US 6,186,093 B1 · Four-way gate arrangement for freestall barn drive-through

Abstract

A freestall barn for dairy cattle arranged with a plurality of freestall resting areas with resting stalls, and a feed alley; has a feed drive through for a feed delivery vehicle, with feed alleys of the freestall resting areas adjacent and parallel to the feed drive-through. A cow lane crosses the feed drive through forming an intersection with it. The cow lane connects the freestall resting areas, and permits cows to proceed to and from a milking station. A four-way drive-through gate assembly has four horizontal gates disposed to pivot or swing on vertical axes at respective corners of the intersection. In a first position the gates block the drive-through but permit passage of cows along the cow lane. In a second position the gates block the cow lane but permit the feed delivery vehicle to pass through along the drive-through. A mechanically linkage mechanism moves the gates between their first and second positions, such that the gate disposed diagonally opposite one another rotate in the same direction and the gates disposed adjacent one another rotate in opposite directions. Two of the gates are have a narrow axial span relative to the other two gates, and the latter two gates each have an opening therein wide enough to permit a one of the narrow gates to penetrate through it when the assembly is moved between positions.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A freestail barn for dairy cattle arranged with a plurality of freestall resting areas each of which includes resting stalls and at least one feed alley;

a feed drive through adapted for passage of a feed delivery vehicle and disposed in the barn such that the at least one feed alley of the freestall resting areas are adjacent to and parallel to the feed drive through;
at least one cow lane crossing the fed drive through at an intersection thereof and extending between said freestall resting areas, said cow lane permitting cows to proceed between the freestall resting areas and also to and from a milking station;
and a four-way drive through gate assembly having four swinging gates disposed to pivot at respective corners of said intersecton, and movable between a first position in which said gates block said drive through but permit passage of cows alone said cow lane, and a second position in which said gates block said cow lane but permit passage of said feed delivery vehicle along said drive through.

Four-way gate arrangement adapted for installation at an intersection of a cow lane, on which cows walk between resting and feeding areas and a milking station, and a feed drive through on which a feed delivery vehicle is driven;

the gate arrangement comprising first, second, third, and fourth swinging gates pivotally mounted on respective vertical axes disposed at first through fourth corners of said intersection, with said first and third gates being disposed diagonally across from one another and with said second and fourth gates being disposed diagonally across from on another;
and mechanical linkage means for moving said first through fourth gates between a first position in which said gates block said drive through but permit passage of cows along said cow lane, and a second position in which said gates block said cow lane but permit passage of said feed delivery vehicle along said drive through.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Four-way gate arrangement for freestall barn drive-through

Life of this patent

Four-way gate arrangement for freestall barn drive-through

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12