Abstract:
A livestock bedding conditioning apparatus is disclosed, the apparatus comprising a self-propelled drive vehicle with a rotor arm attached to a frame on the vehicle. The rotor arm comprises a plurality of rotors, the device having means for rotating the rotors. Each rotor has a bit at its end, which engages the livestock bedding material. The rotation of the bit within the bedding material loosens, fluffs up and aerates the bedding material, resulting in a healthier and more comfortable bedding material for the livestock.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention generally relates to devices used for protecting the health of livestock, and increasing production of livestock products, such as milk. The present invention more specifically relates to conditioning livestock bedding by breaking up, aerating and grooming-of the bedding material. Conditioning the bedding in this manner softens the bedding material and reduces moisture and bacteria propagation, which helps to create an environment which protects the health of the animals and increases their productivity.  
           [0002]    In a typical free-stall barn, the free-stall beds are positioned on either side of a drive-through alley or lane. Over time, the bedding materials in the free-stall beds will become compacted by the animals, and will be wetted with various solids and liquids, including manure and urine. The compacted bedding materials become hard and uncomfortable for the animal. In particular, manure can form a hard crust. In addition, because of the lack of air and the presence of the various solids, liquids and the associated gases, the bedding material becomes a breeding habitat for various bacteria which can be harmful to the animal. For example, wet bedding is an ideal environment for microorganism growth which can result in a cow contracting mastitis, i.e., inflammation of the mammary gland.  
           [0003]    It is known to use rake devices to break up the bedding, where the rake tines are dragged across the bedding. It is known to mount the rake devices on vehicles which are driven down the drive-through alley or lane, with the rake device extending to the side of the vehicle. The raking device is then extended into each stall adjacent to the alley, raking over the bedding material. However, rake tines are often not capable of penetrating severely compacted bedding and crusted manure, such that there is limited agitation and aeration of the bedding material. If only the surface of the bedding is agitated, the underlying material remains compacted, hard and uncomfortable for the animal and insufficiently aerated to prevent growth of anaerobic bacteria. A device is required which provides deeper penetration and greater agitation of livestock bedding materials.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention is directed to an apparatus for conditioning livestock bedding, which effectively softens and aerates the bedding.  
           [0005]    One embodiment of the apparatus comprises a self-propelled drive vehicle having a front and a back. A frame is attached to the vehicle and a rotor arm having a top side and a bottom side extends from the frame. A plurality of bearing units are set within the rotor arm, with the bearing units extending from the top side to the bottom side of the rotor arm. A plurality of rotors are set within the bearing units, with each rotor comprising a shaft having a first end and a second end. The first and second end of the shaft define a longitudinal axis. The first end of the shaft comprises a bit, which engages the bedding material. The shaft extends through the bearing unit with the first end of the shaft, including the bit, on the bottom side of the rotor arm. The second end of the shaft is on the top side of the rotor arm. The apparatus further comprises means for rotating the rotors.  
           [0006]    One embodiment of the apparatus has the frame attached to the front of the drive vehicle. The rotor arm may also be pivotally attached such that the rotor arm is pivotable through a range of positions from an approximately horizontal first position to an approximately vertical second position. This feature allows the operator of the apparatus to drive down a drive-through alley of a barn and selectively lower the rotor arm so that the bit of the rotor engages and tills the bedding material of the selected stall. The frame may further comprise a ground engaging support wheel which engages the surface of the alley, providing additional support for the frame. The frame may further comprise a curb scraper, which contacts the alley curbing, thereby scraping the curb clean and also providing a guide for the vehicle operator to maintain the proper position of the vehicle within the alley. The frame may further comprise an alley scraper, which is a blade which engages and cleans the alley surface.  
           [0007]    The rotor may further comprise gussets which, as the bit rotates deeper into the bedding material, lifts the loosened material allowing deeper penetration and greater aeration of the bedding.  
