Abstract:
The present invention is directed to an enclosure for the containment of livestock. Preferably, the livestock enclosure includes a floor assembly forming a planar floor surface and an overlay assembly operably coupled to the floor assembly for selectable engagement with the floor assembly. Preferably, the overlay assembly includes a traction grid having a plurality of grid apertures extending therethrough, wherein the overlay assembly is configured to be placed adjacent the planar floor surface to provide traction for livestock placed within the enclosure. The overlay assembly is preferably configured to be moved, thereby allowing waste from the livestock to flow through the grid apertures and onto the planar floor surface to facilitate removal of said waste from the planar floor surface to clean the enclosure.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/187,131 entitled FLOOR OVERLAY AND DRAINAGE GATE FOR ANIMAL ENCLOSURE, filed Mar. 6, 2000. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an improved flooring apparatus for use in a livestock enclosure, such as a transport trailer. The invention more particularly relates to a flooring apparatus that provides improved traction and facilitated cleaning. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Over the years, livestock enclosures, such as livestock trailers, have been the subject of numerous improvements and innovations. Through this evolution of design, the majority of modem animal and livestock transports follow a common underlying form. A bottom frame is made of steel or aluminum joists which extend partially or completely across the length or width of the transport. The joists are held in position by a number of perimeter beams which define the outline of the transport floor. A floor is then fitted to, and supported by, the bottom frame. Typically, the floor consists of a plurality of rectangular floor members which extend partially or completely along the length of the transport. The floor members have been traditionally constructed from rigid or semi-rigid materials such as extruded aluminum or wood. 
     During use, animals deposit substantial solid and liquid wastes on the transport floor. These deposits cause the transport floor to become increasingly slippery. Consequently, during transportation, loading and unloading, animals frequently slip or loose their footing. The resulting fall can cause significant injury to the animal. In a larger transport, the severity of the injury may be compounded as surrounding animals inadvertently trample the fallen animal. 
     There have been numerous prior attempts to provide increased-traction flooring for use in animal enclosures. One solution is to fabricate the flooring members from composite materials which exhibit improved traction characteristics. Although an improvement to conventional flooring, composite flooring nonetheless suffers from the same tractional deficiencies. Other solutions make use of raised ridging or recessed grooves which also improve traction. While such techniques improve traction, the textured surface tends to trap debris and frustrate efforts to effectively clean the transport floor. 
     In light of the foregoing, there exists a pressing need to develop a cost-effective means for further improving the tractional characteristics of an enclosure floor without complicating efforts to clean the enclosure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an enclosure for the containment of livestock. Preferably, the livestock enclosure includes a floor assembly forming a substantially planar floor surface and an overlay assembly operably coupled to the floor assembly for selectable engagement with the floor assembly. Preferably, the overlay assembly includes a traction grid having a plurality of grid apertures extending therethrough, wherein the overlay assembly is configured to be placed adjacent the planar floor surface to provide traction for livestock placed within the enclosure. The overlay assembly is preferably configured to be moved, thereby allowing waste from the livestock to flow through the grid apertures and onto the planar floor surface to facilitate removal of said waste from the planar floor surface to clean the enclosure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective partial view of a preferred embodiment of the floor overlay assembly in a raised position and the drainage chute open. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a J-bolt assembly of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the captured traction grid. 
     FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of a cross-section of floor assembly of FIG. 1 showing the floor overlay assembly in a lowered position. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an animal transport with a cutaway view that shows the application of the inventive floor and overlay assemblies. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to FIG. 1, shown therein is a perspective cross-sectional view of a floor assembly  100  and an overlay assembly  102  constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The floor and overlay assemblies  100 ,  102  are designed to provide an improved flooring apparatus for use in an animal containment area, such as a livestock transport (not shown). The function, form and interrelation of the individual components of each assembly will be discussed in greater detail below. 
     With continued reference to FIG. 1, the floor assembly  100  includes a plurality of interconnected support members  104  that form a structural framework that extends across the length and width of the floor assembly  100 . The support members  104  are individually oriented to provide maximum structural support in response to the vertical force produced by the animal cargo. Preferably, the walls of the containment area (not shown) are also supported by the support members  104 . 
     Although only a portion of the floor assembly  100  is shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that the floor assembly  100  preferably extends across the length and width of the containment area. It should be noted that the width of the floor assembly  100  may extend parallel or transverse to the longitudinal axis of the containment area. 
