Ventilation system for livestock housing

Claim 2

An improved ventilation system for an agricultural building having a livestock confinement space therein, comprising: fan means providing for the flow of air between the lower region of said confinement space and the atmosphere outside of said building; air flow means for permitting air flow between said space and the atmosphere in the direction opposite to the flow caused by said fan means, said air flow means including opening means in a wall of said building for permitting communication between said atmosphere and the upper region of said confinement space; said air flow means also including movable baffle means disposed adjacent said opening means and movable for opening and closing said opening means, said baffle means being movable between a first position wherein said opening means is closed and a second position wherein said opening means is at least partially uncovered; drive means connected to said baffle means for moving same between said first and second positions, said drive means including motor means and link means connected between said motor means and said baffle means, said link means being capable of transmitting both tensile and compressive loads therethrough to positively control both the opening and closing movement of said baffle means; sensing means including first means for sensing the pressure of the air within said confinement space and second means for sensing the pressure of the atmosphere outside the building; control means directly responsive to the pressure differential sensed by said first and second means for causing energization of said drive means when the sensed pressure differential deviates from a preselected differential to cause opening or closing movement of said baffle means; said building including a floor and an animal support surface spaced upwardly from the floor and defining a servicing space therebetween, said animal support surface having vent means therein for permitting communication between said confinement space and said servicing space; said fan means including a first fan mounted in a sidewall of the building and communicating directly with said servicing space and a second fan mounted in the sidewall of the building and communicating directly with the confinement space; and switch means associated with said first and second fans for causing operation of only said first fan when the temperature in said confinement space is relatively low and for causing simultaneous operation of both said first and second fans when the temperature in said confinement space is relatively high.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, wherein said opening means is horizontally elongated and is formed in and extends longitudinally along the sidewall of the building adjacent the upper end thereof, and said link means including a horizontally elongated drive shaft disposed adjacent said opening means and extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, said drive shaft being drivingly connected to and driven from said motor means, and a plurality of linkages connected between said drive shaft and said baffle means for causing movement of said baffle means in response to rotation of said drive shaft, said linkages being connected to said drive shaft at axially spaced locations therealong.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2, wherein said baffle means includes a plurality of platelike baffles positioned in adjacent relationship along the longitudinal length of said opening means, each of said baffles being swingably mounted on the building, and at least one of said linkages being connected between said drive shaft and each of said baffles.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 3, wherein said baffles are hingedly connected adjacent the lower edges thereof to the sidewall of said building along the lower edge of said opening means, means rotatably supporting said drive shaft on the sidewall of said building in the vicinity of the lower edge of said opening means, and each of said linkages including a drive crank fixed to said shaft and a rigid link hingedly connected between said crank and one of said baffles.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 4, wherein said motor means comprises a reversible electric motor, and said drive means including a drive mechanism interconnected between said electric motor and said drive shaft, said drive mechanism including a driving crank associated with said electric motor and drivingly interconnected to a driven crank which is fixedly connected to said drive shaft.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1, wherein said opening means comprises a first horizontally elongated opening formed in and extending longitudinally along one sidewall of the building adjacent the upper end thereof and a second horizontally elongated opening disposed opposite the first opening and formed in and extending longitudinally along the opposite sidewall of the building adjacent the upper edge thereof, said baffle means including first and second baffles respectively disposed adjacent the first and second openings, said drive means being connected to said first and second baffles for causing opening and closing movement thereof, and said fan means including fans associated with each of the opposed sidewalls to provide for flow of air between the lower region of the confinement space and the atmosphere outside of the building.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 1, wherein said opening means comprises a horizontally elongated opening formed in the sidewall of the building adjacent the upper end thereof, said baffle means being horizontally elongated and extending throughout the length of said opening means, said baffle means including at least one plate-like baffle member hingedly connected along one horizontally extending edge thereof to said building, said drive means including a horizontally elongated shaft rotatably supported on said building in the vicinity of said opening and extending longitudinally thereof and a plurality of identical linkages disposed in parallel relationship and drivingly connected between said shaft and said baffle means, said linkages being spaced from one another and connected to the shaft at locations which are spaced axially along the length thereof, and said motor means comprising a reversible electric motor drivingly connected to said shaft for rotating same.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 1, wherein said first means comprises a first pressure sensor positioned within said confinement space, wherein said second means comprises a second pressure sensor disposed outside the building, and said control means including an actuator moved in response to the differential in pressure sensed by the first and second pressure sensors.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 8, wherein said control means includes switch means, said actuator comprising a movable diaphragm associated with said last-mentioned switch means, and said first and second pressure sensors being connected by conduits to the opposite sides of said diaphragm.

