Cattle flooring method & apparatus

#The present invention relates to flooring for cattle operations and in particular relates to soft flooring provided for cattle operations.

#Presently, in cattle and dairy operations, concrete flooring is often used. Anyone who has stood for even a few minutes on a concrete floor knows about aching feet and numb legs. Cows often spend 10 hours a day standing and walking on concrete. Many farmers feel that a major reason for culling is lameness associated with walking on hard floors. Experts in the field have indicated that flooring for cattle should provide comfort and confident footing for cows and unfortunately, concrete is not the most comfortable flooring for cows to be walking on.

#In this regard, some dairy operations have used rubber belting and others have tried various forms of rubber mats, both of which having there own problems associated with installation and maintenance of these flooring systems. Farmers are looking for ways to improve flooring conditions for their cows. Anecdotal evidence has shown that cows prefer walking on materials which are closer to pasture like conditions and some evidence suggest that cows give more milk when their walking conditions and standing conditions have been adjusted to be as close as possible to pasture like conditions.

#The invention will now be described by way of example only, with references to the following drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic top representation of two interconnected mat sections showing the present invention the cattle flooring method and apparatus.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic top plan view of a component of a mat connector.

#The present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 15 is a cattle flooring method an apparatus shown generally 90 and includes the following major components, namely interlocking mats 100, mat connectors 200, slat anchors 300, underlay 400 and a presently preferred mat connector 500.

#A cattle flooring method and apparatus 90 is comprised of a number of interlocking mats 100 having a top surface 131, bottom surface 133 which are comprised of, a number of mat sections 108 which are connected via interlocking webs 112 having mat tongues 110, mat grooves 121 on the connecting edges of interlocking mats 100. Interlocking mat 100 is preferably manufactured of 100% revulcanized rubber and each section can be shaped and cut to the particular application it is to be applied to. For example, mat sections 108 may be rectangular in configuration for feed alleys and/or stalls and/or may be pie shaped for milking parlours in order to produce a circular configuration when mat sections 108 are connected together.

#Preferably interlocking mats 100 have a textured top surface 114 and mat channels 112 defined on the bottom surface. For additional comfort and moisture protection, an underlay 400 can be also installed prior to placing interlocking mats 100. Underlay 400 includes a moisture barrier 410 adjacent the bottom of interlocking mat 100 and a particle layer 412 preferably made of rubber and/or neoprene particles which are rigidly connected to moisture barrier 410. The interlocking webs 112 as shown in FIGS. 15 as well as in FIG. 1, may be defined on all mat edges 162 of interlocking mat 100 or may only be defined on some mat edges 162 of mat section 108 again depending upon the application.