Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HOOF TRIMMING STALL
Field of the Invention
This invention is related to hoof trimming stalls for hoofed animals such as
cattle, horses and the like.
Background of the Invention
Large hoofed animals in a farm setting frequently require hoof trimming. Due
to
the size and weight of such animals, in order to trim their hooves safely, the
animals
are usually immobilized in a stall before hoof trimming is commenced. Although
many
commercial stalls are available for this purpose, currently available
commercial stalls
generally suffer from one or more disadvantages. For example, such stalls may
not be
portable. They may not securely immobilize the animal. Loading animals into
such
stalls may not be easy and/or quick. The stalls may not provide easy and/or
quick
access to the animal's hooves. Unloading animals from such stalls may not be
easy
and/or quick. As a result, precious time is lost during the hoof trimming
operation
resulting in fewer animals that can have their hooves trimmed in a given
period time.
De Vor's Deluxe Hoof Trimming Chute as advertised in a brochure of February
2004 by De Vor Enterprises shows a stall having many advantageous features.
While
that chute represented an improvement over existing hoof trimming stalls of
that time,
there remains a need in the art for a stall that provides improved security,
convenience, versatility and/or throughput.
Summary of the Invention
As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a,"
"an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a hoof trimming
stall
comprising: a frame having a rear portion through which a four-legged hoofed
animal
may enter the stall and a front portion through which the animal may exit the
stall; a
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front gate on the front portion of frame, the front gate having two pivotally
mounted
spaced-apart doors for swinging inwardly into the stall and outwardly away
from the
stall, the doors movable between a catching position in which the doors point
inwardly
for receiving a head and neck of the animal entering the stall in a gap
between the
spaced-apart doors, a closed position for holding the animal in the stall with
the neck
of the animal caught in the gap between the doors, and an open position in
which the
doors point outwardly for permitting the animal to exit the stall; a door
lock/release
mechanism having a slider arm movable forward and backward with respect to the
frame, actuating means connected to the frame for moving the slider arm
forward and
backward, a rear catcher mounted on the slider arm for preventing the doors
from
moving from the closed position to the catching position, a front catcher
mounted on
the slider arm for preventing the doors from being opened by the animal when
the
doors are in the closed position, and a release mechanism for permitting the
doors to
move from the open position to the catching position; and, an automatic reset
mechanism for automatically resetting the doors and door/lock release
mechanism,
the reset mechanism having a sensor for signaling the actuating means to move
the
slider arm backwards when the doors are in the open position to thereby reset
the
door lock/release mechanism, and a biasing means connected to the doors and
the
frame for biasing the doors from the open position to the catching position to
thereby
reset the doors.
The front and rear catchers prevent the doors from moving outwardly or
inwardly when the doors are in the closed position. There will be some "play"
between
the catchers since the catchers cannot be too tightly spaced as to cause the
doors to
bind when they are allowed to move to the open position or back to the
catching
position. The rear catcher is preferably pivotally mounted on the slider arm.
Similarly,
the front catcher is preferably pivotally mounted on the slider arm. Pivoting
catchers
facilitate automatic resetting of the doors after the animal exits the stall.
The release mechanism permits the doors to move from the open position back
to the catching position. Preferably, the release mechanism comprises a pair
of
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interacting elements, for example plates, wherein one member causes the other
member to shift the position of a catcher out of the way of the doors. More
preferably,
the release mechanism comprises a lift plate connected to the rear catcher for
engagement with the front catcher and/or a push plate connected to the front
catcher
for engaging the rear catcher. Even more preferably, the release mechanism
comprises a lift plate connected to the rear catcher and a push plate
connected to the
front catcher for engaging the rear catcher to release the rear catcher as the
doors
move from the open position to the catching position.
The doors preferably comprise rollers mounted thereon to engage the rear
catcher to permit movement of the doors without binding when the doors move
from
the catching position to the closed position. The rollers are preferably
located at the
top of the doors. The rollers may also help prevent binding of the doors when
the
doors move from the closed position to the open position.
