US2555180A - Electric cattle guard - Google Patents

Description

- May 29 1951 0. ADKINS 2,555,180

ELECTRIC CATTLE GUARD j Filed May 5, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

0/2/zZ/e 1467111726, BY

F'atented May 29 1951 ELECTRIC CATTLE GUARD Orville Adkins, Hamersville, Ohio, assignor of one-fourth to Clarence Adkins, Centerline,

Mich.

Application May 5, 1948, Serial No. 25,116

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric cattle guard.

The invention is more particularly concerned with an electric cattle guard Or road barrier for use in electric fences which separate or surround pastures, and which is adapted to prevent passage of cattle therethrough as by the instinct of, fear, as is the case With the electric fence itself.

Electric fences, as is generally known, are now used quite extensively, and which include one or more wires secured to supporting posts and suitably insulated therefrom. The wire or wires are charged with electricity and cattle, having had an experience of once touching the wire, refrain thereafter from attempting to cross the fence, due to fear of the unpleasant sensation caused by the electric current in their first experience with the fence.

While such fences may well be provided with swinging gates for admission and discharge of cattle to and from the pasture, it is frequently found that such pasture enclosing fences cross a road subject to considerable traffic, and in which event a swingin gate would be highly impractical, due to the necessity of opening and closing same each time a vehicle passed therethrough.

A primary object of the present invention is, accordingly, to provide an electric guard which is stationary and which lies substantially flush with the road surface for ready passage of automobiles, tractors, or the like thereover, the guard comprising wires in circuit with the electrically charged wires of the fence for restraining the passage of cattle thereover.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric guard of the above noted character which is relatively simple in construction and which 'is adapted for facile operative connection in a fence.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein the single figure is a perspective view showing the application of the invention in accordance with a. preferred structural embodiment thereof.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, F designates an electric fence of well known form,

and which includes one or more wires W secured to posts P and suitably insulated therefrom. The wires W are suitably charged with electricity. As indicated, the fence is interrupted for passage of a drive or road D therethrough.

The invention comprises an electric gate and embodies a mat or pad [0 which is constructed of rubber or any other good wearing and insulating material.

A metallic bar II is disposed adjacent each side of the pad and suitably secured thereto, and a plurality of wires 12 extend laterally across the pad in spaced parallel relation and have their opposite ends suitably secured to the bars II which are electrical conductors.

As indicated, the fence F embodies two vertically spaced wires W, and the upper one thereof is extended beyond the posts P and directed vertically therealong as at l3, having their ends suitably connected to the bars H. wires I3 are suitably connected to the lower wire ends W as at M.

With the construction as above described, the wires l2, which are in circuit with wires W, will be electrically charged and thus will have the same effect as the fence wires W in constrainin cattle against passage through the gap in the fence. The electric guard, however, will permit passage of automobiles or other rubbertired vehicles thereover without injury to the gate, the vehicle, or passengers therein.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the present invention provides a relatively simple construction for use in connection with an electrically charged fence intersected by a roadway, whereby the efiectiveness of the fence in retaining cattle is maintained and the passage of vehicles along the road is in no way restricted.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A structure for restraining cattle against passage through a gateless gap in an electrically charged fence having a plurality of electrically charged wires, comprising an insulating mat supported on a road surface in said gap, a plurality The terminal 3 of wires disposed on said mat in spaced parallel relation, connections between the opposite ends of said wires, and circuit connections between said last wires and those of the fence.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said connections between the opposite ends of said wires comprise a metallic bar supported by the mat adjacent to and parallel with each side thereof.

ORVILLE ADKINS.

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

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wilson May 29, 1894 Roberts May 25, 1909 McNair Feb. 5, 1924 Heiken Dec. 10, 1935 Riepl Feb. '7, 1939 Stentz May 22, 1945 Wood July 12, 1949 Evans June 27, 1950

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