Abstract: A hanger for a brisket tube or brisket rail employs an L-shaped bracket member formed of a slotted vertical plate with a horizontal top mounting flange. A clamp member, e.g., an omega clamp, secures the top mounting flange to a lower rail of a stall divider. A brisket pipe clamp attaches to the bracket and has an arcuate portion that captures the brisket pipe. The brisket pipe clamp is formed of a slide plate with flanged edges, a partly arcuate retaining arm that extends proximally from the slide plate, and a stub or post that extends distally through the slot in the vertical plate. This can be a threaded post so that the slide plate can be secured to the vertical plate with a nut. The slot permits limited vertical adjustment.

Abstract: A push bar serves to nudge or urge cows to leave a milking parlor and move to an exit alley. The push bar is mounted on extendible support members, which may have an inner tube and an outer tube, and which is mounted by a journal onto an overhead pivot. There is one air cylinder to rotate the assembly, and additional air cylinders to extend and retract the support members. A programmed controller ensures that the push tube travels in a generally straight, horizontal path to push the cows out, and then lifts the push tube so it is over the cows' heads on the return.

Abstract: An elevated-beam cow stall assembly has a plurality of tubular cow stall dividers supported on a single horizontal beam. This provides room for the cow to lunge slightly to assist her in lying down or getting up. In an embodiment, stanchions or brackets are formed of vertical channel members affixed onto the beam. The tubular stall dividers each have an upper and a lower horizontal rail, the ends of which are mounted into the upper and lower ends of the channel member. Short upper and lower channel portions are fastened to the main vertical channel members, web-to-web, and the tubular stall dividers from a facing row of stalls are mounted on these. The brackets or stanchions may be mounted to the beam using square U-bolts, or by other techniques such as welding.

Abstract: An elevated-beam cow stall assembly employs angle brackets each installed on a respective vertical post. Support stanchions formed of a vertical rail, with upper and receiver members affixed at upper and lower ends of the rail, are attached to the back plates of the angle brackets, and the back plates also support the horizontal support beam. Tubular stall dividers each have an upper and a lower horizontal rail, the ends of which are mounted into the receivers of the stanchions. Additional stanchions may be affixed, i.e., with U-bolts, at intermediate locations along the horizontal beam, and these stanchions also support associated stall dividers. Neck rails may be attached to the upper rails of the dividers, and brisket rails or brisket pipes may be supported on the lower rails of the dividers. This construction permits an unobstructed space below the horizontal beam to give the cow some freedom of movement for lying down and rising.

Abstract: A slider ventilation curtain for an agricultural building has upper and lower curtains, with the lower curtain having an upper hem pipe that is mounted in a fixed location on the wall of the building, and an upper curtain that slides past the lower curtain, up to a closed position and down to a ventilation position for permitting outside air to enter the building from above the animals. There are roll up mechanisms associated with the lower hem pipes of the two curtains to permit the curtains to be rolled up for storage, so that the wall can be fully open for summer conditions.

Abstract: A freestall barn for dairy cattle arranged with a plurality of freestall resting areas with resting stalls, and a feed alley; has a feed drive through for a feed delivery vehicle, with feed alleys of the freestall resting areas adjacent and parallel to the feed drive-through. A cow lane crosses the feed drive through forming an intersection with it. The cow lane connects the freestall resting areas, and permits cows to proceed to and from a milking station. A four-way drive-through gate assembly has four horizontal gates disposed to pivot or swing on vertical axes at respective corners of the intersection. In a first position the gates block the drive-through but permit passage of cows along the cow lane. In a second position the gates block the cow lane but permit the feed delivery vehicle to pass through along the drive-through.

Abstract: Wave curb for the cow stand of a diagonal or herringone milking parlor is formed of an elongated sheet metal strip. The side edges are each bent over about 180 degrees to form unitary beads on the side edges. The strip is bent in alternate curves in the longitudinal direction so as to form a succession of alternate arcuate bights, preferably with a wavelength of about 36 to 42 inches. Preferably, the strip is stainless steel or galvanized steel, and has a finished length of about 36 to 144 inches. The sheet metal workpiece is inserted into a wave curb bending apparatus which simultaneously forms a first pair of opposite arcuate bights. Then the workpiece is moved longitudinally in the wave curb bending apparatus; and a second pair of opposite arcuate bights is formed in the sheet metal workpiece.

