US3620194A

US3620194A - Cattle crushes

Info

Publication number: US3620194A
Application number: US867707A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul H A Miles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-10-21
Filing date: 1969-10-20
Publication date: 1971-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-16
Also published as: GB1259899A

Abstract

A cattle crush having one wall fixed in relation to the floor thereof and one wall adjustably positionable with respect to the fixed wall, the adjustable wall comprising a series of roughly parallel upwardly extending slats hingedly connected at their lower ends to the crush, the upper portions of the slats being interconnected by a transverse flexible strip.

Description

United States Patent inventor Paul H. A. Miles Benghoyle, Cathcart, Cape Province, South Airica Appl. No. 867,707 Filed Oct. 20, 1969 Patented Nov. 16, 1971 Priority Oct. 21, 1968 South Africa 68/6786 CATTLE CRUSHES 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. CL... 119/98 int. Cl A6ld 03/00 Field 01 Search 119/99, 98,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 733,874 7/1903 Reck et a1 119/99 1,198,232 9/1916 Huffman et al. 119/99 2,786,449 3/1957 Dahlerup 1 19/99 2,851,993 9/1958 Hettinger l 19/99 Primary ExaminerHugh R. Chamblee AttorneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher ABSTRACT: -A cattle crush having one wall fixed in relation to the floor thereof and one wall adjustabiy positionable with respect to the fixed wall, the adjustable wall comprising a series of roughly parallel upwardly extending slats hingedly connected at their lower ends to the crush, the upper portions of the slats being interconnected by a transverse flexible strip.

CATTLE CRUSHES This invention relates to cattle crushes used to hold an animal firmly so that various operations may be carried out on it. Such operations may include branding, castration, hoof paring and surgical operations.

Such crushes, whether or not they are of a type which may be tilted to form a cattle table, normally comprise one wall fixed in relation to the floor of the crush, the other wall being adjustable in position.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a crush of the type described in which the adjustable wall comprises an assembly of adjacent slats connected to the crush at their lower ends by hinged connections, the slats also being connected to each other by a flexible strip.

Further features of the invention provide for the slat assembly to comprise separate sections, for the slats in each section to be hinged to a bar which in turn is hinged to swing outwardly; for a pair of upwardly diverging bars located internally of the slat assembly to be pivotally connected to the floor, and for the crush to embody a head gate adapted to be fitted to either end thereof.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the movable sidewall;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the movable sidewall and adjacent parts;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the crush with the slats of the movable sidewall removed; and

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the crush also with the slats of the movable sidewall removed.

In this embodiment of the invention the fixed wall 1 and floor 2 of the crush may be of any conventional type but are preferably of the mobile tilting type described in my copending patent application of even date and entitled Improvements in Cattle Tables.

Hinged to the side 3 of the floor opposite the fixed wall is a pair of bars 4 so mounted that they may be swung away from the fixed wall about vertical axes 5 positioned approximately centrally in the length of said side of the floor. Over these bars is a corresponding pair of bars 6 hinged to a frame 7 extending centrally over the top of the crush. The outer free ends of both pairs of bars are connected to corresponding posts 8.

To each of the bottom bars 4 a series of slats 9 are individually hinged as indicated at 10 to swing about horizontal axes. All the slats 9 are connected together by one of more strips of flexible material 11. The assembly is thus in the form of a pair of gates which may be individually opened as indicated by arrows A and B in FIG. 2.

At each end of the crush hinge members 12 are secured to the fixed wall 1 on which top and

bottom head gates

13 and 14 respectively may be detachably mounted. The end posts 8 connected to the slats are also hinged to the bottom bars 4 as indicated at 15 and each is provided with a mounting 16 by which a lever mechanism 17 may be detachably connected between the fixed wall and the post. This lever mechanism is used to pull the corresponding post towards the fixed wall and against the neck of an animal in the crush thereby in conjunction with the head gates limiting movement of its head. The head gates are maintained in a closed position by a guide 18 mounted on the post 8 and spaced apart therefrom with the members of the gate passing through the space 19 between the post and guide.

