NZ314626A - Sheep shearing method: sheep shorn above ground level - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand No. 314626 International No. PCT/ TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION Priority dates: 17.04.1996; Complete Specification Filed: 17.04.1997 Classification:^) A01K14/00 Publication date: 24 October 1997 Journal No.: 1421 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Method for harvesting wool Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: CHAIN SHEARING LIMITED, an Australian company of Pastoral House, 1 /277 Great Eastern Highway, Belmont, Western Australia, Australia 8104 314626 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "Method for Harvesting Wool" CHAIN SHEARING LIMITED, an Australian company of Pastoral House, 1/277 Great Eastern Highway, Belmont, Western Australia, Australia 6104, hereby declares the invention, for which it prays that a patent may be granted to it, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: (the following page is numbered "la") 314626 lc\~ METHOD FOR HARVESTING WOOL The present invention relates to a method for harvesting wool.

Shearing is a physically demanding profession where 5 proficiency is obtained only after many years of experience. When shearing, the shearer is typically in a bent over position and is required to manipulate and otherwise control the sheep with one and hand and other parts of his/her body while with the other hand control the 10 placement and length of blows. In order for the shearer to maximise his/her wage, it is important that a sheep be shorn in the shortest time possible while providing a high quality fleece with minimal second cuts and skin pieces. To achieve this shearers have developed various shearing 15 patterns and systems which rely on one shearer shearing one sheep at a time.

By adoption of this and other systems, a shearer can typically shear 130 sheep in an 8 hour shift day. Thus providing an average time of 3 minutes 30 seconds to shear 20 one sheep. On a well prepared clip, 8% to 12% of the fleece will be skirtings which require removal by hand prior to pressing of the fleeces into bales.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of wool harvesting which can substantially increase 25 the productivity per wool harvester as well as improve operator safety, animal care, and enhance wool clip profitability.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of wool harvesting comprising the steps.

Supporting a sheep above the ground in an inverted position; 31462 (2) Removing, using a shearing handpiece, stained wool from the sheep; (3) Removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool from the belly and brisket of said sheep with or without separation from the fleece of the sheep; (4) Removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool from the neck of said sheep without separation from the fleece; (5) Rolling the sheep on one side and removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool from the opposite side without separation from the fleece; and (6) Rolling said sheep onto said opposite side and removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool from said one side without separation from the fleece to remove the fleece as an integral unit thereby harvesting the wool from the sheep.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of harvesting wool comprising the steps of: 1(a) supporting a sheep above the ground on a conveyor system? 1(b) providing a plurality of wool harvesters at spaced locations to which said conveyor system can convey said sheep; 1(c) .wherein each wool harvester successively removes a different portion of the wool from the sheep so-after being processed by the last wool harvester to :h the conveyor system conveys the sheep, the sheep is sitantially completely defleeced. 1Q0J " 314626 Preferably in step 1(c), the successive removal of the wool by said wool harvesters comprises steps (2)-(6) in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention.

Preferably steps (2)-(6) are performed sequentially by a 5 team of at least two wool harvesters.

Preferably step (2) is performed by at least one wool harvester and steps (3)-(6) are performed by one or more different wool harvesters.

Preferably each of steps (3)-(6) are performed sequentially 10 by different wool harvesters.

Preferably step (2) includes removing with use of a shearing handpiece, stained wool from the crutch, udder and pizzle area of said sheep.

Preferably step (2) further includes the steps of removing, 15 with use of a shearing handpiece, sweaty skirtings from the hind legs of the sheep.

Preferably step (2) further includes the step of removing wool, with the use of a shearing handpiece, from between and around the eyes and ears of the sheep, the top knot and 20 jowls.

Preferably steps (3)-(6) further include the step of removing skirtings from the top of the hind legs and/or top and bottom of the front legs of the sheep.

Preferably each one of steps (3)-(6) is performed with a 25 maximum of six blows. Advantageously, each one of steps ^(3)-(6) is performed with four or five blows on am average,-^^^^neraiiy plain bodied sheep. o .