Preferably, the doors also have a half-release position between the closed
position and the open position. The half-release position provides enough room
for
the animal to start pushing through the doors to exit the stall. As a result
of the animal
pushing through the doors at the half-release position, the doors move from
the half-
release position to the open position allowing the animal to exit fully from
the stall. To
move the doors to the half-release position, the stall preferably comprises a
controller
for permitting selective activation of the actuating means, preferably a
hydraulic
cylinder, for moving the slider arm and doors forward from the closed position
to the
half-release position.
Automatic resetting of the stall as the animal exits is preferably activated
only
after the doors are pushed past the half-release position by the animal. This
prevents
spooking of the animal who might try to retreat back into the stall if the
slider arm starts
to move and under pressure from the biasing means connected to the doors. The
biasing means may be any suitable means, for example, another hydraulic
cylinder, a
spring, etc. A spring is particularly preferred.
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The stall preferably comprises means for preventing an animal from backing out
of the stall. For example, straps, chains or arm elements may be used.
Preferably,
the stall comprises a rear swing arm for blocking the rear portion of the
frame to help
prevent the animal from backing out of the stall.
The stall preferably has leg supports for suspending the front and rear legs
at a
higher level for convenience of trimming. For example, straps, chains and/or
platforms
may be used. The front legs are preferably supported on platforms to which the
legs
are secured by leg holders (e.g. straps, ropes). The rear legs are preferably
supported
one at a time by a strap or chain secured to the leg. The means for suspending
the
legs may be height adjustable.
The stall also preferably has an animal lift for supporting the animal while
its
legs are raised for trimming. The animal lift is preferably adjustable to
accommodate
animals of different size. The animal lift preferably comprises adjustable
arms and a
belly strap attached to the arm. The animal lift is preferably hydraulically
activated by
one or more hydraulic cylinders.
The stall preferably comprises a floor. The floor is preferably vertically
movable, preferably to raise and lower the entire stall to a convenient
height. Vertical
movement of the floor is preferably accomplished by a floor lift, for example
one or
more hydraulic cylinders. The floor may be supported on vertically adjustable
legs, or
may be supported directly by a hydraulic jack.
Preferably, the animal lift and the floor lift are separately controllable.
Both the
animal lift and the floor lift are preferably controlled by separate
worker/slave hydraulic
cylinders.
The stall is preferably portable in that it may be conveniently taken from
site to
site. Preferably, the stall comprises wheels connected to the frame and a
removable
hitch to permit towing of the stall. Preferably, the wheels are mounted on an
axle.
More preferably, the axle may be raised and lowered.
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The hoof trimming stall of the present invention provides faster throughput of
animals. The stall is particularly useful for cattle and horses.
Further features of the invention will be described or will become apparent in
the course of the following detailed description.
5 Brief Description of the Drawings
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, embodiments
thereof will now be described in detail by way of example, with reference to
the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a top left front side perspective view of a hoof trimming stall of
the
present invention;
Fig. 2 is a left side view of the hoof trimming stall of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a right front side perspective view of the hoof trimming stall of
Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the hoof trimming stall of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a magnified top front view of the hoof trimming stall of Fig. 1 at
the top
of the doors;
Fig. 6 is a magnified top left front view of the hoof trimming stall of Fig. 1
at the
top of the doors;
Fig. 7 is a magnified bottom right front view of the hoof trimming stall of
Fig. 1 at
the top of the doors;
Fig. 8 depicts a slider arm used on the hoof trimming stall of Fig. 1;
Fig. 9 depicts a rear catcher used on the hoof trimming stall of Fig. 1;
Fig. 10 depicts a front catcher used on the hoof trimming stall of Fig. 1;
and,
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Figs. 11A to 11C are a schematic diagram illustrating the positions of front
and
rear catchers as doors are being reset to a catching position.
Description of Preferred Embodiments
Referring generally to the Figures, a hoof trimming stall has a frame
including
front side support struts 1, rear side support struts 2, roof 3 and floor 4.
