IES930067A2 - A kill box - Google Patents

Abstract

An animal kill box comprises an enclosure in which an animal may be restrained. The enclosure has a floor, a sidewall, an exit port in the sidewall and a discharge means for discharging an animal from the enclosure. The discharge means comprises a rotatable shaft having four vanes, and is of cruciform shape. Each vane is capable of defining the floor of the enclosure in one direction and a portion of the side wall of the enclosure in a second direction, such that as the shaft rotates the floor and sidewall portion rotates thus opening the exit port and removing the animal from the enclosure. The device includes support means for supporting an animal's head in an upward orientation for stunning.

Description

The invention relates to an animal kill box. More particularly, the invention relates to a kill box for use in the slaughtering of cattle.

Existing kill boxes are made up of a box like frame in which an animal is confined. The kill box has a pivotable side wall and an outwardly inclined floor, inclined towards the side wall. When the animal is stunned or killed the animal slides along the floor, bears against the pivotable wall and out of the box. However, a number of disadvantages are associated with existing kill boxes. For example, it is not possible to process more than one animal at a time.

Furthermore, it is known for animals which are discharged from the kill box to be still conscious. Occasionally, these conscious animals will charge about a slaughter hall and cause considerable damage. It then becomes necessary to confine the animal in order to apply shackles to the animal for hoisting.

An object of the invention is to provide a kill box which facilitates rapid processing of animals and prevents escape of animals Ρ$β30β«7 - 2 following discharge from the kill box.

According to the invention there is provided an animal kill box comprising an enclosure in which an animal may be restrained, the enclosure having a floor, a sidewall, an exit port in the sidewall and a discharge means for discharging an animal from the enclosure characterised in that the discharge means comprises a rotatable shaft having a plurality of vanes, each vane capable of defining the floor of the enclosure in one direction and a portion of the side wall of the enclosure in a second direction, such that as the shaft rotates the floor and sidewall portion rotates thus opening the exit port thus removing the animal from the enclosure.

Preferably, the kill box comprises support means for supporting an animal's head in an upward orientation for stunning.

Suitably, the rotatable shaft has four vanes radially mounted on the shaft such that the vanes are cruciform in end elevation, one of said vanes being adapted to form a platform adjacent the enclosure on which a discharged animal can be deposited.

Advantageously, animal restraining means are mounted on the kill box for restraining a deposited animal on the platform after the animal has been removed from the killing area of the box.

The kill box of the invention has the advantages that the animal kill box from which the animal is discharged more consistently and in a more convenient position for shackling and that the animal is more positively and gently discharged than with conventional boxes.

One embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a kill box of the invention in the open position; Figure 2 is a side plan view of the kill box of Figure 1 showing the side of the box the animal is discharged from; *«·3β0β/ - 3 Figure 3 is a cross-section of the kill box of Figure 2 along the line III-III showing the end of the box that the animal's head is positioned at; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the kill box showing the shelf device and the side of the box at which the operator stands; Figure 5 is a cross-section along the line V-V of Figure 4, and shows the method of movement of the shelf shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a cross-section along the line VI-VI of Figure 4.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a kill box of the invention is made up of an enclosure which is sufficiently large to accommodate an animal, particularly cattle, in a standing portion. The enclosure comprises an upper stationery frame portion 2 and a lower revolving discharge means 1. The revolving discharge means 1 is mounted below the frame portion 2. The revolving discharge means 1 and the frame portion 2 combine to produce a kill box having a rotatable floor and a rotatable side wall portion with a revolving discharge action.

The revolving discharge means 1 is made up of a drive shaft 15 mounted below a side wall of the stationery frame 2. Four walls 16, 17, 18, 19 are radially mounted on the drive shaft 15. The walls 16, 17, 18, 19 are radially spaced 90° apart on the shaft 15 so that the revolving discharge means is cruciform in end elevation. In the position shown in Figure 1, the wall 16 functions as a floor 10 of the frame 2 while the wall 17 functions as a bottom side wall portion 12 of the frame 2.

The wall 19 in the position shown in Figure 1, projects downwards and away from the frame 2. However, the wall 18 projects outwards, at 90° to the bottom side wall portion 12, and functions as a discharge platform 20.