'~"ApftfgQyEmbodiments of the present invention will now be described 314626 by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of wool harvesting patterns for wool removed 5 from chin to brisket portion of a sheep, and the back leg to front shoulder portion of a sheep; Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the first embodiment of a wool harvesting pattern for removing the belly wool of a sheep; Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the wool harvesting pattern for removing wool from the chin to brisket portion of a sheep and the back leg to front shoulder portion of a sheep; Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a second 15 embodiment of a wool harvesting pattern for removing the belly wool off a sheep; Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a third embodiment of a wool harvesting pattern for removing wool from the belly portion of a sheep; Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a third embodiment of a wool harvesting pattern for removing wool from the back leg to shoulder portion of a sheep; and, Figure 7 is a schematic representation of a wool harvesting production line which can be utilised to perform 25 embodiments of the present method.

The present method can be performed on a wool harvesting luctiori line 10 as shown in Figure 7. The production 10 itself does not form part of the invention but y facilitates the performance of embodiments of the 314626 invention. The production line 10 includes a race 12 leading from a holding pen (not shown) to a tipper mechanism 14. The tipper mechanism 14 inverts a sheep so as to supported above the ground on its back on a V belt 16. The V belt is in the form of a continuous loop and extends along stations 18, 20, 22 and 24 of the production line 10. Thereafter; the production line 10 includes stations 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34. A conveyor belt 36 travels in a endless loop about stations 26 to 34 for supporting the sheep and transferring the sheep sequentially from stations 26 to 34. The conveyor belt 36 together with the V belt 16 is for a conveyor system which may include specialised supporting devices or apparatus for holding the sheep in a manner to facilitate the easy stretching of the sheep's skin. Also the conveyor system can be composed of a plurality of V belts and conveyor belts. Adjacent to the end station 34 is a fleece spreader 38.

In performing an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the sheep is initially lead from a 20 storage pen through the race 12 to the tipper 14. The tipper 14 is then operated to invert the sheep onto the V belt 16 at station 18 so that it is supported above the ground on its back. At any one or more of stations 18-24 the bulk of the stained wool from the sheep is removed by 25 one or more wool harvesters. This includes: removal of sweaty and inferior pieces from the hind legs; stainwool from the crutch back legs and belly areas? opening up of the wool between the eyes and ears; removal of the top knot and jowls; and opening up or removal of wool inside the 30 back hocks. If desired, front leg sweats can also be removed or partially removed, together with any fly struck and pen stained wool.

This process can be carried out either left or right handed, from either side of the production line 10, in any rder, and on any number of stations 18-24. The main 314626 purpose of the initial process at stations 18-24 is to prepare the wool for full harvesting by removal of inferior quality wool which would otherwise be removed partially or completely by hand during or after removal of the complete fleece. A wool harvester is located at each one of the stations 18-24 which are used in the removal of the stained wool. Also, at any one of stations 18-24 an initial assessment may be made of the bulk fleece and the sheep removed from the production line 10 to a further holding pen for wool harvesting at a later stage if it appears that the sheep is likely to be difficult to de-fleece for reasons of lice, cotted wool, excessive pen stain and so forth.

Once the stain wool has been removed at stations 18-24, the 15 sheep is transferred to station 26 and remains held in an inverted position. Wool from the belly and brisket area can now be shorn with or without detachment from the fleece. Various different wool harvesting patterns may be used depending on the handedness of the wool harvester and 20 the relative position between the wool harvester and the sheep.

In the variation shown in Figure 5, wool harvesting is achieved by beginning at the top of the brisket between the front legs of the sheep and operating the handpiece down 25 toward the crutch and teats. Ideally, this should be achieved in a maximum of six blows but preferably in as few as four to five blows on an average, generally plain bodied sheep. In a variation of this, shown in Figure 4, wool harvesting is done in the direction from the bottom of the 30 belly near che teats and upwards toward the brisket.

In yet a further variation, wool harvesting may be. performed across the belly from side to side as shown in igure 2 .

In each of the variations shown in Figures 2 and 4, the belly and brisket area should be harvested in a maximum of six blows and preferably in as few as four to five blows on an average, generally plain bodied sheep.

It is also possible at this stage to remove skirtings from the top of the back legs and/or the top and bottom of the front legs. The skirtings are detached from the fleece and deposited in bins (not shown) which are disposed along the length of the production line 10. Upon completion of this step, the sheep is transported by the conveyor belt 36 to station 28.

