WO2010112031A1

WO2010112031A1 - Retention box for domestic animals

Info

Publication number: WO2010112031A1
Application number: PCT/DK2010/050072
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Georgi
Original assignee: Ap Company Af 2009 A/S
Priority date: 2009-04-02
Filing date: 2010-03-30
Publication date: 2010-10-07
Also published as: DK200900455A; DK177185B1; EP2413686A1

Abstract

A retention box for use in feeding or examining a domestic animal, particularly a sow, is designed in a known way with a frame (5) which at one end is provided with a feeding trough (7) and at the other end with an access opening for the sow. The box is provided with a pivotable front gate (9) and a pivotable rear gate (11) which are rigidly interconnected by rods (13). By opening the rear gate (11), the front gate (9) is forced into closed position, and vice versa. In order to avoid unsuitable oscillations in the closure system and thereby problems with getting the sow out of the box again, the connection between front and rear gates is provided with a locking device which may release the rods (13) such that the movements of the gates are not mutually dependent. By the invention, the rods are seated in bushings (21) that allow sliding movement of the rods (13) in relation to the adjacent gate (11). By manually operated locking pins (25), the rear gate (11) may be locked in the open position such that the animal may come out.

Description

Retention Box for Domestic Animals

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a retention box in the form of a pen for domestic animals, preferably sows, the pen intended with a size such that one of these animals may stay in the pen, the pen including: - a feed trough at the front end of the pen;

- a front gate which is hinged such that it may pivot about an axis which is preferably horizontal, and a rear gate which is hinged such as to pivot about a second axis which is preferably horizontal, where the front gate in the closed position blocks the animal from accessing the feeding trough, where the rear gate in the closed position blocks other similar animals from accessing the pen;

- a connecting means including a rod connecting the front gate with the rear gate in such a way that opening and closing, respectively, of one gate will cause closing and opening, respectively, of the other gate.

Background of the Invention The invention is particularly related to a feeding box/resting box for a sow, preferably in connection with feeding and/or supervision of the sow. Such a box type is e.g. known from EP 1 333 715 Bl.

Such boxes or pens are used in pigsties adapted for untethered flocks of sows. When the rear gate is open, the front gate is closed, but when a sow goes into the box, she will push the front gate open or aside in order to get to the feeding trough. The rear gate is thereby forced down and is shut against further access.

Feeding of untethered sows in a stable occurs such that a flock of sows stay in a bedding area, after which the sows by themselves find an empty pen, where they close the gate behind them by pushing the front gate. The sows may now eat undisturbedly.

This separation of the sows during feeding is important as the hierarchy in a flock may cause weak sows to be pushed aside by stronger sows and they are thereby not given enough feed. A further advantage of using such pens is that the sows during feeding may be vaccinated, inseminated or marked more easily than if the sows were free-roaming, as the sows cannot run away, and other sows cannot disturb the treatment. Moreover, the sows' stay in the pens facilitates cleaning of the remainder of the pen, particularly the areas where the sows stay most of the time.

When the sow is in a box according to prior art and is to come out of the box again, one will shoo her backwards so that she presses against the rear gate with the bottom. Sometimes, this is furthered by the person by manually actuating the gate in order to assist in getting the sow out. The rear gate, which is pivotably suspended, will yield and open. At the same time, the front gate will close due to the connecting means, such that access to the feeding trough is blocked.

If the animal, presently the sow, which may be an animal that has been examined or treated, after going slightly backwards, becomes frightened or is touched on the bottom, goes forward, it may bump on the front gate and thereby open it with consequent closing of the rear gate. This is unfavourable since this movement may be repeated such that the sow becomes more and more disturbed by the opening and closing gates. An oscillating condition arises where the sow becomes upset and will not come out. This is unfavourable for the animal and cumbersome for the person trying to get the animal out. Moreover, this means that it is often required with two persons for the work of getting the sow out.

From the German laid-open publication DE 20 29 600 it is known with a pen where there is a front gate which the sow is to push to open position in order that the sow may reach the feeding trough. This front gate is connected with the rear gate via a connection device such that opening the front gate causes closing of the rear gate, and opening the rear gate causes closing of the front gate. Both gates are hinged along vertical axes, and their opening therefore occurs sideways such that the rear gate in the open position stands in continuation of the side of the pen.

