Unmanned vehicle for displacing manure

• US 20060180089A1
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lely Enterprises AG
• Original Assignee: Lely Enterprises AG
• Inventors: Van Den Berg, Karel
• Application Number:
  US11/350,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180089A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/60
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/01 Removal of dung or urine, e.g. from stablesA01K1/015 takes precedence; from poultry houses A01K31/04
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0128 by means of scrapers or the like moving continuously

Abstract

An unmanned vehicle for displacing manure over the floor of a stable, comprising a steering unit for steering the vehicle and moving it in a direction of travel, a frame and manure displacing element for displacing manure. The unmanned vehicle is provided with a device for riding over an obstacle, which device is disposed, seen in the direction of travel, before the manure displacing element.

Claims

1. An unmanned automated vehicle for displacing manure over the floor of a stable, comprising:

a steering unit for steering the vehicle and moving it in a direction of travel;

a frame;

a manure displacing element for displacing the manure; and

a device for riding over an obstacle, the device being disposed ahead of the manure displacing element in the direction of travel and not being in rolling contact with the floor in the normal operative position of the unmanned vehicle.

2. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is disposed on the unmanned vehicle in such a way that it is located a distance above the floor in the normal operative position of the unmanned vehicle.

3. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the distance from the device to the floor is adjustable.

4. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is disposed on the unmanned vehicle in such a way that it is in sliding contact with the floor during normal operation of the unmanned vehicle.

5. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the device is a sliding shoe.

6. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sliding shoe has bevelled edges.

7. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sliding shoe is at least partially disk shaped.

8. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is directly fastened to the frame.

9. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is fastened to the manure displacing element.

10. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the manure displacing element is suspended from the frame in such a way that it is capable of swiveling.

11. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the manure displacing element comprises a manure slide.

12. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the manure slide is made of flexible material.

13. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the manure slide is curved and has two free ends, the free ends being located further in the direction of travel than the other components of the manure slide.

14. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the device is partially located in an area formed by an imaginary line between the free ends of the manure slide and the manure slide itself.

15. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unmanned vehicle is provided with a propelling device comprising generally coaxial wheels for propelling the unmanned vehicle, only the wheels and the manure displacing element being necessary for supporting the unmanned vehicle in the normal operative position, the device for riding over an obstacle being disposed, seen in the normal direction of travel, ahead of both the wheels and the manure displacing element.

16. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device for riding over an obstacle is detachably disposed on the unmanned vehicle.

18. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is an at least partially disk shaped slide having a convex lower surface.

19. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the manure displacing element comprises a manure slide made of flexible material.

20. An unmanned vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein the manure slide is curved and has two free ends, the free ends being located further in the direction of travel than the other components of the manure slide and the device is partially located in an area formed by an imaginary line between the free ends of the manure slide and the manure slide itself.

17. An unmanned automated vehicle for displacing manure over the floor of a stable, comprising:

a body;

a pair of generally coaxial wheels located beneath the body for steering the vehicle and moving it in a direction of travel;

a manure displacing element disposed beneath the body and ahead of the wheels in the direction of travel, a weight of the body being supported on the floor only by the wheels and the manure displacing element such that the manure displacing element is pressed into wiping contact with the floor; and

a device for riding over an obstacle, the device being disposed beneath the body and ahead of the manure displacing element and being spaced a short distance from the floor in the normal operative position of the unmanned vehicle.