Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus
for spraying animals as they pass through an
entranceway; more particularly, the invention pertains
to an animal spraying apparatus which is adapted to be
mounted to varying dimensions of entranceways.
BACRGROUND OF THE INVENTION
LivestocX sprayers are known wherein a
pressure spray of liquid insecticide or the like is
subjected to the livestock from spray nozzles to carry
out a wetting of the animals. Among the various
methods known, some involve passing the animal through
a race, such as described in British patent no.
1,477,836 published June 29, 1977, or in U.S. patent
no. 2,529,530 issued November 14, 1950 to Abildgaard et
al.; others consist in passing the animal through a
spray chute, such as described in U.S. patent no.
2,542,280 issued February 20, 1951 to Knapp.
United States patent no. 3,541,996 issued
November 24, 1970 to EBKO INDUSTRIES INC. describes a
U-shaped housing adapted to fit about the periphery of
an entranceway and is equipped with pump and spray
means and with an actuator arm adapted to be moved by
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the animal in order to pump the spraying fluid through
a spraying nozzle assembly.
These systems are bulky and require many
structural components in order to effect the spraying
of the animal passing through the race or the
entranceway. Furthermore, each system is constructed
to a particular size, none being equipped with means
allowing them to adjust to various dimensions of
entranceways.
OBJECq~S AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to
provide an animal spraying apparatus which is adapted
to be mounted to the frame of an entranceway and which
is capable of adjustment in accordance with the
particular configuration of the entranceway.
It is also an object of the present invention
to provide an animal spraying apparatus with rotatable
components allowing it to be mounted within the
entranceway frame or outside thereof, adjacent to the
entranceway, and to carry out an effective wetting of
the animals.
It is a further object of the present
invention to provide an animal spraying apparatus
wherein the detecting of the presence of an animal in
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the entranceway automatically causes the spraying
operation ~o begin.
The present invention therefore relates to an
animal spraying apparatus which comprises an inverted
U-shaped tubular structure adapted to be mounted to a
particular entranceway frame and consisting of a pair
of opposite side portions adapted to be mounted to the
side jambs of the entranceway and of an intermediate
horizontal upper portion adapted to be mounted to the
head of the entranceway. Each of the upper and side
portions includes: a vapourizing unit consisting of a
housing adapted to be mounted to the entranceway frame
and of nozzle carrying means mounted to the housing.
The apparatus further comprises connecting members each
having one end received in the housing of the upper
portion and an opposite end thereof received in the
housing of an adjacent one of the side portions. The
apparatus also includes means for detecting the
presence of an animal in the entranceway and means in
the housings and in the connecting members for
directing spraying fluid from a remote reservoir to the
nozzle carrying means when an animal is present in the
entranceway.
In one particular form of the invention,
there is provided a telescopic arrangement between the
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ends of the connecting members and the housings in
which they are received so as to be able to fit to
various dimensions of entranceway frames.
Other objects and further scope of
S applicability of the present invention will become
apparent from the detailed description given
hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that
this detailed description, while indicating preferred
embodiments of the invention, is given by way of
illustration only, since various changes and
modifications with~n the spirit and scope of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the
art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the
spraying apparatus of the present invention mounted to
the adjacent outside side wall of an entranceway frame;
Figure 2 is an elevational view showing the
spraying apparatus being mounted to the inner frame
components of an entranceway with dotted lines to show
its adjustability to be mounted to a larger size
entranceway;
Figure 3 is a partial elevational view of the
spraying apparatus of figure 2 illustrating accessory
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components used in, cooperation with the spraying
apparatus of the present invention;
Figure 4 is an elevational cross-sectional
view of a vapourizing unit provided on each side
portion of the inverted U-shaped tubular structure
(this figure is shown on the sheet illustrating figure
2);
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken
along lines 5-5 of figure 4: and
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken
along lines 6-6 of figure 4 (this figure is shown on
the sheet illustrating figure 1).
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to figure 1, the spraying apparatus
of the present invention, generally denoted 10, is
shown being mounted to a wall 12 adjacent to an
entranceway 14 through which livestock (illustrated by
doted line 16) may enter or exit. The entranceway is
defined by a frame that includes a pair of opposite
side jambs 18 and 20 and an intermediate horizontal
, head 22.