     Persons skilled in the art will recognize that other configurations and materials of construction for the support members  104  are within the scope of the present invention. For instance, Although FIG. 1 depicts a parallel and orthogonal interrelation of the support members  104 , alternative configurations are also within the scope of the present invention. Likewise, materials such as wood, channel iron, or other suitable material may be used to construct the support members  104 . 
     Continuing with FIG. 1, the floor assembly  100  includes at least one floor member  106 , a drainage chute  108 , a plurality of first hinge assemblies  110  and a plurality of J-bolt assemblies  112 . In a preferred embodiment, the floor assembly  100  comprises a plurality of rectangular floor members  106  secured to the underlying support members  104 . The floor members  106  are placed adjacent one another such that a continuous planar floor surface (not specifically designated) is formed. In a preferred embodiment, the individual floor members  106  are fabricated from a semi-elastic composite material which exhibits desirable tractional qualities. 
     The floor assembly  100  also includes a drainage chute  108  aperture extending through the floor assembly  100 . In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, a space approximately the width of a floor member  106  and extending the length of the floor assembly  100  is reserved as the drainage chute  108 . The specific function of the drainage chute  108  will be discussed in greater detail below. 
     Alternative embodiments of the present invention include making use of a single enlarged floor member  106 . In such an embodiment, the single floor member  106  must be manufactured such that a sufficient amount of space is available for the drainage chute  108 . Additionally, the floor member(s)  106  may be fabricated from alternate materials. Such materials may include, but are not limited to, wood, aluminum, textured steel, or other suitable material. 
     Additionally, the present invention is readily capable of being installed into existing transports and enclosures. Such retro-fitted installations of the present invention could be accomplished by modifying the floor of the existing enclosure to receive the overlay assembly  102  and include the drainage chute  108 . Retro-fitting existing enclosures and transports may be a cost-effective alternative to purchasing a new trailer. 
     Continuing with the floor assembly  100  and FIG. 1, included therein are a plurality of primary hinges  110 . The primary hinges  110  moveably connect the overlay assembly  102  the floor assembly  100 . Because the manufacture of simple hinges is well known in the art of transport design, the specific components of each primary hinge  110  have been omitted from this description. It should be noted, however, that the construction of the primary hinges  110  should enable the support and repetitive operation of the overlay assembly  102 . 
     Although presently preferred embodiments include swinging engagement between the overlay assembly  102  and the floor assembly  100 , additional configurations are also encompassed by the scope of the present invention. Such additional configurations include sliding the overlay assembly relative the floor assembly and complete removal of the overlay assembly from the enclosure. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the primary hinges  110  are disposed about the perimeter of the floor assembly  100  on the top surface of the support members  104 . Such placement provides a cost-effective means for attaching the moveable overlay assembly  102  to the floor assembly  100 . In an alternative embodiment, the primary hinge assemblies  110  are placed on the inside face of the support members  104  in the vicinity of the drainage chute  108 . Such placement allows the primary hinge assemblies  110  to be covered when the overlay assembly  102  is in the lowered position. Covering the primary hinges  110  discourages the entrapment of animal deposits and debris. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that there are a number of possible orientations and configurations of the primary hinges  110 , all of which are within the scope of the present invention. 
     Continuing with the floor assembly  100 , contained therein are a plurality of J-bolt assemblies  112 . As shown in FIG. 2, the J-bolt assembly  112  comprises a J-bolt  114 , a spring  116 , a flat washer  118 , a lock nut  120  and a threaded portion  122 . The J-bolt  114  is substantially “J” shaped, with the straight portion extending vertically through the floor member  106 . A spring  116  is placed on that portion of the J-bolt which extends below the floor member  106 . The flat washer  118  is placed on the J-bolt and compresses the spring  32  to a desired extent. The flat washer  118  is then held in place by the lock nut  120  which is screwed onto the threaded portion  122 . The precise pre-load exerted on the spring  116  may be increased or decreased by varying the vertical position of the lock nut  122  and flat washer  118 . The function of the J-bolt assembly  114  will be described below. 
     Turning back to FIG. 1, the overlay assembly  102  includes a cover plate  124 , a traction grid  126  and a reinforcement beam  128 . The cover plate  124  is preferably attached to the primary hinges  110  and serves as the support for the balance of the overlay assembly  102 . In a preferred embodiment, the cover plate  124  is selected to have an area nominally larger than the exposed area of the drainage chute  108  aperture. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover plate  124  is cut from a ¼ inch steel plate. Although presently preferred embodiments disclose attaching the cover plate  124  to the primary hinges  110 , the cover plate  124  may be disposed at other locations on the overlay assembly  102 . 
