NZ260603A

NZ260603A - Reinforced concrete moulded section for floor of rotary milking shed

Info

Publication number: NZ260603A
Application number: NZ260603A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: John Murray Bowers; Scott Murray Bowers
Original assignee: John Murray Bowers; Scott Murray Bowers
Priority date: 1992-10-12
Filing date: 1992-10-12
Publication date: 1995-06-27
Also published as: AU4894393A; NZ244688A; AU671483B2

Description

U t'j < - Ir.v" - ^ ^ ^.....Otrk 19^32> to, initials Patents Form No. 5 Patent No: Dated: 12th October 1992 Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ROTARY MILKING PLATFORM 2 0 We, JOHN MURRAY BOWERS and SCOTT MURRAY BOWERS, both of Grey Street, Murchison, New Zealand, both New Zealand citizens, hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: N.2. PATENT OFFICE """1 17 NOV 1994 £60 603 The present invention relates to improvements in rotary milking sheds; to both the construction of the platform on which the cows stand whilst being milked and the means of rotating the platform.

At present the bulk of milking sheds of the rotating style are constructed with platforms of steel. This makes them expensive when compared with the same capacity herring-bone milking shed. At present few rotary sheds have concrete platforms, which would be a cheaper material in which to build, because of the difficulty experienced in the past in finding a satisfactory construction technique. There are also a number of difficulties with the present method of bearing in rotary sheds. In this arrangement it is very difficult to replace worn parts.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved method of construction of the platform, or components therefor, for a rotary shed which overcomes the above difficulties. A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved means of rotating the platform in a rotary milking shed which also overcomes the above described difficulties. A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved platform component, a bail, that can be used to replace existing worn bails of a platform of a rotary milking shed.

Throughout this specification the term "bail" is used in the sense of the unit into which a cow is put for milking. Thus a 60 bail milking shed can milk 60 cows at the same time.

The present provides a component part of a platform of a rotary milking shed, said component being made of reinforced concrete, wherein: said component is cast in a mould and includes at least one bail for said shed; and said component has two ends which are sections of arcs of differing radii, and two sides eachToT^Which, when o 2 ™ : '?S5 2o uou 3 the component is in position in a platform in a milking shed, lies along a radius of said platform.

Preferably said component is not cast in situ. Preferably also said component includes brackets and provision for other brackets, structures or equipment to be secured thereto, once the casting and curing of the component is completed.

By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a component of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section view a preferred embodiment of a component and of the rotary means of the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a section view of the preferred embodiment of the rotating means of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a component 2 of a rotating platform 3 for a rotary milking shed is thereshown. The component 2 is of a size to include one bail (as hereinbefore defined). The component 2 has an inner end 4, an outer end 5 and two sides 6,7. The inner and outer ends 4, 5 are arcs of circles with different radii. The sides 6,7 fall on two (imaginary) radial lines from the centre of the platform 3. The angle between the two radial lines will depend on the capacity of the shed (i.e. the number of bails) and the preferred width of each bail.

Reinforcing steel (not shown) is used in the casting of the component 2, in known manner. A metal sleeve 9 is placed in the casting before the concrete is poured to form the component 2. The position of the sleeve 9 is such that other support or separating brackets 10 can be secured to the platform 3 after the component 2 is 260603 m removed from the mould.

The component 2 can be cast in an existing mould and moved into the desired position in a platform 3 (which can either be a new platform, or an existing one, in which the component 2 is forming a replacement part of the platform 3). Alternatively, if so desired, the component 2 can be cast in situ. One end of a polystyrene mould (not shown) can be positioned on the existing foundation 11. The second end of the mould, over the lower portion 12 of the existing foundation, is supported by a removable prop 13 whilst the component 2 is being constructed and during its curing.

If a completely new platform 3 is constructed from a plurality of components 2, the components 2 can be secured together with plates (not shown) on the underneath of said components 2. The supporting means for the platform 3 is as described below in the description of the means of rotating the platform 3.

If the component 2 is to replace part of an existing platform 3, the same method of securement can be used, and at the same time the component 2 can be secured to the existing means of support of the platform 2, in known manner. Given the means of casting, it is thus possible to replace parts of a steel platform with sold concrete components 2 of the same dimensions. It is also possible, if so desired, to make the new bail on the components 2 slightly smaller, thus increasing the number of bails on the platform 3, without needing to enlarge the dimensions of the platform 3. 4 2o Odu 3

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A component part of a platform of a rotary milking shed, said component being made of reinforced concrete, wherein: said component is cast in a mould and includes at least one bail for said shed; and said component has two ends which are sections of arcs of differing radii, and two sides each of which, when the component is in position in a platform in a milking shed, lies along a radius of said platform.

2. A component part of a platform of a rotary milking shed as claimed in claim 1 wherein said component has been inserted in an existing rotary milking shed in an existing platform not of concrete.

3. A component part of a platform of a rotary milking shed substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings. JOHN MURRAY BOWERS and SCOTT MURRAY BOWERS, by their authorised agents, P.L. BERRY & ASSOCIATES,