WO2020050087A1

WO2020050087A1 - Guided livestock headcount regulating device and reverse incursion regulating device

Info

Publication number: WO2020050087A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/033297
Authority: WO
Inventors: 紀功仁川末
Original assignee: 国立大学法人宮崎大学
Priority date: 2018-09-06
Filing date: 2019-08-26
Publication date: 2020-03-12
Also published as: JPWO2020050087A1; JP7399486B2

Abstract

The present invention prevents, with a simple configuration when guiding livestock into a guiding path one by one, entry of two livestock simultaneously or one after another successively into an entry section of the guiding path. This guided livestock headcount regulating device is provided with: an open/close unit 50 that can be moved between an open position in which the guidance entry section 12 is opened to allow entry of livestock, and a closed position preventing entry. In an initial state permitting entry, the open/close unit is held in the open position. Upon sensing of livestock, the open/close unit is moved in a closing direction toward the closed position, and some of open/close pieces making up the open/close unit permit forward movement of the livestock while coming into contact with the livestock during the movement toward the closed position, whereas the other open/close pieces close a gap between the livestock and the guiding path and prevent entry of other livestock.

Description

Equipment for controlling the number of livestock animals and reverse invasion

{Circle around (1)} The present invention relates to a head number control device that controls the number of livestock entering a taxiway one by one, and a reverse intrusion control device that restricts livestock from reversely entering an exit of a taxiway.

Work such as weight measurement, body length measurement, health observation (inspection), and injections performed on livestock such as pigs, cows, horses, and sheep that are kept in the breeding ground must be entered one by one into a narrow taxiway. It is performed in a state where the movement is sealed to some extent.

FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view showing an automatic sorting system in a pig breeding ground as an example of livestock, that is, in a piggery. In the pig house 200, a large number of pigs P can be rested and a rest area 201 where a water place is provided is separated from the rest area by a partition wall 205, so that free movement between the rest area and the rest area is restricted. A feeding area 210, a one-way gate 206 provided on the partition wall 205 and allowing only one-way movement from the feeding area 210 to the resting area 201, and the only passage from the resting area 201 to the feeding area 210, and A taxiway 220 having a width that allows entry and passage of one animal at a time, a weight measuring device 230 including a load cell provided in the taxiway, and a pig determined to have reached a specified weight by the weight measuring device And returning the pigs determined to have not reached the specified weight to the feeding area 210 from the exit of the taxiway, and transferring the pigs having reached the specified weight to the shipping area 240. Comprises a sorter 250 to divide, the.
The width dimension of the taxiway 220 is set wide so that one pig, which has reached the specified weight, can enter and pass with a margin. For this reason, it is possible for two pigs, especially two pigs weighing less than the prescribed weight, to enter the taxiway at the same time or one after another while overlapping.
The sorter 250 includes a rotary gate 251 driven by a motor controlled by a computer, and a sorting wall 255. During the weight measurement, the concave portion 252 of the gate faces the exit of the taxiway 220 and simultaneously blocks the passage to the feeding ground 210 and the shipping area 240, and the rotation angle of the gate 251 based on the measurement result immediately after the weight measurement. By controlling the position, the direction of the concave portion 252 is switched to the feed place direction or the shipping area direction and guided to either one.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are explanatory views of an automatic door provided at the entrance of a conventional taxiway.
As shown in FIG. 20A, an entrance 220a of the taxiway 220 is provided with an automatic door 225 that moves up and down to open and close the entrance, and when the automatic door 225 is in an open state, the head moves from the head to the entrance. When it is detected by the sensor that the body of one pig that has entered the body, for example, the buttocks, has reached the inside of the entrance, the automatic door is lowered to close the entrance 220a, thereby preventing the entry of the subsequent pig.

