GB2324700A - Partitioning for animals in a farm building - Google Patents

Abstract

Partitions 20 or hingedly mounted fences (80,80a figures 6 and 7) have feet which are removably engaged in sockets 30 in a floor or possibly a wall. The feet have plates (60 figures 4 and 5) which have a complementary bayonet fitting with a socket 30 for holding the feet in place. The feet may be removed and relaced with a cover. The fences shown in figures 6 and 7 are removable from their posts by means of sprung pivot pins (97-99).

Description

APPARATUS FOR PARTITIONING ANIMALS IN FARM BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE This invention relates to apparatus for partitioning animals in environments for accommodating animals, especially in farm buildings and the like.

In various livestock and animal husbandry environments it is common practice to require animals, particularly cows, to be segregated into so-called "cubicles", which are simply a series of partitioned regions of a sufficient size to accommodate a single animal. Such cubicles are frequently used for dairy cattle for instance, and especially for animals such as cows during calving and for use in stock pens and other similar environments.

Conventionally such cubicles are defined by individual partitioning rails or posts which have their ends securely and permanently mounted in the floor and/or a wall of the environment in question. Typically this mounting is in the form of permanent cementing or bricking in of the feet of the rails or posts, which can be shaped in various configurations depending upon the size of animal to be accommodated and/or the particular environment for which the animal cubicles are needed.

Conventionally this permanent cementing or bricking-in of cubicle rails has been considered adequate for the purpose, but in certain circumstances it has become recognised that this can lead to problems, particularly for example in the context of cows accommodated in calving sheds, where animals can sometimes become distressed or may require more space at short notice, in both of which sorts of circumstances it can be detrimental to the health or well-being of the animal (or its offspring) for it to be constrained in a fixed space defined by permanent partitioning rails.

Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention provides an apparatus or system for the partitioning of a plurality of animal cubicles in an environment for accommodating animals such as a farm building or the like, the apparatus comprising: at least one partitioning rail having a foot portion at each end, each for mounting in means defining a boundary of said environment, especially a floor thereof; and respective mounting means for removably mounting each foot of the at least one partitioning rail in said boundary-defining means; wherein each mounting means comprises a first mounting element mounted in said boundary-defining means, and a second mounting element carried on the respective foot portion of the or the respective partitioning rail, the first and second mounting elements being interengagable such as to be removably interlockable, whereby the at least one partitioning rail is securably mountable in said boundary-defining means whilst being readily removable therefrom.

Preferably the means defining a boundary of the animal-accommodating environment is a means defining a floor thereof, it being preferred in the implementation of the invention that the partitioning rails serve to partition a floor, although in some embodiments at least one leg portion of the at least one rail may be mounted in a wall instead of a floor, but still using novel corresponding mounting means as in the context of the preferred embodiments of this first aspect of the invention.

In practical embodiments of the apparatus of this first aspect of the invention, the partitioning rail or rails may be configured in any suitable configuration appropriate to the animal-accommodating environment in question. Typical shapes and configurations of preferably hollow tubular partitioning rails (e.g. of tubular steel) which are suitable for this purpose are well known in the art.

Preferably the or each partitioning rail has a pair of foot portions at either end for mounting in the floor (or wall) of the building or other animal-accommodating environment. It may for example be a farm building, e.g. a stock pen or a building where cattle or other animals are accommodated shortly before giving birth to young, and the means defining the floor thereof may either be a conventional solid floor, e.g. of concrete, as is commonly hitherto the case, or alternatively the means defining the floor may comprise one or a plurality of (preferably) interlockable floor units or plates, e.g. of moulded concrete. Such floor units or plates, upon removal of the partitioning rail(s) therefrom, can for example be shifted or removed from the environment in question, e.g. to be stacked elsewhere or even transported from one place to another. This assists not only in optimising the versatility of the apparatus of the invention in terms of its ability to be adapted to any particular environment for which the partitioned cubicles are required, but also assists in optimising the use of the floor space of the environment and maintaining a desirable level of cleanliness and hygiene, given (on both counts) the removable nature of the floor units.

