A LIVESTOCK STALL DIVERTER SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention concerns a livestock stall diverter system for a free stall stable and a method of providing air conditioning for animals in a free stall stable, said system comprising a plurality of stall dividers arranged in one or more rows comprising at least one vertical support member and at least one diverter member extending away from the support member, wherein the at least one diverter member is provided a tubular member with a plurality of air apertures, and that said tubular member is connected to an air supply.

Claims

1. A livestock stall diverter system for a free stall stable, said system comprising a plurality of stall dividers arranged in one or more rows comprising at least one vertical support member and at least one diverter member extending away from the support member, wherein the at least one diverter member is provided a tubular member with a plurality of air apertures, and that said tubular member is connected to an air supply.

2. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tubular member is integrated in the at least one diverter member, which is provided as an elongated tubular member with an inner hollow space and with a plurality of air apertures, and that said hollow space is connected to an air supply.

3. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of diverter members extend away from the at least one vertical support member.

4. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of diverter members comprise an upper diverter member and a lower diverter member, wherein at least the upper diverter member is provided with air apertures.

5. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 4, wherein the upper diverter and the lower diverter are formed in one piece with a curved distal section or connected to each other by a curved section.

6. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 1, wherein the stall diverter system comprises at least one crossing member extending perpendicularly to the plurality of diverter members, preferably being arranged on the upper diverter members by being mounted thereon.

7. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one diverter member and/or the at least one crossing member are provided with a coating of a soft or elastic material, such as rubber, a polymer or the like.

8. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one diverter member, the at least one support member and/or the at least one crossing member are made of metal tubes, such as galvanised steel.

9. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one diverter member, the at least one support member and/or the at least one cross member are made of a bendable or deflectable material, such as plastic or glass fibres.

10. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 1, wherein the air supply comprises an air supply source and a manifold for supplying air to a plurality of tubular members of the diverter members.

11. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 10, wherein the manifold is connected to a series of supply tubes for providing fluid communication between the manifold and each of the tubular members of the plurality of diverter members.

12. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 10, wherein the manifold is connected to an air supplier, such as a blower, for providing an airflow in the manifold and into the at least one tubular member of the at least one diverter member and out through the apertures therein.

13. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 10, wherein the manifold is a flexible hose adapted for being mounted above the stall diverters.

14. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 10, wherein the air supply source is an air blower or an air suction provider, such as a compressor or an air suction pump.

15. A livestock stall diverter system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tubular member with a plurality of air apertures is attached to the at least one diverter member and connected to the air supply.

16. A free stall stable comprising a livestock stall diverter system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least a single row of support posts is provided with diverter members pointing in the same direction and with the manifold provided above said row and providing air supply to the diverter members of the at least one row.

17. A free stall stable according to claim 16, wherein at least a two row of support posts are provided with diverter members pointing to the opposite directions and with a common manifold provided above said rows and providing air supply to the diverter members of both at least two rows.

18. A method of providing air conditioning for animals in a free stall stable, said method comprising the steps of providing a livestock stall diverter system, such as a system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of stall dividers arranged in one or more rows comprising at least one vertical support member and at least one diverter member extending away from the support member, wherein the at least one diverter member is provided a tubular member with a plurality of air apertures, and that said tubular member is connected to an air supply, for instance where the tubular member is incorporated in the at least one diverter member, which is provided as an elongated tubular member with an inner hollow space and with a plurality of air apertures, and that said hollow space is connected to air supply, and providing an airflow through the apertures in the at least one diverter member by providing a manifold which is in fluid communication with the inner space of said at least one diverter member, and supplying air to said manifold.

19. A method according to claim 18, whereby the airflow is provided by the manifold provided above said one or more rows of stall diverters, and whereby the manifold is preferably common to at least two rows of stall diverters.

20. A method according to claim 18, whereby the supplying of air to the manifold is performed by blowing air into the manifold or whereby the supplying of air to the manifold is performed by sucking air into the manifold.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In the following the invention is described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 3 is an illustration of the second embodiment of FIG. 2 in use;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a stall diverter system according to the second embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 5 is a detailed schematic view of the air supply of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 6 is an illustration of the second embodiment of the invention of FIG. 2 with an example of the air ventilation;

[0033] FIG. 7 is an illustration of the first embodiment of the invention of FIG. 1 with an example of the air ventilation;

[0034] FIG. 8 is an illustration of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 4 with an example of the air ventilation;

[0035] FIGS. 9 and 10 are perspective illustrations of an example of a stall diverter system in a free stable according to the invention.

[0036] With reference to the figures, there is shown a first and a second embodiment of a stall diverter system according to the invention, where a single row of compartments are provided in FIGS. 1 and 7 and in FIGS. 2 and 6 a second embodiment is shown where two rows of compartments for the animals are provided.

