Cow-restraining device

Claim 1

A walk-through cow milking parlor comprising an elongate milking area, an elongate walk-through stall having one and another sides adjacent and spaced from said area, respectively, extending substantially parallel thereto, a plurality of cow-restraining devices, one for each cow, arranged, along said stall's other side for restraining cows at longitudinally spaced positions therealong, each of said devices including an upright fixed-position bar, and an upright locking bar including a locking portion which is shiftable, relative to the fixed-position bar, toward and away from a restraining position, wherein said bars are positioned, adjacent opposite sides of the neck of a cow, to prevent withdrawal of the cow's head from between the bars, and wherein said bars are oriented to urge the cow toward a region of the stall extending between, and inclined with respect to, said stall sides, elongate fence means extending along and positioned adjacent said stall's side to prevent cow movement beyond said fence means, toward said milking area, and means operatively connected to said locking bars for moving said locking portions, in unison, toward and away from their said restraining positions.