Furthermore, a pen or box of the kind mentioned in the introduction is known from EP 1 346 632 Bl. This pen is used in a stable system where all pens are connected with a central locking system for the pens. The central locking system is connected with all the pens, ensuring that the animals in the pens can stay in the pens until the central locking system is unlocked, for example until all animals have finished eating. The locking system is adapted such that central activation locks/unlocks all pens.

However, this locking system is adapted with an option of individual locking of a pen. This is effected in that the locking mechanism of the rear gate includes a displaceable locking pawl which may be displaced individually, thereby allowing locking of the coupled front gate and rear gate independently of the unlocking of gates in the adjacent pens. Separate opening and closing of the rear gate independently of the opening and closing of the front gate is not possible.

Object of the Invention

The object of the invention is to indicate a retention box for domestic animals, particularly sows, where it is possible to neutralise the mechanical connection between front and rear gates of a retention box of the kind specified in the introduction, such that the disadvantages of inadvertent closing of the rear gate during the animal's exit from the box are avoided.

Description of the Invention The peculiar feature of the retention box according to the invention is that the connecting means include a releasable locking device which by manual operation may release the connection between the front and rear gates for separate opening and closing, respectively, of the rear gate.

When the domestic animal, most often a sow, is to get out after staying the retention box, it may push open the rear gate - whether hinged at the top or at the side - as the connecting means forces the front gate down at the same time. In this situation, one may manually release the connection between front and rear gates by releasing the locking device. It is now possible to get the animal out in an easy way. Normally, the front gate will be in its open position in this situation. The animal's movements will not, when striking the rear gate, force the front gate down. The animal may therefore back out of the box unhindered. The rear gate may normally be released by releasing the locking device simultaneously with the front gate being up. Then the rear gate is opened, and the animal may be directed out by the person standing at the box.

The retention box may be combined with prior art systems for locking the connecting device individually or centrally for all, such that the gates e.g. are locked with the rear gate closed down and the front gate open such that the animals may eat from the troughs.

The locking device can be designed in several ways. One possibility is that a part- circular grid or perforated plate member is attached to the hinge connection of the front or rear gate to the frame of the box, where the connecting rod is releasably engaged with the grid or perforated plate member, possibly via a transverse pin.

The invention is preferred in an embodiment where the releasable locking device includes at least one pawl which is seated in the frame of the box and which may be moved to engage a cutout in the rod. The pawl may be a rocker pawl that may engage a notch in the connecting rod. Other arresting devices are of course possible.

In a preferred simple embodiment of the retention box according to the invention, the pawl is a vertical axially displaceable pin that may be moved between a lower locking position and an upper free position in a seating for the rod, which may be displaced in the seating transversely of the direction of displacement of the pin. The engagement may then be effected by holes or notches at the top side of the connecting rod, the rod either consisting of a hollow profile or an open profile or having a simple solid cross- section.

It is preferred that the vertical axially displaceable pin is spring-loaded against its lower locking position. Hereby is achieved a secure engagement and a secure coupling together of the two gates. In order to achieve ample mechanical stability of the connecting means such that twisting of the bearings and moving parts of the mechanism is avoided and greater durability is achieved, it is preferred that the box includes two substantially parallel connecting rods connecting rear and front gates at respective sides of the box, and that the rods are provided with each their locking device.

Description of the Drawing

An embodiment of the retention box according to the invention is now to be described in more detail below with reference to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a retention box according to the invention in closed condition with the front gate open;

Fig. 2 shows a detail of Fig. 1 with locking device close to the rear gate; Fig. 3 shows the retention box on Fig. 1 but in open condition and by using the locking device; Fig. 4 shows the same as Fig. 3, but in perspective view obliquely from above;

Fig. 5 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 3, but of an alternative embodiment of the retention box according to the invention.

Detailed Description of Example Embodiments

A retention box for use in pig stables, in particular for sows, may be constructed as an open structure of pipes and rods, as shown on the drawing. The box is provided with legs 1 which together with longitudinal rods 3 constitute a frame 5 which at a front end is provided with a feeding trough 7.