By the way, since the automatic door 225 has a shape in which a plurality of pipes are arranged in a rectangular frame, the lower part of the automatic door 225 is placed on the back of the pig that previously entered the entrance 220a as shown in FIG. The inlet 220a is not completely closed just by the contact of the lowering 225a. That is, a gap G is formed between the preceding pig and the side of the entrance, and the subsequent pig can enter through this gap.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 20 (b), when two pigs try to enter the entrance in a row, or when two pigs side by side and try to enter from the head almost simultaneously, the two pigs It is impossible to accurately carry out work such as weight measurement for each individual animal, because the vehicle enters the taxiway or cannot enter or exit the taxiway.

Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a walking animal separation device that guides cows one by one into a taxiway.
Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a separation device for preventing two walking animals from passing through a pair of gates of a hinged doors type provided in a taxiway at the same time or overlapping one another. However, the configuration of the gate opening / closing mechanism is complicated, resulting in an increase in cost. In addition, since the separation device presupposes that walking animals are already sorted one by one on the taxiway in front of the gate, this separation device is installed at the entrance of the taxiway facing a large space where many walking animals are mixed. When a gate is provided, it is impossible to prevent two or more walking animals from entering the entrance at the same time by entering the head.

Also, among livestock, pigs have a habit of sleeping with their backs facing the fences and walls of the entrance and exit of taxiways, and the body of a pig lying down tends to move to the feeding ground by blocking the entrance and exit. Pigs are often prevented from entering the taxiway, or from moving from the taxiway to the feeding ground through the exit.
In addition, when one pig is in the taxiway, the entrance door and the exit door are in a closed state. At this point, if a power failure or a computer freeze occurs, both doors cannot be opened. If a power failure or the like is not noticed due to the absence of a breeder or the like, an accident occurs in which pigs are trapped in the taxiway for a long time and die.
Such a problem is a problem that also occurs in a double door type gate.

JP 06-225658 A JP-A-09-107840

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and when leading to a taxiway one by one from a large number of livestock, it is simple that two heads enter the entrance portion of the taxiway simultaneously or overlap one after another. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for controlling the number of livestock animals that can be prevented by a simple configuration.
Also, when an electric open / close unit (door) is provided at the entrance of the taxiway, even if the open / close unit is closed due to a power failure or the like, the livestock in the taxiway retreats and presses the open / close unit. And escape from the taxiway.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent livestock from laying down on the entrance to the taxiway to block the entrance, and that even if one approach route to the entrance is blocked, other livestock will It is possible to use another route to the entrance to enter the taxiway.
The present invention further provides a reverse intrusion restricting device for restricting livestock from reversely entering from the exit of a taxiway.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a livestock guidance head number control device that regulates the number of livestock entering the taxiway from the entrance portion one by one, wherein the entrance portion is opened to enter the livestock. An openable / closable unit capable of moving back and forth between an open position where it is enabled and a closed position where at least a part of the entrance is closed to prevent livestock from entering, a drive mechanism for operating the open / close unit, and the guideway Detection means for detecting the position of the livestock in the vehicle, and control means for the drive mechanism, wherein the control means holds the open / close unit in the open position by the drive mechanism in an initial state in which the livestock enters. And the open / close unit, which was in the open position by the driving mechanism when the detection means detects that the livestock that has entered from the entrance has reached a predetermined position, Moving in the closing direction toward the stop position, the opening and closing unit is a process of moving from the open position to the closed position, and after moving, while allowing the livestock to advance, the livestock and the taxiway And prevents other livestock from entering through the gaps between them.

