NZ264086A - Drafting animals: indicator attached to animal, gate opening mechanism operated when sensor detects indicator - Google Patents

Description

264086 PATENTS FORM NO. 5 Fee No. 4: $260.00 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No: 264086 J3atedl 25 July 1994 . -ft* N > c SELECTIVE DIRECTION DEVICE WE ALFA LAVAL AGRI NEW ZEALAND LIMITED, a New Zealand Company of 307 Sandwich Road, Hamilton, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 264086 t SELECTIVE DIRECTION DEVICE TRfiHNinAL Field This invention relates to a selective direction device.

Reference throughout the specification shall be made to the use of the 5 present invention for drafting cattle, however it should be appreciated that the present invention can apply to other animals and other situations as well.

Background art It is when cows are being milked that farmers notice if particular cows 10 need singling out from the rest of the herd for various reasons such as mating, treatment for mastitis or other matters. However, it can be difficult when the cows leave the milking shed to separate the cows requiring "treatment" from the rest of the herd. Often, separating the cows requires considerable input from the farmer to draft the cow in an 15 alternative direction from that the rest of the her'' is travelling.

Another problem is that it can be difficult to identify which of the cow3 leaving the milking shed need to be isolated. For comparatively small herds farmers may recognise individual cows and identification can be made by sight . However this is not very reliable.

Ear tags with numbers printed thereon are a fairly common means of identification. However, it is still necessary for the farmer to either write down the numbers of the cows who require isolation or record this information in an alternative means - perhaps by typing the numbers into a computer. This process is fiddly and labour intensive. Further, this 25 process does not assist in the physical drafting of the cows. 2 264086 t It is an object of the present invention to address the above problems, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example 5 only. disclosure of invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of directing animals or humans characterised by the steps of: (a) attaching an indicator to the animal or human, and 10 (b) having a sensor detect the presence of said indicator on the animal or human, and (c) having the sensor convey corresponding information to a control device, and (d) said control device receiving the information acting to control the 15 opening or closing of an exit/entrance through which the animal or human can pass.

Reference throughout the specification shall be made to the animal as being a cow and the exit or entrance as being a gate vised for drafting cattle after they exit the milking shed. It should be appreciated however that the 20 principles of the present invention can be used in relation to other applications and situations and that the following description is given by way of example only.

The indicator may come in a variety of forms. For example, the indicator may be magnetic, have certain electronic properties or may actively emit a 25 signal. In all cases, the indicator can be picked up by a suitable sensor. 3 264086 In preferred embodiments, the indicator is a visual indicator which can be readily attached to the cow.

The means by which the indicator is attached to the cow can vary. In preferred embodiments attachment to the cow is by an adhesive substance 5 on the back of the indicator which adheres readily to the body of the cow.

In a preferred method of utilising the present invention, the farmer will place the indicator on a suitable position on the cow when the cow is in the milking shed. This is because the milking shed is the most probable place that the farmer will notice a condition which requires a cow to be drafted 10 separately from the rest of the herd.

However, attaching the indicator to a cow is not limited to just in the milking shed. The indicator may be placed on the cow when it is in other places such as in the paddock. Also, in some situations the indicator may be used on every cow in place of or in conjunction with other forms of 15 identification such as ear tags.

In the above preferred method of utilising the present invention, it may be desirable to remove the indicator once the cow has been drafted successfully. It should be appreciated however that the present invention can be used in a more long term situation.

For example, a particular cow may be required to be draited separately from the herd on more than one occasion. For example, a cow may have mastitis and may therefore be required to be drafted separately before even entering the milking shed. In situations such as these, it may be desirable to have an indicator in accordance with the present invention that is more 25 durable and can stay on the cow for a number of days. 4 264086 The indicator may come in a variety of shapes, however in preferred embodiments it is envisaged that the indicator may be in the form of a strip. A strip offers a number of advantages, one of which being that accurate placement of the indicator on the cow is not as essential as it is 5 more likely the length of a strip will intersect the sensor range. Other shapes of indicators are of course envisaged.

For ease of operation, the indicator may be attached to the leg of tlu cow and the sensor aligned appropriately. However, it should be appreciated that the position of the sensor in relation to the cow may vary according to 10 where the indicator is placed on the cow.

The sensor may be any suitable device which is sensitive to the indicator placed on cows. For example, if the indicator is a visual indicator, then the sensor may be a photoelectric cell. If an active indicator such as a radio transmitter is used, then the sensor may be a radio receiver.

One of the more important functions of the sensor is the ability to communicate information to a control device which can act to operate gates (or other direction devices) so that the "marked" cows can be drafted separately from the herd.

For example, a photoelectric cell may receive a signal from the indicator 20 on the cow. Upon receipt of that signal, an electronic signal may be sent to the controller. The control device may do any number of things.

For example, the control device may close off a number of gates in the path of the selected cow and leave only a single gate open through which the cow can pass. Alternatively, no gates may be closed but a gate which is 25 closest to the cow may be opened persuading the cow to pass therethrough rather than continue along the race with the rest of the cows. 264086 In another example, the controller may also activate such items as scales so as to weigh the cow as it is being drafted.

