GB2238222A - Cattle handling pens - Google Patents

Abstract

A cattle handling pen has an entrance (11) at one end and a neck yoke (12) at the other. A mechanism (13, 14, 15) is provided for opening and closing the neck yoke. A body yoke in the form of two yoke rails (22, 23) is provided between the entrance and the neck yoke. This body yoke is linked to the mechanism (13, 14, 15) for opening and closing thereby. <IMAGE>

Description

CATTLE HANDLING PENS This invention relates to cattle handling pens of the walk-through type, in which a mechanically operable yoke is provided for embracing and gripping the neck of a beast in the pen. For veterinary treatment various side frames of the pen can be opened up after the beast has been yoked to allow easy access to the beast's body.

The body size of various beasts can vary very widely and a pen designed to hold the largest specimens of a particular breed may be too large to restrict the movement of a smaller individual sufficiently to make treatment safe for the veterinarian. It has in the past been proposed to fit supplementary frames inside the pen or to have one or more side panels, which are movable to restrict the beast, but these proposals are expensive and increase the complication and weight of the pen.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cattle handling pen in an inexpensive form in which these disadvantages are overcome.

A cattle handling pen in accordance with the invention comprises a frame having an entrance, an exit, neck yoke means between the entrance and the exit and body yoke means situated between the entrance and the neck yoke means, said body yoke means comprising a pair of yoke rails mounted for movement towards and away from one another.

Preferably a mechanical connection is provided between the body yoke means and a handle which is provided for operating the neck yoke.

In the accompanying drawing; Figures 1 and 2 are diagrammatic perspective views of two examples of pens in accordance with the invention.

The pen shown comprises a frame 10 which is open at one end 11 to provide an entrance and provided with exit gate means (not shown) at the other end. A neck yoke 12 is provided at this other end and this neck yoke and the exit gate means are substantially as described in our prior U.K. Patent no. 1353144. The neck yoke is operable by a handle 13 pivotally mounted on the frame and coupled by a link 14 to a cross-link 15 extending between two levers 16, 17 on which the upper ends of two yoke members 18, 19 are carried respectively. The lower ends of the yoke members 18, 19 are carried by two arms 20, 21 on the frame and the arrangement is such that when the handle 13 is pulled downwardly, the two yoke members 18, 19 are displaced upwardly and towards one another to trap the neck of a beast in the pen, lifting the beast's head gently if necessary.The mechanism is arranged to go overcentre so that outward pressure on the neck yoke members 18, 19 does not open the neck yoke.

The pen is also provided with a simple body yoke comprising two upright body yoke members 22, 23 which are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the floor of the pen. A pair of links 24, 25 connect respective ones of the yoke members 22, 23 to a crank 26 on a shaft 27 rotatably mounted on top of the pen, such that turning of the shaft 27 in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed from the exit end of the pen draws the body yoke members 22, 23 towards one another. A spring 28 connected between the crank 26 and the frame urges the shaft 27 in a clockwise direction, but another, more powerful, spring 29 connects an arm on the shaft 27 to the handle 13, via the links 14 and 15. When the handle is pulled downwardly, the spring 29 is tensioned and turns the shaft 27 in the anti-clockwise direction.

To retain the body yoke in a closed position, there is provided a pawl and ratchet mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel 30 on the shaft 27 and a pawl 31 pivotally mounted on the frame. A block mounted on the pawl 31 coacts with a wedge 33 pivotally mounted on the handle 13 such that when the handle is raised the pawl 31 is lifted clear of the ratchet wheel 30. When the handle 13 is pulled downwardly, therefore, the pawl can drop on to the ratchet wheel which is designed to permit anticlockwise rotation of the shaft 27, but prevent clockwise rotation thereof.

The arrangement described above ensures, in a very simple and inexpensive manner, that the body of a beast in the pen is held still by the body yoke. The yoke design is such that it can accommodate beasts of differing girth without any special action or adjustment by the operator. If a beast in the pen is able to move forward or backward slightly such that the width of the portion of its body trapped between the body yoke members 22, 23 is reduced, the spring 29 will cause the yoke to close further and the pawl and ratchet mechanism will prevent such closing movement being reversed.

The above described embodiment has a coupling between the neck yoke and body yoke systems such that the same handle 13 can be used to open and close both yokes.

It is within the scope of the present invention, however, to provide separate independent controls for the two yokes. These may be linked so that a single one of the controls will close both yokes, but separate operations are required to open the two yokes. Alternatively, the two yokes may be arranged to be closed independently of one another, but opened by a single control operation.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 2. The pen shown is of the known type which incorporates an automatic neck yoke comprising two panels 100, 101 mounted for movement about spaced vertical axes. These are shown in an initial open position in Figure 2 with each panel directed backwardly into the pen from the exit end thereof. When a beast is driven into the pen it inserts its head between the panels and as it continues to move forwardly the panels are engaged by the shoulders of the beast and close on the beast's neck. A latch mechanism, shown diagrammatically at 102 in Figure 2 operates to trap the yoke panels 100, 101 in a fully closed position. The latch mechanism can be released by a handle 103 which is swung forwardly to release the yoke panels 100, 101 for continuing forward swinging movement.This permits the beast to escape through the exit of the pen. The panels must be swung back to their initial open position before another beast can be yoked in the pen and the latch mechanism is released to enable such swinging movement by swinging the handle backwardly (i.e. towards the entrance of the pen).

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the pen also includes a body yoke comprising two panels 104, 105 which, like the neck yoke panels, are mounted for swinging movement about spaced vertical axes. Each of the body yoke panels is connected by a linkage to the neck yoke panel on the same side of the pen. To this end each of the neck yoke panels carries an arm 100, 101 which swings with the neck yoke panel and is arranged to be directed in a forward direction when the neck yoke is in its closed position. At this position a pivot bolt or pin on the arm is at its maximum forward position so that swinging of the neck yoke gate either forwardly or backwardly causes the pivot bolt or pin to be displaced towards the entrance of the pen.The body yoke panels are directed forwardly when open and have arms 104A, 105 thereon which are directed outwardly of the pen when in this position. The arms 100 and 104a are connected by a link 106 and the arms 101 and 105 by a link 107.

When the neck yoke 100, 101 is moved to its closed position by a beast, the the body yoke panels 104, 105 are moved to a closed position to grip the beasts body.

Each panel 104, 105 has an associated ratchet 108 with which a pivotally mounted pawl 109 co-acts to prevent return movement of the body yoke panels 104, 105. Each link 106, 107 incorporates a spring 110 which allows continuing limited movement of the neck yoke panels when the body yoke panels are in firm contact with the beast's body.

To release the body yoke the handle 103 is linked to a camshaft 111 on which there are two cams 112 which coact with the pawls 109 respectively. Thus, when the handle 103 is swung forwardly to release the neck yoke latching mechanism, it also releases the pawls 109 from the ratchets 108. As the panels 100, 101 swing forwardly, the panels 104, 105 also swing forwardly under the influence of return springs 113. A slotted, lost motion connection is provided between the arms 101, 102a and the associated links 106 and 107 so as to allow full opening of the neck yoke panels.

Claims (6)

1. A cattle handling pen comprising a frame having an entrance, an exit, neck yoke means between the entrance and the exit and body yoke means situated between the entrance and the neck yoke means, said body yoke means comprising a pair of yoke rails mounted for movement towards and away from one another.

2. A pen as claimed in Claim 1 including linkage means linking the neck yoke means to the body yoke means.

3. A pen as claimed in Claim 1 comprising a common operating means for closing and/or opening the two yoke means.

4. A pen as claimed in Claim 3 in which said common operating means comprises pawl and ratchet means for holding said body yoke means in a closed position, said common operating means comprising a release handle connected to the neck yoke means for releasing the latter and also connected to means for disengaging the pawl of the pawl and ratchet means from the ratchet thereof.

5. A cattle handling pen substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A cattle handling pen substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.