US2868207A - Combined calf and foal puller and hoist - Google Patents

Description

P. V. HORST COMBINED CALF AND FOAL FULLER AND HOIST Filed'Sept. 8, 1953 Jan. 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Paul \I. Horst ATTORNEY Jan. 13, 1959 P. v. HORST 2,868,207

COMBINED CALF AND FOAL FULLER AND HOIST Filed Sept. 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Paul V. Horst ATTORNEY United States atent Ofiiice COMBINED CALF AND FOAL PULLER AND HOIST,

Paul V. Horst, Adams County, Colo. Application September 8, 1953, Serial No. 378,970 Claims. or. 128-352) The present invention relates to a combined calf and foal puller and hoist. It has to do particularly, although not exclusively, with a new and improved calf puller including manually operated power pulling means which may be used as a power hoist to perform many and varied hoisting or pulling operations.

Many types of calf pullers have appeared on the maritet, some of which were capable of use with a certain degree of success but most of which have had the objectionable feature of functioning with a jerky or irregular action, often" causing injury, such as tearing, to the mother animal or to the calf being delivered. Moreover, many of the known calf pullers have required the services of two persons to operate with them.

it is, therefore, one of the objects of the present invention to provide a new'and improved calf puller having none of the objectionable features of previously-known calf pullers and one which is capable of being operated with full eliic'iency by one person.

Another and important feature of the present invention is to provide a new and improved calf puller which may be used successfully and efiiciently without requiring tying or staking the mother animal which can either stand or lie down during the delivery process.

A further and important object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved calf puller of the foregoing character which includes manually operated power pulling means for effecting the delivery of a calf or other foal, which power pulling means can be removed, as a unit, from the frame of the puller and used as a power hoist to perform various services.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved calf puller in which the pulling action is gradual, steady, and positive so that the process of delivering the calf is at all times under the control of the operator of the puller, permitting the operator to coordinate the mechanical assisting action duringthe delivery with the natural delivery process of the mother animal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved calf puller having manually-operated power pulling means for effecting a slow andgentle pulling ac tion, and one in which manually-actuated release means is provided to permit independent operation of the pulling means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved calf puller of the foregoing character having. manuallyperated power pulling means, in which the speed of the pulling action can beregulated as desired.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved calf puller having manually-operated power pulling means which, when inuse, is under the control of the operator at all times and in which a cranking action may be employed to effect the pullingoperation of winding the cable, and in which means is provided permitting the cable to be played out rapidly independently of the cranking action when desirable.

Another and important object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved calf puller formed in sections or units which may be dismantled for shipping or transportation purposes and which may be easily and quickly assembled to provide a strong though lightweight and durable implement.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the calf puller in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the calf puller of Fig. 1, illustrating its use upon a cow while in standing position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the manuallycontrolled pulling unit or hoist means of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 3 and substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail of the clutch mechanism of the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View, partly in elevation, taken substantially along the line 66 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Befdre explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangemen of parts illustratedin the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is to be understood also that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements pf the prior art.

One form of the calf puller of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. While Fig. 2 shows the implement being used to deliver a calf from the mother animal which is in standing position, it will be understood, of course, that the animal can lie on its side during the delivery process.

The puller as shown comprises a longitudinal frame or elongated shaft-like member, shown as a whole at Iii. As shown, the shaftltl is formed in two sections 11 and 12. The animal-engaging and embracing shoe mernber, shown as a whole at 13, is preferably detachably mounted upon the outer end of tubular shaft section 11. The shoe 13 has two outwardly flared end portions 14, 14 and is reinforced by a longitudinally extending web 15. Located centrally of the shoe is a projecting stud (not shown) which telescopes into the end of the hollow shaft section 11.

Each end portion 14 is provided with a slot or openmg, one such being shown as 17 in Fig. 2, for receiving and supporting flexible and adjustable means, such as an adjustable preferably heavy web belt and. buckle 18. The purpose of this adjustable belt or member 13 is to hold the puller in place with relation to the animal to be assisted in' its delivery of a calf, as shown in Fig. 2.

The outer end of shaft section 12 receives andremovablysup'ports the manually-operated power pulling. means or hoist mechanism of the present invention which is shown as a whole at 19. This power pulling means or hoist 19 is shown in greater detail in Figs. 3 through 6 of the drawings. As shown, it comprises a two part housing or casing, preferably an aluminum casting, and consisting of a baclthalf or section 20 and a so-called mfi front half or section 21. The halves or sections 20 and 21 are preferably held together, as a unit, by a bolt 22 having a cap nut 23 and a threaded stud or screw 24, see particularly Fig. 3. A hanging or suspending hook 25, see Fig. 1, extends outwardly from the upper end of the housing 19 and is supported between the halves thereof by the threaded stud or screw 24. The section I I pull it outwardly to shift shaft 30 axially and bring the or half 20 of the housing is provided with a semi-circular socket 20a and the other section or half 21 with a similar semi-circular socket 21a. When the halves are assembled, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the two half sockets 20a and 21a together provide a round socket to receive the outer end of frame or shaft section 12.