Front gate 10
mounted at the front of the stall has two side-by-side spaced-apart doors 11
shown in
a catching position in Fig. 1. Doors 11 are constructed of cylindrical pipes
and are
pivotally mounted on the frame at fixed points at the top and bottom alongside
front
side support struts 1 so that the pivot axis is parallel to front side support
struts 1. The
doors comprise vertical head rails 13 adjustably attached to head plates 14
proximal
the top and pivotally attached to the doors at the bottom. The head rails
define a gap
between the doors, which is large enough in the catching position to
accommodate the
head of animal but small enough to prevent the entire animal from passing
completely
between the doors in the catching position. When an animal enters the stall
from the
rear, the animal's head passes through the gap and the animal's shoulders push
the
doors to a closed position wherein the doors are coplanar and the animal's
neck is
caught in the gap between the doors.
Referring specifically to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, close-up views of the top of doors
11
show head rails 13 attached to head plates 14 by means of pins 16 through one
of a
plurality of holes 17 in each head plate 14. The size of the gap between the
head rails
may be adjusted by securing the head rails in the head plates at different
holes.
Rollers 15 are rotatably mounted on top of head rails 13. Doors 11 pivot on
gate drive
plates 18 that are attached to swing arms 19. Swing arms 19 ensure
coordination of
the doors as they swing outward or inward.
Referring generally to the Figures, a door lock/release mechanism comprises
slider arm 20 slidably attached to the frame on the roof. The slider arm may
be moved
backward and forward by hydraulic cylinder 21 attached to the slider arm and
the roof.
Rear catcher 30 and front catcher 70 are pivotally mounted on the slider arm.
Rollers
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15 are rearward of rear catcher 30 when doors 11 are in the catching position.
As the
doors move from the catching position to the closed position, doors 11 engage
the rear
side of rear catcher 30 causing the rear catcher to pivot up and away from the
doors to
permit the doors to pass under the rear catcher into the closed position.
Rollers 15
ensure that the doors do not bind on the rear catcher as the doors engage the
rear
catcher. Once the doors move from the catching position to the closed
position, front
catcher 70 prevents the animal from pushing the doors outward and rear catcher
30
prevents the doors from moving inward. Thus, the doors are locked in the
closed
position with the animal's neck between head rails 13.
[0001] Details of slider arm 20, rear catcher 30 and front catcher 70 are
shown
specifically in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. Slider arm 20 comprises front catcher
holder 24 and
rear catcher holder 25 fixedly attached to the slider arm at the end and
inward from the
end, respectively. Rear catcher 30 comprises rear horizontal catcher bar 31
having
angled portion 35, sleeve 32 and lift plate 33. Rear catcher 30 is pivotally
mounted to
the slider arm by a pin through sleeve 32 and through apertures 27 of rear
catcher
holder 25 on the slider arm. Angled portion 35 permits the doors to more
easily cause
the rear catcher to pivot up and away from the doors as the doors move from
the
catching position to the closed position as described above. Front catcher 70
comprises front horizontal catcher bar 71, sleeve 72 and push plate 73. Front
catcher
70 is pivotally mounted to the slider arm by a pin through sleeve 72 and
through
apertures 26 of front catcher holder 24 on the slider arm. The front and rear
catchers
are depicted upside down to better illustrate the elements of which they
comprise.
Push plate 73 and lift plate 33 together form a release mechanism for
disengaging rear catcher 30 to permit the doors to move to the catching
position. Push
plate 73 of the front catcher engages lift plate 33 of the rear catcher when
the front
catcher pivots in response to the doors moving toward the catching position as
more
fully described below. Pivoting of the front catcher up and away as the doors
move
toward the catching position causes push plate 73 to push on lift plate 33
thereby
causing rear catcher bar 30 to pivot up and out of the way of the doors as the
doors
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pass beneath the catchers. Rear catcher 30 may also be equipped with a safety
handle (not shown) to pivot the rear catcher manually so that the doors may be
allowed to move to the catching position.
With an animal in the stall in the closed position, the stall may be raised to
a
comfortable height by action of hydraulic cylinders 40 attached to floor 4 and
lifting
legs 41. Lifting legs 41 are connected at a scissors linkage and wheels 42 at
the ends
of legs 41 permit the legs to ride easily along the ground as hydraulic
cylinders 40
push the legs closer together thereby raising the stall higher off the ground.
