Kennel, circular facility

Abstract

This patent applies to a kennel which incorporates a number of wedge-shaped partially covered enclosures, annularly disposed in an outer ring and inner ring separated by covered corridors. It incorporates a series of gutters for waste removal which resists the spread of disease by means of an overhanging splash-inhibiting lip. It includes a number of compartment walls, each extending beyond the run and over the top to prevent animals from sniffing each other or coming in contact with each other, thereby inhibiting the spread of airborne and body waste diseases. A carefully designed airflow system, compatible with radiant floor heating, resists cross-contamination of animals from inadvertent intermixing of air; vents and ultraviolet lamp exposure assures purging and purification of compartment air. A special feeder nad waterer system allows servicing of animals without the need for attendant to enter the cages or enclosures; positioning control of animals is achieved by a four-way door manually actuated with attendant and facility needs.

I claim, therefore: 
     
       1. A circular kennel building having a floor, at least one annular ring of wedge-shaped kennel compartments located on said floor within a perimeter of said kennel buildings, each said compartment having two solid side walls .Iadd.with at least one of said walls being shared with an adjacent compartment.Iaddend., an innermost end gate and an outermost end gate, each said compartment being .[.bisected into an outboard run and a feeding watering section by a bisecting wall extending between two sidewalls, swinging door means located in said bisecting wall, automatic swinging door latch means to control opening of said swinging door means, access swinging door means located in said bisecting wall, animal feeder means located in said wedge-shaped compartment,.]. .Iadd.covered by a ceiling of perforated material, each of said two solid sidewalls extending substantially above said ceiling and past said innermost and said outermost gates; .Iaddend.servicing corridor means located annularly in said kennel building, each said compartment having one end .[.wall.]. .Iadd.gate .Iaddend.in contact with said corridor .Iadd.and a bisecting wall extending between said two side walls dividing said compartment into an outboard run and a feeding-watering section.Iaddend., .[.annular gutter means located in said floor adjacent said inner most end wall and said outermost end gate of each said compartment,.]. a circular roof extending from center of said building toward said perimeter and covering said feeding-watering section of each said compartment and covering or partially covering said outboard run section of each said compartment.[., means for providing uncontaminated fresh air to each said compartment, decontamination means for sterilizing egress air leaving each said compartment, exhaust fan means located in said roof, automatic compartment cleaner means comprising radially movable hose means extending from center of said roof toward said perimeter of said building, controllable valve means on said hose means to permit control of ejectioon of wash fluid from said hose means, drive means for selectively moving said hose means successively from compartment to compartment in turn, means for motivating an animal to move from one section of each said compartment to the other section of each said compartment and control means located in said building for programming and controlling all above said means.]. . .[.2. A circular kennel building as claimed in claim 1, in which each said compartment is covered by a ceiling of perforated material, each of said two solid sidewalls extending substantially above said ceiling and past said innermost and said outermost gates having a substantial portion thereof made of perforated material, a lower portion of said outermost gates may be supplied with a downwardly depending curtain, said innermost end wall and/or gates having one side hingeably attached to one of said two side walls, an opposite side of said innermost end wall being supplied with latch means for selectively latching said opposite side to the other 
     
     
        of said two side walls..]. .[.3.  A circular kennel building as claimed in claim 1, in which said automatic swinging door latch means on said gate means located in said bisecting wall comprises a swinging door, having an upper end hingedly attached to an upper edge of an opening in said bisecting wall and an opposing free bottom edge, a selectively rotatable latch mechanism having four selective positions, being located in said bisecting wall adjacent a lower edge of said opening, said latch mechanism comprising a selectively rotatable bar projecting through said bisecting wall, two latch portion components being rigidly located on said bar, one on each side of said bisecting wall, to provide that in a first position of said bar, a first latch component portion extends in beyond said free edge, on one side of said swinging door and a second latch component portion extends in beyond said free edge on the other side of said swinging door to prevent said swinging door from opening in both directions, a second position of said bar providing that said first latch component portion extends beyond said free edge on said outboard run section side of said swinging door, whereas said second latch component portion does not extend beyond said free edge to provide that said swinging door may open toward said feeding watering section only, a third position of said bar providing that said second latch component portion projects beyond said free edge, said first latch component portiion not projecting beyond said free edge, to permit said swinging door to swing open toward said outboard run section only, a fourth position of said bar providing that neither said first or said second latch component portions project beyond said free edge, to permit said swinging door to open freely 
     
