GB2119622A - Effluent removal - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for the removal of animal excreta from sheds or other animal enclosures comprises introducing a stream of water into the enclosure at intervals of time less than the period taken for excreta to harden whereby to entrain the excreta in the flowing stream of water, and directing the resultant stream out of the shed or enclosure to a collecting zone 22. The stream of water is introduced in the form of sprays 13 at regions where the animals' excreta is normally deposited in stalls 11 and is withdrawn in a common stream fed from the individual spray sources via channels 21. The spray sources and the common stream are preferably fed from a common supply and supplied with water simultaneously at said predetermined intervals. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cleaning of sheds for cattle or other animals This invention relates to a system and apparatus for cleaning of sheds or similar buildings or enclosures for cattle or other animals.

The invention has been evolved principally for use in cleaning cattle sheds to which reference will be made hereafter and in the appended claims, but it should be understood that the invention is equally applicable to the cleaning of enclosures, sheds or similar buildings for other animals.

Traditionally cattle sheds contain rows of stalls arranged on either side of a central passageway and the animals stand in the stalls with their rear ends facing the passage. Their excreta are deposited on the floor behind the animals and are periodically removed by hand and directed through slatted floor sections into a tank sunk in the floor of the shed. This tank requires to be cleaned out periodically which is a difficult and unpleasant job. Moreover it is often difficult to transfer excreta to and from the tank since it hardens quite rapidly after deposit and is then difficult to remove and transport.

The present invention arises from the appreciation that animals excreta is more readily removed when in a wet or fluid state shortly after deposit and that hygiene could be improved by regular removal of excreta while in this condition Accordingly the invention provides a system for the removal of animal excreta from sheds or other animal enclosures, comprising introducing a stream of water into the enclosure at intervals of time less than the period taken for excreta to harden whereby to entrain the excreta in the flowing stream of water, and directing the resultant stream out of the shed or enclosure to a collecting zone which may be a lagoon or other suitable collecting area or vessel.

Preferably the stream of water is introduced in the form of sprays at regions where the animals' excreta is normally deposited and is withdrawn in a common stream fed from the individual spray sources.

Preferably also the spray sources and the common stream are both fed from a common supply and are both supplied with water from the supply simultaneously at said predetermined intervals.

The invention also provides a system for the removal of excreta from cattle sheds or similar animal enclosures comprising a plurality of water supply outlets disposed at separate locations in the enclosure to entrain excreta from separate areas of the enclosure in streams of water delivered from the outlets, one or more channels fed by the individual streams and extending out of the enclosure to a lagoon or other suitable collecting area in which the water and excreta is deposited, and control means for supplying water to said outlets and to said channel at periodic intervals.

Preferably the water outlets comprise sprays installed at individual animal stalls and positioned to direct water on to the areas of the stalls at which the animals' excreta is normally deposited.

Preferably also the shed or enclosure is provided with sloping floor regions extending from the regions at which excreta is normally deposited to at least one of said channels, whereby excreta entrained in the water stream derived from the sprays flows into the channels and hence out of the shed.

In traditional sheds having rows of stalls spaced apart by a central passageway the floor of the passageway may slope downwardly from each row of stalls towards a single central channel which receives water and excreta from the stalls at both sides of the shed. Alternatively separate channels may be provided adjacent each row of stalls, the channels being separated by a central elevated walkway whereby each channel receives water and excreta from one row of stalls only, the two channels preferably being interconnected at or adjacent both ends of the shed.In more modern sheds incorporating a larger central area for containing silage on which cattle may self-feed, channels may be provided adjacent each row of stalls and one or more further channels may be disposed in the central area of the shed in order to remove as great a proportion as possible of the animals' excreta by flushing from jets or other outlets.

The common channel or channels may be covered with perforated plate, mesh or other suitable material. Alternativeiy they may be closed by movable closure members serving to cover the channels in one position but provide longitudinal access slots at one or both sides when moved to an alternative position whereby to permit flow of water and excreta into the channels. The closure members may be opened in synchronism with the introduction of water to the sprays and channels and when in the closed position the closure members prevent cattle from stepping into the channels and also prevent ingress of silage or other material.

The control means may include a centrifugal or other pump serving to supply water to said individual outlets or sprays and valve means controlling supply of water to said pump and to said common channel or channels, said pump and said valve means being operated automatically under control of said timer at the desired periodic intervals.