           [0008]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the disclosed livestock bedding conditioning apparatus with the rotor arm in a lowered position.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the disclosed livestock bedding conditioning apparatus with the rotor in a raised position.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a front view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a detailed top view of one embodiment of the rotor arm.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5B is a detailed view showing how the rotor arm of FIG. 5 attaches to the frame.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a detailed bottom view of one embodiment of the rotor arm.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a detailed view of one embodiment of a rotor.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is an example hydraulic schematic showing how a hydraulically operated apparatus may be connected. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    Referring now specifically to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment  10  of the disclosed livestock bedding apparatus. This embodiment generally comprises a self-propelled drive vehicle  12 . Frame  14  is attached to the vehicle  12 . Rotor arm  16  extends from the frame  14 . A plurality of bearing units  18  (shown in FIG. 6) are set within the rotor arm  16 . A plurality of rotors  20  are set within the bearing units  18 . Attached to each rotor  20  is a ground engaging bit  22 . The apparatus further comprises means for rotating the rotors, such as hydraulic motor  24 . Acceptable hydraulic motors include those manufactured by CHAR-LYNN As the drive vehicle  12  travels the drive-through alley of a barn, the rotor arm  16  is extended over the bedding material of a stall and rotors  20  are set within the bedding material. The rotors are engaged to rotate within the bedding, thereby breaking up the crusted and compacted bedding so that the bedding material is fluffed up and aerated.  
         [0019]    Drive vehicle  12  is self-propelled, and might either have ground-engaging wheels  26  or, alternatively, tracks. Included among the acceptable vehicles are skid steers, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, and tractors. Acceptable skid steers are manufactured by JOHN DEERE, NEW HOLLAND, CASE, GALE and BOBCAT.  
         [0020]    The vehicle  12  has a front  28  and a back  30 . It is to be appreciated that frame  14  may be attached to either the front  28  of the drive vehicle  12 , as shown in the figures, or, alternatively, attached to the back  30 . Because many of the available drive vehicles  12  function in both forward and reverse, and because the operator&#39;s seat is often capable of swiveling, identifying one end of the vehicle  12  as the front  28  and the other end  30  as the back may be a distinction without a difference.  
         [0021]    Frame  14  may be fabricated from steel stock or other materials having sufficient strength to bear the static and dynamic loads imposed by rotor arm  16 . While the shape of the stock may be rectangular as shown in the figures, round, oval, triangular or L-shaped stock may also be used to fabricate frame  14 . As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, frame  14  may be formed in the shape of a polygon or other shapes having sufficient strength and mechanical properties. As further shown in the figures, a ground-engaging support wheel  32  may be attached to frame  14  to provide additional support to the frame in carrying the various loads which may be imposed upon it. In addition, a curb scraper  34  may be attached to frame  14 . In many livestock facilities, the drive-through alley may have curbing lining the alley, where the curbing is adjacent to the livestock stalls and bedding. As the drive vehicle  12  proceeds down the alley, the curb scraper  34  may be set against the curbing. Thus engaged, the curb scraper  34  not only cleans the curbing, but it also provides a guide for the vehicle operator, assisting the operator in maintaining the vehicle in the proper position within the drive-through alley.  
         [0022]    As can be seen in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, rotor arm  16  comprises a top side  36  and a bottom side  38 . Rotor arm  16  further comprises a plurality of rotors  20  which rotate within bearing units  18  which are set within the rotor arm. Bearing units  18  may be rolling element or sleeve type bearings which mounted within the rotor arm  16 , as with a bearing plate  40  as shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0023]    As shown in FIG. 7, rotors  20  comprise a shaft  42 , the shaft having a first end  44  and a second end  46 . The first end  44  and second end  46  of the shaft define a longitudinal axis, where the longitudinal axis is at a right angle to the rotor arm  16 . The rotor may be fabricated from 1-1/8″ diameter hexagonal stock, where the second end  46  of the shaft has been machined into a round configuration. Rotors  20  further comprise bit  22  at the first end  44  of each shaft  42 . Bit  22  has blades  47  which engage the bedding material. It is to be appreciated that a variety of different bit configurations might be used to condition the bedding material. In general, any bit  22  which penetrates the bedding material and breaks it up by the rotational motion of the bit provides beneficial treatment to the bedding material. However, it has been found that a bit  22  having three blades  47  which are generally parallel to the surface to be treated provides satisfactory conditioning of the bedding material.  
