part 20 and anchor 22 are interconnected and secured together as described above, the barrier 14 as a whole is fixed, or secured, relative to the slab 12.

The engagement of the plate 24 against the reverse face 18 of the slab 12 prevents the barrier 14 from being pulled out of the slab 12 in a direction away from the obverse face 16.

One or more rows (not shown) of one or more stalls 10 may be located in a cattle house, or any other desired it is location, and used in normal manner. If, however, desired to, for example, use the cattle house (or other location) for a different purpose, then the stalls 10 can be individually moved to another location. Equally, if the size of a herd increases or decreases, then one or more stalls 10 can be added or removed. Conveniently, each stall 10 may be moved by a fork lift with the prongs (not shown) of the fork inserted in the gaps 38 defined by the_feet 38 of the slab 12. Moreover, if a stall 10 is not in use, then the barrier 20 may be removed by releasing the barrier part 20 from the anchor 22. This allows stalls 10 to be stacked one on top of the other and so eases storage or transportation of the stalls 10.

Similarly, the detached barriers 14 may be stacked or flat—packed to facilitate transportation and storage.

Further, should a barrier 14 (or a part 22, 20 thereof) become eroded, or Otherwise damaged, during use, then the barrier 14 (or part 22, 20 thereof) may readily be replaced without damaging or having to replace or repair the slab 12.

It will be appreciated that a stall of the invention may comprise more than one anchor, depending on the configuration of the barrier. For example, in the embodiment of Figure 1, anchor 22 may alternatively be implemented as two separate anchors. Figure 7 shows an alternative embodiment of a stall 110 which is generally similar to stall 10. In stall 110, the upper part 120 of barrier 114 has only one free end 121 and so the barrier 114 has an anchor 122 having a single bar 126 and so the slab has only one corresponding aperture to receive the bar 126. may alternatively be substantially straight—sided as for In this embodiment, the bar 126 is tapered but the embodiment of Figure 1.

Typically, in use, the stall 10, 110 is placed against a wall or other barrier or partition (not shown), such that the wall, other barrier, or partition extends substantially perpendicularly to the barrier 14, 114 of the stall 10, 110 adjacent end 32, 132 of the slab 12, . However, for other situations, the stall 10, 110 may _10_ be provided with further barriers (not shown). For example, a further barrier may be provided on the slab 12, 112 at end 32, 132 extending substantially perpendicular to barrier 14, 114. Alternatively, or additionally, a further barrier may be provided on the other side of the slab 12, 112 substantially parallel to the barrier 14, 114. Any such further barriers are preferably detachably mountable to the slab in similar manner to that described above for barrier 14.

The slab 12, 112 is conveniently formed by moulding, including dry cast or wet cast moulding. the slab 12, Preferably, 112, is formed by wet—casting concrete to a strength of approximately 40 N. The slab 12, 112 may advantageously be reinforced with steel bars (not shown).

The or each aperture 40, 42 is conveniently formed by including one or more bars in the mould around which the concrete, or other material, is poured and allowed to partially set (say 2 to 3 hours after pouring wet cast).

The bars may then be removed from the mould to leave the apertures 40, 42. Figure 9 shows, by way of example, two bars 60, 62 included in a mould around which concrete 64 has been poured. The bars 60, 62 are held in place by locating pins 66, 68 and may be removed by pulling on respective handles 70, 72.

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

Claims (11)

CLAIMS:

1. A portable animal stall comprising a base and a barrier, the base comprising a slab having an obverse face and a reverse face, wherein the slab is shaped to define at least one aperture extending between the obverse and reverse faces, the barrier including one or more detachable anchors for connection with one or more free ends of the barrier, the or each anchor comprising means for engaging with the reverse face of the slab and wherein, during use, the barrier is connected to the or each anchor and a portion of the assembly of the or each anchor and the barrier is removably located in the at least one aperture such that the barrier extends from said obverse face and the engaging means engages with the reverse face of the slab, the at least one aperture being formed such that the barrier and the or each anchor are detachable from the base.

2. An animal stall as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the base is dimensioned to receive a single animal.

3. An animal stall as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the base is shaped to define one or more apertures or recesses to facilitate lifting of the stall by a lifting device.

4. An animal stall as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each anchor comprises at least one elongate member having a free end, the or each anchor being arranged so that, during use, when the engagement means engages with the reverse side of the slab, the free end of the or each elongate member protrudes through the opening in the obverse face formed by said at least one aperture.

5. An animal stall as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said free end of the or each elongate member is provided with means for receiving a bolt or other fixing means.

6. An animal stall as claimed in any preceding claim , wherein the or each anchor comprises one or more elongate members extending substantially perpendicularly from a plate.

7. An animal stall as claimed in any preceding claim , wherein a recess is formed in the reverse face of the slab around the opening of the at least one aperture, the recess being arranged to receive the engaging means of the or each anchor.

8. An animal stall as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more feet are provided on the reverse face of the base.

9. An animal stall as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base is tapered so that the obverse face of the base is, in use, inclined with respect to the surface on which the base rests.

10. An animal stall as claimed in any preceding claim, shaped an dimensioned to receive a single cow.

11. A portable animal stall substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.