Abstract:
An animal confinement housing includes an air intake section and an animal confinement section. Air is drawn into the housing through the air intake section and directed through the confinement section to ventilate the confinement section and the animals confined therein. The height of the confinement section can be selectively varied between a raised position of sufficient height to permit personnel and equipment to enter the confinement section and a lowered position that is of sufficient height to accommodate the animals confined therein by reduces the cross-sectional area through the confinement section to increase the air flow rate through the confinement section, without requiring an increase in the rate of intake of air into the air intake section.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/310,866, filed Mar. 5, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to animal confinement housings, and, in particular, housings adapted to hold poultry and configurable to improve air ventilation through the housing. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0003]    An important requirement of large scale livestock production, such as, poultry (e.g., chicken or turkeys), cattle, hogs, etc., is providing adequate ventilation through the animal confinement structure(s). For example, in poultry raising operations in which the birds are housed in crowded conditions, air flow through the confinement structure at a relatively high rate is required to remove excess heat generated by birds being packed closely together. The air flow may be generated by fans drawing or pushing air through the building, and the air may be drawn through “wet panels” consisting of fabric through which water constantly flows to further cool the air before it is directed through the confinement structure. 
         [0004]    In fact, the amount of ventilation within the confinement structure, as defined by the air flow rate through the structure, can be correlated to the maximum weight to which birds housed in the structure can be grown. For example, in conventional chicken structures, typically having an airflow rate of about 450 feet/minute through the building, the maximum consistently achievable weight per bird is approximately 8 lbs. An ideal weight per bird, however, is about 9 lbs, but this weight gain cannot be effectively maintained in crowded conditions within conventional confinement structures. To maintain a weight of 9 lbs per bird in crowded conditions will require significantly higher air flow (e.g., up to 1000 feet/minute) to maintain adequate ventilation within the structure. 
         [0005]    To achieve 1000 feet/min air flow through the confinement structure would require significantly more powerful fans and greater intake rate. The more powerful fans increase expenses, both initial expenses in the cost of the fans themselves and operational expenses in the form of greater energy costs. Moreover, the greater air intake would actually draw water out of the wet panels, thereby resulting in a wet air flow through the animal confinement structure. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Aspects of the invention are embodied in a housing for holding livestock which comprises an air intake section, one or more intake fans, and an animal confinement section. The air intake section has a height and a width defining a transverse, interior cross-sectional space. The one or more air intake fans are configured to draw air into said air intake section. The animal confinement section has an intake end and an exhaust end and is connected to the air intake section so that air drawn into the air intake section by the one or more fans flows through the animal confinement section from the intake end to the exhaust end. The animal confinement section has a width and a height defining a transverse, interior cross-sectional space, and the animal confinement section is configured such that the height thereof may be varied between a first height and a second height. The first height, together with the width of the animal confinement section, defines a first interior cross-sectional space, and the second height, together with the width of the said animal confinement section, defines a second interior cross-sectional space. The second height is lower than the first height, so that the cross-sectional area of the second interior cross-sectional space is less than the cross-sectional area of the first interior cross-sectional space and is less than the cross-sectional area of the interior cross-sectional space of said air intake section. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, the air flow rate through the confinement section will increase when changing the height from the first height to the second height without requiring that the rate of air intake through the intake section be increased. 
         [0008]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed description, appended claims and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an animal confinement housing embodying aspects of the present invention showing a configurable confinement section in both a raised and lowered position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view of the animal confinement housing showing an end of the housing comprising a fixed height air intake section. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of the animal confinement housing showing the fixed height air intake section and the adjustable height confinement section in a raised position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view showing an exhaust end of the variable height confinement section. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a partial side view of the animal confinement housing showing the fixed height air intake section and the variable height confinement section in a lowered position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a partial side view of the animal confinement housing showing the fixed height air intake section and the variable height confinement section in a raised position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7A  is an end cross-sectional view along the line  7 A- 7 A in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view along the line  7 B- 7 B in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view of the structure shown in  FIG. 7A . 
           [0018]      FIG. 9   a  is an alternate embodiment of the structure shown in  FIG. 7A . 
           [0019]      FIG. 9   b  shows additional details of the embodiment of  FIG. 9   a.    