The housing or casing 19 contains a small drum or reel for receiving cable or wire of the calf puller, a worm and cooperating worm gear for operating the drum or reel, and suitable clutch mechanism between the reel and the gearing for disengaging the manually-operated driving means when desirable.

A shaft 25 having a worm 26 extends through openings formed in the end walls of the housing section for portion 21, being journalled in those openings, and at one of its outer ends is provided with a guide-like socket or head 27 to receive the shank portion 28a of a hand crank 28. The shank 28a is provided with a series of holes or openings (not shown) through which a knurled threaded stud 29 is passed to hold the shank of the hand crank in position in the socket or head member 27. By adjusting the shank in the socket it will be understood that the worm shaft 25 may be rotated at different speeds. In other words, this structure permits the regulation or control of speed of rotation of worm shaft 25.

Another and somewhat shorter shaft 30 extends through apertured bosses in the walls of the housing sections 20 and 21, the shaft being journalled in bearing assemblies 31 and 32 in the sections 20 and 21, respectively. The shaft 30 carries at its outer end adjacent the section 21 of the housing, a control handle or knob 33. The shaft 30, adjacent the bearing assembly 32 is provided with a reduced portion 32a for a purpose to be described hereinafter. Mounted for rotation on the shaft 30 is a worm gear, shown as a whole at 34. The worm gear 34 is hollowed out at 35 and a bearing assembly 36, mounted on shaft 30, is provided in one of the hollowed-out portions of the gear 34. The gear teeth 34a are constantly in mesh with the worm 26, see Figs. 3 and 4. Also mounted upon the shaft 30 is a winding drum or reel, shown as a whole at 38. This reel 38 is keyed or splined at 39 to the shaft 30 so as to rotate with said shaft. The splined arrangement or keyway permits the shaft 29 to be moved axially by grasping its handle or knob 33, carrying the reel or drum 38 with it and moving relatively to the gear 34. The hollowed-out portion 35 houses a coil spring 40. Spring 40 surrounds the shaft 30 and finds a bearing at one end in the end wall of the hollowed-out portion 35 and at its other end in a similarly hollowed-out portion 41 in the drum or reel 38. The tendency of the spring 40 1s, of course, to maintain the parts 34 and 38 separated as shown in Fig. 3. The members 34 and 38 have cooperating interfitting segmental projections and recesses 42 and 43, respectively. When the parts are in their closed-together position as shown in Fig. of the drawings, these segmental projections and recesses 42 and 43 interfit or intermesh, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. When so intermeshed or interfitting, rotation of worm shaft 25 and worm 26 cause rotation of the gear 34 and likewise rotation of the drum or reel 38. When, however, the parts are separated as shown in Fig. 3, rotation of the worm shaft 25 and worm 26, causing rotation of worm gear 34, will not effect the movement or rotation of the drum or reel 38.

When it is desired to couple or intermesh the drum or reel 38 and the gear 34, as these parts are shown in Fig. 5, it is simply necessary to grasp the, knob 33 and teeth or projections and intervening grooves or recesses 43 of member 38 into mesh with the similar parts 42 of member 34. It is, of course, desirable to provide means for holding the parts in intermeshed relation. For this purpose, the face of the housing half or section 21 is provided with a pivoted latch member 44 having midway its ends a notched-out portion 45. The latch 18 pivotally mounted at its left end as viewed in Fig. 6

upon a threaded stud or the like 46 and its front end notch a is adapted to engage the shank of a similar threaded stud or member 47, also threadedly mounted in the face of the housing section 21. When the shaft 38 is shifted to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, the reduced diameter portion 32a thereof will be in position to receive the notched portion 45 of the latch 44. Thus, when the latch is in the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 6, it will lie betweenthe hub portion 33a of the handle member 33 and the adjacent face 21b of the housing section 21. Rotation of the gear 34 by means of worm 26 will now effect the rotation of the drum or reel 38. If and when it becomes desirable to unmesh or separate the parts 34 and 38, the latch member 44 is raised from its full line position to its broken line position as viewed in Fig. 6 to release the shaft 30. Upon its release, the coil spring 40 will function to move the part 38 away from the gear 34 and'return the parts to their separated positions as shown in Fig. 3.