According to the present invention, when guiding domestic animals one by one to the taxiway, it is possible to prevent two animals from entering the entrance portion of the taxiway simultaneously or overlapping one another with a simple configuration.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the automatic sorting apparatus provided with the guidance number control apparatus of livestock. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the livestock guidance head number control apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and a control procedure. It is a perspective view showing the composition of the regulation device, and a regulation procedure. It is a perspective view showing the composition of the regulation device, and a regulation procedure. It is a perspective view showing the composition of the regulation device, and a regulation procedure. It is a side view which shows the structure of the said control apparatus, and a control procedure. It is a side view which shows the structure of the said control apparatus, and a control procedure. It is a side view which shows the structure of the said control apparatus, and a control procedure. (A) and (b) are the perspective view and the top view which show the state which has prevented the approach of the following livestock by an opening / closing unit. 3A to 3F are a partially exploded perspective view showing a specific configuration of the opening / closing unit and a cross-sectional view of a main part. It is a front view showing the composition of the modification of an opening and closing unit. It is a control block diagram of this guidance head number control device. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure by this head number control apparatus. (A) thru | or (d) are figures explaining the structure and operation | movement of the livestock guidance head number control apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (e) is explanatory drawing of the example of a structure of a joint part. is there. (A) thru | or (d) are figures explaining the structure and control operation | movement of the induction | guidance | derivation number control apparatus of livestock concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is state explanatory drawing of the livestock in an entrance part. (A), (b) and (c) are perspective views on the exit side showing a configuration of an example of a reverse intrusion restricting device arranged at an exit portion of a taxiway. It is a flowchart which shows the selection operation | movement accompanied by reverse intrusion control by a reverse intrusion control device. It is a schematic plan view which shows the automatic sorting system in the conventional pig house. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing of the automatic door provided in the entrance part of the conventional taxiway.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.
<Overview of the present invention>
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of an automatic sorting apparatus provided with a pig head count control device as an example of livestock, and FIGS. 2 to 5 show a pig guide head count control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows a structure and a control procedure, and FIG. 6 thru | or FIG. 8 is a side view which shows the structure of the said guidance head number control apparatus, and a control procedure. FIGS. 9A and 9B are a perspective view and a plan view showing a state in which a subsequent pig is prevented from entering by the opening / closing unit. 10A to 10F are a partially exploded perspective view showing a specific configuration of the opening / closing unit and a sectional view of a main part, and FIG. 11 is a front view showing a configuration of a modification of the opening / closing unit. FIG. 12 is a control block diagram of the present head count control device, and FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a control procedure by the head count control device.
In this example, a case where the guidance head number control device is applied to the pig house shown in FIG. 19 will be described as one example. Therefore, each component in FIG. 19 will be described using the same reference numerals.

The basic configuration (schematic configuration) of the pig head number control device (hereinafter, referred to as a head number control device) 1 is as follows.
As shown in FIG. 1, the guidance head number control device (entering head number restriction device) 1 is disposed in or near the entrance 12 of the taxiway, and the number of pigs entering the taxiway 10 (the number of guidance heads). ) Is a means of restricting and restricting individual animals.
The guideway 10 is a means for receiving the pigs P one by one from the inlet 12 and guiding the pigs P in an arbitrary direction. The guideway 10 has an inlet 12 and an outlet 14 at both ends in the longitudinal direction. One pig P having a prescribed weight (for example, 115 kg) entering from a distance, has one walking path 16 having a width W such that the pig P can move forward and backward with sufficient margin, and stands along the left and right side edges of the walking path. It has left and right side regulating members 18 composed of fences, walls, and the like for preventing a pig from changing its direction on the walking path or deviating from the walking path.
Reference numeral 205a denotes a fence that configures the partition wall 205 in FIG.
The walking path 16 includes an internal walking path 16a extending from the entrance 12 into the taxiway 10 and an external walking path 16b extending from the entrance to the outside, and has two corners of the external walking path. By arranging the pillars 20 at appropriate places, for example, the approach route to the entrance is divided into three routes: a front route R1, a left route R2, and a right route R3. Therefore, when one pig is about to enter the entrance, even if one or two routes are blocked by another pig, it is possible to enter from the remaining routes.