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is an isometric view of a gull-wing panel adapted for constructing walls and the roof of the housing. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a partial perspective view of a lower beam of a side curtain wall of the confinement section of the housing with a gull-wing panel secured thereto. 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the lower beam of the side curtain wall of the housing. 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  is a partial perspective view of the roof of the housing formed from gull-wing panels. 
           [0024]      FIG. 14  is a schematic side view of an assembly for connecting a hydraulic jack to the roof and curtain wall of the housing. 
           [0025]      FIG. 15  is a schematic perspective view of pole guide support. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    A confinement housing for animals, e.g., livestock, embodying aspects of the present invention is represented by reference number  10  in  FIGS. 1-6 . The housing  10  comprises a two-part building; namely a fixed air intake section  20  at one end and an elongated variable height animal confinement section  40  extending from the intake section  20 . 
         [0027]    The intake section  20  includes side walls  24  and an end wall  26  supporting a roof  22 . By way of example, and not intended to be limiting, the intake section  20  may have area dimensions of 44 feet wide×40 feet long with a 10 foot high eave. A plurality of wet panels  28 , which in one embodiment, comprise fabric through which water constantly flows, may be provided in the side walls and/or the end wall  26 . An opening, such as door opening  30 , may be provided in the end wall  26  to permit the ingress and egress of people and machinery to and from the intake section  20 . Doors, shutters, or louvers (not shown) may be provided in conjunction with the wet panels  28  for selectively controlling air flow through each wet panel  28 . Operation of such devices for controlling air flow through the wet panels may be automated, with actuators for opening and closing the devices under microprocessor control within a servo control loop system coupled to sensors for measuring parameters within the confinement section  20 , such as airflow rate, temperature, and humidity. 
         [0028]    The roofs and walls of the intake section  20  may be formed from suitable framing material covered with a suitable sheeting material, such as corrugated metal. A framing structure assembly that minimizes internal beams and posts is preferred so as to provide a relatively unobstructed airflow path into and through the intake section  20  and also to limit obstructions to people and equipment moving in the section  20 . 
         [0029]    The confinement section  40  is an elongated, tube-like structure preferably having a smaller width than the intake section  40  and a length several times that of the intake section  40 . For example, the confinement section may be 40 feet wide and up to 300 to 400 feet long. The livestock animals are housed within the confinement section  40  (in some applications, animals may also be housed in the intake section  20 ). The confinement section  40  includes side walls  48 , an end wall  58 , and a roof  46  and extends from a proximal end  42 , which is the intake for air from the intake section  20 , to a remote end  44  at which air from the confinement section  40  is exhausted. As shown in  FIG. 4 , fans  60  (e.g., five) are provided in the end wall  58  at the remote end  44  of the confinement section  40  for drawing air into the intake section  2 G and through the confinement section  40 , in the direction of arrow “A” in  FIG. 1 . Operation of the fans  60  may also be under automated, microprocessor control within the servo control loop system coupled to sensors for measuring parameters within the confinement section  40 , such as airflow rate, temperature, and humidity. 
         [0030]    In one embodiment, the confinement section  40  includes six fans—four fans rated at 33,000 cfm and two fans rated at 18,000 cfm. The two small fans may serve as a back up to one of the larger fans, should one of the larger fans malfunction. In addition, the smaller fans may be operated in lieu of one or more of the larger fans during times at which lower airflow rates are required through the confinement section  40 . For example during the brooding phase of raising young chicks, which do not generate the heat that larger birds generate and cannot tolerate the cooler temperatures generated by high airflow rates, the smaller fans my be employed to generated relatively lower air flows. Sufficient air flow may be generated by operating the fan intermittently, on a timed basis, e.g., one out of every five minutes. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B, and  8 , the side walls  48  of the confinement section  40  includes a perimeter wall  50 , preferably made of concrete, supported on a concrete footing  52 . Outside the concrete perimeter wall  50  there is a short curtain wall  54 , comprising, e.g., corrugated metal, that is suspended at its upper edge from the eaves of the curved roof  46  (See  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Dimensions shown in  FIG. 8  illustrate a suitable height for the perimeter wall  50  and a suitable height of the wall  50  above ground level, but are not intended to be limiting. 