The spraying apparatus 10 defines an inverted
U-shaped tubular structure consisting of a pair of
opposite side portions 24 and 26 mounted adjacent the
side jambs 18 and 20, respectively, and of an
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intermediate horizontal upper portion 28 adapted to be
mounted adJacent to the head of the entranceway frame.
In the embodiment illustrated in figure 2,
portions 24, 26 and 28 are mounted to the inner planar
faces of the side jambs 18 and 20 and head 22. This
figure shows that the inverted U-shaped structure 10 is
adapted to be mounted to an entranceway 14a having a
dimension different from that of the entranceway 14 (as
illustrated by the dotted lines representing frame
components 18a, 20a and 22a).
Each of the upper and side portions of the
inverted U-shaped tubular structure includes a
vapourizing unit 30, 32, 34 and bent connecting hollow
members 36, 38. Member 36 has one end received in unit
and its opposite end received in unit 34 while
.
member 38 has one end received in unit 32 and its
opposite end received in unit 34.
As illustrated in figure 3, the spraying
fluid is channeled to each vapourizing unit by means of
a conduit 40 connected to a fluid reservoir 42 through
a pumping unit 44 electrically connected to a control
module 46. A detailed description of the operation of
these various components is not considered essential
for the operation of the present invention, these
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components being well known in the art. Optionnaly, an
additional vapourizing gun 48 may be added to the
system.
Referring to figures 4 and 5, the vapourizing
unit 32 mounted to the side jamb 20 of the entranceway
frame comprises a hollow tubular housing 50 having a
flat rear wall 52 adapted to rest against the inner
planar face of the side jamb 20 to which it is secured
by appropriate fastening means 54. Housing 50 has a
cut-out portion 56 in which is vertically mounted a
plate 58 having a rectangular main portion and upper
and lower cylindrical portions 60 and 62 received
within adjacent opened upper and lower portions of the
housing 50. As illustrated in figure 6, these
cylindrical portions 60 and 62 are rotatably adjustable ` .relative to the housing 50 and are secured therein by ~:
means of a plurality of tightening screws 64, 66 and 68
which extend through the housing 50 and engaged in an
annular recess 70 in the outer wall of each cylindrical :~
portion 60, 62. . ~: :
The main portion of the plate 58 carries a
nozzle 72 which is in fluid connection with the conduit
40.
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The construction of the opposite vapourizing
unit 24 is identical to that of the vapourizing unit 26
described above; hence, a detailed description of its
construction will not be repeated.
The construction of the vapourizing unit 28
is somewhat similar to that of vapourizing units 24 and
26 with the exception, however, that the nozzle
carrying plate 74 is somewhat smaller in size as well
as the cut-out portion of housing 34 which is formed of
two sections of similar size.
One difference between the vapourizing units
of the .side portions and that of the upper portion is
that an animal detecting unit is provided in the side
portions. In the embodiment illustrated, the detecting
unit comprises a pair of infra-red components 80 and 82
which, as illustrated in figure 4, are mounted to the
upper part of ~late 58 by means of an arrangement of
two abutting blocks 84 and 86 tsee figure 5). The
infra-red components 80 and 82 (ommitted in figure 5)
is electrically connected to the control module 46 -by
means of a pair of electrical wires 88 and 90 (see
figures 3 and 4).
The particular inter-connection of the
tubular connecting members 36 and 38 with their
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respective housings 30, 32 and 34 allows a telescopic
and rotational adjustment for the spraying apparatus to
be mounted to various sizes and configurations of
livestock entranceways. Similarly, the particular
inter-connection of the nozzle carrying plates which
are rotatably adjustable in their associated housings
allows the latter to be moved at various angles, such
as 90 between the position shown in figure 1 and that
shown in figure 2.
10Various considerations are to be taken in the
operation of the spraying operation, such as spray
fluid pressure adjustment, the sparying cycle, etc.
However, this is not within the purview of the present
invention and will not be described.
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15Although the invention has been described
above with respect with one specific form, it will be
evident to the person skilled in the art that it may be
modified and refined in various ways. For example, the
detecting unit could be mounted in the upper
vapourizing unit or elsewhere in the entranceway. It
is therefore wished to have it understood that the
present invention should not be limited in scope,
except by the terms of the following claims.
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