Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ANTI--CRUSHING BAR ASSEMBLY FOR P[G FARROWING CRATES
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new and useful impro-
vements in pig farrowing crates.
The standard pig farrowing crate used to hold
a sow while she is nursing her young, comprises a relati-
vely narrow enclosure constructed of bars to form a pen-
like enclosure.
A problem with such conventional crates is that
when the sow lies down for nursing, the narrowness of the
crate causes difficulty in standing up again. Also, when
she lies downs, the movement can be fairly rapid so that
there is a possibility that she will roll on top of the
piglets thereby crushing same as they do not have time
-to get out of the way.
In order to remedy these problems, a "comfort
bar" is utilized. This comprises the lowermost horizontal
bar on the side of the crate being curved outwardly from
the vertical plane of the crate side so as to allow the
sow room to move at the bottom of the crate when nursing.
However, this modification, whsile allowing the sow more
movement, results in more danger to the young as she tends
to lie down more rapidly and furthermore sne then has suf-
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ficient room so that she may roll on top of the pigletswhile nursing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention assists in overcoming these
difficulties and in accordance with the invention there is
provided a pig farrowing crate comprising a vertical side
frame including a horizontal bar, a horizontal comfort
bar extending outwardly from the vertical side frame at
a position below said horizontal bar in spaced and parallel
relation thereto, and an anti-crushing bar assembly com-
prising an anti-crushing bar, support means pivotally
mounting said anti-crushing bar at a position outside of
the vertical side frame and such that the anti-crushing bar
extends inwardly from said support means and means coopera-
ting between said support means and said anti-crushing bar
to maintain said anti-crushing bar substantially horizon-
tally but allowing same to pi.vot upwardly from the horizon-
tal position.
A further advantage of the invention is to pro-
vide a device which is readily attached to conventional pigfarrowing crates, particularly those including comfort bars.
With the foregoing in view, and other advanta-
ges as will become apparent to those skilled in the art
to which this invention relates as this specification
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proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference
to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which
includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment
OL the principles of the present invention, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF TXE D~AWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pig farrow-
ing crate with the invention incorporated therein.
Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of one
side of a farrowing crate with the invention installed
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therein.
Figure 4 is an isometric view of the anti-
crushing bar assembly per se.
In the drawings like characters of reference in-
dicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Proceeding therefore to describe the invention
in detail, reference should first be made to Figures 1 and
2 which show a pig farrowing crate collectively designated
10 consisting of a pair of spaced and parallel side frames
collectively designated 11 maintained in the desired spa-
ced and parallel relationship by means of one or more cross
bars 12, one of which only is shown in the drawings.
Each side frame, in this embodiment, includes a
substantially horizontal upper member 13 having a down-
wardly curving one end member 14 at one end thereof and a
downwardly curved other end member 15 at the other end
thereof. U-shaped members 16 and 17 extend upwardly and
over between the two side frames, and horizontal members
18 extend between the upper sides of the U-shaped members
16 and 17, all of which structure is conventional. In the
majority of farrowing crates, the aforementioned comfort
bars 19 are provided. These are substantially horizon-
tally situated and extend between adiacent tlle lower ends
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o~ the end portions :L4 ancl 15 of the side frames, being
substantially U-shapecl when viewecl i.n plan ancl having a
main horizontaL portion 20 extending between the inturned
ends 21 with the mai.n po-rtion 2() extending outwardly from
the verti.cal plane of the side frames as clearly shown in
Figures 2 ancl 3.
A further horizontal member 22 e:xtends between
the ends l.4 and 15 of the side frames spaced above the
com:~ort bar but substantially in alignment with the ver-
tical plane of the sicle frames once again as clearly shownin Figure 3.
The anti-crushing bar assembly collectively de-
signated 23 is situated between the comfort bar 19 and
the horizontal bar 22 thereabove and it is desirable but
not essential that such an assembly is situated on both
side frames of the Earrowing crate as shown in Figure 2.
Each crushing bar assembly includes support
means comprising a pair of spaced and parallel bars 24
bolted or otherwise secured in spaced and parallel rela-
tionship, to the portion 20 o~ the comfort bar and to thebar 22 thereabove so that the support bars 24 incline up-
wardly and inwardly from the portion 20 of the comfort bar
to the bar 22. This securement may be by means of nut and
bolt assemblies 25, by welding, or any other conventional
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method and it will be observed that these support
bars 24 are substantially perpendicular to the portion 20
ancd the bar 22 thereabove.
An anti-crushing bar collectively designated 26
is provided and is substantially U-shaped when -viewed in
plan. It includes a pair of encl portions 27 forming the
legs of the U-shaped portion, with a main portion 28 ex-
tending therebetween and it is desirable that this anti-
crushing bar be formed in one piece with the junctions bet-
ween the end portions 27 and the portion 28, being curved
as illustrated.
Pivot pins 29 are secured to the end portions
27 of the anti-crushing bar adjacent the ends 27A of the
end portions, said pivot pins extending outwardly there-
from and engaging the support bars 24 thus mounting the
anti-crushing bar 26 for pivotal movement relative to the
support bars 24 with the anti-crushing bar extending in-
wardly as clearly shown preferably one upon each side
frame of tne crate.
Means are provided normally to maintain the
anti-crushing bar in a substantially horizontal position
shown in ~igure 2, under normal circumstances and one me-
thod comprises a stop plate 30 welded or otherwise secured
to the support bars 24 and extending inwardly therefrom so
so that the ends of the end portions 27 of the anti-crushing
bar 26, engage these stops when the anti-crushing bar is
horizontal as clearly shown. However, these stops permit
the anti-crushing bar to move upwardly to a position sub-
stantially parallel to the support bars 24 which, as herein-
before described, incline upwardly and inwardly.
In operation, in order for the sow to lie down,
she must lie straight down on her stomach and then roll
on her side slowly as one bar lifts over her back and the
~0 other moves out of the way of her udder.
Because of this slow movement, the sow does not
fall quickly onto her side thereby permitting piglets to
move out of the way before being crushed.
Once the sow is in the lying down or nursing posi-
tion, she will have no difficulty in standing up since the
anti-crushing bars will pivot upwardly when pushed from under-
neath so they can lie substantially parallel with the supports.
Once the sow is standing, the anti-crushing bars
will fall back to the horizontal position by means of gravity,
being retained in this horizontal position by means of the
aforementioned stops 30.
Since various modifications can be made in my
invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently
widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit
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and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit
and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the
accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illus-
trative only and not in a limiting sense.