         [0032]    An alternative embodiment is shown in  FIG. 9   a . In  FIG. 9   a , concrete perimeter wall  50  is replaced by interior wall  80  which is secured to and at least partially supported by the footing  52 . Wall  80  may comprise a thin, relatively rigid panel material, such as plywood, PVC, or Plexiglas, and may be secured with respect to the footing  52  by inserting the panel material into a groove  82  formed in the top of the footing  52 . Note that curtain wall  54  is omitted from  FIG. 9   a  for clarity. 
         [0033]      FIG. 9   b  shows further details of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9   a . An upper L-bracket  83  is secured to the top of interior wall  80 , and extends the length of the interior wall  80  with one flange thereof extending horizontally outwardly toward the curtain wall  54 . A lower L-bracket  85  is secured to a lower end of the curtain wall  54 , and extends the length of the curtain wall with one flange thereof extending horizontally inwardly toward the interior wall  80 . A guide rod  81  is secured to the lower bracket  85  (e.g., by threading the lower end of the guide rod  81  to the horizontal flange of the lower bracket  85 ) and extends upwardly through a clearance hole formed in the horizontal flange of the upper bracket  83 . The guide rod  81  provides lateral support for the interior wall  80 . In addition, a sealant material (e.g., foam rubber) is secure to the upper surface of the horizontal flange of the lower bracket  85  and/or to the bottom surface of the horizontal flange of the upper bracket  83  so that when the roof  46  and curtain wall  54  are in their uppermost positions and the respective horizontal flanges of the upper bracket  83  and lower bracket  85  contact each other, the sealant material provides a seal between the curtain wall  54  and the interior wall  80 . 
         [0034]    In one embodiment, the roof frame structure assembly comprises a plurality of arched beams  70  spanning the confinement section  40 . The radius of curvature will depend on the width of the building and the desire height of the ceiling. Dimensions shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate a suitable curvature for the beams  70  (and roof), but are not intended to be limiting. V-channel beams  72  extend lengthwise of the roof  46  and are connected to each of the arched beams  70  proximate the opposite ends of each beam  70 . The v-channel beams  72  include a v-shaped, downwardly-projecting block that is received in a v-shaped groove  74  formed in the top of the perimeter walls  50  when the roof  46  is supported on the perimeter wall  50 . The entire roof  46  has an exterior of corrugated metal in an arched shape to give it rigidity. The inside of the roof, i.e., the ceiling of the confinement section  40 , may be covered with a layer of insulation having a smooth plastic membrane interior surface. Other types of insulations may be used, or, in some applications, the insulation may be omitted if not necessary to maintain desired temperature within the section  40 . 
         [0035]    Details of an embodiment of the curtain wall  54  of the confinement section  40  are shown in  FIGS. 10-12 . The curtain wall of this embodiment comprises top and bottom beams  110  between which extend angled panels  90 —referred to herein as gull-wing panels—which are connected at their opposite longitudinal ends to the top and bottom beams  110 . Details of the gull-wing panel  90  are shown in  FIG. 10 . Each gull-wing panel  90  comprises a generally flat trough  92  extending longitudinally of the panel  90  with opposed, upwardly angled sides  94 ,  96  terminating in generally flat peaks  98 ,  100 , each having a width dimension smaller than the width dimension of the trough  92 , and depending flanges  102 ,  104  extending downwardly from the peaks  98 ,  100 , respectively, at roughly the same angular orientation as the sides  94 ,  96  and defining the longitudinal edges of the panel  90 . Adjacent gull-wing panels  90  are secured to one another by means of suitable fasteners extending through their respective, overlapping flat peaks  98 ,  100 . Suitable fasteners include rivets or bolts with bolt head gasket washers and lock nuts. 
         [0036]    Details of a lower beam  110  are shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . The beam  110  is elongated in its longitudinal dimension with a web portion  116 , a generally right angled flange  114  and stiffening flange  112  that is generally shorter than the flange  114  and extends from the web portion  116 . Panel connecting flanges  118 ,  120  are secured to the web portion  116  and the flange  114 , for example by welding. Panel connecting flanges have shapes generally conforming to the shape of the panels  90  and include fastener holes  122  which align with corresponding faster holes formed in the ends of the panels  90  and through which suitable fasteners can be inserted for connecting the panel  90  to the flanges  118  and  120  and thus to the beam  110 . Suitable fasteners include rivets or bolts with bolt head gasket washers and lock nuts. Note that fastener holes  122  formed in the panel connecting flanges  118 ,  120  are elongated, thereby facilitating alignment between the panel fastener holes and the connecting flange fastener holes. 