One
hydraulic cylinder is a master with the other a slave. It should be noted that
removable
hitch 43 is removed before loading animals. Trailer wheels 44 are raised off
the
ground by virtue of hydraulic cylinder 45 attached to a liftable axle 140 on
which
wheels 44 are mounted. Thus, floor 4 can be as close to the ground as legs 41
will
permit in order to load the animal in the first place. When the stall is as
close to the
ground as possible, it rests on the ground on feet 148. Raising of the stall
lifts wheels
44 further off the ground. Fig. 1 depicts the stall with trailer wheels 44 in
the lowered
position for transporting the stall and Fig. 2 depicts the stall with trailer
wheels 44 in
the raised position.
With an animal in the stall in the closed position, a belly band (not shown)
attached to adjustable support arms 50 is slung under the belly of the animal
behind
the front legs of the animal. The support arms are attached to hydraulic
cylinders 51,
which are attached to the frame. One of the cylinders 51 is a master and the
other a
slave. The animal is supported by the belly band which is raised and lowered
by the
support arms in response to actuation of the hydraulic cylinders. The support
arms are
adjustable in length to accommodate different seized animals. Rear end swing
arm 55
pivotally attached to the frame may be swung down behind the animal by means
of
hydraulic cylinder 56 to prevent the animal from backing out of the stall.
Once the
animal leaves the stall, hydraulic cylinder 56 raises swing arm 55 so that
another
animal may enter the stall.
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Attached to front side struts 1 are front leg trimming platforms 60 set at a
height
where a typical sized animal can comfortably have its leg set in a tucked-
under
position. Front leg holders (e.g. straps or ropes) (not shown) are used to
secure the
front legs on the trimming platforms. The front hooves may then be trimmed.
One of
the back legs of the animal may also be lifted and placed in a rear leg
support chain or
strap (not shown) to suspend the rear leg at a comfortable height for trimming
the
hoof. The rear leg support chain or strap is suspended from a roller (not
shown) for
ease of raising and lowering. After the rear hoof of the suspended leg is
trimmed, the
rear leg support may be used on the other rear leg so that the hoof on the
other rear
leg may be trimmed. After trimming all of the hooves, the front and back legs
are
released and the belly band removed from around the animal.
To release the animal from the stall, doors 11 are selectively opened by an
attendant by activating hydraulic cylinder 21 to move slider arm 20 forward
which
pushes the doors open to a half-release position. The doors are pushed open by
virtue of the front face of rear catcher 30 pushing against rollers 15. The
doors are not
blocked by front catcher 70 since the front catcher also moves with the slider
arm. As
the doors swing open to the half-release position, the rollers get farther
apart until at
some point they are farther apart than the length of front catcher 70. Since
rear
catcher 30 is longer than front catcher 70, the rollers continue to engage the
rear
catcher in the half-release position to prevent the doors from moving inward.
The
animal is then encourage to push forward thereby pushing the doors open to an
open
position, which is wide enough for the entire animal to exit through the front
of the stall.
When doors 11 are pushed past the half-release position by the animal exiting
the stall, laser sensor 65 mounted on one of the doors 11 below gate drive
plate 18
detects the opening of the doors and signals hydraulic cylinder 21 to retract
thereby
moving slider arm 20 backwards to reset the slider arm in its original
position. Once
the animal has fully exited the stall, doors 11 are pulled back toward the
catching
position by springs 66,67 (only shown in Fig. 5) connected to swing arms 19.
With
specific reference to Figs. 11 A to 11 C, as the doors engage the front face
of front
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catcher 70, the front catcher pivots up and away from the moving doors.
Pivoting of
the front catcher causes push plate 73 to push against lift plate 33 of rear
catcher 30
thereby causing rear catcher 30 to pivot up and out of the way of the doors.
The doors
may then pass beneath both the front catcher and the rear catcher to reach the
5 catching position. Once the doors have fully passed the catchers, both
catchers pivot
back to their original positions. In this manner, resetting of the front gate
is
accomplished automatically, saving considerable time.