In preferred embodiments of this first aspect of the invention the first mounting element of the mounting means is mounted in the means defining the floor (or other boundary of the environment, such as a wall), and this is preferably a permanent form of mounting, where typically (in preferred embodiments) the first mounting element comprises a lower mounting plate fixably mounted horizontally in a well formed in the floor. The lower mounting plate preferably includes a pair of locking apertures to provide a bayonet-type interlocking capability with corresponding locking lugs provided on the lower surface of a second mounting element which is preferably in the form of an upper locking plate which is carried on a respective foot portion of a respective partitioning rail.

The releasable interlocking engagement in a bayonet-like fashion of the lower and upper locking plates thereby enables the foot portion of the rail to be securely mounted in the floor, but yet which connection is readily releasable to enable the rail to be quickly and easily removed from the floor if and when required.

Other forms of mounting means are possible within the scope of the invention, as an alternative to the bayonettype arrangement which is particularly preferred, as will be mentioned further hereinbelow.

In a development of the above first aspect of the invention, the versatility in the provision of stock pens and like enclosures using the removably interlockable capability of the first and second mounting elements for securing the feet of the mounting rails to the floor is further exploited, in a second aspect of the invention, in the provision of an even more versatile system for the partitioning of animals in an environment for accommodating them such as a farm building or the like.

Accordingly, in a second aspect the present invention provides an apparatus or system for the partitioning of an environment for accommodating animals such as a farm building or the like, the apparatus comprising: at least one partitioning gate or fence which is hingeably mounted at at least one end thereof to a mounting post having a foot portion for mounting in means defining a boundary of said environment, especially a floor thereof; and mounting means for removably mounting the foot of the mounting post in said boundary-defining means; wherein the mounting means comprises a first mounting element mounted in said boundary-defining means, and a second mounting element carried on the foot portion of the mounting post, the first and second mounting elements being interengageable such as to be removably interlockable, whereby the mounting post is securably mountable in said boundary-defining means whilst being readily removable therefrom.

In preferred embodiments of this second aspect of the invention, the partitioning gate or fence has respective mounting posts provided at each end thereof, the gate or fence at both ends being hingeably and preferably also selectively releasably attached to the respective mounting posts. Thus, because in such preferred embodiments either end of the gate or fence may be selected to be that which is hingeable relative to a respective mounting post, and the other end is that which may be selected to be releasable from the respective mounting post so that the gate or fence can be opened, and also because of the removably interlockable mounting of each mounting post in the floor or other boundary-defining means, this allows for maximum optimisation of the versatility of the stock system. In particular, a given environment may be provided with any number of floor mounting sockets and it can then be a matter for selection of the number of mounting posts and number, size and shape of partitioning gates or fences to be assembled, in accordance with the size, shape and distribution of the region of the environment to be partitioned and/or the size and type of animal to be accommodated in question.

Any suitable sizes, shapes, designs and constructions of partitioning gates or fences may be employed in the context of this second aspect of the invention.

Furthermore, any suitable hinge and/or releasable locking means for attaching the gate(s) or fence(s) to the or the respective mounting post(s) may be used, examples of which will be readily available to the person skilled in the art.

One presently preferred example of such hinged/releasable mounting means will be described in detail further below in the context of the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of this second aspect of the invention.

In other technical respects, the construction and manner of operation of the mounting means by which the or each mounting post is mounted in the floor or other boundary-defining means will be much the same as for the mounting means already discussed above in relation to the first aspect of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of the various aspects of the invention will now be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of the interior of a farm building, showing a series of animal cubicles defined by partitioning rails which are releasably mounted in the floor thereof by way of a preferred mounting means, according to a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through one of the floor plates shown in Figure 1, illustrating a preferred form of first mounting element of the mounting means; Figure 3 is a plan view of the first mounting element shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a part-sectional side view of a foot portion of a partitioning rail carrying a preferred form of second mounting element, prior to its being interengaged with the first mounting element of Figure 2; Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 4, but shows an alternative form of second mounting element; Figure 6 is a front face view of a preferred embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, showing a partitioning gate mounted on a pair of floor-mounted posts which utilise corresponding mounting means as do the foot portions of the partitioning rails of the first aspect of the invention shown in the preceding Figures; Figure 7 shows an alternative construction of partitioning gate or fence, shown here for simplicity on its own without being mounted on the floor-mounted mounting posts; Figure 8 is an enlarged side view of a preferred mounting post for use in the second aspect of the invention; Figures 9(a) to (f) show in plan view an exemplary variety of mounting brackets for attachment to the top of the mounting post of Figure 8; and Figure 10 shows an exemplary form of release strap for use in the apparatus of the second aspect of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, here there is shown a section of one preferred implementation of the partitioning apparatus of the first aspect of the invention, for use in a livestock pen, shed or such like. The floor of the pen or shed is composed of interlocking concrete base units 10 each of which has formed in its upper surface a pair of spaced-apart wells 30 for the mounting of respective opposite ends of respective partitioning rails 20. The partitioning rails are suitably formed of standard gauge steel tubing, e.g. 50 mm in diameter. Although in this illustrated embodiment the partitioning rails are shown as having a generally inverted "U" configuration with each leg being spaced by a distance of usually 1 to 1.5 metres, it is to understood that any suitable configurations of the partitioning rail tubing may be used, with the positioning and spacing of the mounting wells 30 being selected accordingly.