The invention also comprises a shed or enclosure for cattle or other animals incorporating a system for the removal of excreta as aforesaid.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cattle shed incorporating a cleaning system according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line Il-Il in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a modification; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a cattle and silage shed incorporating a cleaning system according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line VI--VI in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a detail view showing a modification.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a traditional form of cattle shed comprising an elongated building 10 along each side of which are arranged series of stalls 11 each of which is adapted to accommodate one cow. A central passageway 12 extends along the shed between the series of stalls and enables cows to enter and leave and farm personnel to move through the shed and attend to individual animals. The cows stand in the stalls with their heads facing the outer wall of the shed and their rear ends directed towards the central passageway 1 2.

In order to remove the cows excreta periodically from the shed a spray device 1 3 is mounted on each of the partitions or dividers 14 which define the separate stalls 11. The spray devices are connected by pipes 15 to a common supply pipe 1 6 incorporating a centrifugal pump 17 and connected to a water storage tank 1 8. A timing mechanism 1 9 is coupled to the pump 17 and to a control valve 20 in the line 1 6. The timing mechanism is arranged to operate at predetermined intervals, for example every two hours, to open the valve 20 and energise the pump 1 7 thereby supplying water through the pipes 1 5 to the spray devices 13.

Each spray device is positioned and arranged to direct a spray of water to either side of the partition 14 on which it is mounted and is angled to direct the water towards the central passage 1 2. The cows excreta is normally deposited adjacent the entrance to each stall where the rear of the animal is normally positioned and the water from the spray devices 1 3 therefore serves to dilute and propel the excreta from the mouth of each stall towards the central passage 12.

At each side of the central passage 12 a channel 21 is provided, the channels being connected together at their opposite ends, one of which is connected to the water supply tank 1 8 and the other of which is connected to a discharge pipe 22 leading underground to a lagoon or direct to a field to provide flood irrigation. The region 23 of the floor of each stall 11 adjacent to the channel 21 slopes downwardly towards the channel to facilitate flow of water and excreta from the stall into the channel. The region of the passage 12 between the channels comprises a walk-way 24 which is slightly elevated relative to the channels so that excreta does not contaminate the walkway which remains clear for animals and personnel to move in and out of the shed.A control valve 25 is positioned between the tank 1 8 and the channels 21 and is connected to the timer 1 9 for operation in synchronism with the valve 20.

In operation of the system the timer 1 9 is set to produce a signal at predetermined intervals of, for example, two hours, which signals opens valves 20 and 25 and actuates pump 17. Water is therefore supplied from the tank 1 8 through the pipes 1 5 to the spray devices 13 and serves to wash the animals' excreta from the floor of each stall into the adjacent channel 21. At the same time opening of.the valve 25 permits direct flow of water from the tank 1 8 into the two channels 21 and by appropriate selection of the pressure and flow of water through the spray devices 1 3 and channels 21 the entire shed can be cleaned of excreta in a single flushing operation, following which the timer switches off the pump 1 7 and closes valves 20 and 25 until the next flushing period.

In a practical arrangement it is envisaged that a shed accommodating twenty cows along each side of the central walkway would be flushed approximately every two hours with 200 gallons of water supplied from a 1 ,000 gallon tank, the stalls being approximately three feet wide and the spray devices being positioned some three to four feet above ground level and arranged to direct the spray for 121 to 2 feet on each side of the associated partition.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the channels 21 are covered by closure members or lids in the form of perforated metal grilles indicated at 26 in Fig. 3. This can present problems insofar as the apertures in the grilie require to be sufficiently large to permit flow of the water and excreta into the channels 21 but at the same time must not be sufficiently large to permit the cows' hooves to pass through. Fig. 4 shows an alternative arrangement in which this problem can be overcome by utilising a closure member for the troughs 21 in the form of a rotatable rod 27 of circuiar section which closes off the associated channel 21 at the edge adjacent to the stalls 11 thereby preventing cows from stepping into it, but which leaves a longitudinal slot or opening at the opposite edge of the channel permitting the water and excreta to enter the channel.The rod is arranged to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4 to carry water and excreta over the channel during the flushing cycle. A scraper 28 may be mounted in the channel in contact with the under-surface of the rod to remove excreta adhering to the rod and cause it to drop into the channel as the rod rotates.