The drive shaft 15 is preferably driven by a worm gear box so that rotation of the drive shaft 15 can easily be controlled. $930067 - 4 The stationery frame portion 2 of the enclosure is made up of two side walls 5, 6, an entrance 7 between the side walls 5, 6, an end wall (omitted to more clearly illustrate the invention) also between the side walls 5, 6, an open top 9 and the floor 10 which is part of the revolving discharge means as described above. The floor 10 is rotatable. The side wall 5 extends from the open top 9 to the floor 10 while the side wall 5 is made up of a fixed top side wall portion 11 on the frame 2 and the rotatable bottom side wall portion 12 which is also part of the revolving discharge means 1.

Opening and closing of the entrance 7 is controllable by a gate 4 slidable upwards and downwards between the side wall 5 and the top side wall portion 11, for example by hydraulic means.

A horizontal shelf device 13 (see in particular Figures 4, 5 and 6) is provided at the end of the enclosure opposite the entrance 7.

The shelf device 13 is mounted adjacent the side wall 5 at the open end 8. The shelf device 13 can project into the frame 2 as indicated in broken lines 14 in Figure 1. Movement of the shelf device 13 is pneumatically controlled.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5 the shelf device 13 is made up of vertically sliding section of the wall 5 and upright pneumatic cylinder 27 mounted adjacent to the end wall 8 of the box and parallel to the side wall 5. A pneumatically controlled rod 28 extends upwards from cylinder 27. The vertically sliding section of the wall 5 can be raised and lowered pneumatically by rod 28. A movable, tiltable shelf 29 is also mounted vertically on the sliding section.

The shelf 29 is also tiltable upwards and downwards about a pivot point 31. Tilting of the shelf 29 is controlled by a second pneumatic cylinder 30 mounted adjacent the pneumatic cylinder 27. The shelf 29 is attached to the pneumatic cylinder 30 by a rod 32. Therefore, the shelf 29 can be moved from a position in which the shelf is substantially parallel to the frame floor 10 to a position in which the shelf 29 is substantially parallel to the side wall 5. In the raised position, the shelf 29 causes an animal within the frame 2 to lift its head upwards so providing an ideal position for stunning or halal S9300β/g - 5 slaughter purposes of an animal. The shelf 29 is also free to pivot upwards about the pivot point 31 if it is struck by any of the walls 16,17,18 or 19 during a revolution. Similarly, the shelf 29 can be tilted downwards to allow an animal's head to fall downwards after stunning.

Figure 4 also shows a slot 33 in the frame 2 for use in gaining easy access to an animal in Halal slaughtering methods.

An animal restraining device 21 (see Figure 3) is mounted over the platform 20. The restraining device 21 is made up of three bars 22 which extend between the top sidewall portion 11 and the platform 20. The bars 22 are curved outwards in a convex fashion and are mounted on a rod 23 at one end which in turn is mounted on the top side wall portion 11. The rod 23 is rotatable to move the restraining device 21 from an animal restraining position in which the free ends of the bars 22 abut the platform 20 to an animal release position (indicated by the reference numeral 24) in which the bars 22 rest against the top side wall portion 11.

Movement of the restraining device 21 is controlled by a pneumatic cylinder 34 and rod 35. The cylinder 34 is mounted on the wall portion 11 while the rod 35 extends between the cylinder 34 and the central bar 22.

The operation and use of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drive shaft 15 is rotated until the walls 16, 17, 18, 19 are in a position corresponding to the position described in Figure 1 namely with one of the walls 16, 17, 18, 19 functioning as a floor 10 and another wall functioning as a bottom side wall portion 12 to produce an enclosure from which an animal cannot escape. The gate 4 is then raised between the side wall 5 and top side wall portion 11 to allow the animal to enter the frame 2. The gate 4 is then lowered between the side wall 5 and the top side wall portion 11 to prevent the animal from backing out of the frame 2. The animal therefore stands on the wall 16 (i.e.. the floor 10). The shelf 29 is then moved upwards and pivoted upwards by the pneumatic cylinders 27, so that the animal is caused to lift it's head to a suitable $930067 - 6 position for stunning purposes.