     
        in either direction..]. 4. A circular kennel building as claimed in claim 1.[., in which said.]. .Iadd.further comprising .Iaddend.annular gutter means .[.have .]. .Iadd.located in the floor adjacent said innermost and outermost end gates of each compartment having .Iaddend.one closer side, adjacent to said annular ring of kennel compartments and one farther side, farther from said annular ring, said farther side being provided with lip means extending obliquely toward and spaced from said closer side.[., and at least one catch basin means for collecting waste from said gutters, said catch basin means being removably located in said floor and connected to said gutters.].. .[.5. A circular kennel building as claimed in claim 1, in which said animal feeder means comprises a water drinking mechanism and a food feeder, said drinking mechanism consisting of a substantially rectangulaar shaped box, having a top and a bottom, a front and a rear surface, and two side surfaces, said box being journaled centrally at each of said side surfaces, said journals being carried by two bearings, one at each side of a first rectangular opening in said innermost end wall, said front and said rear surface, each having an open portion substantially centrally thereof, said openings each having a top edge and a bottom edge, a dividing partition connecting said top edge of said front surface with said bottom edge of said rear surface, and dividing said box into two separate compartments, said top and said bottom of said box being provided funnel means, each of said funnel means projecting through said partition, connecting said funnel in said top with bottom compartment of said box and said funnel in said bottom with top compartment of said box, said food feeder comprising a cylindrical container having a horizontal axis, said food feeder being located in a second rectangular opening adjacent said first opening in said innermost end wall, said cylindrical container being journaled axially at either end, said journals being carried in bearings in either side of said second rectangular opening, said inner portion of said cylinder being substantially bisected by a plate, an opening in side of said cylindrical container providing access to one internal compartment of said cylindrical container, said plate extending through said opening a sufficient amount to provide a rotation stop for said cylindrical container against said innermost end wall, and latch means on said innermost end wall to selectively lock said rotation stop portion of said plate onto said innermost end wall..]. .[.6. A circular kennel building as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for providing uncontaminated fresh air to each of said inner kennel compartments comprises an airflow system containing forced air pumpping means, duct means connecting said forced air pumping means with each said kennel compartment close to floor level and exhaust fan means in said roof, said decontamination means consisting of ultraviolet light means positioned in the path of air emanating from 
     
     
        said kennel compartment..]. .[.7.  A circular kennel building as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for motivating an animal to move from one section of each said compartment to the other section includes sonic sound means in each of said wedge-shaped kennel compartments, said sonic sound means being located in said outboard run section adjacent said outermost end wall, and soniic sound means located on said radially movable hose means, and means for selectively operating said sonic sound means..]. .[.8. A circular kennel building as claimed in claim 1, in which said wedge-shaped kennel compartments are built as individual modules, a plurality of said wedge-shaped kennel compartment modules being located on said floor to form said at least one or part of one annular ring..]..Iadd. 9. A circular kennel building as in claim 1 further comprising automatic compartment cleaner means comprising radially movable hose means extending from center of said roof toward said perimeter of said building, controllable valve means on said hose means to permit control of ejection of wash fluid from said hose means, drive means for selectively moving said hose means successively from compartment to compartment in turn, and control means located in said building for programming and controlling all above said means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 10. A circular kennel building as in claim 1 further comprising swinging door means located in said bisecting wall, automatic swinging door latch means to control opening of said swinging door means, access swinging door means located in said bisecting wall, and means for providing uncontaminated air to each said compartment, decontamination means for sterilizing egress air leaving each said compartment, exhaust fan means located in said roof. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. A circular kennel building as in claim 4 further comprising at least one catch basin means for collecting waste from said gutters, said catch basin means being removably located in said floor and connected to said gutters. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 12. A circular kennel building as in claim 9 further including means for motivating an animal to move from one section of each said compartment to the other section, said motivation means including sonic sound means located on said radially movable hose means, and means for selectively operating said sonic sound means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13. A circular kennel building as in claim 1, said bisecting wall having an automatic swinging door and latch means for controllably closing a selected opening therethrough, said swinging door being hingedly supported from its upper edge and having an opposing free bottom edge, said latch means including a selectively rotatable latch mechanism having four selective positions, being located on a wall adjacent a lower edge of said swinging door, said latch mechanism comprising a selectively rotatable bar projecting through said wall, two latch portion components being rigidly located on said bar, one on each side of said wall, to provide that in a first position of said bar, a first latch component portion extends in beyond said free edge, on one side of said swinging door and a second latch component portion extends in beyond said free edge on the other side of said swinging door to prevent said swinging door from opening in both directions, a second position of said bar providing that said first latch component portion extends beyond said free edge on one side of said swinging door, whereas said second latch component portion does not extend beyond said free edge on the other side of the swinging door to provide that said swinging door may open in the other direction only, a third position of said bar providing that said second latch component portion projects beyond said free edge, said first latch component portion not projecting beyond said free edge, to permit said swinging door to swing open toward said one direction only, a fourth position of said bar providing that neither said first or said second latch component portions project beyond said free edge, to permit said swinging door to open freely in either direction. .Iaddend.