Certain types of modern cow-shed incorporates a larger central area acting as a store for silage on which the animals feed. In such cases a similar arrangement may be employed with the addition of one or more further channels extending across the central area and supplied with flushing water from the supply tank at the same time as the channels adjacent the stalls. An arrangement of this kind is shown in Fig. 5 in which the opposite side regions 31 of the shed 30 comprise cattle cubicles arranged in a manner similar to that described with reference to Fig. 1 and in which corresponding parts are identified by the same reference numerals. In this case however the walkways 23 between the rows of stalls are provided with single central channels 21.Between the side regions 31 is a central silage shed 32 separated from the regions 31 by silage retaining walls 33 and provided with channels 34 similar to the channels 21 extending parallel to the walls 33.

The central region 35 of the shed between the channels 34 is raised relative to the channels to give a fall to the channel at each side. The channels 34 are arranged to be supplied with flushing water under timer control in the same manner as the channels 21.

The shed 32 is filled with silage on which the cattle may feed. Cattle can enter the silage shed through openings 36 at one end of each of the cubicle sheds 30 and gradually eat their way through the silage.

The channels 34 are covered by movable closure members in the form of sections of concrete or other suitable material indicated at 39 in Fig. 6 and fitted with depending metal pins 40 engageable in holes 41 in the shed floor alongside the channels. In the areas beneath the silage the sections are closed by locating the pins in the associated holes. In this position the effluent which exudes from the silage can seep past the concrete sections into the channels. As the silage is consumed an increasing area of the floor is exposed and the sections 39 may then be lifted clear of the holes and supported on the floor by the pins 40 or in the other suitable means, thereby leaving longidudinal gaps 42 at each side through which water and excreta may enter the channels.

Similar closure members could be used in association with the channels 21 if desired.

Supports for portable spray devices or water jets 45 are provided which can be mounted on the silage retaining walls 33, the supports being added to as the cattle eat their way through the silage and expose an increasing area of the central region of the shed floor. The spray devices on the supports direct water on to the exposed regions of the shed floor around the channels 34 to flush excreta towards the channels from the floor of the shed. In addition as the silage is consumed a portable barrier 46 may be erected around the central region of the exposed floor of the shed leaving sufficient room for the cattle to pass along both sides to and from the silage face and to stand at the face ahead of the barrier.The portion 46A of the barrier which extends generally parallel to the silage face is provided with mounting points or supports 45 for spray or jet devices similar to those provided on the walls 33. The barrier is advanced along the shed as silage is consumed and the sprays or jets therefore direct water on to the central region 35 of the floor behind the cattle.

Due to the slope of the floor this flushes excreta into the channels 34 for discharge from the shed.

Additional side portions 46B are added to the barriers as the forward section 46A is advanced and are also provided with mounting points 37 for jets or sprays serving to flush the areas of the floor adjacent the channels 34. Moreover the addition of the side portions 38B creates a central zone 47 to which the cattle do not have access and which can be used to house other stock, farm equipment or supplies. This is a considerable advantage compared with the conventional arrangement where excreta is removed from the silage shed by a tractor and scraper which requires the whole central region in which to manoeuvre.

Fig. 7 shows a modification of the spray arrangement employed in the cubicle area of the sheed in which the spray devices 13 instead of being mounted on the partitions between the cubicles are mounted on a step 50 at the entrance to the cubicles and the spray devices and their supply lines are protected by a projecting lip 51.

By virtue of the arrangements described, it is possible to clean or flush out cattle and silage sheds at relatively short intervals of time determined by the setting of the timer control and this may be selected so that the animals' excreta is in a relatively fluid state when flushing occurs and can therefore be readily carried away by the stream of water and discharged from the shed.

Moreover since the discharged products are fed direct to a lagoon, field or other suitable collecting area, the products are discharged automatically from the shed which improves considerably on the traditional method. The flushing cycle will also take place throughout the night and does not depend on availability of farm personnel, thereby greatly increasing hygiene within the shed both for the farmer and for the animals themselves.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the number and arrangement of spray devices and of collecting channels may be altered to suit individual requirements and the water supply and control arrangement may be modified as desired.

