Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K1/00—Housing animals; Equipment therefor
  • A01K1/12—Milking stations
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K1/00—Housing animals; Equipment therefor
  • A01K1/0005—Stable partitions
  • A01K1/0017—Gates, doors

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an animal stall defining an animal space for one animal, comprising an entrance gate openable and closable by means of a first driving means associated with a control means, and an exit gate openable and closable by means of a second driving means associated with said control means.
• Such a stall is known from EP-A-0 270 165.
• the therein described animal stall is intended to be used for automatically performing milking on a cow present in the animal space. After milking has been performed, the exit gate is opened and the cow is allowed to move away from the stall.
• the same document also describes pushing members for pushing a cow through a passage.
• An object of the present invention is to allow a more efficient use of the known animal stall.
• said animal exit gate is opened before or at the same time as the movement of the entrance gate into the animal space. In this way the situation of the animal being goaded while at the same time it is prevented from leaving the space is avoided.
• said entrance gate is adapted to move a predetermined distance into said animal space.
• uniform goading is achieved.
• said entrance gate is movable towards an adjacent part of the animal stall.
• said entrance gate is movable to an end position while leaving a space between said entrance gate and said adjacent part of the animal stall.
• said space is at least 5 cm.
• said animal stall is elongated and said entrance gate is arranged on one of the long sides.
• said exit gate is arranged on one of the long sides of the stall.
• said entrance gate is movable into said animal space by means of a second driving means.
• said second driving means comprises a first and a second pneumatic cylinder, the pistons rods of which being interconnected in series to a common shaft, said first pneumatic cylinder being adapted to open and close said entrance gate, said second pneumatic cylinder being adapted to move said entrance gate into the animal space.
• piston rods (20a, 20b) are interconnected to form said common shaft by means of a connection piece.
• said part of the entrance gate is a bar, movable into said animal space by means of a third driving means, such as a pneumatic cylinder.
• an animal identification means associated with said control means is provided for allowing identification of individual animals.
• an operation means associated with said control means is provided for performing an animal related operation on an animal in the animal space.
• said exit gate is adapted to be opened and said entrance gate is adapted to be moved into the animal space after an animal related operation has been performed.
• the gates are manoeuvred following a time delay after the end of the performed operation has been established.
• said operation means comprises a robot arm and at least one animal related device.
• said animal related device comprises at least one teatcup adapted to be attached to a teat of the animal by means of said robot arm, for performing milking of the teat, and/or a teat cleaning device, and/or a teat after- treatment device.
• each teatcup is associated with a sensor for establishing a ceasing milk flow from a corresponding teat, wherein the end of the milking session is established when the sensor of each attached teatcup has sensed a ceasing milk flow.
• Figure 1 illustrates an animal stall comprising an entrance gate and an exit gate
• Figure 2 illustrates a cow inside the animal stall of figure 1
• Figure 3 illustrates a cow being goaded by the entrance gate to leave the animal stall
• Figure 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the animal stall
• Figure 5 illustrates a cow being goaded by a part of the entrance gate to leave the stall
• Figure 1 shows an animal stall 2 having a front fencing 4, a right long side fencing 6, a rear fencing 8 and a left long side fencing 10 defining an animal space 11.
• the left long side fencing 10 comprises a rigid part 12, an entrance gate 14 and an exit gate 16, each gate being hinged about a vertical axis.
• a first driving means 18 is provided for moving the entrance gate 14.
• the first driving means 18 comprises a first pneumatic cylinder 20 having a first piston rod 20a and a second pneumatic cylinder 22 having a second piston rod 22a.
• the first and second piston rods 20a and 22a being interconnected via a connection piece 24, thus forming a common shaft 26.
• a second driving means 28 is provided for moving the exit gate 16 between an open and a closed state.
• Both the first and the second driving means 26,-28 are associated with a control means (not shown).
• a cow 30 provided with a transponder 32 is shown about to enter the stall 2.
• the entrance gate 14 has been opened in response to a transponder reader 34 associated with the control means and adapted to read the transponder 32.
• the control means has established that the cow is allowed to enter the stall 2. During the opening movement of the entrance gate 14 only the cylinder 22 is activated.
• a robot 36 with a robot arm and gripper 40 is provided for performing different operations, such as pre-treatment, milking, after-treatment, cleaning of the fur, examination of health state etc. Furthermore, suitable devices to be handled by the robot are provided, such as teatcups 42 - in the figure shown from above in a teatcup magazine 44 - a teat cleaning device 46 and a teat after-treatment device, such as a teat spray.
• Figure 2 shows the animal stall of figure 1 in which the cow has entered the stall 2 and the entrance gate 14 is in a closed state. The cow is now inside the animal stall. The robot is started in response to a sensor (not shown) associated with said control means and indicating that the entrance gate 14 is closed.
• the cow After performing an operation, such as milking and optionally after-treatment of the udder, the cow should be let out of the animal stall 2 as soon as possible, in order to allow another cow to be treated in the stall.
• This is performed by opening the exit gate 16 by means of the second driving means 28 and by moving the gate 14 into the stall 2 by means of the second pneumatic cylinder 22 of the first driving means 18.
• the cylinder 20 is adjusted to move the gate 14 until it is in a closed state.
• the cylinder 22 is adjusted to stop the movement of the entrance gate 14 at a predetermined distance from the right long side fencing 6.
• the predetermined distance is of course different for different animals and different breeds, but for normal sized cows it should be about 5 cm.
• a part 50 of the entrance gate 14 is moved into the animal stall 2 by means of a third pneumatic cylinder 52.
• animal stall according to the invention is intended to be adapted to different kinds of lactating animals, such as cows, sheep, goats, horses and buffaloes.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
• Housing For Livestock And Birds (AREA)
• Catching Or Destruction (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20412489

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (8)

Citations (6)

• 1998
  • 1998-09-04 SE SE9802998A patent/SE515247C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1999
  • 1999-09-03 AU AU60153/99A patent/AU6015399A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-09-03 WO PCT/SE1999/001530 patent/WO2000013497A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-09-03 JP JP2000568316A patent/JP2002524059A/ja active Pending
  • 1999-09-03 EP EP99968598A patent/EP1109442A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-09-03 CA CA002342919A patent/CA2342919A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-09-03 IL IL14154899A patent/IL141548A0/xx unknown

Patent Citations (6)

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