The spacing of the partitioning rails 20 is selected to provide animal cubicles of sufficient width to accommodate the identity and size of animal for which use of the apparatus is intended. By way of example, a cubicle width of 1 to 1.5 m will typically be suitable for dairy cattle. The construction of the mounting means within the mounting wells 30 will be described in detail further below.

To provide optimum animal comfort and to guard as far as possible against injury to animals such as cows upon lying down or getting up whilst accommodated within a respective cubicle, longitudinal guide straps 60,62 are mounted on the partitioning rails 20 in the exemplary manner shown in Figure 1. Top guide strap 60 is passed through a series of guide apertures 23 mounted on the top surface of each rail 20 towards one end of the top rail portion 22 thereof, whilst side guide strap 62 is mounted similarly, but through guide apertures provided on leg portions 21 of the rails 20. (More than one guide aperture 23 may optionally be provided at any given location, in order to allow for the fixing of the straps at different desired positions or heights, e.g. to account for different sized animals.) The guide straps are preferably of woven polyester fibres, such as the same material conventionally used in the art of certain types of lorry trailer, e.g. for the securing straps of TAUTLINER (trade mark) trailers. In particularly preferred embodiments the top and side longitudinal straps 60,62 are tensioned by means of a suitable ratchet device (not shown). These longitudinal side straps 60,62 are particularly advantageous for preventing a cow or other animal hitting its head as it gets up from a lying position when accommodated within its cubicle. This is a particular advantage in comparison with the prior art where fixed side bars or an end or side wall of the building fulfils a corresponding function, but which in those prior art cases can lead to obvious health and injury risks to the animal.

In a similar manner to the longitudinal guide strips 60,62, transverse guide straps 64 are secured to and extend between the respective leg portions 21 of each partitioning rail 20. These transverse guide straps 64 provide an equivalent safety function to the longitudinal guide straps 60,62, as described above.

In the preferred arrangement shown in Figure 1, the interlocking floor units 10 enable the apparatus to be installed in existing farm buildings or other environments where animals such as cows are to be accommodated, without the need for expensive and unnecessary modification or building work to existing flooring. Also, because of the removability of the partitioning rails 20, once they have been removed, the floor units 10 may themselves be removed for cleaning for example, and this also leaves the space free for alternative use for other purposes, if desired.

The interlocking floor units 10 are readily transportable and stackable, for example using a forklift truck.

Turning now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, here there is shown by way of example one preferred form of mounting means, comprising first and second mounting elements, by which each leg of each partitioning rail is removably mounted in the floor.

Referring first of all to Figure 2, constituting first mounting element is lower locking plate 40, which is seated in the bottom of well 30 which extends into the floor unit 10 from its upper surface by a distance of typically a few (e.g. 3 to 6) centimetres. The side walls of the well 30 are lined with a plastic cylinder 44, which connects with the lower locking plate 40 such as by a simple friction fit.

Embedded further into, and substantially right through, the floor unit 10 is a self-draining plastic tube 42, whose upper end is mounted (and preferably secured, e.g. by adhesive) within a central aperture of the lower locking plate 40, and whose lower end opens out to beneath the floor unit 10 to provide a liquid drainage capability from the upper surface of the floor unit 10 to its lower surface. Drainage tube 42 is of plastic to avoid corrosion. Provided on the exterior surface of the tube 42 is a preferably spirally-configured flange 43, extending radially outwardly approximately 1 or 2 centimetres from the exterior of the drainage tube 42 and having a pitch of e.g. 2 to 5 centimetres. This flange 43 is embedded in the concrete of the floor unit 10 to prevent the first mounting element from twisting about a generally vertical axis and also to prevent its displacement in a generally vertical direction.