In particular the timer may be arranged to operate at any desired intervals suitable to the shed in question and if appropriate the sprays could operate before release of flushing water to the channels or could operate for a greater or lesser period of time as desired. The timer could be replaced by a valve controlling the supply of water to the storage tank or tanks and a self-tripping device operable to release the water when a certain level or volume was reached. Moreover as mentioned previously while the invention has been evolved principally for use in the cleaning of cattle sheds, it may be applied to the cleaning of other forms of enclosure for cattle or other animals or birds.

Claims (24)

1. A system for the removal of animal excreta from sheds or other animal enclosures, comprising introducing a stream of water into the enclosure at intervals of time less than the period taken for excreta to harden whereby to entrain the extreta in the flowing stream of water, and directing the resultant stream out of the shed or enclosure to a collecting zone.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said stream of water is introduced in the form of sprays at regions where the animals' excreta is normally deposited and is withdrawn in a common stream fed from the individual spray sources.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said spray sources and the common stream are both fed from a common supply and are both supplied with water from the supply simultaneously at said predetermined intervals.

4. A system for the removal of animal excreta from sheds or other animal enclosures substantially as hereinbefore described.

5. A system for the removal of excreta from cattle sheds or similar animal enclosures comprising a plurality of water supply outlets disposed at separate locations in the enclosure to entrain excreta from separate areas of the enclosure in streams of water delivered from the outlets, one or more channels fed by the individual streams and extending out of the enclosure to a collecting zone in which the water and excreta is deposited, and control means for supplying water to said outlets and to said channel at periodic intervals.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein said water outlets comprise sprays installed at individual animal stalls and positioned to direct water on to the areas of the stalls at which the animals' excreta is normally deposited.

7. A system according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the or each said common channel is covered with a perforated closure member.

8. A system according to any of claims 5 to 7 wherein the or each said common channel is covered by movable closure members serving to cover the channel in one position but provide longitudinal access slots at one or both sides when moved to an alternative position whereby to permit flow of water and excreta into the channel.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein said closure members are arranged to be opened in synchronism with the introduction of water to said sprays and channels.

10. A system according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the or each said common channel is provided with a rotatable closure member openable in synchronism with the introduction of water to said sprays and channels to draw water and excreta into the channels.

11. A system according to claim 3 wherein said control means includes a pump operable to supply water to said individual outlets or sprays and valve means controlling supply of water to said pump and to said common channel or channels, said pump and said valve means being operated automatically under control of said timer at the desired periodic intervals.

1 2. A system according to claim 3 wherein said control means includes valve means controlling supply of water to a tank connected to said spray devices and to said common channel or channels, and a self-trapping device operable to release water from said tank and deliver same to said spray devices and to said channel or channels when the tank has filled to a predetermined level or volume.

1 3. A system for the removal of excreta from cattle sheds or similar animal enclosures substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A cattle shed incorporating a system according to any of claims 5 to 13 wherein the shed has rows of stalls spaced apart by a central passageway, in which the floor of the passageway slopes downwardly from each row of stalls towards a single central channel which receives water and excreta from the stalls at both sides of the shed.

1 5. A cattle shed incorporating a system according to any of claims 5 to 1 3 wherein the shed has rows of stalls spaced apart by a central passageway, in which separate channels are provided adjacent each row of stalls, the channels being separated by a central elevated walkway whereby each channel receives water and excreta from one row of stalls only.

1 6. A cattle shed according to claim 1 5 wherein said channels are interconnected at or adjacent both ends of the shed.

17. A cattle shed according to any of claims 14 to 1 6 wherein said spray devices are mounted on partitions defining said stalls.

1 8. A cattle shed according to any of claims 14 to 1 6 wherein steps are formed at the entrances to said stalls and said spray devices are mounted on the vertical portions of said steps.

1 9. A cattle shed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A silage shed for cattle incorporating a system according to any of claims 5 to 1 3 wherein a pair of said channels are provided, are adjacent to each silage retaining side wall of the shed, the floor area of the shed between said channels being raised relative thereto and sloping downwardly towards the respective channels.

21. A silage shed according to claim 20 incorporating mounting points for detachable spray devices at spaced locations on said side walls whereby spray devices may be installed or removed dependent on the area of the shed occupied by silage at any given time.

22. A silage shed according to claim 21 including portable barrier means for enclosing areas of the shed not in use for silage feeding, and mounting points for detachable spray devices at spaced locations on said barrier means.

23. A cattle and silage shed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.

24. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.