Further, on the road surfaces of the inner walkway 16a and the outer walkway 16b, obstacle protrusions 25 made of Λ-shaped rails for preventing pigs from sleeping or sitting down are formed over the entire length. The shape, the number, and the location of the obstacle projections are not limited to those shown in the drawings, and may be any configuration that does not allow the pig to stay comfortably.
Further, handrails 22 are provided horizontally from the upper portions of the two columns 20 toward the entrance 12. The handrail 22 is a means for preventing the manager from tripping over the obstacle protrusion and falling when cleaning or the like.
The guidance head number control device 1 has an opening position (FIGS. 3 and 6) for opening the entrance portion 12 to allow the pig to enter, and a closing position for closing at least a part of the entrance portion to prevent the entry of the pig. The opening / closing unit 50 which can move back and forth between the positions (FIGS. 2 and 8), the driving mechanism 80 for operating the opening / closing unit, and the entrance position of the pig P entering the entrance 12 in the guideway (walking space) 10. A detection unit 90 (FIG. 1) for detecting the (entering distance) and a control unit 100 of the drive mechanism 80 are provided.
If necessary, a detecting means may be arranged at the exit 14 of the taxiway to detect that the pig has exited the taxiway.

The control means 100 holds the opening / closing unit 50 in the open position by the driving mechanism 80 in the initial state in which the pig enters the entrance section 12 and waits for the pig entering the guideway from the entrance section 12. When the detection means 90 detects that the vehicle has reached the predetermined forward position on the road, the drive mechanism 80 is operated to move the opening / closing unit 50 to the closed position (closed direction).
The opening / closing unit 50 allows the livestock to move forward from the open position to the closed position, and after the movement, while preventing other livestock from entering through the gap between the livestock and the taxiway. Means. That is, the opening / closing unit 50 is partially formed by a horizontally long movable base 54 that can advance and retreat along predetermined tracks such as up and down, left and right, and diagonal, in this example, up and down tracks, and portions along the longitudinal direction of the movable base. And a plurality of opening / closing pieces 60 hanging down in an interdigitated manner. Some of the opening and closing pieces come into contact with the pig's body (head, neck, torso, buttocks, etc.) during the process of moving the movable base 54 from the open position to the closed position and after moving to the closed position. While allowing the pig to move forward while operating relatively to the pig's body, the remaining opening / closing piece is a gap between the pig and the side regulating member 18 (in this example, the left side regulating member). It is configured and arranged so as to be located in (projecting from) G and to prevent a subsequent pig from entering through the gap G.

All the opening / closing pieces 60 are assembled to the movable base 54 with the same opening / closing structure. However, depending on the size of the passing pig and the difference in the position of the pig in the width direction, the opening / closing piece 60 contacts the pig, Assign roles to protrude.
When the leading pig's buttocks completely come out of the opening / closing piece, and the opening / closing piece that has been in contact with the pig is no longer in contact with the pig, the opening / closing unit drops by its own weight to the final closing position shown in FIGS. Thus, the entrance is completely closed by all the opening and closing pieces. This makes it completely impossible for subsequent pigs to enter the entrance.
After the preceding pig has moved forward after receiving a predetermined treatment such as weight measurement or when it has completely exited from the exit, the opening / closing unit is moved to the open position again to allow the next pig to enter.
In this example, the opening / closing unit 50 moves up and down in the vertical direction. However, this is merely an example, and the opening and closing unit 50 may move back and forth in the left and right directions and diagonally.
As the detecting means 90, a photo interrupter including a light emitting element and a light receiving element, a limit switch, and the like can be used. In this example, image information obtained from a pig weight estimation camera 92 disposed above the taxiway is used. An example in which a detection unit utilizing the above is used will be described (details will be described later).

<First embodiment>
Next, the pig head count control device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described.
FIG. 2 shows a state in which the opening / closing unit 50 constituting the guidance head number regulating device 1 is at the lowest position and the entrance 12 is closed (entry-inhibited state). FIG. 3 shows the opening / closing unit at the highest position. This shows a state in which the entrance portion is opened (enterable state).