When the stall is being used to trim an animal's hooves, hitch 43 is removed
and trailer wheels 44 are raised off the ground as explained previously. For
10 transportation, wheels 44 may be lowered by means of hydraulic cylinder 45
attached
to the liftable axle and hitch 43 can be quickly and conveniently mounted on
to floor 4
of the stall. As shown generally in the Figures, with special reference to
Fig. 4, hitch
43 comprises a pair of spaced-apart brackets 46 with aligned apertures for
receiving a
pin and hitch pin 48 for insertion into an aperture in floor 4 of the stall.
To mount the
hitch, hitch pin 48 is inserted into the aperture in floor 4 and the spaced-
apart brackets
are fitted over sleeve 47 mounted at the front of the frame. A pin is inserted
through
the aligned apertures of the brackets and through the sleeve to secure the
hitch to the
stall. Cotter pins, chains or other safety devices may be used to ensure that
the pin
does not release from brackets 46 and sleeve 47 during transport. Hitch 43
also
comprises trailer ball mount 49 and handles 149. The hitch may also comprise a
trailer wheel, particularly if the hitch is very long.
All of the hydraulic cylinders are operated by a 5 horsepower motor 80 mounted
on roof 3. The motor actuates the hydraulic cylinders with a 7 gallon oil
pump. For
operating all solenoids on the motor and hydraulic cylinders, a 1-phase 220 V
to 3-
phase 110 V transformer is used. All of the lifting functions of the stall are
electrically
controlled and controlled separately. This provides the ability to adjust the
height of
the stall for worker convenience while providing the ability to manipulate the
animal to
whatever position is desired.
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The stall comprises a number of other advantageous features. Door holder
101 comprising a pin and sleeve mechanism may be used to hold the doors in the
open position for transport. Swingable lighting tower 110 having lights
mounted
thereon provides lighting from any number of angles and positions. Electrical
cord
boom 111 supports electrical cord for 220 V service. Control box racks 115 on
both
sides of the stall support control boxes (not shown) on both sides of the
stall so that all
of the electrical functions may be controlled from either side. A heat gun
holder 116
provides a convenient place to store a heat gun.
In a typical hoof trimming operation, the stall is transported to a site (e.g.
a
farm) by a towing vehicle and disconnected from the towing vehicle. Legs 41
are
lowered by hydraulic cylinders 40 so that the stall is supported on wheels 42.
Trailer
wheels 44 are raised off the ground by hydraulic cylinder 45 and the stall is
lowered as
far as possible to the ground. Front gate 10 is set in the catching position
with rear
swing arm 55 in the raised position. An animal, for example a cow, is loaded
head-first
through the rear portion of the stall. The cow's head and neck pass between
head
rails 13 and the cow's shoulders push doors 11 into the closed position where
front
and rear catchers 70,30 lock the doors in place with the neck of the cow
caught in the
gap between the head rails. Rear swing arm 55 is brought down behind the cow
by
means of hydraulic cylinder 56. The belly band attached to adjustable support
arms
50 is slung under the belly of the cow behind the front legs of the cow and
the belly
band is tightened by hydraulic cylinders 51 to support the cow. The entire
stall is
raised to a comfortable height by actuating hydraulic cylinders 40 attached to
legs 41
of the stall. The front legs of the cow are placed on trimming platforms 60
and secured
with the front leg holders. One of the rear legs of the cow is lifted off the
floor and
suspended with the rear leg support chain or strap. The hooves of the three
legs are
trimmed. The suspended rear leg is released lowered and the other rear leg is
suspended and trimmed. All of the legs of the cow are then released and
lowered and
the belly band is removed from under the belly of the cow. The stall is
lowered as far
as possible by actuating hydraulic cylinders 40 attached to legs 41 of the
stall.
Hydraulic cylinder 21 is actuated to move slider arm 20 forward thereby
pushing doors
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11 to the half-release position. The cow is encouraged forward and the exiting
cow
pushes the doors open to the open position. The slider arm is automatically
reset by
hydraulic cylinder 21 and the doors are automatically reset to the catching
position by
the springs. The process is then repeated.
Other advantages which are inherent to the structure are obvious to one
skilled
in the art. The embodiments are described herein illustratively and are not
meant to
limit the scope of the invention as claimed. Variations of the foregoing
embodiments
will be evident to a person of ordinary skill and are intended by the inventor
to be
encompassed by the following claims.
