Patent ID: 6935273
Filing Date: 2005-08-30
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
1. A bed strip for livestock comprising: a top belt; a bottom belt, said belts having a front end, a rear end, a right end and a left end, wherein said bottom belt is bonded by a fluid tight seal to said top belt along the margins of said belts and along at least one longitudinally spaced stripe extending from said front end margin to said rear end margin to define at least two fluid tight beds, at least one bed the bed strip having a left side and a right side; said at least one bed having a band extending transversely from said left side to said right side of said at least one bed, said band being located at approximately one-third the length of said at least one bed from the front end thereof, said band dimensioned having a front to rear length sufficient to accommodate the size of an animal's hoof to support an animal's hooves in a stable supported relation, wherein said band is defined by a discontinuous fluid tight bond between said bottom belt and said top belt such that said band divides said at least one bed into an expandable front fluid chamber and an expandable rear fluid chamber, said front fluid chamber having a surface area of sufficient size to receive and support the front knees of an animal when the animal lays down from a standing position in which the animal's front hooves are supported by said band, said rear fluid chamber being interconnected to said front fluid chamber through at least one orifice defined by a discontinuity in said band; and said fluid chamber being expandable to contain a working volume of substantially incompressible fluid such that the portions of said top belt that are not bonded to said bottom belt forming said front and rear fluid chambers will elastically assume convex pillow-like shapes such that the point loading of a standing animal's foot on said rear fluid chamber will press said top belt into stable supporting contact with said bottom belt, whereas, when the animal drops to its knees on the front fluid chamber, the animal's knees will be cushioned and separated from said bottom belt by fluid between said belts.