An opening / closing unit 50 is supported at the entrance portion 12 of the guide path 10 by a pair of columnar elevating guide members (guide shafts) 30 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The opening / closing unit is an air cylinder 82 constituting a driving mechanism 80. Driven up and down.
The configuration in which the lifting guide member 30 supports the opening / closing unit 50 so as to be able to move up and down can be variously selected. As an example, as shown in a partially exploded perspective view of the opening / closing unit in FIG. A configuration in which a cylindrical slider 57 fitted on the outer periphery of the elevating guide member 30 and sliding in the axial direction is provided at both ends.
The base body 55 is provided with small diameter bearing portions 55a and large diameter portions 55b alternately at a predetermined axial pitch, and each bearing portion 55a has a center of a sleeve 61 provided at the base end of each opening / closing piece 60. The hole is pivotally supported. The axial movement of the sleeve 61 is restricted by the large-diameter portions 55b located on both sides in the axial direction of the bearing portion 55a, and one end (or both ends) of each sleeve 61 in the axial direction as shown in the sectional view of FIG. The locking projection 62 protruding in the axial direction from the outer surface can be locked to a stopper 63 provided on the large diameter portion 55b. That is, the angle at which the opening / closing piece rotates in the closing direction about the bearing 55 a is regulated by the engagement of the locked projection 62 with the stopper 63.

The movable base portion 54 is formed, for example, by sequentially inserting the large-diameter portion 55b and the sleeve 61 alternately around the outer periphery of a long rod-shaped bearing portion 55a that penetrates the center portion in the axial direction, and then only each large-diameter portion is subjected to the bearing portion. Can be assembled by fixing it at a predetermined location.
The movable base 54 is driven up and down by an air cylinder 82 disposed above the entrance 12. The air cylinder 82 is composed of a cylinder tube 83 and a piston rod 84 supported by the cylinder tube so as to be retractable, and a movable base connected to the piston rod is driven up and down.
The drive mechanism may have any configuration, for example, a drive transmission mechanism including a motor, a pulley, and a belt.

As described above, the opening and closing unit 50 according to the present embodiment includes the movable base 54 that can freely move up and down (up and down) in a predetermined opening and closing direction, in this example, the vertical direction along the elevating guide member 30, and the movable base (base body 55). A part (base end) is rotatably supported within a predetermined angle range in a direction parallel to the pig moving direction (longitudinal direction of the guideway), and the other part extends toward the entrance 12. And a plurality of opening / closing pieces 60. Some of the opening / closing pieces of the pig P1 are in the process of moving the movable base 54 from the open position to the closed position and after the movement (movement) from the open position to the closed position (head, neck, torso, buttocks). While allowing the pig to move forward while sliding in contact with the pig, the remaining opening / closing pieces that do not make sufficient contact with the pig are positioned (projected) in the gap G between the pig and the side regulating member 18 and subsequently protrude. Of the pig P2 from the gap. Note that “parallel” does not necessarily mean “parallel” in a strict sense, but in this example means a direction along the moving direction of the pig.

As shown in FIG. 10A, each opening / closing piece 60 is rotatably supported by a bearing 61a provided on the base body 55 with a sleeve 61 provided at each base end. Rotate individually. Further, as shown in the sectional view of the main part of the movable base in FIG. 10B, the sleeve of the opening / closing piece is positioned against the stopper 63 provided on the base body when the opening / closing piece is at the initial position shown by the solid line in FIG. The initial posture (limit position of rotation in the closing direction) of the opening / closing piece is determined by the contact of the locked projection 62 provided on the 61.
Therefore, when no external force is applied to each of the opening and closing pieces due to the locking action between the locked projections 62 and the stoppers 63, as shown in FIGS. θ holds an inclined posture (initial posture) that protrudes out of the entrance portion by being inclined outward, and continues to maintain the inclined posture even when the closing unit descends from the open position to the closed position. It is smoothly rotated in the opening direction by being touched and pressed. When the opening / closing unit finishes descending to the most closed position, the pushing force from the pig in the opening direction is eliminated, and each opening / closing piece returns to its initial position by its own weight.
In this example, the opening and closing piece 60 is supported at one end at a predetermined pitch (or any arrangement) along the longitudinal direction of the base body 55 (the width direction of the guide path) so as to be rotatable (swingable). Has a so-called interdigitated configuration composed of an elongated member such as a rod-shaped or narrow band-shaped plate. The number of the opening / closing pieces is not limited to the illustrated four. The opening / closing piece is made of a metal material or a high-strength resin material so as to be able to withstand an impact when a pig collides.

