GB2136262A

GB2136262A - Animal handling device

Info

Publication number: GB2136262A
Application number: GB08400410A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Priscilla Labouchere
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-03-16
Filing date: 1984-01-09
Publication date: 1984-09-19
Also published as: GB2136262B; GB8400410D0

Abstract

A sheep turner has a bed portion pivotably mounted on a base frame. The bed portion has a rigid frame to which a sheep can be secured between webbing straps and is manually pivotable on the base frame through a lever arm to lift and turn a sheep secured to the bed portion and thus present the sheep in a near-horizontal position comfortably held within the straps at a height to give maximum ease of working conditions to the average person tending the animal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sheep turner This invention relates to sheep turners. This is to say, constructions to which a sheep can be secured and then lifted and/or turned by the construction to facilitate treating and/or caring for the animal. In this Specification, the term "sheep" is to be understood as not to be limited to sheep themselves but also to include animals of comparable size and shape such as, for example, goats.

There are aiready on the market such sheep turners but they variously suffer disadvantages of cost, complexity, immobility, discomfort for the animal and lack of universality for animals of differing sizes. The present invention seeks to overcome these disadvantages by providing a sheep turner which can be of sufficiently low price as to be economic for very small flocks, which provides greater comfort for the animal so that the animal is thus less restless when being treated or cared for, which is simpler and more mobile and which, in use, presents the animal in a more convenient posture.

Accordingly the present invention provides a sheep turner having a bed portion formed of a rigid frame across which extend flexible straps to provide a bed on which a sheep can be on its side and to which frame is secured by one end loose straps which can be passed around the sheep and adjustably secured in clamping devices mounted on the frame to secure the sheep to the bed; a base frame on which the bed portion is pivotably mounted about an axis extending in the direction of the length of the bed; and a lever arm secured to the bed portion and of such length as both to provide sufficient leverage manually to turn the bed portion about said axis and thereby lift and turn a sheep secured to the bed portion and, when its free end rests on the ground level with the bottom of the base frame, has sufficiently pivoted the bed portion about said axis that the bed portion is slightly over top dead centre with respect to the axis so that the weight of the sheep holds the bed portion in that position with the sheep in a near-horizontal posture.

The rigid frame may be formed of a metal tubing and the flexible straps may be formed of webbing as may also the loose straps. The loose straps may terminate at their free ends each in a length of rope and, in this case, the clamping devices may be jamming cleats.

The bed portion may be detachable from the base frame by withdrawal of pivot pins on the bed portion from bearings in the base frame.

The lever arm may be cranked adjacent its free end such that the region thereof immediately adjacent said free end normally lies along the ground when the bed portion has been pivoted to its over top dead centre position.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 1 shows a dismantled view of the sheep turner.

Fig. 2 shows an end view of the sheep turner prior to lifting and turning the sheep, and Figs. 3 and 4 show, respectively, an end view and a side view of the sheep turner after the sheep has been lifted and turned.

Referring, firstly, to Fig. 1, the sheep turner consists of a bed portion 1 and a base frame 2.

The bed portion 1 is comprised of a rectangular tubular-steel frame 3 between opposite short and long sides of which extend webbing straps 4.

Secured to one of the long sides by one end of each are loose webbing straps 5 which terminate at their free ends each in a short length of rope 6.

On a bar 7 running the length of the frame 3 parallel to its long side opposite to the side to which are secured the loose straps 5, are mounted jamming cleats 8.

The bed portion 1 is detachably securable to a base frame 2 by pivot pins 11 at each end of a bar 12 extending lengthwise of and below the bed portion 1 (as viewed in Fig. 1). The bed portion 1 can be secured to the base frame 2 by inserting the pivot pins 11 into bearings 13 in plates 14 constituting the apexes of the triangular shaped end frames 1 5 braced together by a cross-brace 16 and a bar 17 of the base frame 2. One of the pivot pins 11 is longer than the other and the shorter pin is provided with a bore 10.The bed portion 1 is secured to the base frame 2 by inserting the longer pivot pin 11 into its bearing 13, dropping the other end of the bed portion 1 until the shorter pin 11 can be passed through its bearing 13 and then locking the bed portion 1 in position by locating a locking pin in the bore 10.

