Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF INVENTION: ANIMAL DRAFTING APPARATUS
Technical Field
The present invention relates to apparatus for drafting animals, e.g. sheep,
goats,
pigs, cattle. The apparatus has been designed particularly for drafting sheep,
and will
therefore be described with special reference to that application, but it will
be
appreciated that the apparatus may in fact be scaled up for use with, e.g.
cattle or
deer, or used for other small animals such as pigs or llamas.
-to Background Art
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is not an
admission that
such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge
in the
field.
Drafting apparatus at its most simple is any arrangement for separating a
group of
animals according to predetermined criteria, e.g. weight, physical condition,
age.
However, to minimise the number of people involved in the operation, most
farmers
used drafting apparatus which can be set up in a race in which provides an
entry gate
into a pen which allows inspection and/or weighing and/or veterinary
treatment, and
one or more exit gates from the pen, so that the animal in the pen is allowed
to leave
the pen through the gate appropriate to that animal's status according to the
predetermined criteria.
Usually, the opening and closing of the entry and exit gates are controlled by
remote
control operated by the farmer. Alternatively, the entry and/or exit gates may
be set to
open or close automatically.
The usual arrangement is for the opening and closing of the entry and exit
gates to be
operated by pneumatic rams; these are robust, but they require a compressor to
be
available on site, and also have the drawback of being rather noisy in
operation, and
can frighten nervous stock.
The entry and exit gates usually are sliding gates which slide across the
corresponding
opening on a framework which projects to the side of the drafting apparatus.
This
means that the drafting apparatus needs a space roughly twice the width of the
race,
which can be inconvenient when operating in small yards. Further, the
framework
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projecting sideways from the top of the apparatus can be hazardous to
operators
trying to move around the apparatus.
An additional drawback is that the gates slide in one direction or the other ¨
the
apparatus has to be manufactured with either right-hand gates or left-hand
gates,
according to the intended site.
Disclosure of Invention
An object of the present invention is the provision of drafting apparatus
which has a
io significantly smaller width compared with known drafting apparatus, and
which
preferably does not require the use of a pneumatic operating system.
The present invention provides drafting apparatus which includes:
¨ a pen having sides spaced apart to define therebetween a space into which
an
animal may be received;
¨ an entry gate at one end of the pen;
¨ said entry gate being formed in two parts, each of which is supported for
pivotal
movement;
¨ one part of said entry gate being movable between the open and closed
positions by
zo a drive means and the other part of said entry gate being moved between
said open
and closed positions simultaneously with said first part, by means of a
linkage between
said one part and said other part;
¨ at least one exit gate at the other end of the pen;
- the or each exit gate being pivotable between the open and closed
positions.
Preferably, said entry and exit gates are pivotable between open and closed
positions
by means of one or more electric motors. However, the gates could be pivoted
manually, pneumatically or hydraulically, if required.
Preferably, each part of the entry gate is made of a series of substantially
vertical
spaced pillars which are mounted between upper and lower supports; most
preferably,
the pillar at the innermost edge of each part is formed as a roller.
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Preferably, the drive means connected to said one part of said entry gate is
connected
to the lower end of said one part; and the linkage between said one part and
said other
part extends between the lower ends of said one part and said other part.
Preferably also, each part of said entry gate is supported for pivotal
movement at a
position further towards the interior of the pen than the closed position of
the entry
gate.
Preferably also, the gap between the outer edge of each part of the entry gate
and the
io adjacent portion of said apparatus is obscured by a flexible replaceable
blind.
Preferably, there are two exit gates which are arranged as a V shape in plan,
each
gate being pivoted to a frame at the widest part of the V shape and arranged
to close
at an upright at the apex of the V.
Preferably, the apparatus further includes a programmable electronic control
system
which is programmable to control the drive means for opening and closing both
parts
of said entry gate, and one or more further drive means for opening and
closing the or
each exit gate.
Preferably, the connection between the two parts of the entry gate and the
associated
drive means is such that inward pressure on said parts initially allows said
entry gate
to open and then rapidly closes said entry gate.