When the opening / closing unit 50 is in the open position (the highest position) in which the inlet 12 shown in FIG. 3 is opened, the pig enters the inlet and enters a predetermined position from the head, specifically, の of the total length, Alternatively, when up to 2/3 of the parts reach the entrance (the elevating path of the opening / closing unit), the detecting means 90 detects this. The control means 100 operates the drive mechanism 80 based on this detection signal to lower the opening / closing unit to the closed position shown in FIG. Specifically, the control means cancels the lifting holding force of the air cylinder 82 and lowers the opening / closing unit 50 by its own weight.
Due to the lowering operation of the opening / closing unit, only the tip of the opening / closing piece located within the width dimension of the pig among the opening / closing pieces comes into contact with the body of the passing pig. The opening / closing piece 60A located outside the width dimension of the pig enters the gap G between the pig and the side regulating member and closes the gap.
The direction of rotation of each opening / closing piece 60 is along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guideway 10, that is, a direction orthogonal to (crossing) the width direction of the guideway. The rotatable range of each opening / closing piece that rotates about the movable base 54 is extremely limited, and protrudes (inclines) outward from the entrance 12 by a required angle θ from a vertical direction hanging down from the movable base. It is configured not to be able to turn to the inner depth side of the taxiway (inward of the entrance) beyond the attitude (initial attitude). For this reason, even if the pig pushes the outer surface of the opening / closing piece in the initial posture, it cannot enter any further inside.

On the other hand, the opening / closing piece in the initial posture is configured to be able to rotate in a sufficiently wide angle range with respect to the outside direction (opening direction) of the entrance. With this configuration, after the tip of the opening / closing piece comes into contact with the pig's body, the pig is physically and psychologically burdensome in the process of moving toward the back of the taxiway. The opening / closing piece can be rotated in the opening direction along the body of the pig and retracted without giving the pig, and the forward movement of the pig is not hindered.

In this example, the tip of each opening / closing piece is bent back in a curved state, so that the pig's body with which the tip comes into contact is not damaged.
In addition to bending the front end of each opening / closing piece, a rotatable roller or a rotating body such as a sphere, or a cushion member having low frictional resistance may be disposed at the front end.
When the rotating body is provided at the tip of the opening / closing piece, the angle of the opening / closing piece in the initial position does not necessarily need to be inclined closer to the opening direction than the vertical position. In other words, even if the initial position of each opening / closing piece is set to a vertical position, the pig can smoothly move forward by the rotation of the rotating body, while the side opening / closing piece 60A that does not contact the pig is vertically set in the gap G. Because it is possible to maintain a proper posture, the following pigs can be prevented from entering.