As by prior art retention boxes, the box according to the invention is provided with a front gate 9 and a rear gate 11 which are interconnected by connecting means which in this embodiment include two parallel rods 13, in this case constituted by piping. The gates 9, 11 are pivotably suspended by respective swivel arms 15, 17, thereby forming a movable system where movement of one gate 9, 11 entails a forced movement of the other gate 11, 9. In the closed condition of the rear gate 11 as shown on Figs. 1 and 2, the front gate 9 will be open, and vice versa. In the shown embodiment, there are two rods 13 for the sake of strength and stability, but obviously retention boxes with only one connecting rod may also be used by the invention.

In the preferred embodiment as shown on Figs. 1 - 4 on the drawing, the two rods 13 are articulated joined with the front gate 9 by fishplates 19. At the other end, the rods 13 are seated in specially designed bushings 21 which are fastened to the rear gate 11. The bushings 21 are rotatably suspended in relation to the rear gate 11. The bushings 21 are provided with guides 23 guiding upwardly and downwardly moving locking pawls or pins 25.

On Figs. 1 and 2, the locking pins 25 are in the lower position at which their not shown ends engage not shown holes at the top side of the rods 13. In this operational position, which the box will assume when the animal is in the box eating or being examined by a veterinary, the gates 9, 11 and the retention box as such will operate just like boxes according to prior art.

When the animal, most often a sow, is to come out again, the connection between rear gate 11 and rods 13 may be released by pulling up the locking pins 25. Then the rods 13 may be displaced in the bushings 21, and one may pivot the rear gate 11 up without forcing the front gate 9 down into closed position, see Figs. 3 and 4. In the shown embodiment, the rods 13 are provided with other holes 27 at the top side, see Figs. 1 and 2, in which the pins 25 may be inserted. In this way, the gates 9 and 11 are now both locked in the open position, and inadvertent closing of the rear gate is avoided due to the sow bumping against the front gate when she is to be directed out of the box again.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 5 differs from that of Figs. 1 - 4 in that it does not have bushings 21 and guides 23. The connecting rods 13 are connected with the rear gate via a flange 29 releasably connected with a corresponding part-circular holder (not shown) that is releasably gripping around the flange 29. This means that the connecting rods 13 are completely released from the rear gate 11 and may be laid on support flanges 31, after which the rear gate 11 is pivoted up to the shown position. A fork 33 will then be pivoted from the shown position where it is in a uncoupled position to a position where it is in a coupled position, where the two branches 35 of the fork 33 are disposed at respective sides of the swivel arms 17, such that the rear gate 11 is retained in its shown open position.

The fork 33 is shown in Fig. 3. The fork 33 will not be used in this embodiment since the connecting rods 13 are in sliding connection with the rear gate 11 via the bushings 21.

Claims

1. A retention box in the form of a pen for domestic animals, preferably sows, the pen having a size such that one of these animals may stay in the pen, the pen including:

- a feed trough (7) at the front end of the pen; - a front gate (9) which is hinged such that it may pivot about an axis which is preferably horizontal, and a rear gate (11) which is hinged such as to pivot about a second axis which is preferably horizontal, where the front gate in the closed position blocks the animal from accessing the feeding trough, where the rear gate in the closed position blocks other similar animals from accessing the pen; - a connecting means (13,21,23,25) including a rod (13) connecting the front gate (9) with the rear gate (11) in such a way that opening and closing, respectively, of one gate will cause closing and opening, respectively, of the other gate, characterised in that the connecting means (13,21,23,25) include a releasable locking device (21,23,25) which by manual operation may release the connection between the front and rear gates for separate opening and closing, respectively, of the rear gate.

2. Retention box according to claim 1, characterised in that the releasable locking device (21,23,25) includes a pawl (25) which is seated at the frame of the box and which may be moved to engage a cutout in the rod (13).

3. Retention box according to claim 2, characterised in that the pawl (25) is a vertical axially displaceable pin (25) that may be moved between a lower locking position and an upper free position in a seating (21) for the rod (13), which may be displaced in the seating transversely of the direction of displacement of the pin.

4. Retention box according to claim 3, characterised in that the vertically axially displaceable pin (25) is spring-loaded against its lower locking position.

5. Retention box according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the box includes two substantially parallel connecting rods (13) connecting the front and rear gates at each side of the box, and that the rods are provided with each their locking device (21, 23,25).