Preferably, the gap between the adjacent inner edges of the parts of the entry
gate
where the entry gate is in the closed position can be set to a pre-selected
width by the
programmable electronic control system.
Preferably, said pen is a weighing crate incorporating means for weighing an
animal in
the crate, and said control system is also programmable so as to close the
entry gate
when a weight is sensed in the weighing crate. Most preferably, said control
system is
programmable so as to open the entry gate when no weight is sensed in the
weighing
crate.
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Brief Description of Drawings
By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is
described
in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figures la and b are isometric views of the drafting apparatus of the present
invention,
from the front and rear respectively;
Figure 2 is a plan view from above of the apparatus of the present invention,
with the
entry gate and both exit gates closed;
Figure 3 is a plan view from below of the apparatus of Figure 1, with the
components
of the weighing apparatus omitted for clarity, and showing the entry gate
and both exit gates closed; the drive linkage for one exit gate is omitted;
Figures 4 and 5 are cut-away simplified plan views from below, omitting the
motors
and controls for the exit gates, and respectively showing the entry gates
shut and open.
Figure 6 is a front view of the entry gate of the apparatus of Figure 1, with
the gate
closed;
Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but with the gate open; and
Figure 8 is a side view of the apparatus, with entry and exit gates closed.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
Referring to the drawings, a drafting apparatus 10 incorporates a pen in the
form of a
weighing crate 11 (shown in Figures 1 and 5 only) and is designed to be
connected to
races, in known manner, using upper and lower pairs of connecting eyes 12. The
connecting eyes 12 are arranged in pairs to prevent the panels forming the
races from
pivoting relative to the apparatus 10.
The drafting apparatus 10 has an entry gate 13 at one end and two exit gates
14,15, at
the other end. The particular embodiment of the invention shown provides for
drafting
animals in one of two directions, but it will be appreciated that one, three
or more exit
gates can be provided if required.
The weighing crate 11 provides a pair of opposed sides 16,17 arranged one on
each
side of a base 11a, the underside of which rests on spaced load cells (not
shown)
which are connected to electronic scales and a scale read-out (not shown), in
known
manner. The sides 16,17 each are connected to the base ha along a lower edge,
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and the lower portions of the sides are inclined away from each other to form
a roughly
V-cross-section enclosure suitable for accommodating sheep, particularly sheep
in full
wool. Preferably, the panels 16,17 are made of a tough, impact resistant solid
material, which can be easily cleaned.
In general, it is advantageous for a drafting apparatus to incorporate a
weighing crate,
but if any reason this is not required, then the weighing crate can be
replaced by any
suitable containment.
At each end of each side 16,17, the vertical edges of the sides 16,17 are
secured to
first front and rear arches 18,19. The lower ends of each of the arches 18,19
are
rigidly secured to two parallel longitudinal support beams 20,21 which,
together with
two parallel crossmembers 22,23 form the rectangular base framework of the
apparatus. Two further base members 23a,23b are arranged in a V shape at the
exit
end of the apparatus, to form part of the supporting structure for the exit
gates.
The upper portion of the arches 18,19 support two spaced parallel anti-jump
bars
24,25 which extend the full length of the weighing crate, and, at the exit end
of the
apparatus, extend over the top of the exit portion of the apparatus, between
the two
exit gates. An additional anti-jump bar 25a extends from the centre of the
rear arch
19, over the exit portion of the apparatus and curves downwards with the lower
end
secured to the apex of the V formed by the base members 232,23b.
A pair of second front and rear arches 30,31 are secured rigidly to the base
framework
respectively at the front of the apparatus and adjacent the end of the
weighing crate
11. The plane of each arch 30,31 lies in a substantially vertical plane. The
mid-points
of each of the arches 30,31 are connected by a tie bar 32 which extends the
full length
of the apparatus, down the centre line of the apparatus and at the exit end of
the
apparatus is curved to form a vertical support member 33, the lower end of
which is
rigidly secured to the apex of the V formed by the base members 23a,23 b. The
tie
bar 32 provides an upper bracing member for the apparatus and also supports an
electronic control box which incorporates a read-out (not shown), mounted in a
carrier
34.