Formed in the lower locking plate (which may for example be of steel or any other suitable strong material) are a pair of keyhole slots 48, the function of which will be described further below. The central aperture 45 in the lower locking plate 40 is formed with a pair of diametrically positioned indentations 46, as shown in Figure 3, which are for the purpose of receiving locking pins provided on the second mounting element, as will be described further below.

Turning now to Figure 4, here there is shown the second mounting element of the apparatus, which comprises upper locking plate 60 which has a central aperture 61 formed therein through which passes the foot portion 24 of a respective leg portion 21 of a respective partitioning rail 20. If desired, the central aperture 61 of the upper locking plate 60 may be provided with a circumferential seal (not shown), examples of which will be readily apparent to the skilled person. The upper locking plate 60 has mounted (e.g. by adhesive) on its lower surface a correspondingly shaped and dimensioned annular rubber seal ring 64. Mounted on the lower surface of the upper locking plate 60 and protruding through the seal ring 64 are a pair of diametrically-positioned locking lugs 62. Each locking lug 62 has an enlarged head of a size sufficient to be able to be inserted through the enlarged ends of keyhole slots 48 in the lower locking plate 40, but unable to be retracted from within the smaller dimensioned ends of those keyhole slots 48.

In an alternative second mounting element of the apparatus the annular rubber seal ring 64 is replaced with at least one conventional (e.g. rubber) O-ring seal 65, as shown in Figure 5. Preferably two O-rings are provided, a first, smaller O-ring seal 65 as shown in Figure 5 surrounding the aperture 61 in the upper locking plate 60, and a second, larger O-ring which sits in the base of the mounting well 30 around its periphery in contact with the cylindrical walls 44. Practically the use of such O-ring sealing members instead of the annular seal ring 64 will often be preferable, because of the likelihood of the rubber of the annular seal ring 64 degrading simply losing its sealing capability as a result of extended periods under heavy compression, which can often happen when the supported apparatus above the ground is large or heavy.

The larger O-ring initially placed in the mounting well 30 is not shown in Figure 2 for clarity. If desired or if necessary, either or both O-rings may rest in circular grooves formed in, respectively, the lower surface of the upper locking 60 and/or the upper surface of the lower locking plate 40 at the appropriate radial locations.

Now the manner of removable interlocking engagement of the upper and lower locking plates 60,40 will be described, in addition to the extent to which that will be already apparent from the foregoing description.

For mounting the respective leg portion 21 of each partitioning rail 20 into its respective mounting well 30, the upper locking plate assembly as shown in Figure 4 or Figure 5 is first of all mounted on the rail foot portion 24 as illustrated in either of those Figures. The upper locking plate 60 is held in place by a pair of locking pins 66, which may conveniently be provided by a unitary cylindrical pin which is inserted through a pair of diametrically positioned, in-register holes formed in the side walls of the rail tubing at the appropriate location.

The upper locking plate assembly is then inserted into the lower locking plate assembly of Figure 2, with the pair of locking lugs 62 being inserted through the enlarged ends of keyhole slots 48 in the lower locking plate 40. Downward force may be exerted on the upper locking plate 60 if necessary, in order to push the locking lugs 62 all the way through their respective keyhole slots 48. Then the upper locking plate 60 may be rotated in a clockwise direction (with respect to the orientation shown in the drawings), so as to push the locking lugs 62 along the keyhole slots 48 to arrive at their locked position, where the respective locking lugs 62 lie on the lower side of the lower locking plate 40, in the position shown by the dotted lines 49 in Figure 3. The thickness of the lower locking plate material in these regions 49 is preferably reduced in comparison to the thickness of the remainder of the plate, in order that the locking lugs 62 are urged into this fully locked position under the influence of the resilient force provided by the rubber seal ring 64 (or O-rings 65, in the case of the arrangement shown in Figure 5).