Claim 11

A improved ventilation system for an agricultural building having a livestock confinement space therein, comprising: air flow means for permitting air flow to said confinement space from the atmosphere outside the building, said air flow means including opening means in said building for permitting communication between said atmosphere and the upper region of said confinement space; said opening means comprises a first horizontally elongated opening means formed in and extending longitudinally along one sidewall of the building adjacent the upper edge thereof and a second horizontally elongated opening means disposed opposite the first opening means and formed in and extending longitudinally along the opposite sidewall of the building adjacent the upper edge thereof; said air flow means also including first and second movable baffle means respectively disposed adjacent said first and second opening means and movable for opening and closing said opening means, each said baffle means being movable between a first position wherein said opening means is closed and a second position wherein said opening means is at least partially uncovered; drive means connected to said first and second baffle means for moving same between said first and second positions, said drive means including motor means and link means connected between said motor means and said baffle means, said link means being capable of transmitting both tensile and compressive loads therethrough to positively control both the opening and closing movement of said baffle means; sensing means including first pressure sensor means positioned centrally within said confinement space and spaced from said sidewalls for sensing the pressure of the air within said confinement space and second pressure sensors means positioned outside the building for sensing the pressure of the atmosphere outside the building; control means directly responsive to the pressure differential sensed by said first and second pressure sensor means for causing energization of said drive means when the sensed pressure differential deviates from a preselected differential to cause opening or closing movement of said baffle means, said control means including an actuator moved in response to the differential in pressure sensed by the first and second pressure sensor means; and first and second fan means providing for the flow of air from the lower region of confinement space into the atmosphere outside of said building, said first and second fan means being mounted on said one sidewall and said opposite sidewall respectively, whereby said fan means and said opening means cause a circuitous movement of air through said building with air flowing inwardly through the opposed first and second opening means into the upper central part of the building, the air then flowing downwardly in the central part of the building and then sidewardly in opposite directions for discharge by said first and second fan means.

Claim 12

A improved ventilation system for an agricultural building having a livestock confinement space therein, comprising: air flow means for permitting air flow to said confinement space from the atmosphere outside the building, said air flow means including opening means in said building for permitting communication between said atmosphere and the upper region of said confinement space; said opening means comprises a first horizontally elongated opening means formed in and extending longitudinally along one sidewall of the building adjacent the upper edge thereof and a second horizontally elongated opening means disposed opposite the first opening means and formed in and extending longitudinally along the opposite sidewall of the building adjacent the upper edge thereof; said air flow means also including first and second movable baffle means respectively disposed adjacent said first and second opening means and movable for opening and closing said opening means, each said baffle means being movable between a first position wherein said opening means is closed and a second position wherein said opening means is at least partially uncovered; drive means connected to said first and second baffle means for moving same between said first and second positions, said drive means including motor means and link means connected between said motor means and said baffle means, said link means being capable of transmitting both tensile and compressive loads therethrough to positively control both the opening and closing movement of said baffle means; sensing means including first pressure sensor means positioned centrally within said confinement space and spaced from said sidewalls for sensing the pressure of the air within said confinement space and second pressure sensors means positioned outside the building for sensing the pressure of the atmosphere outside the building; control means directly responsive to the pressure differential sensed by said first and second pressure sensor means for causing energization of said drive means when the sensed pressure differential deviates from a preselected differential to cause opening or closing movement of said baffle means, said control means including an actuator moved in response to the differential in pressure sensed by the first and second pressure sensor means; and first and second fan means providing for the flow of air from the lower region of confinement space into the atmosphere outside of said building, said first and second fan means being mounted on said one sidewall and said opposite sidewall respectively, whereby said fan means and said opening means cause a circuitous movement of air through said building with air flowing inwardly through the opposed first and second opening means into the upper central part of the building, the air then flowing downwardly in the central part of the building and then sidewardly in opposite directions for discharge by said first and second fan means.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 10, wherein each of said first and second fan means includes first and second fans mounted in the respective sidewall of the building for withdrawing air from the confinement space, and switch means associated with said first and second fans for causing operation of only said first fan when the temperature in said confinement space is relatively low and for causing simultaneous operation of both of said first and second fans when the temperature in said confinement space is relatively high.