         [0037]    Beams  110  are secured to the opposed ends of the panels  90  in the manner shown to form the side walls of the confinement section  40 . A bottom panel  110  is shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 ; a top panel would be inverted. 
         [0038]      FIG. 13  shows an embodiment of the roof of the confinement section  40  (as well as the intake section  20 ). The roof is formed from overlapping gull-wing panels  90  secured to one another by suitable fasteners and formed into a desire arch. At the edges of the roof, the panels are secured to the side walls by means of panel connecting flanges conforming to the shape of the panels  90  and attached to the top of the top beam  110  of the curtain wall  54  at the desired orientation corresponding to the curvature of the roof. The panels are bolted or riveted at their ends to the panel connecting flanges. In one embodiment, the panels are preassembled and then installed at opposed ends to the curtain wall  54 , thereby forming the curvature of the roof depending on the length of the roof panel and the width of the building between the opposed curtain walls. End caps  124  in the shape of a truncated triangle seal off the opened ends of the panels  90  at the eave lines of the roof. 
         [0039]    Suitable materials for the beams  110  and panels  90  include Galvalume®. 
         [0040]    A plurality of hydraulic jacks  56  extend between the eaves of the roof  46  and the ground, preferably supported on the footing  52 . The roof  46  and curtain wall  54  are capable of being lifted on the hydraulic jacks  56  between a “down” position supported on the perimeter walls  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 1(   a ),  4 ,  5 , and  7 ( a ) or on the footing  52  as shown in  FIG. 9   a , and an “up” position raised above the perimeter walls  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 1(   b ),  3 ,  6 , and  7 ( b ). As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 8A , the difference in height between the down position and the up position can be three feet, which is exemplary and not intended to be limiting. In one embodiment, pole guide supports  130  are provided along both sides of the confinement section between the jacks  56 . In one embodiment, the pole guide supports  130  and the jacks  56  are alternated every 15 feet along the lengths of both sides of the confinement section  40 . In one embodiment two hydraulic jacks  56  are arranged opposite each other on opposed sides of the confinement section  40  at the intake end  42  and the exhaust end  44  of the section, and between the intake end  42  and exhaust end  44  of the section  40  the jacks  56  and the pole guide supports  130  are staggered so that each jack is positioned opposite a pole guide support on the opposed side of the section  40 . In certain embodiments, pole guide supports  130  may be omitted. 
         [0041]    Details of each hydraulic jack  56  installation are schematically shown in  FIG. 14 . Each jack  56  comprises a cylinder  152  and a piston having a piston rod  154  extending from the cylinder  152 . The lower end of the cylinder  152  is supported on the footing  52 , and the upper end of the piston rod  154  is secured to the upper beam  110   b  by means of a clevis attachment  156  and a mounting pad  150  secured to the upper beam  110   b . Note that the panels  90  of thee curtain wall  54  are omitted in  FIG. 14  for clarity. The clevis attachment  156  provides a degree of rotational freedom to thereby permit some flexure between the upper beam  110   b  and the lower beam  110   a . In addition, to disconnect the jack  56  for repair or replacement merely requires removal of the pin of the clevis attachment  156 . The cylinder  152  of the jack  56  fits through an opening formed in the lower beam  110   a . Accordingly, as the piston rod  154  extends to lift the roof  46 , the curtain wall  54  elevates with the roof  46  over the jack  56 . 
         [0042]    Suitable hydraulic jacks  56  include model MH (ME4) cylinders with a 1⅜ inch piston rod by Sheffer Hydraulic. 
