AU764893B2 - Animal husbandry - Google Patents

Description

50995 GEH:WZ P/00/011 AUSTRALIA Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: *WHITTINGDON PTY LTD 'Actual Inventor(s): *REX GEORGE GIBBS Invention Title: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Application No PQ3717 dated 29th October 1999 Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Application No PQ3717 dated 29th October 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: This invention relates to animal husbandry and more particularly to a machine and apparatus for handling animals for procedures of animal husbandry.

Many animal husbandry procedures require that the animal be restrained so that the procedure can be carried out without the animal causing injury to either itself or the person attending the animal and this restraint has usually been to restrain the animal in a crush or to physically rope, tie and bind the animal.

However many such operations are carried out by the pastoralist and his employees, and while the instant invention is described particularly with reference to the shearing of sheep, it is to be realised that the invention can be utilised for other treatment of sheep and other animals such as crutching, dehoming, castration, dental work etc..

Shearing of sheep, goats, alpacas and other animals is a very strenuous action and often results in injury to the shearer's back. Machines to assist in the shearing of sheep have been proposed, and also it is known to electrically immobilise animals and sheep to enable a shearer to shear the sheep on an elevated table, to eliminate to a substantial degree the stress on the back of the shearer.

Thus it is an object of this invention to provide a system whereby the animal is "positioned in a restrained condition at a convenient height and position for the operator.

20 It is a further object of the invention to provide a system wherein the animal is electrically immobilised.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a ramp and cradle to position the animal in the desired position on a table for the husbandry to be carried out.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a table which is adjustable for the convenience of the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrical immobilising clip which maintains the desired electrical conductivity during movement of the animal.

Thus there is provided according to one form of the invention a system for animal husbandry, said system comprising a rotatable cradle to position an animal on an adjustable table, and an immobilisation means to immobilise the animal whilst on the table.

Preferably the table includes a rotatable belt on which the animal is positioned whereby the animal may be rotated into a desired position.

In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a side view of the ramp and cradle, Figure 2 is a side view of the cradle and tilt frame, Figure 3 is an end view cradle rotated to the tilt position and the table, Figure 4 is a front view of the table and cradle, Figures 5 is a front view of the table, Figure 6 is a side view of the table, Figure 7 shows two positions of the table for small and large animals, 15 Figure 8 is a further view showing the table in two positions, Figure 9 is a view of the tail electrode clip, and Figure 910 is a view of the mutail electrode clip, and Figure 10 is a view of the mouth electrode clip.

Referring to the drawings, the invention includes a table 9 which has a PVC belted support surface 22 which supports animals of various sizes 8 and 10 and a tipper 2 for delivering animals to the table. The animals are then immobilised by means of an electrical immobiliser as described in any one of Australian Patent Nos.

561340, 657127 and Application No. 77328/98 whereby the desired animal husbandry can be performed with complete safety to the operator and the animal.

A crush cradle 1 has a floor l(a) and a mirror at the end 3 to encourage an animal to enter the cradle from a ramp 7, the cradle having a gate which closes as the cradle tips 6. The cradle has a mechanism incorporating two clamps 5 which is closed after the animal enters the cradle in its loading position 14 and holds the animal in place while the cradle is tipped 15 to deliver the animal accurately into a fully supported position on the table. The clamps 5 diverge in an upward direction so that even though the animal is restrained the animal is free to slide out of the clamps when the cradle is tipped to the discharge position. This takes advantage of the behavioural characteristics of most ungulates allowing the immobiliser electrodes 43 and 44 to be attached while the animal can be held with one hand.

The cradle is incorporated in a circular frame 2 which rotates on support wheels 4.

The clamps 5 press against the sides of the animal with sufficient pressure for the animal to feel secure and in this position the animal is positioned above the table.

i The cradle and circular frame are positioned with respect to the table such that when the frame is rotated, the animal slides out of the cradle onto the centre of the table 15 with the animal being positioned on its side and back in the correct position.

The centre of gravity of the animal is just below the centre of the tipping frame 2.

This allows even heavy animals to be tipped with one hand grasping the cradle or frame or lever on the frame so that the other hand remains free to restrain the animal when it is placed on the table by applying slight pressure on the animal. The 20 tipping hand is then released and the cradle retumrns to the vertical position and the free left hand is available to attach the tail electrode 43. The left hand is freed to restrain the animal and the right hand can be used to fix the mouth electrodes 44.

.The current from the immobiliser can then be adjusted to suit the animal to obtain .I the required combination of muscle condition for the task at hand while maintaining the comfort of the animal.

The tail electrode 43 with a curved needle 31 has unique characteristics which ensure that the immobiliser can operate properly, maintaining its effective immobilisation while the animal is tumrned on the table. The curved needle is inserted into the tail over the tail bones through the soft fatty tissue, the needle passing through a fork in the top clamp 39 as the spring loaded handle is released.

A non-slip material is incorporated into the clamp. The electrical wire 36 is attached to the clamp portion 39 by a spring. This placement together with the curved needle 31 and the non-slip portion on the clamp ensures that the clip rotates with the animal without significant forces being applied to the needle to vary the electrical path between the needle and the spinal cord of the animal. If there is a relative rotation between the animal and the needle, the curved needle will slide through the tail whilst maintaining the same distance between the needle and the spinal cord, thus ensuring that the immobilising effect of the immobiliser is constant. Hence no injury arises in the animal's tail as a result of prying of the electrode.

