US2528664A - Cattle chute - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 7, 1950 NIECE 2,528,664

CATTLE CHUTE Filed April 8, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

. Inventor Olin Niece ear/WW5 6 M; w

Filed Ap 1947 o. NIECE CATTLE CHUTE 3 sheets- 2 Nov. 7, 1950 o. NIECE 2,528,664

cum: CHUTE Filed April 8, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I O) I l I Inventor Olin Niece 2mm WWW Mz-w Fig. 3.

Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT orsicE CATTLE CHUT-E Olin Niece, Seneca, N. Mex.

Application April 8, 1947, Serial No. 740,051

Claims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in cattle chutes for use in branding and/or castrating young cattle, especially calves.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a practical, efficient, chute into which calves, of various sizes, may be driven to be confined in standing position, without squeezing, and then pulled over on either side, off the feet,- with the neck confined in a yoke all -so as to position the calves for convenient, easy, quick operation there- Another object is to provide a chute of the character and for the purposes above set forth which is easy to operate, safe, and inexpensive to manufacture and use.

Other and subordinate objects, also comprehended by my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements, and the advantages thereof will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved chute in a preferred embodiment thereof, and illustrating the manner in which the same is used;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation looking at the head end of the chute;

Figure 4 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and illustrating one of the wall sections swung down into table forming position, and the swingable side structure swung into a chute widening position;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the neck yoke bar.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, my improved chute, in the illustrated preferred embodiment thereof, comprises, as the basic elements thereof, a pair of end, and an intermediate, transverse base bars I of any suitable length for stabilizing the chute, a floor panel 2 relatively narrower than the length of said bars I and suitably secured at its ends on said bars I into transverse centers thereof, and a pair of upright, side wall structures 3, 4, respectively, arising from said bars upon opposite sides of the floor panel 2.

The side wall structures 3, 4 each comprise a pair of end posts 5 with a lower plank wall section 6 suitably fixed thereto and arising from the lower ends of the posts 5 part way up said posts to a height suitable for a purpose presently seen.

Above the plank wall section 6, each side wall structure 3, 4 embodies a plank wall section 7 adapted to extend between the posts 5 partway up to the upper ends thereof and which is hinged to the plank wall section 6, as at 8, to be swung out of the plane of said section 6 downwardly to form a table extending horizontally along the corresponding side of the chute.

The side wall structure 3 is fixed in any suitable manner on the base bars I to incline upwardly and outwardly, and braced, as at 9, whereas, the posts 5 of the side wall structure 4 are hinged at the lower ends thereof, as at ID, to the end base bars I so that said structure 4 is swingable laterally inwardly and outwardly into chute narrowing and widening positions respectively. In the chute narrowing position of the swingable side wall structure 4, the lower ends of the posts 5 thereof abut the end base bars and establish said position with said structure 4 in upwardly and outwardly inclined position. Thus, as will be seen, the chute is designed to taper downwardly, in cross section, when narrowed to properly confine a calf therein in upright position without squeezing the same, it being understood, however, that said side wall structures 3, 4 are spaced apart to accommodate therebetween calves of different sizes.

Means are provided for swinging the swingable side wall structure 4 into chute widening and narrowing positions comprising a horizontal rock shaft ll journaled at its ends in the upper ends of the posts 5 of the fixed side structure 3 with an outwardly extended lever arm l2 fast thereon and having a pull rope I3 attached to the free end thereof. A pair of end crank bars [4 on said rock shaft l l are pivoted at the free ends thereof, as at 5, to corresponding ends of a pair of horizontal vertically swingable bars iii, the other ends of which are pivoted, as at H, to the upper ends of posts 5 of the swingable side wall structure l. As best shown in Figure 1, the crank bars l4 and the vertically swingable bars it are alignedin dead center relation in the chute narrowing position of the swingable side wall structure 4 and are provided with a conventional form of interlocking, snap action, fasteners, represented at [8, whereby the side wall structure 3 may be locked in chute narrowing position. By pulling on the pull rope IS, the rock shaft 5 I may be operated to revolve the crank bars 54, break the interlock between the fasteners l8, and cause the vertically swingable bars to swing the swingable side wall structure 4 outwardly into the position shown by 3 dotted lines in Figure 4, thereby opening the chute.

Means are provided forlatching the wall sections 1 against downward swinging comprising a pair of transverse bars 19 suitably secured to the outer sides of said sections 1, in the transverse centers thereof, to extend beyond the free side edges of the same, and which are adapted to snap at outer ends thereof into a pair of spring catches 20 suitably fixed to a pair of horizontal side bars 2| secured, as shown, to the pairs of posts 5 of the fixed and swingable side wall structures 3, 4. The side bars 2| brace the posts of said pairs, .as will be clear. The transverse bars l9 form hand grips for swinging the wall sections 1 upwardly to latch the same, and which may be pulled free of the catches 20 to permit said wall sections 1 to fall into horizontal table forming positions.

Supporting chains 22 at corresponding ends of the wall sections 1, adjacent to what constitutes the head end of the chute, and which are suitably attached to the adjacent posts 5, and to said wall sections 1, supports said wall sections in horizontal table forming position.

A pair of leg chains 23 are attached, as at 24, to the posts 5 at what constitutes the tail end of the chute, and are adapted to be slidably extended through a pair of eye bolts, as at 25, on the outer corners of the wall sections 1 nearest the tail end of the chute. The purpose of the leg chains 23 will presently clearly appear.

A head gate 26 of substantially the same height as the lower wall sections 6 is hinged, as at 21, to one post 5 of the fixed side wall structure 3, at the head end of the chute, and to swing closed against the opposite post 5 of the swingable side wall structure 4. A keeper bar 28 is suitably fastened at its ends, as shown, to the post 5 against ture 4 is swung into chute narrowing position. An,

upper edge notch 29 in the head gate 26 forms part of a neck yoke for the calf, the other part of which is described in the following.