[0037] The stall divider system comprises a vertical support member 1 extending down into the ground or the floor of the stable. The vertical support member 1 may alternatively be mounted on a support structure in the ground or floor. The support member 1 may be hollow or solid and made of a rigid material such as iron, steel, wood, or similar materials. The support member 1 may have any cross-sectional shape, preferably square or circular. The dimensions of the vertical support member 1 may depend on the intended use of the stall dividers, e.g. type and size of the animals.

[0038] A lower member 2 may be mounted on the vertical support member 1 near the ground or the floor. One end of the lower member 2 may be secured to the vertical support member 1 at a certain position using a mounting fixture 3. The mounting fixture 3 may have a construction that enables it to be moved up or down on the support member 1. The mounting fixture 3 may be attached to the lower member 2 and/or the vertical support member 1 using bolts, screws, or any other type of fastening means. Alternatively, the lower member 2 may be mounted directly on the support member 1 using any type of fastening means or by welding or any similar process.

[0039] An upper member 4 may be mounted on the vertical support member 1 at the opposite end. The upper member 4 is secured to the vertical support member 1 at a certain position using a mounting fixture 5. The mounting fixture 5 may have a construction that enables it to be moved up or down on the support member 1.

[0040] The mounting fixture 5 may be attached to the upper member 4 and/or the vertical support member 1 using bolts, screws, or any other type of fastening means. The position of the upper member 5 may be adjusted according to different size animals. In a preferred embodiment the mounting fixtures 3, 5 may be identical.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment the lower member 2 extends further than the upper member 4. The lower member 2 and/or the upper member 4 may also be moved in the longitudinal direction according to the intended use of the stall dividers and the size of the animals.

[0042] The lower member 2 may extend away from the support member 1 at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the support member. The upper member 4 may extend away from the support member 1 at a second predetermined angle (such as substantially perpendicular) relative to the longitudinal direction of the support member. The upper member 4 may be angled differently relative to the support member 1, or at the same angle as the lower member 2. This enables the lower and upper members to be placed at optimum angles relative to the size of the animals.

[0043] Between the upper members 4 a crossing member 6 is provided. This crossing member 6 serves the function of a neck rail in the free stall set-up.

[0044] In the currently preferred embodiment, at least the upper member 4 is hollow and made of a tubular material, such as rigid materials such as iron or steel or bendable or deflectable materials such as glass fibre or a polymeric material. Preferably, also the lower member 2 is hollow. The hollow diverter members 2, 4 are preferably closed at their distal ends, i.e. their ends opposite the mounting fixtures 3, 5. At least one of the upper and lower diverter members 2, 4 are provided with apertures 7 (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, see FIGS. 6 and 7) so that air can escape from the hollow inner spaces of the tubular members 2, 4 through these apertures. The hollow inner spaces of the diverter members 2, 4 are connected to a supply tube 8 which receives air from an air supply and transfer the air via flow connectors 8a and 8b and an intermediate supply tube 8c.

[0045] Although not shown in the figures, the crossing member 6 may in some embodiments also be provided with aperturesor tubular members with air aperturesand connected to the air supply.

[0046] Besides the supply tubes 8 that are preferably relatively rigid so that an animal cannot bend, distort or other break the tube, the air supply also includes connection hoses 9 that connect the supply tubes 8 to a manifold 10, which as shown in the figures is provided above the row or rows (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, respectively). The manifold 10 is preferably a large hose, which may be mounted hanging from the roof of the barn (not shown) in which the stall diverter system is installed. The manifold 10 is then connected via a hose piece 11 to a blower 12 (see e.g. FIGS. 4, 5 and 8-10).

[0047] The air flows from the manifold into the supply hoses and tubes 8, 9 and into the inner space of the diverter members 2, 4 and out through the apertures 7 whereby an air breeze 17 is created in the vicinity of the diverter members 2, 4. As it can be appreciated from the illustration in FIG. 3, the animals 14 will then experience a cooling breeze when they are in a compartment between neighbouring diverter members 2, 4 in the stall diverter system.

[0048] In the FIGS. 6-8, the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4 of the stall diverter system with the air supply are shown where the air breezes 17 are indicated.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 10, the blower 12 may advantageously be positioned outside of the barn, i.e. on the outside of the exterior wall 13 of the barn. This is advantageous as fresh air can then be delivered into the free stable in the barn and then contribute to the ventilation of the barn and thereby to increase the welfare and comfort of the animals therein.

[0050] In FIGS. 9 and 10, an example of a stall diverter system installed in a free stable building is shown, where the stall diverters are provided in a single row, such as also shown in e.g. FIG. 1.

[0051] In the current disclosure, the term livestock is meant to encompass all types of the domesticated animals raised and/or kept in an agricultural setting to provide labour and produce commodities.

[0052] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being in any way limited to the presented examples. The scope of the present invention is set out by the accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms comprising or comprises do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the mentioning of references such as a or an etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The use of reference signs in the claims with respect to elements indicated in the figures shall also not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, individual features mentioned in different claims, may possibly be advantageously combined, and the mentioning of these features in different claims does not exclude that a combination of features is not possible and advantageous.