     In certain embodiments, the cover plate  124  may require reinforcement to support an increased cargo load. A reinforcement beam  128  may be attached to the underside of the cover plate  124 . Preferably, the reinforcement beam comprises a ¼ inch by ½ inch steel beam which, when the floor overlay  102  is closed, unloads upon the support members  104 . An alternative embodiment (not shown), includes placing the reinforcement beam  128  over the drainage chute  108  by directly affixing the reinforcement beam  128  to the support members  104 . Although affixing the reinforcement beam  128  to the support members  104  simplifies manufacture, such placement may interfere with the efficient removal of animal deposits. 
     The cover plate  124  also includes a front seal  130 , side seals  132  and a rear seal  134 . Preferably, the seals are fabricated from a flexible, waterproof member that is secured to the cover plate  124  through conventional means, such as glue or rivets. Additional and alternative materials may be used to construct the seals and include, for example, metal and pre-molded plastic members. 
     The front seal  130  is preferably adhered to the bottom surface along the distal (free) edge of the cover plate  124 . When engaged with the floor assembly  100 , the front seal  130  should create a substantially waterproof barrier between the floor members  106  and the distal edge of the lowered cover plate  124 . The side seals  132  are preferably adhered to the top surface along the sides of the cover plate  124 . The side seals  132  create a substantially waterproof barrier between adjacent cover plates  124  when the overlay assembly  102  is lowered to the floor assembly  100 . The rear seal  134  is attached to the top surface along the rear (fixed) edge of the cover plate  124 . When the overlay assembly  102  is lowered to the floor assembly  100 , the rear seal  134  creates a substantially waterproof barrier between the side walls (not shown) and the rear edge of the cover plate  124 . 
     Continuing with the overlay assembly  102 , the traction grid  126  is attached to the top surface of the cover plate  124  by a suitable method, such as welding. The attachment of the traction grid  126  to the cover plate  124  should not interfere with the operation of the cover plate  124  or front seal  30 . In a preferred embodiment, the traction grid  126  comprises a first series of grid members (not separately designated) that are equidistantly welded to the cover plate  124 . The traction grid  126  further comprises a second series of grid members (not separately designated) which are preferably equidistantly welded to the first series of members. The intersection of the of the first and second series of grid members forms corresponding grid apertures in the spaces therebetween. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the first and second series of members intersect one another at right angles forming a geometrically consistent rectangular grid. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the traction grid  126  members are fabricated from “rebar” metal that is common to the industry. Alternate materials maybe used to construct the traction grid  126 , such as extruded aluminum, plastics, wood, woven wire, composites or other suitable material, and are considered within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, the traction grid  126  may also be constructed from a perforated piece of continuous material, such as sheet metal, that may or may not include raised ridging for traction. 
     In certain applications, the relative dimensions between the floor overlay  102  and the height of the enclosure may require the use of a bi-fold hinge (not shown) to allow the overlay assembly  126  to be completely raised. In other words, the bi-fold hinge allows the overlay assembly  102  to fold onto itself, thereby reducing the amount of vertical space necessary to raise the floor overlay  102  to the completely raised position. The specific enclosure aspect ratio determines the location of the bi-fold hinge  128  on the floor overlay  102 . Because the manufacture of hinges is well known in the art of transport design, the specific components of the bi-fold hinge have been omitted. It should be noted that the swinging operation of the overlay assembly  102  should not be encumbered by surrounding structural elements of the animal enclosure. 
     Turning now to FIG. 3, shown therein is a side elevational view of the overlay assembly  102  in its lowered position, resting on the floor assembly  100 . When the floor overlay  102  is lowered to the floor assembly  100 , the cover plate  124  closes the drainage chute  108  and is supported at its free end by the floor member  112 . In many applications, it is important that no animal excrement be unintentionally released from the transport during use. Therefore, the cover plate  124  must completely cover the drainage chute  108  when the overlay assembly  102  is in the lowered position. This is accomplished by selecting the width of the cover plate  124  to be slightly larger than the width of the drainage chute  108  and through use of the front seal  130 , the side seals  132  and the rear seal  134 . Additionally, as mentioned above, the traction grid  126  should not interfere with the effective closing of the drainage chute  108  aperture. 
