AU616942B2

AU616942B2 - A tailing chute

Info

Publication number: AU616942B2
Application number: AU30100/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lewis Peterson
Original assignee: Jwi Ltd
Current assignee: Jwi Ltd
Priority date: 1989-02-20
Filing date: 1989-02-20
Publication date: 1991-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 2009-02-20
Also published as: AU3010089A

Description

-9iri FORM 10 SPRUSON FERGUSON COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATIO 1

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: 0 o o o 0000 0 0 00 00 a 0000 00 0 0 1 -J a Priority: Related Art: i i.

Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: 00 S r.

00 9 *at 0 0 a 9 -i I= OIT 0 00 o or 0 0 0 000 0 Johnson Wire Works Limited 108 Eye Street Invercargill NEW ZEALAND Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Marke.t Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Address for Service: 90 0n o r 0 a0 0 00 0 0© 0 0 0 o oo Complete Specification for the invention entitled: A Tailing Chute The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us

I

i 4 r 2 The invention comprises a tailing chute.

Tailing, vaccination and other operations are required to be carried out on lambs. The lambs are separated from sheep in a sheep race or the like typically by one or more persons standing in the race through which the sheep and lambs are passing. A farm hand outside the race will typically receive the lambs for tailing or any other operations such as vaccination, before releasing them into a separate holding area. A tailing chute may be positioned to extend from adjacent the top of a fence forming one side of the race, or other area through which the lambs are passing, into an adjacent area. The use of such a tailing chute has the advantage that tailing, vaccination, dosing and other operations may be carried out on the lambs while they are upturned and relatively immobilised on the chute, and it controls the 'flow' of lambs after separation so that ths chance of any lambs escaping without being treated is minimised.

The present invention provides an improved or at ;s o least alternative form of tailing chute.

In broad terms the invention may be said to comprise a tailing chute for holding and conveying lambs during tailing or other operations, comprising two parallel rows of rollers extending longitudinally of a frame of the chute one on either side thereof and arranged substantially in a V configuration relative to one another, and leg rails N* extending longitudinally of the chute above said rollers for separating the legs of lambs while on the chute.

3 With the tailing chute of the invention the rollers form two parallel rows of rollers arranged in a V configuration and this has the advantage that.the lambs are held in a relatively comfortable position with the minimum of stress and pass down the conveyor more readily. The lambs do not rest directly on their backbone and the tailing chute can accommodate various sizes of lambs and also kid goats equally as well. In the present specification and claims the expression "lambs" is to be understood as extending to such kid goats and other equivalently sized rural or farm animals with which the tailing chute of the invention may be used.

A preferred form of tailing chute of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example. In the drawings: taln Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form tailing chute of the invention shown positioned adjacent a us o sheep race for use, 00 0 o Fig. 2 is a view of the preferred form tailing chute from above, AO,~oo a 0090 0,0. Fig. 3 is a view of the preferred form tailing 0 0 chute from one side, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the preferred form tailing chute in the direction of arrows A in Figs 2 and 3, Z1 with parts omitted.

Ij -4 The preferred form tailing chute of the invention shown in the drawings comprises a longitudinally extending frame generally indicated at i. The frame comprises a bottom member 2 which may typically be formed of right angle steel or the like oriented as shown. Upper and lower frame members 3 and 4 extend parallel to the bottom member 1 on either side as shown. The lower frame members 4 on either side are suitably welded to the bottom member 1 (see Fig. 4) and the upper and lower members are connected at their ends by members 44 Two rows of rollers 6 and 7 are provided on either g o side of the chute as shown, with each roller being mounted for rotation between the upper and lower frame members 3 and 4 on its respective side of the tailing chute. Each of the 4 rollers is free to rotate. The rollers are preferably relatively closely spaced as shown.

o400 o Referring to Fig. 4, each of the rollers is shaped such that its diameter increases from a reduced r diameter centre section 8 towards the outside ends thereof through tapered sections 9 on either side.

0 0 o 0 0 Leg rails 10 extend longitudinally of the conveyor on either side of the path down the tailing chute as shown, substantially from one end of the conveyor to the other.

The purpose of the leg rails 10 is to spread apart the legs of upturned lambs passing down the tailing chute. A farm '7 5 hand placing a lamb at one end of the tailing chute in an upturned position ensures that the legs of the lamb are located on either side of the leg rails 10 and that the lambs head is positioned between the two rails, so that the lamb is held in position and is prevented from endeavouring to right itself while passing down the chute.

In the preferred form tailing chute the leg rails are suspended from above as shown. Arm members 11 extend upwardly and over the conveyor from one side, and suspend stirrup members 12 which in turn carry the leg rails 10 as shown. Each of the stirrup members 12 is connected to its support arm 11 by a sliding connection so that the stirrup members 12 may move vertically upwardly to enable the leg rails 10 to accommodate different sizes of lambs. A spring 13 is provided about each stirrup member 12 as shown.

At one end the preferred form chute comprises a suitable upturned channel fitting 14 for locating that end of the tailing chute over a fence bar as shown in Fig. 1.

At its other end the tailing chute comprises legs 15. The length of the legs 15 is such that when located in position for use, as shown in Fig. i, the chute will slope downwardly at an angle. Preferably the legs 15 are arranged to be folded out of the way for transportation of the tailing chute when not in use.

*0p0 0o00 0000 a0 00M0 00 00 0100+ 0 e+ 0 0 0 0 O

DO

o) 6 In use of the tailing chute of the invention it is set up as described and as shown in Fig. 1. Lambs placed at the fence end of the chute will travel downwardly in the direction of arrow B to the other end thereof. Farm hands may carry out tailing, vaccination, dosing or other operations on the lambs with ease while the lambs are on the tailing chute as described.

The foregoing describes the invention including a preferred form thereof. Alterations and modifications as will be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be incorporated within the scope hereof.

'L+

Claims

1. A tailing chute for holding and conveying lambs during tailing or other operations, comprising two parallel rows of rollers extending longitudinally of a frame of the chute one on either side thereof and arranged substantially in a V configuration relative to one another, and leg rails extending longitudinally of the chute above said rollers for separating the legs of 'lambs while on the chute.

2. A tailing chute as claimed"in claim i, wherein the two rows of rollers are arranged in the said V configuration at substantially 45 degrees to one another.

3. A tailing chute as claimed in either of claims 1 c o and 2, wherein the rollers are shaped such that their diameter increases from the centre to towards the outside ends thereof. o a0

4. A 'tailing chute as claimed in any one of the o preceding claims, wherein said leg rails comprise two spaced 0 rail members extending longitudinally of the chute and supported in position from above. o u 8 A tailing chute as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising legs at one end of the chute for supporting said chute from the ground and wherein the other end of the chute is adapted to engage a cross member of a fence.

6. A tailing chute substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this EIGHTH day of FEBRUARY 1991 Johnson Wire Works Limited *000 009 *690 .4,9 99 4 .094 Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON *000 09