Once the cow has been drafted appropriately, gates may be opened and closed so that the race returns to its normal configuration.

Returning the race to its normal configuration may occur by a variety of means. For example, the control device may have programmed into it an appropriate time after which the gates return from their special drafting configuration to their normal configuration. Alternatively, there may be provided a further sensor which detects when the cow has entered the 10 special drafting enclosure or has left the normal race path.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the indicator is reusable.

The present device can be used in accordance with a number of existing drafting gate devices which can be electronically, mechanically or 15 hydraulically controlled.

For example, the sensor may be mounted in the exit race before the drafting gate. The sensor can be connected to an existing main control box which then opens a gate that closes off the main race and exposes a holding pen.

One aspect of the present invention that should be appreciated is that while motion and presence detectors are well-known, these would not be too suitable for drafting cows as they rre not selective of the cows required to be drafted. By attaching an indicator to a cow, precise selection is achievable. 6 264086 Brief Description of Drawings Aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompany drawing in which: Figure 1: is a diagrammatic view of one embodiment in accordance 5 with the present invention. best modes for carrying out the invention In this embodiment, a cow 1 has an indicator 2 fitted to one of its legs 3.

The indicator 2 is a visual indicator in the form of a reflector.

A photoelectric switch 4 sensitive to the indicator 2 is situated in the exit 10 race at a complementary height to the height of the indicator strip 2 on the cow 1.

The switch 4 is connected to a main control device 5 which is in turn connected to a pilot station 6. The main control device 5 contains various switch control gear and controls the operation of a number of gates 15 whereas the pilot station 6 offers an additional remote control point only.

When the switch 4 detects the presence of the strip 2 on the cow 1, the main control device 5 then controls a vacuum operated cylinder 8 which causes the gate 7 and or other gates to open.

The position of the gate 7 is such that when it is opened, it blocks off the 20 race generally indicated by arrow 9. This means that the cow 1 has no option but to pass through the opening left by the gate 7 and into a holding pen (not shown). Once the cow has entered the holding pen, the control device 5 can then close the gate 7 leaving the race 9 open for non-selected cows to pass therethrough. 7 264086 Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 8 264086

Claims (11)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. A method of directing animals or humans characterised by the steps of: (a) attaching an indicator to the animal or human, and (b) having a sensor detect the presence of said indicator on the animal or human, and (c) having the sensor convey corresponding information to a control device, and (d) said control device receiving the information acting to control the opening or closing of an exit /entrance through which the animal or human can pass.
2. 2. An indicator for a method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indicator can be readily attached to an animal or a human.
3. 3. An indicator for a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator can be readily attached to an animal or human with an adhesive substance on the back of the indicator.
4. 4 An indicator for a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the indicator being able to be readily detached from an animal or human.
5. 5. An indicator for a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the shape of the indicator being in the form of a strip. 9 264086
6. 6. An indicator for a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the indicator being a visual indicator. 7. An indicator for a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator is reusable. 8. A sensor for a method as claimed in claim 1, the sensor upon being activated is capable of communicating information to a control device. 9. A control device for a method as claimed in claim 1, the control device capable of opening and/or closing exits or entrances to a predetermined configuration. 10. A control device for a method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 9, wherein once activated the control device is capable of returning the exits or entrances to the original configuration. 11. A method for directing animals or humans substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. 12. An indicator for directing animals or humans substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. 1-3. A sensor for directing animals or humans substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. 10 264086 A control device for directing animals or humans substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. ALFA LAVAL AGRI NEW ZEALAND LIMITED By their attorneys: JAMES & WELLS 11 08$ WHAT WE CLAIM IS: A method of directing animals or humans characterised by the steps of: a) attaching an indicator to the animal or human; and b) having a sensor detect the prssonco of said indicator on the animal or human; and c) having the sensor convey corresponding information to a control device; and d) said control device receiving the information acting to control the opening or closing of an exits/entrances through which the animal or human can and/or can not pass. An indicator for a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator can be readily attached to an animal or human with an adhesive substance on the back of the indicator. An indicator for a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the shape of the indicator being in the form of a strip. An indicator for a method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the indicator being a visual indicator. An indicator for a method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the indicator is reusable. A control device for a method as claimed in claim 1, the control device capable of opening and/or closing exits or entrances to a pre-determined open or closed configuration. 12 /V" ! 1 1 f1AR 7997 264 0 86
7. 7. A control device for a method/device as claimed in claim 1 or rimm 8, ^ ^ (i to £S wherein once activated the control device is capable of returning the exits O q or entrances to the original open or closed configuration.
8. 8. A method for directing animals or humans substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
9. 9. An indicator for directing animals or humans substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
10. 10. A sensor for directing animals or humans substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
11. 11. A control device for directing animals or humans substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing. END OF CLAIMS ALFA LAVAL AGRI NEW ZEALAND LIMITED by its Attorneys JAMES & WELLS fl 1 1 UAR T, Vi lyQ 7 A