Since the width of the taxiway 10 including the entrance 12 is set to be wider than the maximum width of the torso of the pig that has grown so that it can be shipped, one leading head makes the head enter the entrance. When there is, a gap G is formed between the side regulating member (side wall) 18 of the taxiway and the torso of the pig to such an extent that another following pig can enter from the nose. In the present invention, when the opening / closing unit is lowered, the distal ends of all the opening / closing pieces 60 are not configured to come into contact with the pig's body and be pushed up. That is, the opening / closing piece on either one of the left and right sides, or the opening / closing piece 60A at the left and right ends, does not come into contact with the pig, or is not pushed up even if it comes into contact with the pig, so as to fill the gap G and fill this gap. Operate. For this reason, the opening / closing piece 60A that has entered the gap G between the pig and the side regulating member becomes an obstacle when the following pig enters through the gap. This is because the opening / closing piece cannot rotate to the inside of the taxiway beyond the initial posture.
In the above embodiment, the entire opening / closing piece is linear, and the entire length of the opening / closing piece extending from the movable base is inclined in the opening direction. However, as shown in FIGS. Only a long part (for example, one-third or one-half of the total length from the tip) is bent or curved in the opening direction, and a part above the part extends vertically from the movable base. You may comprise.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the basic shape of each opening / closing piece is a straight line. However, the basic shape is not limited to this. For example, a bow shape curved as shown in FIG. As described above, the shape may be bent in multiple stages. In this case, the bending direction and the bending direction are set so that the tip of each opening / closing piece is bent or bent in the opening direction.
In the illustrated embodiment, the length of each opening / closing piece is unified, but as shown in FIG. 11, the length of the three opening / closing pieces 60 near the center is shortened in accordance with the curved shape of the back of the pig. By extending the length of the two open / close pieces on both outer sides, the line connecting the leading ends of the open / close pieces may be configured to have an inverted concave shape. With such a configuration, the open / close piece in contact with the pig is short, so that the contact resistance with the preceding pig is reduced and the pig is easy to pass. , It is possible to reliably block the approach from the gap.

When the central three opening / closing pieces are made short as in the opening / closing unit of FIG. 11, when the opening / closing unit reaches the lowest position, there is a slight gap between the central short three opening / closing pieces and the walkway 16 surface. Although there is a concern that a gap may be formed, even if the pig is pushed into the short opening / closing piece, it does not rotate inward, so that the pig cannot enter.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the respective opening / closing pieces are linearly arranged along the width direction of the taxiway as viewed from the plane direction, but the opening / closing piece at the center in the width direction is located on the inner side of the taxiway. Alternatively, the opening and closing pieces at both ends may be arranged outside the entrance. Alternatively, on the contrary, the opening and closing pieces at the center in the width direction may be located outside the guideway, and the opening and closing pieces at both ends may be arranged inside the entrance.
These modified examples can be applied to the opening / closing units of all the following embodiments as long as they can be applied.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, a side plate 36 is disposed along the left side regulating member 18 as a closing member for preventing the pig from departing from the taxiway.
When the side regulating member 18 is configured as a fence made of a metal pipe or the like, even if the opening / closing unit is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 2, the side regulating member 18 is formed between the vertical pipes 18a in the side regulating member 18. There is no possibility that the following pigs may enter using the opening G1. Therefore, in the present example, a closing member 36 as a side plate that closes the opening G1 is disposed along one or both side regulating members. In addition, by protruding the front end 36a of the closing member forward from the entrance portion, in addition to the entry preventing function of the opening / closing piece projecting into the gap G, it is possible to effectively prevent the subsequent pig from entering the gap. be able to.
The closing member 36 may be provided on both left and right sides of the side regulating member.

Next, a procedure and an operation for regulating the number of pigs entering the entrance will be described based on the control block diagrams of FIGS. 1 to 10, FIG. 12, and the flowchart of FIG.
When starting the entry head number control operation using the guidance head number control apparatus 1, the control unit 100 moves the opening / closing unit 50, which was in the closed position in FIG. 2, to the open position shown in FIGS. The drive mechanism 80 is operated to move the opening / closing unit to the open position, and the state is maintained (step S1). As shown in FIG. 2, when the drive mechanism 80 causes the opening / closing unit 50 to drop (down) to the lowermost position to close the entrance 12, the pig cannot enter the guideway 10. On the other hand, when the opening / closing unit is moved to the highest position and the entrance is fully opened as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the pig in the rest area 201 feeling hungry passes through the taxiway from the entrance. Try to go to the feeding ground.