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Referring in particular to Figures 6 and 7, the entry gate 13 consists of two
mirror
image parts 13a and 13b which can be pivoted between the position shown in
Figures
6 and 7 to respectively close and open the gate.
Each part of the entry gate 13a,13b, consists of three spaced vertical pillars
38,39,40
mounted between pivotal upper and lower supports 41,42. The pillars 38, which
form
the inner part of the gate 13 when it is closed, are formed as freely
rotatable rollers
mounted between end bearings (not visible) which are secured to the supports
41,42.
Forming these pillars as rollers means that if part of an animal becomes
trapped
io between the sections of the gate, it is easier for them to pull
themselves clear without
injury.
The pillars 39 of each of the gate parts are rigidly mounted between the
supports
41,42. The third pair of pillars 40 each support one longitudinal edge of a
flexible blind
43 which may be made of any suitably robust material, (e.g. a heavy duty
plasticised
canvas). The lower end of each pillar 40 is mounted to the corresponding
support 42;
the upper end of each pillar 40 is releasably mounted to the corresponding
support 41,
so that each pillar 40 can be disengaged from the corresponding support if the
blind 43
needs to be replaced.
Each flexible blind 43 is a simple flat sheet of material formed with a hem
along each
longitudinal edge; one hem is threaded over the corresponding pillar 40 and
the other
hem is threaded over a support pillar 44 (Figure 2 only); the hem can be
removed from
the support pillar 44 if it is necessary to replace the blind. Each support
pillar 44 is
mounted on the adjacent vertical portion of the second front arch 30 by means
of
brackets secured to the arch.
The use of the blinds 43 ensures that there is no visible gap at either side
of the
apparatus, as viewed by an incoming animal:¨ any visible gap encourages an
animal
going through the apparatus to try to escape through that gap. However, many
animals are a poor judge of the width of a gap, and freeing animals who have
become
jammed in apparatus is a lengthy and difficult process and can result in
injury both to
the animal and to the person trying to assist.
Each of the upper supports 41 is in the form of an oval plate which overlies
and
secures the upper ends of the pillars 38, 39 and 40, and which also supports a
U-
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shaped connector 50, one end of which is rigidly secured between the
corresponding
upper support 41 and the ends of the propellers 39 and 40, and the other end
of which
is pivoted by a pivot 51 to a crossbar 52 which is secured across the anti-
jump bars
24,25, at right angles to the longitudinal axes of these bars.
When the connectors 50 are pivoted to the position shown in Figure 2, the
centre
portions 50a of each connector are substantially parallel to the anti-jump
bars 24,25
and the entry gate 13 is closed, with both halves 13a,13b of the gate lying in
the same
plane, across the front of the apparatus. When the centre portions 50a of each
connector, and the associated halves of the gate 13, are pivoted as indicated
by
arrows A of Figure 2, the entry gate is opened to the position shown in Figure
7 where
the gap G between the pillars 38 is sufficient to admit an animal into the
weighing crate
11. The gap G can be adjusted in width as hereinafter described, to admit
various
sizes of animal.
The parts of the entry gate 13 are moved between the open and closed positions
by a
drive mechanism connected to the lower supports 42. Moving the parts of the
entry
gate from below has the advantage of keeping the upper part of the apparatus
as clear
as possible. This is especially useful if the apparatus is to be used for
smaller animals
such as pigs or sheep, because the overall height of the apparatus is
relatively low
and it is convenient to work on the animals from above. As shown in Figure 5,
each of
the supports 42, which carries the lower ends of the pillars 38, 39 and 40, is
supported
upon a connector 53,54 which is pivoted by a pivot 55,56 to a crossmember 57
rigidly
secured across the longitudinal members of the base framework. At the pivot
55, the
adjacent end of the connector 53 is connected to an arm 58, the other end of
which is
pivoted to a hooked member 59 which is connected to an electric motor 60. The
arm
58 also is connected to the connector 54 by a pivot arm 61 which is pivoted at
one end
to the arm 58 and at the other end to an arm 62, which is connected to the end
of
connector 54 remote from the pillars.