     When the overlay assembly  102  is in the lowered position, the traction grid  126  rests on the floor members  106  providing the animal cargo with increased traction. However, while in use, it is necessary to hold the traction grid  126  to the floor assembly  100  to prevent the animals from lifting the overlay assembly  102  from the floor and thereby creating a potential hazard for the animals. 
     The overlay assembly  100  is held to the floor assembly  100  through use of the J-bolt assemblies  112  in the following manner. First, the J-bolt  114  is raised, thereby loading the spring  116 . The J-bolt  114  is then rotated ¼ turn such that the curved portion of the J-bolt  114  is properly aligned with the traction grid  126  member. Next, the J-bolt  114  is released, thereby capturing the traction grid  126  member. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the J-bolt assemblies  112  are installed about the periphery of the lowered traction grid  126 . Additional J-bolt assemblies  112  maybe used to secure the central portions of the traction grid  126 . Persons skilled in the art will recognize that other means for securing the overlay assembly  102  to the floor assembly  100  are also encompassed within the scope of the present invention. 
     When it becomes necessary to clean the livestock enclosure, the overlay assembly  102  is raised, thereby removing the traction grid  126  from the floor assembly  100 . When the traction grid  126  is raised, any waste deposited during use remains on the floor assembly  100 . Additionally, raising the overlay assembly  102  also raises the cover plate  124 , thereby revealing the drainage chute  108 . Opening the drainage chute  108  allows the transport operator to easily remove animal excrement through the floor of the livestock enclosure. Typically, the animal excrement may be removed with water under elevated pressure or with a hand-held implement. Allowing the animal excrement to be removed through the floor of the trailer saves the operator substantial time and effort. When raised, the overlay assembly  102  is preferably secured to a side wall (not shown) through conventional latching means. Such latching means may include, for example, lever operated mechanical latches. 
     Although the presently preferred embodiment employs the combined use of the floor overlay  102  and the drainage chute  108 , it will be readily understood to one skilled in the art that each aspect of the invention may be used individually or in combination. There are, however, unique advantages to using the floor overlay assembly  102  and the drainage chute  108  in combination. For instance, when used in combination, raising the floor overlay  102  facilitates cleaning in two ways. First, removing the traction grid  126  from the floor members  106  reveals a smoother cleaning surface. Second, the simultaneous opening of the drainage chute  108  allows the waste to be efficiently removed from the transport or enclosure. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, shown therein in partial cutaway fashion is an animal transport  136  that incorporates the inventive overlay assembly  102  and floor assembly  100 . Although the transport  136  is presently depicted as a trailer for ground transport of livestock, it will be understood that the present invention is also suited for use with alternate animal transports, such as rail or marine transports. Additionally, the present invention may also be used in conjunction with the stationary containment of animals, such as in a feed lot enclosure. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the enclosure  136  includes a plurality of overlay assemblies  102  in various states of operation. During use, the lowered overlay assembly  102   a  provides improved traction to the animal cargo. Overlay assembly  102   b  illustrates the partial retraction of the traction grid from the floor assembly  100 , thereby partially revealing the drainage chute  108 . Overlay  102   c  depicts the traction grid  126  completely raised and secured to a side wall  132 . Once secured to the sidewall  132 , the drainage chute  108  is completely open, thereby permitting unfettered debris removal. 
     The transport of FIG. 4 employs a plurality of overlay assemblies  102  that are proportioned to cover one-half of the floor assembly  100  of the transport  130 . In a preferred embodiment, a second series of overlay assemblies  102  (not shown) are provisioned opposite the overlay assemblies  102  shown in FIG.  4 . As such, the entire floor area of the transport  130  can be covered by traction grids  126  while permitting the facilitated removal of animal deposits through opposing drainage chutes  108  that run the length of the transport  130 . 
     In addition to the configuration of overlay assemblies  102  described above, it is also within the scope of the present invention to orient the overlay assemblies (or assembly)  102  parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trailer. In such a configuration, the drainage chute would run perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the trailer. Such orientation may be desirable in shorter enclosures. Based on particular applications, additional configurations of the overlay assemblies  102  may be selected and are also considered within the scope of the present invention. 
     As used in the appended claims, the term livestock is meant to include domesticated and undomesticated or exotic animals. 
     It is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out its objectives and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above. While the presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in varying detail for purposes of disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in the above text and in the accompanying drawings.