GB2050137A

GB2050137A - Battery cage cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2050137A
Application number: GB8015485A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Salopian Industries Metals Ltd
Current assignee: Salopian Industries Metals Ltd
Priority date: 1979-05-11
Filing date: 1980-05-09
Publication date: 1981-01-07
Also published as: GB2050137B

Abstract

With the particular object of avoiding heavy and breakable asbestos sheets to collect droppings from a row of cages, a band (5) of strong flexible material, such as plastics or rubber, is arranged to extend longitudinally below a row of battery cages to collect the droppings. The band is secured at its ends and is loosely supported between its ends on supporting members (3), which may form part of a frame structure supporting the row of cages, and preferably also by a wire mesh bed. A scraper (12) travels along the band to clear the droppings off the band and has an associated rest member (27) which travels with the scraper and rigidly supports the band directly under the scraper as the scraper travels along. The rest member may be integral with the scraper, for example a plate with a slot in it for the band to pass through forms the scraper above the slot and the rest member below the slot, or a separate rest member, such as a horizontal plate, may be supported below the scraper. In the latter arrangement the scraper may be mounted on a chassis which travels along the band and carries the rest member, the scraper being pivoted between a lowered scraping position and a raised inoperative position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Battery cage cleaning apparatus This invention relates to battery cage cleaning apparatus of the kind comprising a platform which extends below a row of cages to receive droppings and a scraper which travels along the platform to clear the droppings off the platform.

It has been usual for the platform to comprise sheets of glass and, more commonly now, asbestos layed end to end below the row of cages. Such materials are resistant to corrosive attack from the droppings, unlike most metals of comparable cost. However, it is relatively costly to provide a platform of such material, and because of the manner in which the platforms have been constructed it has been fairly difficult to replace broken sheets.

Furthermore since asbestos is heavy, it is costly to transport from the battery cage manufacturer to places of installation, the more so where transportation to overseas destinations is involved.

The present invention provides battery cage cleaning apparatus of the kind set forth which has an alternative form of platform.

The present invention consists in battery cage cleaning apparatus comprising a platform which comprises a band of flexible material adapted to extend longitudinally below, and to be secured at its ends with respect to, a row of cages to receive and support droppings which fall from the cages, and a scraper which is adapted to travel along the band to clear droppings off the band and which has an associated rest member below the band which travels with the scraper and supports the band under the scraper as the scraper travels along the band.

The invention further consists in a battery cage system which includes cleaning apparatus as set forth in the preceding paragraph, the band extending longitudinally below, and being secured at its ends with respect to, a row of cages of the system to receive and support droppings which fall from the cages.

Preferably the band is made of strong plastics or rubber sheet. Such material is substantially lighter than asbestos and generally cheaper. The band may be loosely supported along its edges by longitudinal supporting members, such as channel or L-section members, carried by or forming part of the frame structure supporting the row of cages. Spaced cross members extending transversely below the band and also carried by or forming part of the said frame structure may provide support for the band as well. Alternatively, or in addition, a suitable bed, for example of wire mesh, may be provided on which the band rests, and between which and the band the rest member is disposed such that it lifts the band off the bed as the scraper travels along the band.Tensioning means may be provided at at least one end of the band for adjusting the tension of the band between its ends when the band is in use.

In the event that it should be necessary to remove the band from below the row of cages under which it has been installed for use, this can be effected readily by releasing its secured ends and drawing the band to one end of the row of cages. A spindle or drum may be provided which is adapted to be rotatably mounted transversely at the end of the row for the band to be wound on to as it is drawn out from under the cages.

The rest member preferably lifts the band to some extent as the scraper travels along the band so that it helps to loosen the mass of droppings, and break the adhesion of the droppings to the band, and thereby facilitate the removal of the droppings from the band by the scraper.

The rest member may be integral with the scraper. For example, the scraper may comprise a rigid plate or sheet component which has a horizontal slot in it just sufficiently wide for the band to pass through, the portion of the component above the slot forming the scraper proper and the portion below the slot forming the rest member. Alternatively, the rest member may be a separate component suspended from the scraper or carried by a travelling frame or chassis carrying the scraper. In the latter arrangement the scraper may be pivoted about a horizontal axis transverse to the length of the band for angular movement relative to the rest member between a lowered scraping position and a raised inoperative position. The scraper may travel along the band in one direction in the scraping position, and in the opposite direction in the raised position.The longitudinal supporting members previously mentioned may also provide guides or runners for the travelling frame or chassis carrying the scraper.

