GB2209455A

GB2209455A - Animal restraint

Info

Publication number: GB2209455A
Application number: GB8720624A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Shewring
Original assignee: J S ENGINEERING
Current assignee: J S ENGINEERING
Priority date: 1987-09-02
Filing date: 1987-09-02
Publication date: 1989-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-02
Also published as: GB2209455B; GB8720624D0

Abstract

An apparatus for restraining an animal, prior to stunning or slaughter, includes a pen with a cushioned side wall (24) pivotally mounted at its upper end and adapted to be moved by a hydraulic ram (28) to engage the side of the animal against an opposite second wall (22) and thereby restrain the animal and partly lift it from its feet. The floor (18) of the pen may slope away from the side wall (24), and the second wall (22) may be upwardly slidable after retraction of the side wall, so that further retraction of the side wall enables the stunned animal to be ejected from the pen. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Animal Restraint DESCRIPTION Field of invention This invention relates to apparatus for restraining livestock, and more particu]arly to a method of and apparatus for so restraining livestock prior te stunning and/or slaughter thereof.

Background to the invention In the slaughter of small animal livestock, for example pigs, common method of stunning the animals is to drive several animals into a square pen of about 8ft (2.5my side, to corner one animal after the other, and then to stun them using for example electric stunning tongs. This is clearly an unsatisfactory method, and furthermore can result in blood speckle in the skin of the animal, and even bone fracture.

It has also been proposed to convey the animals or smallstock between two inclined conveyor belts forming a V-shape and to stun the animals as they are passing.

However, this method is also not altogether satisfactory, particularly due to variations in the size of the animal in relation to the fixed size of the V-conveyor.

It is an object of the prescnt invention to proZlde an improved restraint for small stock to enable stunning or slaughter to take place in a humane manner.

Summary of the invention According to one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for restraining an animal, particularly prior to stunning or slaughter, including an enclosure pen closely surrounding the animal, wherein one of the walls of the pen is movable sideways to engage the side of the animal and restrain movement thereof.

The will is preferably pivotally mounted at its upper end so that eng-agement of the animal also tends to lift the animal off its feet.

A second wall opposite the first wall is preferably mounted for upward movement to enable the stunned animal to be easily extracted. Advantageously the first wall may be retracted prior to lifting of the second wall, and then be reactivated to eject the animal.

The floor of the pen may be inclined downwardly away from the first wall.

The first and second walls are preferably covered by cushioning at the sides where they engage the animal.

The first wall may be operated by a pneumatic cylinder and advantageously the cylinder acts against a pair of links such that in the extended position the links form a toggle linkage to virtually lock the first wall against the side of the animal.

The front end of the pen may be fixed, and may consist of vertical bars.

The opposite end of the pen is preferably a vertically slidable door, allowing the animal to enter.

The invention also extends to a method of restraining an animal during stunning or slaughter thereof, comprising the steps of engaging the side of the animal by means of a side restraint, preferably with a slightly upward component of movement, stunning the animal, releasing an opening opposite the side restraint, and reactivating the side restraint to eject the animal from the pen.

Brief description of the drawing An example of an apparatus for restraining an animal in accordance with the invent ion, will now be described with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawings, which is an end view of the apparatus with the entrance door removed.

Description of the embodiment The restraining apparatus or enclosure pen shown in the figure has a framework consisting of two uprights 10 and 12 joined at the top by a horizontal member 14 and at the bottom by a floor supporting member 16. The floor support 16 carries a metal floor 18 having a suitably roughened upper surface, the floor sloping downwardly away from the upright 10.

The upright 12 is inclined away from the upright 10, and the framework 10 to 14 is repeated at the other end away from the entrance end shown in the figure, there being diagonal supporting struts (not shown) between the front and rear framework.

Mounted parallel to the upright 12, which is inclined from the vertical by an angle of about 10", is a slide 20 in which a cushioned side wall 22 is upwardly movable. Its upward position is shown chain dotted.

Pivotally mounted from the horizontal member 14 opposite the side wall 22 is a similarly cushioned side wall 24, which in the retracted position shown is inclined and substantially parallel to the wall 22.

The lower end of the wall 24 is held in its retracted position by a pneumatic ram 28 connected by a first link 3d to the lower end of the side wall 24 and by a second link 32 to a pivot adjacent the upright 10. The links 30 and 32 thus form a toggle linkage so that when the ram 22 is extended the links are at an obtuse angle to one another thereby tending to lock the wall 24 into its extended position, shown chain dotted.

The far end of the enclosure pen is permanently closed by vertical bas 26 secured to the corresponding horizontal member 14 Operation of the embodiment In use the entrance gate (not shown) which may be slidably mounted for vertical movement along upright guides 34 is opened. An animal, for example a pig, is then admitted into the pen. The entrance gate, sometimes known as a guillotine gate is next shut and the ram 28 actuated thereby engaging the side of the animal and lightly lifting it off its feet.

The animal A, shown in chain dotted outline , is now stunned from above by electrical stunning tongs, (not shown). The side wall 24 is then retracted so that the stunned animal A falls on the floor (18) The slideable wall 22 is next raised, which may be performed pneumatically, to the position shown chain dotted. The pivotal side wall 24 is next reactivated, thereby pushing the animal carcass out of the pen and onto the floor adjacent the operator. The walls 22 and 24 are then restored back to the position shown ready for the cycle to be repeated on the next animal.

It is considered that this apparatus is not only a more humane apparatus for the stunning of small stock, but also tends to relax the animal, partly by removal of the weight of the animal off its feet. For this reason it is believed that the shock to the animal is minimised during stunning, thereby reducing the incidence of blood splash and speckle, and possibly bone fracture.

Claims

1. Apparatus for restraining an animal, particularly prior to stunning or slaughter, including an enclosure pen closely surrounding the animal, wherein a first wall of the pen is movable sideways to engage the side of the animal and restrain movement thereof.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said first wall is pivotally mounted at its upper end so that engagement of the animal also tends to lift the animal off its feet.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a second wall opposite the first wall mounted for upward movement to enable a stunned animal to be easily extracted.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the first wall is adapted to be retracted prior to upward movement of the second wall, and then to be reactivated to eject the animal.

5. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the floor of the pen is inclined downwardly away from the first wall.

6. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the first and second walls are covered by cushioning at the sides where they engage the animal.

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the first wall is operated by a pneumatic ram and in which the ram acts against a pair of links, such that in the extended position of the ram the links form a toggle linkage to virtually lock the first wall against the side of the animal.

8. Apparatus according t6 any one preceding claim in which the front end of the pen adjacent the head of the animal is fixed, and consists of vertical bars.

9. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the rear end of the pen comprises a vertically slidable door, allowing the animal to enter.

10. A method of restraining an animal during stunning or slaughter thereof, comprising the steps of engaging the side of the animal by means of a side restraint, stunning the animal, releasing an opening opposite the side restraint, and reactivating the side restraint to eject the animal from the pen.

11. A method according to claim 10 in which the sideways engagement of the animal by a side restraint is accompanied by an upward component of movement.

12. A method of restraining an animal substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

12. Apparatus for restraining an animal substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of restraining an animal substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. Apparatus for restraining an animal, particularly prior to stunning or slaughter, including an enclosure pen closely surrounding the animal, wherein a first wall of the pen is movable sideways to engage the side of the animal and restrain movement thereof, and a second wall opposite the first wall is mounted for upward movement to enable the stunned or slaughtered animal to be ejected.

3. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the first wall is adapted to be retracted prior to upward movement of the second wall, and then to be reactivated to eject the animal.

4. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the floor of the pen is inclined downwardly away from the first wall.

5. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the first and second walls are covered by cushioning at the sides where they engage the animal.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5 in which the first wall is operated by a pneumatic ram and in which the ram acts against a pair of links, such that in the extended position of the ram the links form a toggle linkage to virtually lock the first wall against the side of the animal.

7. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the front end of the pen adjacent the head of the animal is fixed, and consists of vertical bars.

8. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim in which the rear end of the pen comprises a vertically slidable door, allowing the animal to enter.

6 9. A method of restraining an animal during stunning or slaughter thereof, comprising the steps of engaging the side of the animal by means of a side restraint, stunning the animal, releasing an opening opposite the side restraint, and reactivating the side restraint to eject the animal from the pen.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which the sideways engagement of the animal by a side restraint is accompanied by an upward component of movement.

11. Apparatus for restraining an animal substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.