As the upper and lower locking plates 60,40 are rotated in this somewhat conventional-like bayonet fashion into their locked configuration, the locking pins 66 engage within the locking indentations 46 provided in the lower locking plate 40, in order to prevent relative rotation of the upper and lower locking plates 60,40 and to maintain the engaged assembly in a secure locked configuration, whereby the foot portion 24 of the respective rail 20 is securely mounted in the floor unit 10, and with the assembly sealed by the rubber seal ring 64 or O-rings 65, as the case may be.

For removal of the rail 20 from the floor unit 10, the bayonet-type engagement arrangement is releasable by anticlockwise rotation of the upper locking plate 60 relative to the lower locking plate 40, thereby disengaging the locking lugs 62 from the narrow ends of the keyhole slots 48, leaving the lugs 62 in register with the enlarged ends of the keyhole slots 48 so that the upper and lower locking plates 60,40 can be readily separated by lifting the former from the latter.

The relative rotation, especially the reverse (anticlockwise) relative rotation of the upper locking plate 60 with respect to the lower locking plate 40 may be accomplished either by manual force or, more preferably, by use of a special tool (not shown) comprising a pair of lugs at each end of an arcuate bridging element attached to a handle, which lugs can be located in corresponding apertures in the upper locking plate 60 and the same rotated by manual force applied to the handle of the implement.

In this manner, the upper and lower locking plates 60,40 can be readily disengaged from one another, leaving the upper mounting assembly shown in Figure 4 able to be quickly and easily lifted clear of the floor unit 10 and thus the partitioning rail 20 readily removed therefrom.

It is to be understood that the preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the invention described above with reference to Figures 1 to 5 shows only one possible, yet presently preferred, means by which the first and second mounting elements are removably interlockable. Alternative locking means may utilise for example air bag arrangements, where the securing is accomplished by use of pressurised fluid (e.g. liquid or gas), examples of which are already known in various technical fields. Alternative locking arrangements may utilise radially movable or expandable pins, or any other similarly functioning arrangement, examples of which will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Turning now to an exemplary preferred embodiment of the stock system of the second aspect of the invention, Figure 6 shows one example of a partitioning gate or fence 80 which is attached at each of its ends to a respective mounting post 90, each of which is mounted in floor 10 via similar mounting means to those used in the context of the first aspect of the invention. Figure 7 shows an alternative construction of partitioning gate or fence 80a, this one including a pair of openable window sections 83 which are particularly useful where animals (e.g. young calves) need to feed while being segregated by the main body of the gate or fence 80a.

In this alternative form of stock system according to the invention exactly corresponding second mounting elements are provided in the floor 10 as are used in the first aspect of the invention, with the principal sole difference here lying in the construction of the first mounting element which is attached to the foot portion of the mounting post 90. Here, and as seen more clearly in Figure 8, the mounting post 90 (which corresponds to the leg portion 21 of a partitioning rail 20 as described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention, and is therefore also preferably of tubular steel) is permanently attached to upper locking plate 106, e.g. by welding at points 101 as shown in Figure 8. The upper locking plate 106 with the post 90 attached thereto is mounted on a cylindrical mounting tube 92 whose lower portion protrudes from beneath the upper locking plate 106 in an exactly analogous manner to the foot of the leg portion 21 of the partitioning rail 20 described above in relation to the preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the invention.

The upper portion of the mounting tube 92 (designated in Figure 8 as 93) protrudes into the hollow mounting post 90 by a short distance. Welded to the top of that upper portion 93 of the mounting tube 92 is a disc 95 which does not need to be bonded or otherwise attached to the interior of the mounting post 90, but preferably has a snug or relatively tight frictional fit thereagainst. The purpose of this latter constructional feature is so that the mounting post 90, when mounted in the floor 10 via the mounting means has enhanced stability against lateral forces. This can be particularly important where the apparatus is to segregate large or heavy animals.

The mounting post 90 may be of any desired size, in particular diameter, as will be dictated by the size and type of animal to be partitioned and the overall strength of the apparatus that is required. Different sized posts may be used with a single given size of upper locking plate 106.