         [0043]    Details of a pole guide support  130  are shown in  FIG. 15 . Each pole guide support  130  includes a guide pole  132  having a foot plate  134  at its lower end that is supported on (and bolted to) or embedded in the footing  52  to hold the guide pole in a fixed, preferably vertical orientation with respect to the footing  52 . A guide tube  136  fits over the guide pole  132 , and a lower mounting bracket  138  is secured to the lower end of the guide tube  136  and an upper mounting bracket  140  is secured to the upper end of the guide tube  136 . The lower mounting bracket  138  is secured, e.g., by suitable fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or welds, to the top of the lower beam  110   a  of the curtain wall  54 , and the upper mounting bracket  140  is secured, e.g., by suitable fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or welds, to the bottom of the upper beam  110   b  of the curtain wall  54 . Note that the panels  90  of thee curtain wall  54  are omitted in  FIG. 15  for clarity. An upper locking ping  144  and a lower locking pin  142  extend through aligned holes in the guide tube  136  and the guide pole  132  to lock the guide tube  136  with respect to the guide pole  132 . Pins  142  and  144  may comprise inch bolts. When the roof  46  is in the lowered position, pins  144  and  142  can be inserted so that the guide pole supports  130  assist the hydraulic jacks  56  in holding the roof  46  down, for example in high wind conditions. Similarly, when the roof  46  is in the raised position, pins  144  and  142  can be inserted so that the guide pole supports  130  assist the hydraulic jacks  56  in holding the roof  46  up. During transition of the roof between raised and lowered positions, the pins  142  and  144  are removed so that guide tube  136  can slide in an axial direction relative to the guide pole  132 . A relatively close tolerance between the guide tube  136  and the guide pole  132  limits relative lateral movement between the guide pole  132  and the guide tube  136 . Thus, lateral movement of the upper and lower beams  110   a  and  110   b  of the curtain wall  54  attached to the guide tube  136  is limited. Excessive lateral movement of the roof  46  and curtain wall  54  can cause malfunctions of the hydraulic jacks  56 . 
         [0044]    The hydraulic jacks  56  are coordinated by computer controls, and the roof  46  and curtain walls  54  are lifted by the hydraulic jacks  56  (e.g., eleven on each side of the section  40 ). Computer control of the hydraulic jacks  56  configured to achieve coordinated movement to set points spaced at ¼ inch intervals for each of the jacks  56  permits the roof  46  and curtain walls  54  of the entire confinement section  40  to be lifted and lowered in a precisely-coordinated manner. If the entire roof structure  46  was not lifted and lowered at a simultaneous rate from all jacks  56 , this could cause twisting and buckling, and even fracture, of the roof system. In addition the hydraulic fluid system includes pilot valves (e.g., pilot valves by continental hydraulics) to prevent further movement of the piston rod  154  in the event of a loss of hydraulic pressure. 
         [0045]    By way of example, in the “down” position, the roof is 3 feet off the floor at the outside, and the center is 6 feet off the floor. The low roof reduces the cubic volume of air in the confinement section to and reduced the transverse cross-section of the confinement section  40 . Thus, owing to the Bernoulli effect, air drawn into the intake section  20  will accelerate as it flows into the reduced cross-sectioned confinement section  40 . Accordingly, relatively high air flow rates (e.g., 1000 ft/min) can be achieved in the confinement section  40  without the need to draw air into the intake section  20  at those same high rates. 
         [0046]    On the other hand, when the chickens, or other livestock, are to be harvested from the confinement section  40  or maintenance and/or cleaning are required in the confinement section  40 , the roof  46  can be raised to allow workers and equipment to enter the confinement section  40 . 
         [0047]    The housing system  10  includes various safety features. Should air flow through the confinement section  40  be interrupted—for example by a power outage—while the housing is full of animals, the animals will be adversely affected (including death) in a matter of minutes if air flow is not resumed. Accordingly, back up power generators are provided for the fans. In addition, if the air flow is interrupted and operation of the fans cannot be resumed, the roof control system may be configured to automatically raise the roof to permit additional air inflow into the building. For example, referring to  FIG. 9   b , if the roof is only partially lifted, the seals on brackets  83  and  85  will not contact each other, thereby avoiding a seal between the interior wall  80  and the curtain wall  54  and thus allowing air to flow into the confinement section  40  at the sides. In addition, a small motor (e.g., a  5  hp gasoline engine) may be provided for operating the hydraulic pump so that the hydraulic jacks can be operated even if main power and back up power are interrupted. 
         [0048]    While the present invention has been described and shown in considerable detail with reference to certain illustrative embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is deemed to include all modifications and variations encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following appended claims.