At station 28, the wool from one side of the neck is opened up and wool is also harvested away from the adjacent shoulder and around the head. The wool which is harvested away in this step is not separated from the main fleece. Neck wool can be opened up by the following sequence of blows. The first blow starting at the top of the brisket, harvesting straight up the neck to the point of the chin. This blow may be straight up the middle of the neck, or straight up either the left or right side of the neck to open up the neck wool. A second blow is then made from one of the front legs up the side of the neck to the side of the face and clearing the back of the head. A further blow is made across the shoulder, up the neck, to the back of the head. A subsequent blow may be made to remove wool along the spine from parallel of the shoulder blade to the back of the head. At most, this operation should be completed in a maximum of six blows and preferably in as few as four to five blows on an average, generally plain bodied sheep. Skirtings, particularly from the front legs, may also be removed at this time if present and if desired. The sheep is then conveyed by the conveyor belt 36 to the next station 30 at which wool on the opposite side of the ck and shoulder is opened up. The wool harvesting 314626 pattern for this is essentially the same as that performed at station 28.

In a variation of the method for opening up the neck and shoulder wool, the processes described above may be reversed by beginning the blow from under the chin and harvesting downward to the brisket, repeating the motion until all neck wool is opened from the spine at the back of the neck to parallel with the front shoulder blade. Another option is to open the neck wool from the brisket to the chin or vice versa and then harvest in a round motion from the underside of the neck toward the spine. This is particularly applicable in wrinkly sheep.

The sheep is now again transferred by conveyor belt 36 to station 32 where it is turned so as to rest on one side and is restrained from moving. A minimal number of long blows with a maximum of six blows and preferably no more than four to five blows on an average, generally plain bodied sheep is used to remove the wool from the shoulder to the tail without separating the wool from the main fleece.

One wool harvesting pattern which may be employed to accomplish this is shown in Figure 1. In this pattern, a first blow is made beginning below the back hock, harvesting parallel to the spine of the sheep to the front of the shoulder. A second blow is then made up the hind leg to the spine at the point of the tail. A third blow is now made running parallel to the first blow from the rump area toward the shoulder. Fourth and fifth blows are also made parallel to the first and third blows and staggered upon each other in the direction of the spine.

In a variation of the wool harvesting pattern for the side, of the sheep, a number of parallel blows can be made from the shoulder to the rump as depicted _ in Figure 3. The irst blow is made beginning at the front shoulder, and 314626 harvesting along the flank to the hock on the back leg. Another two or three blows are made in the same direction and staggered up the side of the sheep toward the spine. The final blow which typically would be the fourth or fifth blow, although perhaps in unusual circumstances, a sixth blow, to clear wool from the spine from the front shoulder to the tail.

In yet a further variation, as shown in Figure 6, wool can be removed from the side by harvesting wool around the body 10 of the sheep instead of lengthways. In this instance, the first blow may be made from behind the front leg where the belly wool has previously been removed and harvesting to the spine. A number of parallel blows are then made staggered along the side of the sheep toward the rump. 15 This pattern for wool harvesting may be particularly applicable to excessively wrinkly sheep, sheep with very dense wool, or in some cases where stud breeders require the sheep to be shorn around the body rather than lengthwise for showing purposes.

Once the side of the sheep has been harvested in accordance with any one of the above patterns, the sheep is then transported by the conveyor belt 3 6 to the last station 34 where it is turned on its side so that the opposite side may now be harvested. The wool harvesting pattern adopted 25 for removal of wool on that side can be any one of the three patterns described in relation to the harvesting of the first side at station 32.

Preferably, a separate wool harvester is located at each one of stations 26-34 to perform the haarvest step at those 30 stations. However, there may be an overlap in the wool harvesting process between different stages so that one ol harvester may be responsible for 1.5, 2 or more wool esting stations. The fleece is completely removed from 314626 the sheep on the last blow performed at station 34. The sheep can then be removed from the production line 10 and the fleece moved onto a fleece spreader 38 for final inspection and classing.

As explained below, substantial benefits can be derived from the use of embodiments of this method of wool harvesting. Initial tests made indicate that seven wool harvesters using this wool harvesting method are capable of defleecing 1200 to 1400 sheep per day at a rate of 170 to 10 200 sheep per unit harvester per 8 hour day. Further, as the sheep is supported above the ground, there is improved shearer safety and health care as the shearer is not required to remain in a bent over position for substantial lengths of time. Also, it is anticipated that adoption of 15 this method will substantially reduce the number of second cuts and skin cuts thus enhancing the value of the fleece. Further, as specific parts of the sheep are shorn at a particular stage, the optimum comb size can be used on the handpiece for that particular stage. At present, as a 20 single shearer is required to shear the whole sheep, a compromise is made with the size of comb used.