The scraper may scrape the droppings lengthwise of the band towards one end of the band, or it may scrape them over one side edge of the band.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a battery cage system including cleaning apparatus in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of part of the battery cage system and cleaning apparatus; Figures 3 and 4 are plan and side views respectively of part of the cleaning apparatus, and Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In this embodiment cleaning apparatus is provided in a battery cage system for poultry which, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises tiered rows of cages 1 of known construction supported by a frame structure comprising spaced uprights 2 and horizontal rail members 3 carried by the uprights extending longitudinally of the rows of cages. There are two parallel lines of said rail members 3 spaced below each row of cages, one adjacent the front and one adjacent the rear of the row of cages and both lines projecting beyond the ends of the row. The frame structure also includes cross members 4, Fig. 2, which extend horizontally transversely between and are fixed at spaced intervals along the lengths of the rows of cages to the rail members in the parallel lines. Each row of cages has its own cleaning apparatus.

The cleaning apparatus for each row of cages includes a platform for receiving and supporting droppings from the cages, the platform comprising a band 5 of strong but flexible plastics sheet material. The band 5 extends longitudinally below the row of cages and beyond the ends of the row. At one end the band is attached to a rod 6 which extends transversely of the band and is secured to the rail members 3 adjacent that end of the band.

At the opposite end the band is attached to, and wound on to, a spindle or drum 7 rotatably supported, detachably, on the rail members 3 adjacent that end of the band and provided with a handle 8 operating through a suitable ratchet mechanism, not shown, for winding the band on to the spindle or drum to adjust the tension of the band. The band may be wound completely on to the spindle or drum 7 when its other end is released from the rod 6, for removing the band from beneath the row of cages.

Each band 5 is normally held static beneath the row of cages it serves and rests on a wire mesh bed 9 which extends for the length of the row and is supported by the cross members 4 of the frame structure. The opposite side edge portions of the band rest loosely on the parallel rail members 3.

Several scrapers 10 operate on each band 5 at spaced intervals along the band and form part of the cleaning apparatus for each row of cages. Each scraper 10 travels reciprocally over its own section of the band to clear the droppings on that section to one end of the section. All of the scrapers clear the droppings in the same direction towards one end of the band, the end attached to the spindle or drum 7 in this embodiment although they could equally well be cleared to the other end of the band. The travel of each scraper slightly overlaps the section of the band cleared by the next adjacent scraper along the band. The arrangement is such that the droppings cleared to one end of a section are subsequently gathered by the scraper at the next section and so the droppings of all the sections are progressively cleared by the scrapers to the one end of the band.At the end of the band the droppings are deposited on to a conveyor belt 11 which takes them to a collecting pit, or other disposal point, not shown. Alternatively, the droppings may be deposited into a suitable receptacle for disposal.

Each scraper 10, see Figs. 3 to 5, comprises an elongated metal or rigid plastics blade 1 2 which extends transversely of the band on which the scraper operates and is suspended substantially on edge, a longer side edge, inside and centrally of an open chassis 1 3 of square plan shape, Fig. 3. The chassis comprises end bar members 14 of rectangular section which extend transversely of the band and opposite side members 1 5 running longitudinally of the band which depend below the level of the end bar members.