         [0024]    The blade geometry may be altered to achieve a preferred bedding texture. For example, blades  47  might have a slight pitch or have a scooped shape to provide a larger contact area to the bedding material. Rotor  20  may also be equipped with a plurality of gussets  48 . The gussets  48  may be triangular pieces of material welded to the side of the shaft  42 , which are attached to the portion of shaft which extends below the bottom side  38  of the rotor arm  16 , such that the gussets are aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft  42 . The gussets  48  act to stiffen the rotor  20 , and also assist in lifting bedding material as it is loosened by the bit  22 . As indicated on FIG. 3, the bit  22  may also comprise a vertical tip  49  which provides additional penetration into the bedding material.  
         [0025]    The disclosed invention further comprises means for rotating the rotors  20 , which may comprise a hydraulic motor  24  attached to the rotor arm  16 . FIG. 5 shows one means for rotating the rotors  20  with hydraulic motor  24  rotating drive belt  50 . As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, shaft  42  extends through the bearing unit  18  such that the first end  44  is on the bottom side  38  of the rotor arm  16  and the second end  46  is on the top side  36 . It is to be appreciated that while FIG. 5 shows drive belt  50  as a cog belt, a vee belt or chain would serve the same purpose. In addition, the means for rotating the rotors may also comprise a plurality of intermeshing cog gears driven by the hydraulic motor  24 , where a cog gear is attached to second end  46  of shaft  42 . Drive belt  50  rotates the shaft  42  of each rotor  20 . The drive belt  50  makes contact with the second end  46  of each shaft  42 . As shown in FIG. 5, a cog wheel  52  may be attached to the second end  46  of each shaft  42 . Lock bushing  54  may be used to secure the cog wheel  52  to the shaft  42 . Belt idlers  56  may also be used with the rotation means to assist in maintaining the correct tension of drivel belt  50 . Rotor arm  16  may be enclosed with cover  62  to protect the various moving components of the rotor arm.  
         [0026]    Rotor arm  16  may be pivotally attached to frame  14 , such that the rotor arm is pivotable through a range of positions, including a first position where the rotor arm is approximately horizontal, as shown in FIG. 1, and a second position, where the rotor arm is approximately vertical, as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 6, pivoting connection  58  may be used to attach rotor arm  16  to the frame  14 . The device may also comprise means for pivoting the rotor arm  16 , such as a hydraulic ram  60 .  
         [0027]    The device may further comprise a hydraulic control yoke  62  which pivots toward the operator of the drive vehicle  12  to be easily accessible. As shown in the hydraulic schematic of FIG. 7, the hydraulic power fluid may supplied by the drive vehicle  12  using hydraulic controls such as a flow divider and relief valve. The vehicle operator may then actuate hydraulic ram  60  by operating the hydraulic controls to raise and lower the rotor arm  16 . In addition, the operator may control hydraulic motor  24  with the controls, so that the operator can cause rotors  20  to start rotating and to stop. With these controls, the vehicle operator is able to proceed down a drive-through alley, raising and lowering the rotor arm  16  as required to condition particular free-stalls, and to engage and disengage the rotors  20  as desired.  
         [0028]    While the above is a description of various embodiments of the present invention, further modifications may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the size, shape, position and/or material of the various components may be changed as desired. Thus the scope of the invention should not be limited by the specific structures disclosed. Instead the true scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims.