GB2490949A

GB2490949A - Livestock handling crate with moveable sidewall

Info

Publication number: GB2490949A
Application number: GB201108432A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Candlish Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-05-19
Filing date: 2011-05-19
Publication date: 2012-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 2031-05-19
Also published as: GB201108432D0; GB2490949B; IE86426B1; IE20120250A1

Abstract

A livestock handling crate 20 includes longitudinal side wall 30 having rear and front ends 34, 36, each being independently adjustable in the transverse direction. The side wall may include lower and upper gates 80, 82 which pivot about a vertical axis. The handling crate preferably includes rear and front end frames 24, 26 with the side wall extending there between and including rear and front posts 38, 40 transversely moveable relative to the rear and front frames respectively. The posts may extend between upper 50, 54 and lower 52, 56 guide tracks and are arranged to move transversely there along (see figures 6A & 6B). The crate preferably includes two transversely moveable side walls, with mechanical means connecting the front posts of each side wall and rear posts of each side wall such that the side wall front ends and rear ends can be moved towards and away from each other by a motion imparting device so as to selectively narrow the crate at the front or rear end. The arrangement allows the side walls to be angled so as to bear against the broadest part of an animal in the crate (see figures 5A & 5C).

Description

"Livestock Handling Apparatus" This invention relates to livestock handling apparatus, and in particular a cattle crush with moveable side walls When treating livestock, and especially cattle, it is well known to restrain the animal in a handling crate having at one end a headgate. The animal's head passes through the gate which then partially closes to prevent withdrawal, while its body is contained within the crate by side walls and a rump bar passing round the rear of the animal. Side doors are provided on the crate to give the farmer easy access to the animal. It is known to provide moveable side walls which can be moved in a parallel motion to more tightly restrain the animal in the crate.

A problem with such moveable side walls is that they cannot be used to restrain the animal from movement forwards or backwards. If the animal is not restrained by the headgate it is free to move forwards or backwards in the crate. Another problem is that the walls only bear against the broadest part of the animal, so do not provide full lateral restraint. Another problem is that the walls form a rectangular space which allows a smaller animal such as a calf to attempt to turn around as it enters the crate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a livestock handling apparatus which overcomes one or more of the above disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a livestock handling apparatus comprising a handling crate having at least one longitudinal side wall with a front end and a rear end, each end of the side wall being independently adjustable in transverse position.

The handling crate may include a rear frame at a rear end thereof and a front frame at a front end thereof, the side wall extending from the rear frame to the front frame.

The side wall may comprise a rear post and a front post, the rear post being supported at or near the rear frame and arranged for transverse movement relative to the rear frame, and the front post being supported at or near the front frame and arranged for transverse movement relative to the front frame. Each post may be arranged to a move between a maximum width position, in which the post is at its greatest distance from the longitudinal axis of the crate, and a minimum width position, in which the post is at its least distance from the longitudinal axis of the crate.

The side wall may include one or more gates. The gates may be arranged to open about a horizontal or vertical axis. The gates may be opened to permit access to an animal in the handling crate.

The side wall may include a lower gate and an upper gate, both hingedly supported at the rear post and arranged to pivot about a vertical hinge axis. Each gate may include a latch adapted to engage with a securing member supported at the front post. Alternatively the walls may be hingedly supported at the front post and the securing members supported at the rear post. The lower gate may have a greater height at the rear of the crate than at the front of the crate. The securing member may include an aperture and the latch may include a bolt engageable in the aperture.

The bolt may be a sprung bolt. The gate, bolt and aperture may be sized such that the bolt is engageable in the aperture when one of the front and rear posts is in its maximum width position and the other of the front and rear posts is in its minimum width position, as well as when both the front and rear posts are in their maximum width position.

The front and rear posts may extend between a lower guide track and an upper guide track. Each post may comprise an upper traveller adapted to engage slideably with the upper guide track. Each post may comprise a lower traveller adapted to engage slideably with the lower guide track.

Each post may comprise restraining means adapted to keep the post in a vertical orientation.

The apparatus may include a motion imparting device connected to each post to move the post transversely. The motion imparting device may be a hydraulic cylinder, an electric motor, a mechanical hand operated device or similar.

In one embodiment the livestock handling apparatus comprises two opposed longitudinal side walls, each end of each side wall being adjustable in transverse position independently of the other end of the side wall.

The front posts of each side wall may extend between a common front lower guide track and a common front upper guide track. The rear posts of each side wall may extend between a common rear lower guide track and a common rear upper guide track. The front posts may be mechanically connected by a motion imparting device to move the posts transversely towards and away from each other independently of the rear posts. The rear posts may be mechanically connected by a motion imparting device to move the posts transversely towards and away from each other independently of the front posts. The motion imparting device may be a hydraulic cylinder, an electric motor, a mechanical hand operated device or similar. The apparatus may include mechanical restraint means to ensure that the posts move in an equal and opposite manner.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a livestock handling apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the livestock handling apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial view from below of the upper end of the livestock handling apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side view of a latch securing a gate and a front post of the livestock handling apparatus of Fig. 1; Figs. 5A, SB and SC are schematic plan views showing the movement of the side walls of the livestock handling apparatus of Fig. 1; and Figs. 6A and 6B are sectional views through the post and upper and lower guide rails respectively of the livestock handling apparatus of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a livestock handling apparatus comprising a handling crate 20 with a longitudinal axis L. The crate includes a base 22, a rear frame 24 at its rear end, a front frame 26 at its front end and two top rails 28 extending between the rear frame 24 and the front frame 26. A right hand longitudinal side wall 30 extends from the rear frame 24 to the front frame 26. A left hand longitudinal side waIl 32 is omitted for clarity in Fig. 1, but also extends from the rear frame 24 to the front frame 26 and is symmetrically identical to the right hand side wall 30.

It can be seen in Fig. 2.

The side wall 30, 32 has a rear end 34 and a front end 36. Each end of the side wall 30, 32 is independently adjustable in its transverse position, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L, as will be described below.

The side wall 30, 32 includes a rear post 38 and a front post 40. The rear post 38 is supported between a rear upper guide rail 50 and a rear lower guide rail 52. The front post 40 is supported between a front upper guide rail 54 and a front lower guide rail 56. The upper guide rails 50, 54 each include an upper guide track 58, seen best in Fig. 6A, which houses an upper traveller 60 comprising a plate 62 connected to the post 38, 40, and two pairs of wheels 64 which are rotatably mounted from the plate 62 and which engage with the track 58. In this example the post 38, 40 is supported from the upper guide rail 50, 54 which carries the weight of the post 38, 40 and the side wall 30, 32. It is to be understood that any other appropriate form of traveller 60 and track 58 can be used.

The lower guide rails 52, 56 each include a lower guide track 68, seen best in Fig. 6B, which houses a lower traveller 70 comprising a bearing wheel 72 rotatably supported from the post 38, 40. The bearing wheel 72 engages with the track 68. in this example the lower guide rail 52, 56 carries no weight. It is to be understood that the weight distribution can be modified through the use of different forms of traveller 60, 70 and track 58, 68 so that the lower guide rail 52, 56 carries some or all of the weight of the post 38, 40 and the side wall 30, 32.

The rear and front upper guide rails 50, 54 are secured to the top rails 28 of the handling crate 20 adjacent to the rear and front frames 24, 26 respectively. The rear post 38 is thus arranged for transverse movement relative to the rear frame 24, and the front post 40 is arranged for transverse movement relative to the front frame 26. Each post 38, 40 can move between a maximum width position, in which the post is at its greatest distance from the longitudinal axis L of the crate 20 as in Fig. 1, and a minimum width position, in which the post is at its least distance from the longitudinal axis L of the crate 20 as in Fig. 2.

The side wall 30, 32 include two gates 80, 82. In the illustrated example the gates 80, 82 are arranged to open about a vertical axis to permit access to an animal in the handling crate 20. However the number and orientation of the gates may be varied, so that the side wall 30, 32 may include portions which do not open, or gates which open about a horizontal or non-vertical axis.

The side wall 30, 32 includes a lower gate 80 and an upper gate 82, both of which are supported by hinges 84 fixed to the rear post 38 and arranged to pivot about a vertical hinge axis. Both gates 80, 82 include a latch 86 adapted to engage with a securing member 88 supported at the front post 40, seen most clearly in Fig. 4. The lower gate 80 has a greater height at the rear of the gate 80 than at the front of the gate, to facilitate access to the rear of an animal held in a headgate (not shown) at the front of the handling crate 20. The lower gate 80 may include solid panels or a separate access hatch (not shown), while in the illustrated example the upper gate 82 includes intermediate bars 90 and is open to facilitate access to the upper portion of an animal through the bars 90 while the upper gate 82 is closed. However the upper gate 82 may also include solid panels or a separate access hatch (not shown).

It is to be understood that each side wall 30, 32 can include any arrangement and combination of gates, solid panels, intermediate bars or rails and/or access hatches, according to the intended use to which the S apparatus is to be put.

The securing member 88 comprises a pair of plates 90 fixed to the front post and each provided with an aperture 92. The latch 86 has a U-shaped handle 94 and two extending bolts 96, each of which is engageable in a corresponding plate aperture 92. The bolts 96 are sprung bolts, with a spring 98 bearing between the bolt shaft and the mounting point on the gate, so that the latch is urged into the closed position. The gap between the front edge of the gate 80, 82 and the front post 40 varies according to the angle at which the side wall 30, 32 is positioned relative to the longitudinal axis L. Referring to Fig. 5, when both rear and front posts 38, are in their maximum width position, as shown in Fig. 5B, the distance between the rear and front posts is a minimum. However when the front post 40 is at its minimum width position, while the rear post 38 is at its maximum width position, as shown in Fig. SB, the distance between the rear and front posts is a maximum. The gap between the front edge of the gate 80, 82 and the front post 40 varies with the distance between the rear and front posts, so this gap is also a maximum in the arrangement of Fig. SB. Hence the length of the bolts 96 of the latch must be sufficient to fully engage with the plate aperture 92 even when the side wall 30, 32 is in the position shown in Fig. SB. The same holds true for the position shown in Fig. SC, when the rear post 38 is at its minimum width position, while the front post 40 is at its maximum width position.

The invention is not limited to the particular latch and securing member shown, and any suitable gate securing means may be used.

The front and rear posts 38, 40 include a widened top section 100 to accommodate the bending moment arising from any lateral force on the side walls 30, 32, and to allow the two pairs of traveller wheels 64, shown in dotted line in Fig. 3, to be spaced sufficiently far apart to allow transfer of the bending moment between the posts 38, 40 and the top rail 50, 54.

The widened top section 100 and spaced traveller wheels 64 each act as restraining means to keep the post in a vertical orientation.

A pair of brackets 102 extends above each post 38, 40. These brackets 102 support a hydraulic cylinder or ram 104 which acts between the brackets to move the posts 38, 40 outward, as the ram extends, or inwards, as the ram contracts. The two front posts 40 are controlled by a front ram 104, and the two rear posts 38 are separately controlled by a rear ram 104. The rams 104 are connected by hydraulic hoses (not shown) to a controller (not shown), which allows an operator to selectively move either the rear or front posts 38, 40 outwardly or inwardly by the required amount, to achieve the required separation and angular orientation of the side walls 30, 32. Hence each end 34, 36 of each side wall 30, 32 is independently adjustable in its transverse position, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L. The hydraulic rams 104 can be powered from an independent hydraulic motor or from a hydraulic drive on a tractor. Although the invention has been described with a hydraulic ram 104 acting as the motion imparting device connected to each post 38, 40 to move the post transversely, other motion imparting devices may be used, for example a pneumatic ram, an electric motor, or a mechanical hand operated device or similar. The apparatus may include mechanical restraint means to ensure that the posts 38,40 of each opposed pair move in an equal and opposite manner.

Although the invention has been described with two moveable side walls 30, 32, if required one side wall 32 can be fixed, so that there is only one side wall 30 whose lateral and angular displacement can be varied.

S

In use the livestock handling apparatus may be used as follows. The sidewalls are first set in a parallel position as shown in Fig. SB. The animal is driven into the handling crate from the rear through the rear frame, until its head passes through the front frame to a headgate (not shown) provided at the front end of the handling crate. Typically the apparatus of the present invention may be used with a headgate of the sort disclosed in GB2470218A. Once the animal is secure in the headgate, the side walls 30, 32 can be moved in, while the gates remain closed. If the side walls are moved to the angled position shown in Fig. SC, where the rear posts 38 are moved in further than the front posts 40, pressure is applied to the animal at the hip area. It has been found that cattle do not kick so much when held in a crate by pressure applied at the hip area. In the position shown in Fig. SC the front posts 40 are still at their maximum width position, but of course they may be moved partially towards their minimum width position to hold the animal, depending on the size of the animal.