The side plates 1 5 have inwardly directed flanges 1 6 along their upper edges to the undersides of which the end bar members 1 4 are fixed. The end bar members are spaced well above the band. Two generally J-shaped runners 1 7 of rigid metal wire or rod are fixed against the outside face of each side plate 15, and they support the chassis slidably on the rail members 3. Extending centrally across the end bar members 14 of the chassis longitudinally of the band is a rectangular section, scraper-activating bar 1 8. The bar is located on the end bar members by straps 1 9 which permit the bar to slide relative to the chassis lengthwise of the band.Stops 20 at the ends of the scraper-activating bar 1 8 are arranged to abut against the end bar members 14 to limit the extent of the linear movement of the bar relative to the chassis. Pivoted about a horizontal axis to the scraper-activating bar 1 8 at a position intermediate the end bar members 14 of the chassis is a pair of suspension arms 21 which carry the scraper, the scraper being able to pivot about the horizontal axis between a lowered scraping position, as indicated at X in Fig. 4 and a raised inoperative position as indicated at Y in Fig. 4. Adjacent to its ends the scraper has flanges 22 which extend from top to bottom of the scraper on its rear face. To the lower end of each flange 22 one end of a link 23 is pivoted which is pivoted at 30 at its opposite end to the adjacent side plate 1 5 of the chassis rearwardly of the scraper. The pivotal connection to the side plate 1 5 is substantially horizontally to the rear of the pivoted connection at the scraper flange 22 when the scraper is in its lowered operative position X. When the scraper-activating bar 1 8 is slid rearwardly with respect to the scraper, and hence the pivoted axis of the suspension arms 21 moves rearwardly, the action of the links 23, pivoting about their pivotal connections to the side plates 1 5 of the chassis, causes the bottom of the scraper to be lifted until the scraper is substantially horizontal. This is the inoperative position Y of the scraper.Forward sliding of the scraper-activating bar 1 8 returns the scraper to its operative position.

The scraper-activating bars 1 8 of the scrapers on each band 5 are all connected to one cable 24 which extends longitudinally above the band. The cable 24, passing round pulley wheels 25 mounted on the frame structure, extends in a continuous loop, as shown in Fig.

1, which extends longitudinally below the row of cages which the band serves (the scrapers being connected to that run of the cable) round the ends of the row and over the top of the cages, and is driven reciprocally by a motor 26 mounted on the frame structure at one end of the row. By means of the cable 24 the scrapers and their chassis are moved reciprocally along the band. As the cable draws them forwards the forward pull on the scraper-activating bars 1 8 urging the bars forwards with respect to the chassis whilst the lost motion between the bars and the chassis before the stops 20 at the rear ends of the bars abut against the end bar members 14 at the rear of the chassis is taken up, urges the scrapers downwards to their operative positions.Conversely, the rearward pull on the scraper-activating bars when the cable 24 draws them rearwardly with respect to the chassis whilst the lost motion between the bars and the chassis before the stops 20 at the forward ends of the bars abut against the end bar members 14 at the fronts of the chassis is taken up, urges the scrapers upwards to their inoperative positions.

Each scraper 10 has an associated rest member 27 in the form of a rigid rectangular plate fixed horizontally between the side plates 1 5 of the chassis adjacent to their bottom edges. The rest member 27 extends from just in advance of the scraper to the rear of the chassis, as best seen in Fig. 4. Front and rear edge portions of the rest member are inclined downwardly to provide ramps 28 and 29 respectively running across the width of the chassis. The rest member is disposed below the band 5, and there is just sufficient space between the rest member and the scraper when the scraper is in the operative position for the band to pass through.

As the scrapers travel along their band in a cleaning operation, the rest members 25 give the band firm support directly underneath the scrapers so that the band is prevented from sagging and the scrapers can clear the droppings effectively from the band. The rest members lift the portions of the bands adjacent to the scrapers as the scrapers travel along the band, Fig. 4, the ramps deflecting the band upwards on to the rest members in both directions of travel of the scraper. As previously mentioned, the lifting of the band helps to loosen the droppings on the band ready for clearing off by the scrapers. The side plates 1 5 of the chassis prevent the droppings from falling over the side edges of the band as the scrapers move them along the bands.

As previously mentioned, the end bar members 14 of the chassis are spaced well above the bands and normally are clear of the droppings on the bands so that they do not impede passage of the chassis along the bands by contact with the droppings.

Claims

1. Battery cage cleaning apparatus comprising a platform which compises a band of flexible material adapted to extend longitudinally below, and to be secured at its ends with respect to, a row of cages to receive and support droppings which fall from the cages, and a scraper which is adapted to travel along the band to clear droppings off the band and which has an associated rest member below the band which travels with the scraper and supports the band under the scraper as the scraper travels along the band.

2. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the band is made of plastics sheet.

3. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the band is made of rubber sheet.

4. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein longitudinal supporting members are provided which support the band loosely along its edges.

5. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein spaced cross members extend between the longitudinal supporting members transversely below the band and support the band

6. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein a bed is provided on which the band rests and between which and the band the rest member is disposed such that it lifts the band off the bed as the scraper travels along the band in use.

7. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein the bed is made of wire mesh.

8. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein tensioning means is provided at at least one end of the band for adjusting the tension of the band between its ends when the band is in use.

9. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim including a spindle or drum adapted to be rotatably mounted transversely at one end of a row of cages and on to which the band is arranged to be wound.

10. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the rest member is constructed and arranged to lift the band as the scraper travels along the band.

11. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the rest member is integral with the scraper.

12. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 11 wherein the scraper comprises a rigid plate or sheet component having a horizontal slot in it just sufficiently wide for the band to pass through, the portion of the component above the slot forming the scraper proper and the portion of the component below the slot forming the rest member.

1 3. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the rest member is a separate component from the scraper suspended from the scraper.

1 4. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the scraper is carried by a travelling frame or chassis which also carries the rest member.

1 5. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 1 4 wherein the rest member comprises a rigid plate supported by the frame or chassis horizontally below the scraper.

1 6. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 1 5 wherein the plate is downwardly inciined in advance of the scraper to form a ramp which causes a portion of the band adjacent to the scraper to be lifted as the scraper travels along the band.

1 7. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any of Claims 14 to 1 6 wherein the scraper is pivotally mounted on the frame or chassis about a horizontal axis transverse to the length of the band for angular movement relative to the rest member between a lowered scraping position and a raised inoperative position.

1 8. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 1 7 wherein the scraper is pivotally attached at its upper part to means whereby the upper part can be moved relative to the frame or chassis longitudinally of the band, and the scraper is pivotally connected at its lower part to link means pivoted about a fixed horizontal axis to the frame or chassis spaced rearwardly of the scraper, the arrangement being such that movement of the upper part in a forward direction relative to the frame or chassis urges the lower part of the scraper to swing downwardly and rearwardly towards the band for the scraper to take up its lowered scraping position, and movement of the upper part in a rearward direction relative to the frame or chassis urges the lower part of the scraper to swing upwardly and forwardly away from the band for the scraper to take up its raised inoperative position.

19. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 1 8 wherein the upper part of the scraper is pivoted to a bar which is movable linearly relative to the frame or chassis longitudinally of the band and is provided with stops which are engageable with abutments on the frame or chassis to limit the extent of the movement of the bar relative to the frame or chassis.

20. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any of Claims 1 7 to 1 9 wherein a cable is provided which extends longitudinally of the band and to which the scraper is connected, and between which cable and the frame or chassis there is limited lost motion sufficient to cause the scraper to move between the lowered scraping and raised inoperative positions.

21. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 20 as dependent from Claim 1 9 wherein the bar is connected to the cable for movement therewith.

22. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to Claim 20 or Claim 21 wherein power driven means is provided for moving the cable longitudinally of the band.

23. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any of Claims 14 to 22 as dependent from Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein the frame or chassis is supported and guided in its travel by the longitudinal supporting members.

24. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the scraper is adapted to scrape droppings lengthwise of the band towards one end of the band.

25. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 23 wherein the scraper is adapted to scrape droppings over one side edge of the band.

26. Battery cage cleaning apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein a plurality of scrapers is provided, the scrapers being spaced apart longitudinally of the band and being adapted for simultaneous operation.

27. A battery cage system including cleaning apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, the band extending longitudinally below, and being secured at its ends with respect to, a row of cages of the system to receive and support droppings which fall from the cages.

28. A battery cage system according to Claim 27 wherein the cleaning apparatus is as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 23 and the longitudinal supporting members form parts of a frame structure supporting the row of cages.

29. A battery cage system according to Claim 27 wherein the cleaning apparatus is as claimed in Claim 20, 21, or 22 and the cable extends in a loop longitudinally below, around the ends of and over the top of the row of cages.

30. A battery cage system according to any of Claims 27 to 29 having a plurality of rows of cages disposed in tiers and wherein said cleaning apparatus is provided at each row.

31. Battery cage cleaning apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

32. A battery cage system substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.