Manure scraper system and apparatus

A conduit for use with a system for scraping manure from a barn floor having an elongated first slot, the system comprising an elongated conduit in the floor, the conduit having an elongated second slot mating with the first slot, the first and second slots being arranged so manure scraped from the floor by blades on a trolley moving in the direction of the elongated conduit can pass through the slots and move into the conduit;

• the trolley including (a) a paddle rotatable about a horizontal axis that is transverse to the slots, and (b) a structure carrying the paddle;
• the conduit including wear resisting members abutting walls of the slot and extending to a surface of the barn floor, the wear resisting members having an upper surface that tends to become slippery and tends to cause livestock in a region of the barn floor where the second slot is located to slip, an upper face of the conduit between the first and second mating slots being textured to reduce and/or overcome the tendency of the livestock to slip on the upper surface.

A system for scraping manure from a barn floor having an elongated first slot, the system comprising an elongated conduit in the floor, the conduit having an elongated second slot mating with the first slot, the first and second slots being arranged so manure scraped from the floor by blades on a trolley moving in the direction of the elongated conduit can pass through the second slot and move into the conduit;

• the trolley including (a) a paddle rotatable about a horizontal axis that is transverse to the slots, (b) structure carrying the paddle;
• and (c) wheels that are located entirely in the conduit and bear on an interior lower surface of the conduit, the wheels being drivingly connected with the structure carrying the paddles so that as the wheels turn on the lower surface of the conduit the paddle is driven about the horizontal axis;
• the paddle, the slots and the structure carrying the paddle being arranged so that, as the paddle turns about the horizontal axis, the paddle can urge manure scraped by the blades into the conduit.

A trolley for use in a system for scraping manure from a barn floor having an elongated first slot, the system comprising an elongated conduit in the floor, the conduit having an elongated second slot mating with the first slot, the first and second slots being arranged so manure scraped from the floor by blades on a trolley moving in the direction of the elongated conduit can pass through the second slot and move into the conduit;

• the trolley comprising (a) a paddle rotatable about a horizontal axis that is transverse to the slots, and (b) structure carrying the paddle;
• parts of the trolley, including the paddle, the horizontal axis and the structure being arranged so that when located in the conduit the paddle can extend from (a) the axis in the conduit, and (b) the structure in the conduit carrying the paddle through the second slot so that, as the paddle turns about the horizontal axis, the paddle can urge manure scraped by the blades into the conduit.

A trolley for use in a system for scraping manure from a barn floor having an elongated first slot, the system comprising an elongated conduit in the floor, the conduit having an elongated second slot mating with the first slot, the first and second slots being arranged so manure scraped from the floor by blades on a trolley moving in the direction of the elongated conduit can pass through the second slot and move into the conduit;

• the trolley comprising (a) a paddle rotatable about a horizontal axis that is transverse to the slots, (b) structure carrying the paddle, and (c) wheels that are adapted to be located entirely in the conduit and adapted to bear on an interior lower surface of the conduit, the wheels being drivingly connected with the structure carrying the paddle so that as the wheels turn on the lower surface of the conduit the paddle is driven about the horizontal axis;
• the paddle and the structure carrying the paddle being arranged and adapted to be located in the conduit so that, as the paddle turns about the horizontal axis, the paddle can urge manure scraped by the blades into the conduit.