Abstract: Wave curb for the cow stand of a diagonal or herringone milking parlor is formed of an elongated sheet metal strip. The side edges are each bent over about 180 degrees to form unitary beads on the side edges. The strip is bent in alternate curves in the longitudinal direction so as to form a succession of alternate arcuate bights, preferably with a wavelength of about 36 to 42 inches. Preferably, the strip is stainless steel or galvanized steel, and has a finished length of about 36 to 144 inches. The sheet metal workpiece is inserted into a wave curb bending apparatus which simultaneously forms a first pair of opposite arcuate bights. Then the workpiece is moved longitudinally in the wave curb bending apparatus; and a second pair of opposite arcuate bights is formed in the sheet metal workpiece.

Abstract: A front positioning rail for a diagonal milking parlor, in which cows stand alongside one another at an angle to the curb, is movable between a milking position and a release position. In the milking position the rail restrains the cows with their heads projecting over the rail with the briskets of said cows contacting the rail. In this rail assembly an elongated rail member extends laterally, and has a proximal generally vertical side and a horizontal upper edge. A plurality of vertical positioning loops rise above the upper edge and define head positions for the cows. The loops preferably have one vertical side and one sloping side, so that cows are discouraged from turning around in the parlor, but can slide down if they enter a position ahead of an unoccupied position. The positioning loops are spaced from one another at a predetermined interval. An air cylinder or other mechanism moves the rail member between the milking position and the release position so that said cows can exit said parlor.

Abstract: A self-indexing exit gate for a side-by-side milking parlor has a yoke member that is cantilevered on a sleeve that is journaled on an overhead rotary pivot bar. A latch member affords a limited amount of play between the sleeve member and the pivot bar. A pneumatic cylinder rotates the pivot bar between the first and second positions, which correspond to lowered and raised positions of the exit gate yoke member. The yoke member has a center of gravity positioned somewhat distally of the rotary shaft, which provides a small amount of play, that is, about six inches, at the point of contact with the shoulders of the cow. The latch member permits individual release of a cow from her stall without affecting the exit gates of the other stalls in the dairy parlor.

Abstract: A sequencing gate for a side-by-side milking parlor employs a gate member formed as a loop having an open center. The gate member has lower and upper rail portions with a distal portion joining the distal ends of the upper and lower portions, and a proximal portion joining the proximal ends of these portions. A vertical pivot member extends downward from the lower horizontal rail portion into a supporting journal member but does not extend into the open central part of the loop. With this arrangement, the cows can be positioned to stand with their barrels touching one another through the open center of the gate. The gate has no fixed vertical member which would obstruct movement of the cow's barrel as she enters or exits the milking parlor stall.

Abstract: A telescoping entry gate for a milking parlor has a pair of horizontal slide tubes supported on a vertical support embedded in the cow stand. A U-shaped gate member has upper and lower legs slidably journalled in the slide tubes. A pneumatic actuator coupled to the vertical support and to the distal end of the sliding gate member moves the gate between an extended or closed position and a retracted or open position. A barrier in line with the gate defines a cow-passage of about thirty-two inches clearance in the open position and a man-passage of about twelve inches clearance in the closed position.

Abstract: A tie stall divider for cattle stalls or other animal stalls is formed of a single continuous main rail that is bent into a sequence of bent and straight rail portions that lie in a generally vertical plane. There is a single generally vertical support post that is anchored into a curb. A first bend joins a top bend of the support post to a lower rail portion that extends generally distally and upwards to a nose portion, that connects to a generally horizontal upper tube which extends distally past the position of the vertical support post. Thereafter, a loop is formed having a bend formed therein that lies adjacent the first bend, and a vertical support tube whose end abuts the horizontal upper tube. The first and second bend can be welded together, and the tube end can be welded to the abutting horizontal tube. A sleeve is disposed over the first bend and extends down over an upper part of the support post into the curb.

Abstract: A cow stall for a side-by-side type milking parlor, i.e., of the type in which the cow is milked from behind her hind legs, has its side walls angled outward to be somewhat wedge shaped. In the milking parlor, the operator pit can be of arcuate shape, so that the operator can see all of the stalls from any vantage point in the pit. Because the stalls angle out, the stall width is at least about thirty-one inches at the front gate to accommodate the cow comfortably, and it is reduced to about twenty-two inches at the rear wall. i.e. at the operators pit. This reduces the distance from one operator position to the next without impairing the exit of the cow through the front gate following milking.