Free stall divider
AssigneeMerrill Equipment Company
InventorJoseph L. Rudolph
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A free stall divider which eliminates the need for structural elements in front of each free stall, thereby increasing the space in front of each animal and minimizes the structural elements at the side of each animal thoroughly allowing each animal to position its head comfortably to either side while lying in the stall. The free stall divider comprises a base, at least one mounting member, and at least one dividing element. All of the structural elements required to retain the dividing element upright are mounted to the base. When an animal is in a stall, therefore, all of the mounting members are located to the side of the animal. Therefore, no obstructions prevent the animal from moving in a forward direction.
Claims26
A free stall divider for dividing an open area beside a wall into a stall for an animal, comprising:
- a substantially horizontally extending base substantially aligned with a head space for the head of a resting animal;
- a mounting member positioned substantially vertically on said base;
- and
- a dividing element having a first end defining a mounting portion coupled to said mounting member, said dividing element extending along a stall space for the body of an animal, said dividing element also having a second end secured to said wall.
A method for dividing an open area into separate free stalls for animals comprising:
- providing a base substantially aligned with a head space for the heads of two facing resting animals;
- positioning first and second substantially vertically extending mounting elements on said base;
- coupling first and second dividing elements to said first and second mounting elements, respectively, said first and second dividing elements extending away from each other and away from said head space;
- and
- coupling said first and second dividing elements to each other to form a continuous loop.
The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said first and second dividing elements are releasably coupled to one another.
A method for dividing an open area along a wall into a free stall for an animal, comprising the steps of:
- providing a base having a mounting element thereon;
- coupling a first end of a dividing element to the mounting element on the base, the dividing element extending rearwardly alongside the free stall from a head space for the head of an animal;
- and
- securing a second end of the dividing element to the wall in a position at the head space located higher than the first end of the dividing element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.