Alternatively, depending on the size of the animal, the side walls 30, 32 can be moved to the angled position shown in Fig. SC as soon as the animal has entered the crate 20, in order to prevent the animal reversing out of the crate before it is secured in the headgate. This cannot be achieved with conventional crates, in which the side walls always remain parallel. The effect of angling the side walls as shown in Fig. SC is to urge the animal towards the headgate provided at the front end of the crate 20.

Once the animal is secured by the headgate the front posts 40 can be moved in towards each other to hold the front end of the animal securely.

If access to the rear of the animal is required, for example by a vet, the rear posts 39 can be moved back outwards to the position shown in Fig. 5A, while still holding the animal at the front of the side walls 30, 32. The position in Fig. 5A allows a vet more room for access to the rear of an animal than is provided by conventional parallel sided crates. To release the animal the rear ends of the side walls can be moved in and the front ends of the side walls moved out, so that when the headgate is released the animal is urged to move forwards out of the crate 20.

The invention offers a number of advantages over prior art livestock handling apparatus. The apparatus of the present invention allows the operator to select where to apply pressure to an animal. It allows far more choice of position of the side walls 30, 32 than prior art livestock crates. It allows the operator to create a tapered entry channel for an animal entering the crate 20, so that the animal is less likely to try to turn around, and more likely to proceed to the headgate. It can be operated by one person. It can achieve better control of an animal by applying lateral pressure at the hips rather than the ribs, which may be the widest point of the animal. The gates 80, 82 can be operated while the side walls 30, 32 are in any position. Figs SB and SC show in dotted outline the position 80A of the gate 80 when opened. The multiplicity of possible side wall positions avoids the need for extra doors and gates which are necessary in prior art crates to provide access for all the possible locations required, while keeping the animal secure.

Typically the apparatus may have a length of about 2m measured between the rear and front frames 24, 26. The side waIls 30, 32 may typically provide a minimum spacing between the walls of about 250 mm to 300 mm, preferably about 280 mm, and a maximum spacing between the walls of about 700 mm to 1000 mm, preferably about 760 mm.

Typically the posts 38, 40 are about 2 m high. However all dimensions may be smaller or larger than the examples given, depending on the size of the livestock with which the apparatus is to be used.

The preferred material for the apparatus is steel, but any suitable material may be used.

Modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the attached claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A livestock handling apparatus comprising a handling crate having at least one longitudinal side wall with a front end and a rear end, each end of the side wall being independently adjustable in transverse position.
2. A livestock handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the side wall includes a lower gate and an upper gate arranged to pivot about a vertical hinge axis.
3. A livestock handling apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the handling crate includes a rear frame at a rear end thereof and a front frame at a front end thereof, the side wall extending from the rear frame to the front frame.
4. A livestock handling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the side wall comprises a rear post and a front post, the rear post being supported at or near the rear frame and arranged for transverse movement relative to the rear frame, and the front post being supported at or near the front frame and arranged for transverse movement relative to the front frame.
5. A livestock handling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the front and rear posts extend between a lower guide track and an upper guide track.
6. A livestock handling apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each post comprises an upper traveller adapted to engage slideably with the upper guide track and/or a lower traveller adapted to engage slideably with the lower guide track.
7. A livestock handling apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the apparatus includes a motion imparting device connected to each post to move the post transversely.
8. A livestock handling apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises two opposed longitudinal side walls, each end of each side wall being adjustable in transverse position independently of the other end of the side wall.
9. A livestock handling apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each side wall comprises a rear post and a front post, and wherein the rear posts of each side wall are mechanically connected to each other by a motion imparting device to move the posts transversely towards and away from each other independently of the front posts.
10. A livestock handling apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the front posts of each side wall are mechanically connected to each other by a motion imparting device to move the posts transversely towards and away from each other independently of the rear posts.