The reel or drum 38 provides means for winding up a length of so-called airplane cable 50 which carries at its outer or free end a hook 51. When the parts 34 and 38 are in their intermeshed positions as indicated in Fig. 5, clockwise rotation of the hand crank 28 will wind the cable on the drum or reel 38. Counter-clockwise rotation of the hand crank 28 will play out the cable 50 from the reel 38. When, however, the parts are out of mesh, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, rotation of the hand crank will have no effect upon the reel or drum 38. With the parts in such positions, rotation of the handle member or knob 33 will revolve the shaft 30 and likewise the reel 38 to wind the cable onto the reel. If it is desired to play out a length of cable, it may be grasped and drawn outwardly, with the supporting drum or reel 38 rotating freely. This hand-manipulation of the cable 50 permits the rapid extension of the cable to a desired position of use.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2 flexible means, such as a length of preferably nickel plated chain 52, is attached to the cable hook 51, with the opposite end portion of the chain being wrapped or wound around the protruding legs 53 of a calf in the course of delivery from a cow 54, see Fig. 2.

With the parts 34 and 38 in the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 5 and with the puller applied to the hind quarters of the cow 54, as viewed in Fig. 2, clockwise rotation of the hand crank 28, in a clockwise direction by the operator 55, will wind the cable 50 with a slow, gentle, steady and positive pull, thus aiding in the natural delivery of the calf. By virtue of the gentle, gradual, steady pulling action of the puller of the present invention, the easy delivery of calves and foals is achieved. Moreover, by virtue of the improved action of the puller of the present invention, the mother animal is fully protected against the danger of tearing or serious injury. By virtue of the provision of the particular strong, lightweight, preferably aluminum shoe 13 which properly fits the cows pin bones, the correct, normal pressure is placed upon the cows legs.

After the completion of the delivery of the calf, the parts can be put into their positions of use again by simply operating the clutch to allow the cable to be played off freely from the drum or reel, the clutch again released, whereupon the puller is in readiness for the manually-operated power pulling means to be placed in operation to assist in the delivery of another calf.

By virtue of the sectional features of the puller of the present invention, the puller may be dismantled or disassembled and packed in a relatively small carton for storage purposes or shipment.

The power pulling means of the present invention is adapted for various other uses than in the pulling of calves. By using the hanging hook, pump rods may be pulled out of pumps and various items may be elevated or moved by attaching the hook 51 at the end of the cable 50 to the article, or by placing a sling (not shown) about an article, and attaching the hook to it. Furthermore, the power pulling means or hoist mechanism 19 is also useful as a wire stretcher by simply supporting or holding the hoist by means of its hanging hook, attaching the hook 51 at the end of the cable 50 to the wire strand to be stretched, and then operating the hand crank by turning it in a clockwise direction. The adjustability of the hand crank permits the rotation of the worm and worm gear to be speeded up or slowed down as the job being done may require. The two-piece steel shaft-like frame is preferably machine-tooled and plated to prevent or offer rust and corrosion resistance and is of suflicient strength so that it will not bend or buckle in use. The worm and gear parts are formed from high grade steel and malleable iron and preferably heavy duty noncorroding Oilite bearings are used and are grease-packed.

The knob or handle 33 on the outside of the hoist casing and the release latch 44 associated therewith and which provide means for releasing the parts to allow the cable to be played out manually at high speed, also permit the disengagement of the gear and clutch permitting the fast take-up of any slack in the cable 50 when desirable.

While the above description and the following claims refer primarily to the fact that the present invention relates to a combined calf puller and hoist, it is to be understood that the device is equally well adapted for use as a combined foal puller and hoist. Thus, this broader interpretation is to be placed upon the descriptive matter and the claims in view of the fact that the instant invention has operated very efiiciently in connection with the delivery of foals.

I claim:

1. In a calf puller, an elongated frame, an animalengaging and embracing shoe carried at one end of said frame, an adjustable belt carried by said shoe for holding it in animal-embracing position, a housing disposed at the opposite end of the frame, a cable-carrying winding reel rotatably mounted within the housing, a cable on the reel having its free end portion extending outside the housing, a hand crank associated with the winding reel for revolving the same, a shaft extending through the housing to which said crank is attached, a worm on said shaft, a worm gear also located within the housing in mesh with the worm and providing means for revolving the cable winding reel, clutch means associated with the worm gear and winding reel to release the winding reel from its driving connection with the worm gear and worm at predetermined times, and releasable flexible connecting means for connecting the free end of the cable with the legs of the calf being delivered whereby upon rotation of the hand crank, the winding reel is revolved to wind the cable on the reel and thus pull the calf slowly, gently and positively toward the housing to effect the delivery there of.

2. A calf puller according to claim 1, wherein the hand crank is adjustably mounted with respect to the worm shaft.

3. A calf puller according to claim 1, wherein a suspending hook is attached to the housing.

4. A calf puller according to claim 1, wherein an attaching hook is secured to the free end of the cable and a suspending hook is attached to the housing.

5. A calf puller according to claim 4, wherein said elongated frame is formed in detachable interfitting sections, one thereof being tubular.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 745,992 Bargeboer Dec. 8, 1903 938,840 Fowler Nov. 2, 1909 2,487,425 Collins Nov. 8, 1949 2,521,191 Stanland Sept. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 635,021 France Dec. 10, 1927

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