In the operating position, the shelf 29 rests below the animal's head so that the animal is prevented from lowering its' head. It is important that the animal's head is maintained in an upward orientation to facilitate easy access for an operator. The operator then stuns or kills the animal using a stun gun for example. The shelf also facilitates slaughter of the animal by the Halal method.

The shelf 29 is then pivoted downwards in the frame 2 to allow the animal to fall to the floor 10.

A check is made that the restraining device 21 is in the down position - the animal restraining position ready to restrain the discharged animal and once the animal has fallen to the floor 10, the shaft 15 is rotated so that the walls 16, 17, 18, 19 of the revolving discharge means 1 are each rotated through ninety degrees in a clockwise fashion so that the wall 16 is moved into the position previously occupied by the wall 17 and the wall 17 moves into the position previously occupied by the wall 18 etc.

Therefore, the wall 16 which functioned as a floor 10 up to the stunning and/or killing of the animal now functions as the lower side wall portion 11 while the wall 19 which had previously not been used now functions as a floor 10.

Movement of the shaft 15 and walls 16, 17, 18, 19 cause the animal to roll on its side and to be discharged from the frame 2 i.e.. to be deposited outside the stationery box portion 2 on the wall 17 which functions as the platform 20 following a rotation of 90°. The animal is restrained in position on the platform 20 by bringing the restraining device 21 in the down (restraining) position.

An operator can then attach a lifting shackle to an upper leg of the animal at the point indicated by the reference number 25 while the animal is restrained by the restraining device 21. Simultaneously, a second operator can inject tenderizing solution into the animal at a point indicated by the reference numeral 26. - 7 8930067 As soon as the shaft 15 has been rotated once through 90° the gate 4 can be opened to admit a second animal into the enclosure formed to the stationery frame portion 2. Thus, the kill box facilitates the simultaneous processing of two animals i.e.. the second animal held in the enclosure 2 while the first animal is processed on the platform . Once the second animal has been admitted to the frame 2, the shelf is again moved into the operating position and the animal can be stunned and/or killed as previously described.

Once the first animal has been shackled, the restraining device 21 is raised into the non-operating position and the shackled animal can be hoisted away.

In an alternative method of operation, the restraining device is maintained in the restraining position as the shaft 15 is rotated to facilitate processing of the second animal which has been stunned, so that the first animal simply falls from the rotating platform 20 and is discharged. The inclined platform 20 is indicated by the broken lines 28 (Fig. 1).

The shaft 15 can be chain driven or a brake motor may be used to control rotation of the drive shaft 15.

The kill box of the invention obviates the use of an exit door which can be accidentally left open so that an animal escapes and causes damage in a slaughter hall. Furthermore, a animal is restrained during shackling by the restraining device 21 so that the operator is not kicked. The use of the restraining device and rotating walls ensures that the animal is more likely to be presented in a more reproducible way to the operators for injection of the tenderizing solution and/or shackling.

It is now a requirement under new legislation to forbid injection of tenderizing fluid before stunning an animal. Therefore, the rotating arrangement provides an extra processing step while the animal is restrained on the platform 20 for injecting the animal between the stunning and hoisting processing steps. - 88300βζ - 8 In addition, the shelf 29 prevents an animal from putting its head down and making it difficult for an operator using a stun gun to shoot the gun in the correct position.

Claims (5)

1. An animal kill box comprising an enclosure in which an animal may be restrained, the enclosure having a floor, a sidewall, an exit port in the sidewall and a discharge means for discharging an animal from the enclosure characterised in that the discharge means comprises a rotatable shaft having a plurality of vanes, each vane capable of defining the floor of the enclosure in one direction and a portion of the side wall of the enclosure in a second direction, such that as the shaft rotates the floor and sidewall portion rotates thus opening the exit port and thus removing the animal from the enclosure.

2. An animal kill box as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that it comprises support means for supporting an animal's head in an upward orientation for stunning.

3. An animal kill box as claimed in Claim 2 characterised in that the rotatable shaft has four vanes radially mounted on the shaft such that the vanes are cruciform in end elevation, one of said vanes being adapted to form a platform adjacent the enclosure on which a discharged animal can be deposited.

4. An animal kill box as claimed in claim 3 in that animal restraining means are mounted on the kill box for restraining a deposited animal on the platform after the animal has been removed from the killing area of the box.

5. An animal kill box substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.