A neck yoke bar 30 is pivoted, as at 3!, intermediate its ends to the post 5 of the fixed side wall structure at the head end of the chute for vertical swinging into horizontal position in which the same extends across the posts 5 at the head end of the chute and directly over the upper edge of the head gate 26 with an upwardly bowed portion 32 complementing the notch 29 to complete the neck yoke. A handle portion 33 on one end of the yoke bar 30 overbalances the bar to normally swing upwardly into a yoke opening position. The opposite end of said yoke bar 39 is downturned, as at 34, for a' purpose presently seen.

A ratchet toothed latch bar 35 is pivoted, as at 36, to the post of the swingable side wall structure 4 at the head end of the chute, and is spring biased, as at 31, to engage the teeth thereof with the top edge of the neck yoke bar 30 adjacent said downturned end 34 thereof, so as to latch said neck yoke bar 30 in horizontal yoke closing position.

A lifter bar 38 is detachably attached, as by bolts 39, to one wall section I to extend across the same adjacent the head end of the chute, and is provided with a curvilinear front end 40 adapted to depend into the chute at one side thereof when said section I is latched up in the plane of the bar 38 is designed to be attached to either wall section 1 for a purpose presently seen.

Referring now to the use and operation of the described chute, normally the neck yoke bar 33 is swung upwardly by the counterbalancing handle portion 33 into yoke opening position. With the neck yoke bar 30 in such normal position, a calf 4! is driven into the chute through the tail end thereof, its neck thrust downwardly into the notch 29, and the neck yoke bar 30 swung, by the handle portions 33, into the described yoke closing position thereon in which it is latched by the latch bar 35. One of the wall sections 1, depending upon which side of the calf it is desired to work, is next swung down into the described table forming position, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. In this operation, the lifter bar 38 lifts the front legs of the calf 4| off the fioor panel 2, so that its hind legs may be grasped to throw the body of the calf on one side on the downturned wall section I as shown in Figure l, and with the back facing outwardly. The appropriate leg chain 23 is next given a half hitch around one or both hind legs of the calf 4!, as may be desired, and made fast to the appropriate eye bolt 25in any suitable manner. Thus the'calf il is held substantially immovable by the neck yoke bar 35 and the attached leg chain 23 in stretched out position on its side with its front legs in the chute, in which position it may be easily branded on its uppermost side, or castrated, as occasion ma require.

When it is desired to release the calf 4 I, the attached leg chain 23 is released and the calf shoved back into the chute legs foremost to reassume standing position. The swingable side wall structure 4 is 'then swung, in the manner which has been described, into chute widening position. During such swinging of the swingable side wall structure 4, the latch bar 35 is moved by said structure 4 over and off the downturned end 34 of the neck yoke bar 30 and said bar is thereby gradually released and unlatched to return to normal yoke opening position. Coincidently, the keeper bar 28is moved from in front of the head gate 26 and said gate released to be swung open. This releases the calf to escape out of the head end of the chute. r

The foregoing'will, it is believed, suflice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved'to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a cattle chute for confining a calf for operation thereon when pulled off its feet onto its side, a side wall structure for the chute including an upper operating table section hinged thereto for swinging downwardly and upwardly to support the calf on its side and eject the'same off said section back into the chute, respectively, means pivotally mounting said Wall structure at its bottom for outward swinging to widen the chute forfacilitating escape of the calf out of the chute, an end gate hinged to the chute for swinging open by the calf about a vertical axis to permit the calf to escape and having a top edge substantially level with said section in the down swung position of said section, a neck yoke member pivoted on the chute for coaction with said edge of the gate when'closed to confine the wall sections 6 to which it is hinged. The lift?! neck of the calf at the level of the down swung section whereby the calf may be pulled off its feet onto said section with its neck confined, means to swing said wall structure outwardly, locking means for the gate unlocked by Swinging of said wall structure outwardly, and locking means for holding said member in coacting relation to the upper edge of the gate unlocked by outward swinging of said wall structure simultaneously with unlocking of said first named looking means.

2. In a cattle chute for confining a calf for operation thereon, a side wall structure for the chute, means pivotally mounting said wall structure at its bottom for outward swinging to widen the chute for facilitating escape of the calf out of the chute after the operation, an endgate hinged to said chute for swinging open by the calf about a vertical axis to permit the calf to escape, a neck yoke bar pivoted on the chute for coaction with the gate when closed to confine the neck of the calf preparatory to operating on the calf, means to swing said wall structure outwardly, locking means for said gate unlocked by outward swinging of said wall structure, and locking means for holding said bar in coacting relation to said gate unlocked by outward swinging of said wall structure simultaneously with unlocking of said first named locking means.

3. A cattle chute according to claim 2 wherein said first named locking means comprises a keeper bar fixed on said wall structure to extend in front of said gate when closed and movable by outward swinging of said wall structure clear of said gate to unlock said gate.

4. A cattle chute according to claim 2 wherein the second named locking means comprises a bar fixed on said wall structure with teeth selectively engageable with said yoke bar and slidable off said yoke bar by outward swinging movement of said structure to unlock said yoke bar.

5. A chute according to claim 1 wherein said section is provided with a bar swingable in the chute by downward swinging of said section to lift the calf and facilitate pulling the same onto its side.

OLIN NIECE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 572,792 Gates Dec. 8, 1896 733,874 Beck et al July 14, 1903 1,388,258 Hasty Aug. 23, 1921 1,443,561 Clark Jan. 30, 1923 1,805,405 Kuhns May 12, 1931 2,084,255 Johnson June 15, 1937

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