When an animal is in the crush the post at the tail end is also drawn towards the fixed wall by means of a length of rope (not shown) or any other convenient means.

This inward movement of both posts causes corresponding inward movement of the slats 9. Due to the fact that they are individually hinged and flexibly interconnected they largely follow the contour of the animal and thus assist to confine it in a more satisfactory manner than could be achieved with a rigid panel structure. Due to this it has been found that no tailgate is necessary. However, it is preferred additionally to confine the animal by a pair of u wardly diverging

bars

20 and 21 mounted at their bottom en s and located so that they will fit behind the shoulder and hip of the animal respectively. These bars are drawn against the animal by lengths of rope (not shown) connecting the bars at the top ends to the upper portion of the fixed wall. As cattle tend to hook their rear feet in front of the rear or hip bar 21 this is preferably pivotally connected to the floor forwardly of the rear portion of the crush and preferably roughly centrally along the length of the crush.

The shoulder bar 20 on the other hand is pivoted to the floor towards the headgate such that it passes substantially vertically up the crush. The upper end of this shoulder bar may be located to slide in parallel to the movable wall of the crush by passing it between two adjacent slats and between the strips of flexible material 11 on each side of the flaps as shown in FIG. 1. This shoulder bar is provided with a spigot 22 at its lower end and may thus be used at either end of the crush. It will be appreciated that since the head gates and shoulder bar can be mounted at either end of the crush the animal can be driven in from either end depending on the side of the animal to which access is required. Also since each section of the slat assembly may be individually opened it will allow access to the whole of the rear portion of either side of the animal which is all that is normally required additionally to the access obtainable through the ends of the crush.

lclaim:

l. A cattle crush comprising a floor, a fixed wall extending upwardly from the floor on one side thereof and an adjustable wall extending upwardly from the side of the floor opposite the fixed wall, the adjustable wall comprising an assembly of adjacent slats connected to the floor of the crush at their lower ends by hinged connections, the slats also being connected to each other by a flexible strip located upwardly of the floor.

2. A crush as claimed in claim 1 in which the flexible strip is located adjacent the upper ends of the slats.

3. A crush as claimed in claim 1 in which the slat assembly comprises two separate sections with the lower ends of the slats of each section hinged to a bar which in turn is hinged to swing outwardly from the floor of the crush.

4. A crush as claimed in claim 3 in which the bars are hinged to the floor of the crush near the center of the side thereof opposite the fixed wall.

5. A crush as claimed in claim 3 in which a post is provided at each end of the slat assembly each post being hinged at its lower end similarly to the slats and provided with a hinged arm at its upper end such that the post may be swung outwardly from the fixed wall of the crush.

6. A crush as claimed in claim 1 including a headgate, the headgate being adapted to be fitted at either end of the crush by means of disengageable hinge members secured to the headgate and fixed wall of the crush.

7. A crush as claimed in claim 1 in which a pair of upwardly diverging bars are connected to the floor of the crush adjacent the inside of the slat assembly.

8. A crush as claimed in claim 7 in which one bar is pivotally attached to the floor of the crush centrally along the length thereof and the other is adapted to be connected to the floor towards either end of the crush.

Claims

1. A cattle crush comprising a floor, a fixed wall extending upwardly from the floor on one side thereof and an adjustable wall extending upwardly from the side of the floor opposite the fixed wall, the adjustable wall comprising an assembly of adjacent slats connected to the floor of the crush at their lower ends by hinged connections, the slats also being connected to each other by a flexible strip located upwardly of the floor.

7. A crush as claimed in claim 1 in which a pair of upwardly diverging bars are connected to the floor of the crush adjacent the inside of the slat assembly. 8. A crush as claimed in claim 7 in which one bar is pivotally attached to the floor of the crush centrally along the length thereof and the other is adapted to be connected to the floor towards either end of the crush.