Obvious variations and modifications in the wool harvesting patterns described above are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be 25 determined from the foregoing description and the appended claims.

Claims (17)

314626 j.. <„f: - 11 -WHAT WE CLAIM IS;
1. A method of wool harvesting comprising the steps (1) supporting a sheep above the ground on its 5 back in an inverted position; (2) removing, using a shearing hand piece, stained wool from the sheep; (3) removing, with the use of a shearing hand piece, the wool from the belly and brisket of a sheep with 10 or without separation from the fleece of the sheep; (4) removing, with the use of a shearing hand piece, the wool from the neck of the sheep without separation from the fleece; (5) rolling the sheep on one side and removing, 15 with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool from the opposite side without separation from the fleece; and, (6) rolling the sheep onto said opposite side and removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool from said one side without separation from the fleece so as 20 to remove the fleece as an integral unit thereby harvesting the wool from the sheep.
2. 2. A method of harvesting wool comprising the steps of: 1(a) supporting a sheep above the ground on a 25 conveyor system; 1(b) providing a plurality of wool harvesters at spaced locations to which said conveyor system can convey said sheep; 1(c) wherein each wool harvester successively 30 removes different portions of the wool from the sheep so that after being processed by the last wool harvester to which the conveyor system can convey the sheep, the sheep is substantially completely 151 4 6 2 6 - 12 -
3. 3. A method of harvesting wool according to claim 2, wherein in step 1(c) the sequence of steps by which said wool harvesters remove the wool from said sheep initially comprises the step of (2) removing, using a shearing handpiece, stained wool from the sheep.
4. 4. A method of harvesting wool according to claim 3, wherein in step 1(c) said sequence of steps by which said wool harvesters remove said wool further comprises the step of (3) removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool from the belly and brisket of said sheep with or without separation from the fleece of the sheep.
5. 5. A method of harvesting wool according to claim 4, wherein in step 1(c) said sequence of steps further comprises the step of (4) removing, with the use of shearing handpiece, the wool from the neck of said sheep without separation from the fleece of the sheep.
6. 6. A method of harvesting wool according to claim 5, wherein in step 1(c) said sequence of steps further comprises the step of (5) rolling the sheep on one side and removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool from the opposite side without separation from the fleece of the sheep.
7. 7. A method of harvesting wool according to claim 6, wherein in step 1(c) said sequence of steps further comprises the step of (6) rolling said sheep onto said opposite side and removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, the wool frote said one side without separation from the fleece to remove the fleece as an integral unit thereby harvesting the wool from the sheep.
8. 8. A method of harvesting wool according to claims 1 r 7, wherein steps (2)-(6) are preformed sequentially by a of at least two wool harvesters. - 13 - 314 626
9. 9. A method of harvesting wool according to claims 1 or 7, wherein step (2) is performed by at least one wool harvester and steps (3)-(6) are performed by one or more different wool harvesters.
10. 10. A method of harvesting wool according to claim 9, wherein each of steps (3)-(6) are performed sequentially by different wool harvesters.
11. 11. A method of harvesting wool according to claims 1 or 3, wherein step (2) includes removing, with the use of a 10 shearing handpiece, stained wool from the crutch, udder and pizzle area of said sheep.
12. 12. A method of harvesting wool according to claim 11, wherein step (2) further comprises the steps of removing, with the use of a shearing handpiece, sweaty 15 skirtings from the hind legs of the sheep.
13. 13. A method of harvesting wool according to claim 12, wherein step (2) further includes the step of removing wool, with the use of a shearing handpiece, from between and around the eyes and ears of the sheep, the top knot and 20 the jarIs.
14. 14. A method of harvesting wool according to claims 1 or 7, wherein steps (3)-(6) further include the step of removing skirtings from the top and hind legs and/or top and bottom of the front legs of the sheep. 25
15. 15. A method of harvesting wool according to any one of claims 1, 4-10, and 14, wherein each one of steps (3)-(6) is performed with a maximum of six blows.
16. 16. A method of harvesting wool according to claim wherein each one of said steps (3)-(6) is performed ,h four or five blows. 314626 - 14 -
17. 17. A method of wool harvesting substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. END OF CLAIMS by the authorised agent KNOWLES & ASSOCIATED per: 3^ t+lv