Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
An animal catching device
NAMSlB) OF INVENTOR(S1:
Emil LeGuerrier
l0
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an animal catching
device.
SACKQrROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a need among farmers who raise cattle, sheep and
the like for a device which can be used to catch young animals.
There are a variety of reasons why a farmer has to catch the
young animals, such as administering medication.
United States Patent 5,088,449 which issued to Lamb et al
in 1992 is representative of devices currently used to catch
young animals. This reference discloses a loop suspended from
a pole. The loop is used in the same fashion as a lasso. It
is slipped over the calf's head.
There are problems, however, with devices which are
intended to slip over an animals head. The animal often sees
the farmer coming or senses movement through it's peripheral
vision. Once the animal is alerted to the farmers intentions
there is a likelihood it will duck away from the loop and run.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is an animal catching device which
permits the user to approach and catch the animal from behind.
According to the present invention there is provided an
an3.ma1 catching device which includes an elongate shaft with
a hook at one end thereby defining a leg holding space between
the hook and the shaft. A confining member is movably secured
to the shaft adjacent the leg holding space. The confining
member is movable between a first position permitting a leg of
an animal to enter the leg holding space and a second position
confining the leg of the animal within the leg holding space.
With the animal catching device, as described, a farmer
can approach from behind and hook one of the rear legs of the
animal. The elongate shaft provides the farmer with an extended
reach, even if the animal should sense his approach and attempt
to run. The confining member prevents the animal from stepping
over the hook to get away.
There are a number of forms that the confining member can
take. The confining member can be a pivotally mounted gate
member or a slidably mounted clamping member. However, it is
preferred that the confining member be in the form of a
pivotally mounted gate member. When the gate member is
generally "V" shaped there is no longer a need for a form of
actuating mechanism to move the confining member between the
first position and the second position. With the "V" shaped
gate as the animals leg enters the leg holding space, the gate
member is shifted by the leg from the first position to the
second position. As long as the farmer maintains a firm
resisting pressure upon the elongate shaft the animal cannot
escape. Once the animal is caught a farmer would normally
adjust his grip on the elongate shaft hand over hand until he
worked grip to the end with the hook whereupon he could grasp
the young animal directly.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION of THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more
apparent from the following description in which reference is
made to the appended drawings, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of an animal catching
device positioned on an animal.
FIGURE 2 is a detailed top plan view of a confining member
of the animal catching device illustrated in FIGURE 1 in a
first or open position.
FIGURE 3 is a detailed top plan view of a confining member
of the animal catching device illustrated in FIGURE 1 in a
second or closed position.
nFm_a_r_r_,ED DE&CRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, an animal catching device
generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now be
described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 3.
Referring to FIGURE 1, animal catching device 10 includes
an elongate shaft 12 having a first end 14 and a second end 16.
A handle 18 is positioned at first end 14. A hook 20 is
positioned at second end 16. A leg holding space 22 is defined
between hook 20 and shaft 12. In FIGURE 1, a leg 24 of an
animal 26 is positioned in leg holding space 22. Animal 26 is
prevented from removing it's leg 24 from leg holding space 24
by a leg confining gate member 28. Referring to FIGURES 2 and
3, leg confining gate member 28 is generally "V" shaped and is
pivotally secured by bolt 30 to shaft 12 adjacent leg holding
space 22. "V'° shaped leg confining gate member 28 has a first
portion 32 and a second portion 34 which are connected in the
form of a "V". Leg confining gate member 28 is pivotally
movable between a first position and a second position. In the
first position, illustrated in FIGURE 2, leg 24 of animal 26
ie able to enter into "V" shaped leg confining gate member 28
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between first portion and second portion. As "V" shaped leg
confining member 28 pivots about bolt 30 leg 24 of animal 26
enters leg holding space 22. In the second position,
illustrated in FIGURE 3, leg 24 of animal 26 has entered leg
holding space 22 where it is confined from removal by second
portion 34 of "V" shaped leg confining gate member 28.
The use and operation of animal catching device 10
will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1 through 3.
Animal catching device 10 is set in the first position, as
illustrated in FIGURE 1, with first portion 32 of "V" shaped
leg confining gate member 28 extending across leg holding space
22 of hook 20. The farmer or rancher then moves quietly up
behind animal 26 until he can extend hook 20 to reach leg 24
of animal 26 by means of shaft 12. The farmer or rancher then
hooks leg 24 of animal 26 with hook 20. As leg 24 of animal
26 enters leg holding space 22 it strikes first portion 32 of
"V" shaped leg confining gate member 28 and pivotally moves
gate member 28 to the second position, illustrated in FIGURE
3. In the second position, second portion 34 of "V" shaped
gate member 28 confines leg 24 of animal 26 within leg holding
space 22. Leg 24 of animal 26 can be released at any time by
merely pushing shaft 12 ahead. When shaft 12 is pushed ahead,
leg 24 of animal 26 pushes "V" shaped leg confining gate member
28 back into the first position illustrated in FIGURE 2,
thereby releasing leg 24.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined
by the Claims.