In the assembly of the apparatus of this second aspect of the invention, the or each mounting post 90 is mounted in the floor 10 of the environment in an analogous manner to that of the partitioning rails 20 used in the first aspect of the invention. The only difference here, however, is that since the post 90 is welded to the upper locking plate 106, then there is no need for an external tool to be used for effecting the relative rotational movement of the upper locking plate 106 with respect to the lower locking plate 40 in the mounting well, it being sufficient to simply rotate the post for that purpose. Of course, however, some sort of tool may be used if needed to rotate the post.

In the embodiment of the apparatus shown in Figure 8, the manner of sealing of the assembly may, as in the first aspect of the invention, be either an annular rubber seal or alternatively one or a plurality of O-ring seals.

In order to provide the means for mounting the partitioning gate or fence on a given mounting post, preferably in a manner which permits both hinging of the gate or fence with respect to the post as well as enabling the gate or fence to be readily disengaged from its mounting with the post as or when required, mounted adjacent the top and bottom of the or each mounting post 90 are a pair of mounting brackets 100. These mounting brackets 100 may take a very wide variety of forms, depending upon the type(s) of gate or fence to be mounted, the number of gates or fences to be mounted to a given mounting post and, generally speaking, the overall versatility required of the overall system of which the mounting post(s), gate(s) or fence(s) are to form a part.

Figure 9 shows just six possible examples of mounting bracket 100, each of these including at least one, preferably a plurality of, mounting lug(s) 102, the or each mounting lug 102 extending generally horizontally (when mounted on the post 90) from a cylindrical mounting portion which is secured into compressive locking arrangement with the post at a particular desired location by means of locking screw and nut 101. In order to design a system for any particular use as regards a desired arrangement or versatility of arrangement of one or several partitioning fences or gates, the required type or types of mounting bracket 100 are simply selected and mounted on their respective mounting posts at the desired locations and in the desired spacial arrangement. The wide variety of possibilities in this respect will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art and simply because of the great variety of different arrangements that can be employed, no further exemplification will be discussed in detail here.

Each of the mou gate mounting pin 97 is attached to one end of a release strap 96, which may conveniently be of the same type of material as is used for the straps 60, 62 and 64 of the partitioning system of the first aspect of the invention.

Each release strap 96 has a clip 99 at either end and these clips 99 are attached to the relevant ends of the respective gate mounting pins 97.

In the normal configuration of the gate mounting/release means as shown in Figure 6, the release strap 96 is maintained in a relatively taut condition, with the gate mounting pins 97 urged in a direction away from their respective gate mounting lugs 89 so as to protrude into the respective mounting lugs 102 of the mounting brackets 100. The urging forces are provided by suitably mounted respective compression springs 98 through which the respective gate mounting pins 97 pass.

In the relatively simple example system shown in Figure 6, the fence or gate 80 is mounted on respective mounting posts 90 at both of its ends by the above described gate mounting/release means. This allows for either end of the gate 80 to be released from its respective mounting post 90 by simply pulling on the appropriate release strap 96 with a lateral force. This has the effect of drawing the respective gate mounting pins 97 towards the respective gate mounting lugs 89, thereby exerting forces against those of the respective compression springs 98, and this has the effect of withdrawing the respective gate mounting pins 97 from their respective apertures in the mounting lugs 102 of the respective mounting brackets 100, whereby the gate 80 can simply be manually opened by rotation about the preserved hinge arrangement at its other end.

Exactly the same manner of opening the gate can be performed at the opposite end of the gate, in that case it being the first mentioned end of the gate which then forms the hinging capability.

Thus, it can be seen by this arrangement that there is great versatility in the construction and operation of the stock system of this second aspect of the invention. This is of course further optimised by the characteristic manner in which the mounting posts 90 are mounted in the floor 10 of the environment to be partitioned.

Figure 10 of the drawings shows in a bit more detail the construction of the release strap 96 with attached clips 99.

In order to further optimise the versatility of the stock system of this aspect of the invention, as in the first aspect of the invention the floor 10 may be provided with any number of mounting well sockets, whichever of these are used in any given situation depending upon the configuration of gates or fences to be used, depending for example on the size and nature of the animals to be partitioned or segregated and the size, shape and distribution of the regions themselves to be partitioned.

Any well sockets that are not used in any given situation may, as before, be sealed with an appropriate cover, plug or similar functioning means in order to preserve a level surface in the floor.