The immobiliser control 30 is mounted on an arm so that it can be placed in front of the operator over the animal and then moved away to permit delivery of another animal.

The table includes a base 50 and uprights 51 pivoted to the base by pivots 52, and to which there is an extending arm 53 forming a support for cam 12. An adjustable strut 13 is pivoted to the other end of the base 50 and is pivoted at 26 to member 25. Member 25 is pivoted at one end to the end of leg 54 of Tshaped frame 24. The T-shaped member having bearings for rollers 48 and 49. A further driven drum roller 46 is mounted at the other end of member Adjustable link 55 is pivoted to the pivot 26 and also to the pivot 52 as more clearly shown in Figure 7.

.The table can be adjusted in width to accommodate different sized animals without significant change in shape of the curved surface of the rotatable belt supporting the animal. As shown in Figure 7, it will be noted that the surface 20 on which the animal is to be worked is at the same height to the operator, irrespective whether there is a small animal or a large animal on the table.

This adjustment can be with a lever or a pulley system to ensure that the operator's effort is low and the adjustment can be achieved while the animal is in place.

The adjustment rotates the T-shaped frame 24 and the geometry of this frame and its support ensure that the belt 21 and the curve of the belt 22 remains oeoo constant at each end of its range and varies only slightly at mid range. The adjustment incorporates the cam 12 and pin 24a on the frame 24 which are required to maintain the geometrical relationship. The top of the cam 12 is curved as part of the mechanism to ensure the geometrical relationship. Thus as the table is adjusted the pin on the frame 24 rides along the cam surface to maintain the required geometrical relationship. The cam can be adjusted in 6 position along the arm 33 so that manufacturing tolerances can be accommodated.

Thus it can be seen that due to the geometry of the mechanism and the Tshaped member that as the spacing between the two rollers 46 and 49 is required to be adjusted, there is no change in the tension of the belt. This is due to the pivoting movement of the T-shaped member, as the roller 49 moves in one direction the roller 48 at the other end of the T-shaped member moves in the corresponding opposite direction. Hence the tension of the belt is not changed and there is no requirement to adjust the belt for each different sized sheep.

The table can also be adjusted in height and incorporates geometry which allows the table to be adjusted easily using gas strut 13 so that the table maintains an appropriate configuration so that the animal remains at the correct height and is properly supported to allow the operator to carry out tasks associated with animal husbandry such as shearing, crutching, dehorning, dental work, castration, with ease and without undue exertion or bending.

The table has a slight tilt relative to the operator so that the front and rear ***rollers are not at the same height, the front roller being slightly higher than the rear roller for ease of working. This can be altered to suit the operator's 20 preferences. The location of the table top is controlled by the cranked support arm, the adjustable strut 13, the cam 12 and pin 24a. The adjustment can be made simply by adjusting the strut 13.

The table has a belt 21 driven through drum roller 46 and idler rollers 48 and 49 permitting the operator to turn the animal without effort. The drive motor 25 can move the belt backwards or forwards permitting the operator to turn the animal at will. The drum incorporates a raised centre section 47 ensuring the belt remains centred. With the use of a controlled motor it is possible to turn the animal with precision without heavy physical exertion so that it can be S* presented for the task at an appropriate height and orientation.

The belt also has an unsupported end 19 at the animal's hind feet. This ensures firstly that the animal is less likely to kick and secondly if it does kick, that the animal does not have a supporting surface which allows the kick to have any effect. A third benefit is that in the case of shearing, the soft part of the belt at the animal's hindquarters allows separation of those parts of the fleece contaminated with faeces as a result of crutching and removes risk of contamination of the fleece in the case of shearing. Also the soft section prevents contamination of the work table in general should the animal defecate or urinate while on the table. Also the belt has an unsupported end 19(a) at the animals head and neck. If the animal is a sheep, this permits the shearer to shear the neck and head of the animal, the soft portion of the belt providing space for the shearer to shear under that part of the neck.

The table is pivoted at a point just forward of its centre of gravity so that the operator can lower the animal onto the floor 17 in a way which ensures it lands on it's feet from a low height simply by pressing down on the front of the table and pivoting the assembly whilst using the other hand to direct the animal to a race or exit.

If the table is used for shearing, driving the belt rearwards 18 discharges the fleece to a handling system 18a. As shown in figure 3, the drive 28 for the shearing hand piece 29, shown mounted in a cradle on the stand 50 is preferably supported by rollers 51 so that the drive 28 moves with the shearer as the shearer moves from one end of the sheep to the other. Thus there is little or no appreciable drag or resistance on the hand of the shearer during the shearing operation.

Thus it will be seen that there is provided according to the invention an animal handling system in which the animal is placed in position of a table by a tilting crush and cradle, the cradle being easily rotated to position the animal. Also there is provided a table which is adjustable so that the animal, irrespective of size, is correctly positioned for the operator, the table can be raised and lowered and also tilted to discharge the animal therefrom.

Although one form of the invention has been described in some detail it is to el•* be realised that the invention is not to be limited thereto, but can include 30 variations and modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.