# US 2021/0274741 A1 · Cubicles for bovine animals and accessories therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0274741 A1 - Document ID: US20210274741A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/193,003 - Filed: 2021-03-05 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Inventors: Michael Earls - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210274741A1 ## CPC - A01K 1/0011: {Cubicle partitions} - A01K 1/0613: {Devices for immobilisation or restraint of animals, e.g. chutes} - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract A projection is provided on a side barrier of a cubicle or stall for a bovine animal, the projection being positioned at the open end of the cubicle through which the animal enters the cubicle. The projection defines a region of reduced opening width which forces the animal to straighten its entry into the cubicle, thereby promoting a straight lying position without reducing the lying area available for the animal within the cubicle. A straight lying position encourages the animal's waste to be deposited away from the animal's bed into a waste channel in the passageway outside the cubicle. Preferably a pair of projections are provided, extending towards one another from the opposed side barriers, such that the reduced opening width region is centred within the overall opening width. The projection is preferably provided as an accessory which can be mounted on the rails of an existing cubicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cubicle for a bovine animal, comprising: a. a pair of opposed side barriers defining the sides of a generally rectangular area to accommodate a bovine animal; b. an opening between the opposed side barriers at one end of said generally rectangular area, the opening being the same width as the generally rectangular area and being sized to admit a bovine animal into said rectangular area; and characterised by c. at least one projection mounted on a side barrier at a height above ground level, said projection extending from the side barrier towards the other side barrier, and thereby defining a region of reduced width at said height to encourage a bovine animal positioned at or moving past said projection the animal to align itself generally parallel to the side barriers, without reducing the rectangular area at ground level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 1, wherein a pair of said projections are provided, each mounted on a respective one of the side barriers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 2, wherein the pair of projections are aligned with one another such that they are opposed to one another and are positioned vertically at the same height from the ground, and together define a region of reduced width at the height at which they are mounted. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the side barriers have generally parallel top and bottom rails connected at the opening end by a tubular connector, with the projection being mounted on a top rail adjacent the tubular connector, or on the upper half of said tubular connector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the projection is positioned at a height above the ground of between 40 cm and 150 cm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 1, wherein the projection is disposed at the end of the side barrier adjacent the opening, to thereby reduce the width of the opening at said height. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 1, wherein the projection is disposed in a position between 25% and 75% along the length of the side barrier from the opening to the head end. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 1, wherein the projection comprises an arm extending horizontally into the width of the cubicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 8 wherein the arm has a rounded profile at an end distal from the side barrier from which it extends. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 1, wherein the projection comprises a curved longitudinal member connected at either end to the side barrier. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 1, wherein the projection further comprises a mounting portion from which said projection extends. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 11, wherein the mounting portion comprises a socket to receive a tubular component of the side barrier and fixing means to affix the projection in position on said tubular component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A cubicle for a cow according to claim 1, wherein the or each projection is integrally formed with the side barrier from which it extends. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A cubicle according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said side barriers is a divider between adjacent cubicles and is a common side barrier to each of the adjacent cubicles, and wherein a projection extends from each side of the side barrier into the adjacent cubicles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A cubicle according to claim 14, wherein said projections comprise a pair of arms extending horizontally in opposite directions from a common mounting portion. ### Claim 16 An accessory for a cow cubicle of the type comprising a pair of opposed side barriers having tubular components, the side barriers defining the sides of a generally rectangular area to accommodate a bovine animal, and an opening between the opposed side barriers at the other end of said generally rectangular area, the opening being the same width as the generally rectangular area and being sized to admit a bovine animal into said rectangular area; the accessory comprising: a. a mounting portion comprising a socket to receive a tubular component of a side barrier and fixing means to affix the projection in position on said tubular component; and b. an arm extending from said mounting portion such that when the accessory is mounted on a side barrier, the arm extends partially into the width of the cubicle and thereby defines a region of reduced width; whereby when said accessory is mounted in position at a height above ground level, it encourages a bovine animal positioned at or moving past said projection to align itself generally parallel to the side barriers, without reducing the rectangular area at ground level. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An accessory according to claim 16, wherein the arm has a rounded profile at an end distal from the mounting portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An accessory according to claim 17, wherein the rounded profile is spherical. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) An accessory according to claim 17, wherein the rounded profile is a fin having a rounded profile outwardly of the arm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) An accessory according to claim 19, wherein the fin is generally planar and disposed in the horizontal plane, with the rounded profile defining a fin whose horizontal extent into the cubicle width increases towards the centre thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) An accessory according to claim 16, wherein the arm comprises a curved longitudinal member connected at either end to the side barrier. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) An accessory according to claim 21, wherein the curved longitudinal member comprises a flexible, curved, generally cylindrical arm which when mounted at both ends to a side barrier forms an arc which extends into the width of the cubicle. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) An accessory according to claim 16, wherein the arm is formed of a resilient material. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) An accessory according to claim 16, wherein the mounting portion comprises a collar within which said socket is defined as a generally cylindrical opening adapted to receive a tubular member of a side barrier. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) An accessory according to claim 16, further comprising a second arm extending from said mounting portion in an opposite direction from said arm, such that when the accessory is mounted on a side barrier, the arm and the second arm each extend partially into the width of a respective cubicle of a pair of adjacent cubicles separated by the side barrier on which the accessory is mounted.