GB2173384A

GB2173384A - Stop bar, e.g. for restraining animals

Info

Publication number: GB2173384A
Application number: GB08505796A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas James Parkinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-03-06
Filing date: 1985-03-06
Publication date: 1986-10-15
Also published as: GB8505796D0

Abstract

A stop bar has a telescopic action and is biased towards the vertical members of the stall 20, and rests on a support surface eg 22. It is used to prevent a cow backing out of the stall either to lie in the dung passage, or to restrain the cow tor veterinary purposes, or for artificial insemination. The stop bar is located across the end of the stall. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Stop bar The present invention relates to a stop bar in particular, although not exclusively for use in keeping anjmals in a stall.

When cows are kept in stalls, the stall may be open at the rear allowing the animal to back out should it so wish. Generally the cows are content to remain in the stall of their own volition. Running adjacent to the stalls is a dung passage, and some cows tend to leave their stall and lie in the dung. Such cows either have to be tied up, which involves considerable time and effort, or destroyed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a stop bar comprises a pair of members which are movable relative to each other between an extended position in which the bar is capable of extending between and being supported by a pair of spaced supports and a retracted position in which the bar can be located between and removed from the supports. If it is found that a particular animal is prone to leaving its stall, the stop bar can be located with speed and ease by locating the stop bar between the spaced supports provided by the open end of the stall, and moving the members, or allowing them to move to the extended position.

At least one of the members may be arranged to rest on a support surface provided by one of the supports when the members are in the extended position. The stop bar may be arranged to extend between the supports at a greater height than that of the support surface which may allow conventional stalls with low horizontal struts to be provided with a stop bar which extends across the end of a stall at a greater, and therefore more effective, height than if it were to extend across at the same height as the low struts.

At least one of the members may be arranged to cooperate with an upwardly extending support member of a support whereby movement of the stop bar in a direction transverse to the extent of the stop bar between the supports is restrained. The location at which the member is arranged to co-operate with the upwardly extending support member may be above the location at which that member is arranged to rest on the support surface and may also be below the extent of the stop bar between the supports.

The members may be biased towards the extended position, and the bias force may be adjustable. The members may be telescopically mounted on each other and may comprise one member located partially within another.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but various embodiments will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of a stall 10 for a cow including a stop bar 12 mounted across the end thereof.

The stall 10 comprises an end wall 14 and a pair of dividers 16 spaced from each other and extending away from the wall. The space between the dividers defines the space for the cow. At the end of the dividers, upper rails 18, which extend away from the wall, drop down in a section 20 to rest on the floor. A lower rail 22 extends from a lower region of the section 20 to the wall.

In order to prevent a cow from backing out of the stall, either because the animal tends to lie in the dung passage or if a vet requires to inspect or artifically inseminate the animal, the stop bar 12 is located across the end of the stall.

The stop bar 12 comprises a first angle bar 24 extending part of the way across the stall, the end of which overlaps and lies within a second angle bar 26 extending the remainder of the distance across the stall.

At the outer end of the bars 24 and 26, extends a downwardly depending leg 28 and 30 respectively. The co-operation of the leg 28 with the divider 16 will now be described in greater detail, but it will be appreciated that the leg 30 co-operates in the same way.

The leg 28 is formed from angle bar and is welded onto the bar 24. The surface 32 of the bar 28 faces away from the wall is able to bear against the section 20 of the divider to prevent the stop bar from being pushed away from the stall. The lower edge 34 bordering the surface 32 rests on the lower rail 22 of the divider. The other angle surface 36 of the bar extends across the surface of the section 20 facing into the stall, and a plate 38 welded to the outermost edge of the surface 36 overlaps the section 20 to prevent the stop bar from falling forwards into the stall.

The stop bar is shown in the extended position. If it is desired to remove or locate the stop bar from or into a stall the two bars 24 and 26 can be pushed such that the legs 28 and 30 move towards each other and the legs can be moved between and away from the sections 20.

Guiding the movement of the bars 24 and 26, and ensuring their connection to each other are a plate 40 extending across the end of the bar 26 and a rod 42 extending across that bar 26 but spaced slightly away from the plate 40, both the plate 40 and the rod 42 bounding the bar 24. A resilient band 44 acts between the plate 40 and the end of the bar 24 to bias the bars 24 and 26 to the extended position shown.

It can be seen that the stop bar can be quickly and conveniently located in or removed from an existing stall. When the stop bar is in position it provides a restraint for the cow in the stall at a convenient height some what above the height of the lower rail of the dividers, and yet the bar is able to use the lower rail as part of its support.

Although the specific embodiment has so far been described in relation to bars of angle bar section in an alternative embodiment (not shown) two members may be telescopically mounted together by way of bars of circular cross-section, for instance. In a further modification a spring could be included in order to effect the bias at present provided by the resilient band 44. Where one of the telescopic members is hollow, the spring could be located within that member, and a pin could extend through a slot in that member in order to guide the relative movement of the two members. The resilient force provided by the spring may be adjustable.

Claims

1. A stop bar comprises a pair of members which are movable relative to each other between an extended position in which the bar is capable of extending between and being supported by a pair of spaced supports and a retracted position in which the bar can be located between and removed form the supports.

2. A stop bar as claimed in Claim 1 wherein at least one of the members may be arranged to rest on a support surface provided by one of the supports when the members are in the extended position.

3. A stop bar as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the stop bar may be arranged to extend between the supports at a greater height than that of the support surface which may allow conventional stalls with low horizontal struts to be provided with a stop bar which extends across at the end of a stall at a greater, and therefore more effective height than if it were to extend across at the same height as the low struts.

4. A stop bar as claimed in any preceding claims, wherein at least one of the members may be arranged to co-operate with an upwardly extending support member of a support whereby movement of the stop bar in a direction transverse to the e extent of the stop bar between the supports is restrained.

5. A stop bar as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the location at which the member is arranged to co-operate with the upwardly extending support member may be above the location at which that member is arranged to rest on the support surface and may also be below the extent of the stop bar between the supports.

6. A stop bar as previously claimed wherein the members may be biased towards the extended position, and the bias force may be adjustable. The members may be telescopically mounted on each other and may comprise one member located partially within another.

7. A stop bar as substantially described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.