It is to be understood that the preferred embodiments of the various aspects of the invention described above have been presented by way of example only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention in any of its aspects. Various modifications and alternative elements of construction and function may be employed still within the scope of the present invention, as will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art.

Claims (15)

1. An apparatus or system for the partitioning of a plurality of animal cubicles in an environment for accommodating animals, the apparatus or system comprising: at least one partitioning rail having a foot portion at each end, each for mounting in means defining a boundary of said environment; and respective mounting means for removably mounting each foot of the at least one partitioning rail in said boundary-defining means; wherein each mounting means comprises a first mounting element mounted in said boundary-defining means, and a second mounting element carried on the respective foot portion of the at least one partitioning rail, the first and second mounting elements being interengagable such as to be removably interlockable, whereby the at least one partitioning rail is securably mountable in said boundarydefining means whilst being readily removable therefrom.

2. An apparatus or system according to claim 1, wherein the means defining the boundary of said environment comprises a floor and at least one wall, one foot portion of the at least one partitioning rail being mounted in the said wall and the other foot portion of the at least one partitioning rail being removably mounted in said floor by said mounting means.

3. An apparatus or system according to claim 1, wherein the means defining the boundary of said environment is a floor and both foot portions of the at least one partitioning rail are removably mounted in said floor by respective said mounting means.

4. An apparatus or system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a plurality of said partitioning rails mounted in said means defining the boundary of said environment, and further comprising a plurality of longitudinal guide straps mounted on the partitioning rails for optimising animal comfort and guarding against injury to animals while accommodated in said environment.

5. An apparatus or system according to any preceding claim, further comprising a plurality of transverse guide straps secured to and extending between respective leg portions of the said at least one partitioning rail, for optimising animal comfort and guarding against injury to animals accommodated within said environment.

6. An apparatus or system for the partitioning of an environment for accommodating animals, the apparatus comprising: at least one partitioning gate or fence which is hingeably mounted at at least one end thereof to a mounting post having a foot portion for mounting in means defining a boundary of said environment; and mounting means for removably mounting the foot portion of the mounting post in said boundary-defining means; wherein the mounting means comprises a first mounting element mounted in said boundary-defining means, and a second mounting element carried on the foot portion of the mounting post, the first and second mounting elements being interengageable such as to be removably interlockable, whereby the mounting post is securably mountable in said boundary-defining means whilst being readily removable therefrom.

7. An apparatus or system according to claim 6, wherein the partitioning gate or fence has respective mounting posts provided at each end thereof, the partitioning gate or fence at both ends being hingeably and selectively releasably attached to the respective mounting posts.

8. An apparatus or system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first mounting element of the mounting means is mounted in said boundary-defining means, said first mounting element comprising a lower mounting plate fixably mounted in a well formed in said boundary-defining means.

9. An apparatus or system according to claim 8, wherein the lower mounting plate includes a pair of locking apertures to provide a bayonet-type interlocking capability with corresponding locking lugs provided on the lower surface of the second mounting element which is in the form of an upper locking plate carried on a respective foot portion of a respective partitioning rail or mounting post (as the case may be).

10. An environment for accommodating animals, comprising a plurality of cubicles partitioned by means of an apparatus or system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. An environment for accommodating animals according to claim 10, including a floor defining a boundary thereof, the said floor comprising one or a plurality of interlockable floor units or plates.

12. An environment for accommodating animals according to claim 11, wherein the mounting means in the or a respective floor unit or plate includes a self-draining plastic tube whose upper end is mounted within a central aperture of the first mounting element and whose lower end opens out to beneath the or the respective floor unit to provide a liquid drainage capability from the upper surface of the or the respective floor unit to its lower surface.

13. An environment for accommodating animals according to claim 12, wherein on the exterior surface of the tube is a spirally-configured flange which is embedded in the or the respective floor unit to prevent the first mounting element from twisting about a generally vertical axis and also to prevent its displacement in a generally vertical direction.

14. An environment for accommodating animals according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein between the first and second mounting elements of the mounting means of the apparatus or system is provided a sealing element in the form of an annular rubber seal ring or at least one rubber O-ring seal.

15. An apparatus or system, or an environment for accommodating animals comprising a plurality of cubicles partitioned thereby, substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 5 or with reference to Figures 6 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.