The lower ends of the end frames 1 5 are provided with plates 1 8 to spread the load of the sheep turner. The plates 1 8 having fixing holes 1 9 by which the sheep turner can be secured to the floor if permanent positioning of the sheep turner is required or to planks to provide stability with mobility. When thus secured, the bed portion 1 is mounted on the base frame 2 for pivoting about an axis which extends in the direction of the length of the bed portion 1 and is defined by the axes of the bearings 13.

To the bed portion 1 detachably secured by one of its ends is a lever arm 25. The lever arm 25 is of sufficient length that, with a sheep secured in the sheep turner, the bed portion 1 can be pivoted to lift and turn the sheep. The lever arm 25 is cranked (as can be seen in Figs. 2-4) adjacent its free end at 26.

Referring now to Figs. 2-4, the above described sheep turner is used in the following manner: A sheep 29 is brought (by a suitable pen if necessary) alongside the sheep turner with the bed portion 1 in a vertical position as shown in Fig.

2. The sheep is then secured to the bed portion 1 by passing the loose straps 5 around the sheep to draw it firmly against the webbing straps 4 and then jamming the ropes 6 into the cleats 8.

The lever arm 25 is then rotated in the direction of arrows 30 to lift and pivot the bed portion 1 (together with the sheep 29) about the axes defined by the axes of the bearings 13.

When the bed portion 1 has been fully pivoted the end portion 31 of the lever arm 25 will rest along the ground level with the bottom of the base frame 2.

The bed portion 1 (with the sheep 29) will then have passed through the top dead centre position over the axis defined by the axes of the bearings 13 shown in Fig. 3 to be slightly past this position.

In the final rest position (shown in Fig. 4), the sheep 29 will be lying more or less on its side and thus be presented in the most convenient posture for most treatments. The animal will also be firmly held in a position comfortable to the animal by the webbing straps 4 and the loose straps 5. Being comfortable, the sheep will be far less restless than is often the case with known sheep turners.

It can also be seen that the sheep turner above described is of simple and, therefore, potentially low-cost construction. Moreover, the bed portion 1 being de-mountable frorn the base frame 2 and the lever arm 25 being detachable from the bed portion 1 , this sheep turner is readily transportable.

The use of the strap arrangement 4/5/6/8 also allows the sheep turner to be used for a wide range of different-sized sheep.

Claims

1. A sheep turner having a bed portion formed of a rigid frame across which extends flexible straps to provide a bed on which a sheep can be on its side and to which frame is secured by one end loose straps which can be passed around the sheep and adjustably secured in clamping devices mounted on the frame to secure the sheep to the bed: a base frame on which the bed portion is pivotably mounted about an axis extending in the direction of the length of the bed; and a lever arm secured to the bed portion and of such length as both to provide sufficient leverage manually to turn the bed portion about said axis and thereby lift and turn a sheep secured to the bed portion and, when its free end rests on the ground level with the bottom of the base frame, has sufficiently pivoted the bed portion about said axis that the bed portion is slightly over top dead centre with respect to the axis so that the weight of the sheep holds the bed portion in that position with the sheep in a near-horizontal posture.

2. A sheep turner as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the rigid frame is formed of metal tubing.

3. A sheep turner as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the flexible straps are of webbing.

4. A sheep turner as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the loose straps are formed of webbing.

5. A sheep turner as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the loose straps terminate at their free ends each in a length of rope and the clamping devices are jamming cleats.

6. A sheep turner as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the bed portion is detachable from the base frame by withdrawal of pivot pins on the bed portion from bearings in the base frame.

7. A sheep turner as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the lever arm is cranked adjacent its free end such that the region thereof immediately adjacent said free end normally lies along the ground when the bed poriton has been pivoted to its over top dead centre position.

8. A sheep turner substantiaity as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.