The connection between the hooked member 59 and the electric motor 60 is by
means
of a pivoted drive block 63, one end of which is connected to the drive shaft
of the
motor 60 and the other end of which is connected to the centre of the curve of
the
hooked member 59. The pivotal connections between the motor and the hooked
member 59 are in substantially the same plane, to minimise the sideloading on
the
bearings of the electric motor 60. It will be noted that the gate parts
13a,13b are
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pivoted for their open and closing movement at pivots 55,56 which are located
spaced
behind the plane of the entry gate 13 in its closed position (see Figure 4).
The manner
in which the parts 13a,13b of the entry gate are mounted means that as the
parts
move from the open to the closed position, they tend to move in a scooping
movement
which is effective in pushing into the crate an animal which is not properly
positioned
and is partly outside the crate.
When the gates 13a,13b, are fully closed, the hooked member 59 is in the
position
shown in Figure 3, with the hooked portion of the hooked member 59 curved
around
ro the motor 60 and the end of the member 59 in contact with a stop 65. In
this position,
the member 59 is over-centred, and the gates 13a,13b are locked closed.
To move the gates 13a,13b to the open position shown in Figure 5, the motor 60
is
rotated in the direction of Arrow B (Figure 3) rotating the hooked member 59
in the
same direction and moving the arm 58 in the direction of Arrow C. This swings
the
connector 53 and the associated support 42 carrying the corresponding pillars
38, 39,
40 of gate 13a towards the open position shown in Figure 5, and at the same
time, via
the pivot arm 61, the arm 62 and the connector 54 are swung in the direction
of Arrow
D (Figure 3) to simultaneously open the gate 13b. The width of the gap G
between the
pillars 38 when the gate 13 is open is governed by the amount of rotation of
the motor
60; this is controlled by the electronic control system of the motor so that
the gap G is
the required preset width. It will be noted that only one part of the gate 13
(part 13a )
is driven directly:¨ the other part 13b of the gate is moved via its linkage
to the part
13a. This has a significant cost advantage, in that only one electric motor
(or other
drive means) is required for the entry gate, and also ensures that the two
parts of the
gate move simultaneously.
Each of the exit gates 14,15 is independently controlled and is driven by its
own
electric motor 70,71. Each of the exit gates 14,15 is a metal framed barred
gate of
known type. The gate bars are depicted as a horizontal but alternatively may
be
vertical bars to prevent animals from hooking legs over horizontal bars. Each
of the
gates 14,15 is pivotally hung from the adjacent upright of the second rear
arch 31, in
known manner. Each gate 14,15 closes against the vertical support member 33
(see
Figure 8).
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Each gate 14,15 is moved between the open and closed positions as follows:¨ a
push
plate 73 is rigidly secured to the bottom of each gate 14,15 adjacent the
corresponding
hinges, and the end of the push plate 73 is pivoted to one end of a hooked
member
74, the other, curved, end of which is pivoted to a connection block 75, the
other end
of which is secured to the shaft of the corresponding motor 70,71 as shown in
Figure 3
in respect of motor 71 only. When the motor 71 is driven in the direction of
Arrow E,
the hooked member 74 is driven in the same direction, to move the push plate
73 in
the direction of Arrow F, thus opening the gate. To close the gate, the motor
71 is
rotated in the opposite direction. As with the motor 60 which opens and closes
the
io entry gate 13, the hooked member 74 is arranged to over centre when the
gate is
closed (as shown in Figure 3) so that the gate is locked shut. The motor 70
operates
in the same manner in respect to gate 14.
In use, the motors 60,70,71 are protected by removable housings 60a,70a,71a.
The above described apparatus is used as follows:¨ in the simplest mode of
use, a
remote-controlled device of known type is used to open and close the entry
gate 13
and the exit gates 14 and 15. Thus, the farmer opens the entry gate 13 to
admit a
single animal into the weighing crate 11, the animal is then, for example,
weighed,
tagged and examined and, with the gate 13 shut, either the gate 14 or the gate
15 is
opened to release the animal from the apparatus through one of the gates 14 or
15,
which is then shut. The gate 13 is then opened to admit another animal.
Unless only a few animals are to be dealt with, the above described fully
individual
mode is slow. In general, apparatus of this type is used for large numbers of
animals,
and it therefore is advantageous to use a programmable electronic control
system to
control all of the motors, and to set up this electronic control system to
automatically
follow one of several automatic sequences. With these automatic sequences, the
remote control is not required at all.
One possible sequence is as follows:
¨ exit gates 14 and 15 closed
¨ open gate 13
¨ close gate 13 behind animal
- record animal's weight using the weighing crate 11
¨ record animal's tag number using an optical reader (not shown)
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¨ as soon as the two preceding steps have been completed, open either gate
15 or
gate 14 according to the recorded weight or the tag number of the animal
¨ close the gate 14 or 15 which has been opened
¨ open gate 13 to admit a further animal.
A variation on the above sequence is to open one of the exit gates after a
predetermined elapsed time.
The remote control has a "hold" function which allows the farmer to freeze the
whole
sequence if any reason a delay is needed.
Preferably, the entry gate 13 is set in its "open" position so that the animal
entering
has to push through the gate; the control of the electric motor 60 is arranged
such that
the movement of the linkage connecting the two halves of the gates 13 with the
motor
60 which occurs when the halves of the gate are pushed apart triggers a drive
to the
motor which snaps the gate shut. An alternative setup is an arrangement
whereby,
when a weight is sensed in the weighing crate 11, the motor 60 is triggered to
snap the
gate 13 shut. However, the arrangement whereby an animal pushing through the
entry gate 13 triggers the closing of that gate is preferred, because this
makes for a
shorter sequence:- when very large numbers of animals are being dealt with, it
is a
considerable advantage to keep the cycle as short as possible.
As mentioned earlier, the gap G between the pillars 38 of the two halves of
entry gate
13 can be pre-set to any of a range of widths. If this is done, the gap G is
automatically returned to the pre-set width when the gate 13 is automatically
re-
opened.
Preferably, the system also includes a feature that when weight is removed
from the
weighing crate 11, the motor 60 is activated to reopen the gate 13.
It will be appreciated that multiple variations of the triggering factors for
opening and
closing the entry and exit gates can be programmed into the system, and these
triggering factors can also be incorporated into a pneumatically or
hydraulically
powered apparatus.
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The above described apparatus uses electric motors for opening and closing the
gates; these motors may be any small, robust electric motor, preferably with a
planned
three gearbox and may run off a 12V battery, a 24V battery, or off mains
power.
However, the gates could be opened and closed using pneumatic or hydraulic
actuators instead. A further variant is to use two separate synchronised drive
means
at the entry gate, one for each half of the gate, but this significantly
increases the cost
of the apparatus. It also is possible to dispense with any driving means at
all, and
provide control handles for manually opening the entry and exit gates. In this
case,
the part of the entry gate 13a which in the above described embodiment is
driven by
119 the motor 60, is provided with a control handle with which a user may
swing the gate
part 13a to pivot between open and closed positions, as described above. The
linkage
between the parts of the gate 13a,13b (provided by the arms 61 and 62, and the
connector 54), ensures that as the gate part 13a is swung, there is a
simultaneous
equivalent movement of the part 13b. The exit gates 14,15 also may be provided
with
control handles for manual movement.
If the apparatus is to be used in remote locations where failure of a drive
means
cannot readily be repaired, it may be preferred to provide control handles as
described
in the preceding paragraph, even though the equipment is provided with drive
means.
This means that the apparatus can continue to be used, albeit slowly, in the
event of
the failure of the drive means.
It would be possible to run animals through the apparatus in the reverse
direction if
required.
It will be appreciated that the apparatus of the present invention requires
very little
additional width over and above the width of the apparatus itself, to permit
the entry
and exit gates to open.
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