Since the pig can enter the taxiway 10 when the entrance 12 is opened, the detection means 90 on the entrance side monitors the entry of the pig (step S2), and the pig entering from the entrance is detected. When it is detected by the means (step S2, YES), the holding of the opening / closing unit is released by the drive mechanism and the unit is moved in the closing direction (natural fall) (step S3).
The opening / closing unit 50 interrupts the fall or decelerates when the tip of each opening / closing piece 60 comes in contact with the head of the pig in the process of falling (FIGS. 4 and 7). Since the weight of the opening / closing unit is appropriately set, after this point, the pig keeps moving forward while pushing up the opening / closing piece.
In other words, before the opening / closing unit 50 reaches the closing position, after the tip of any of the opening / closing pieces contacts a proper position of the preceding pig body, the opening / closing piece 60 is pushed up in the opening direction by the moving pig P. Pigs move forward smoothly. The end opening / closing piece 60A which does not come into contact with the pig or falls into the gap G formed on the side of the pig without being pushed up by the pig even if it comes into contact with the pig, abandons the following pig from entering the gap. Can be. That is, when the leading pig passes through the entrance, the opening / closing piece 60A at the left end keeps closing the gap, so that the following pig cannot enter the entrance from the nose using the gap, and the leading pig is not allowed to enter the entrance. Can be guided into the taxiway with priority (FIGS. 5, 8, and 9).

When the preceding pig completely passes through the opening / closing unit and is brought into a non-contact state with any of the opening / closing pieces, the opening / closing unit is lowered by its own weight to the completely closed position shown in FIGS.
At a predetermined timing after the target treatment such as weight measurement has been performed on the preceding pig P1 in the taxiway, the control means opens the opening / closing unit again to enter the standby state shown in FIGS. That is, in this example, when it is detected by the exit-side detecting means 95 that only the preceding pig P1 has entered the taxiway, received weight measurement, and has exited from the exit (step S4, YES), The control means shifts to step S5, moves the opening / closing unit 50 to the open position, shifts to a state in which a subsequent pig is allowed to enter, and repeats the operation from step S2 to step S5 until the sorting operation is completed (step S5). S6).
When a series of sorting work is completed in step S6, the opening / closing unit is lowered to the most closed position, and the flow is finished (step S7).

In this example, as a gate provided at the exit of the taxiway 10, a rotary gate 251 for distributing to the feeding area 210 and the shipping area 240 according to the result of weight measurement as shown in FIGS. Although a gate composed of a sorting wall 255 is used, this is merely an example, and a conventional blind-type or vertical-type gate that allows an exit from an exit portion but prohibits a reversal from the outside is used. It may be.
Even when the opening / closing unit is at the most closed position, each opening / closing piece is freely rotatable in the opening direction. The pig that has fallen into the space can push back and open the opening and closing piece by retracting and return to the outside from the entrance.

In the conventional simple ascending / descending gate shown in FIG. 20 which does not have a structure in which each opening / closing piece opens and closes in an interdigital manner along the traveling direction of the pig, two pigs are continuously connected to the entrance part one after another. When entering, it is difficult to set the timing of lowering the gate, and no matter how the timing is adjusted, the gap G is formed, so that the invasion of the subsequent pig from this gap cannot be prevented.
On the other hand, in the blind opening / closing unit according to the present invention, if the opening / closing unit is lowered at a timing when a 1/3 or 1/2 of the body length of the preceding pig enters the entrance, the gap G can be reduced. Is quickly closed by the opening / closing pieces, so that the following pigs can be reliably prevented from entering.

<Second embodiment>
FIGS. 14A to 14D are diagrams for explaining the configuration and operation of the pig head count control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14A shows a state in which the opening / closing unit constituting the guiding head number control device is in the raised open position and the entrance is opened, and FIGS. A state in which the pig is allowed to pass while sliding while contacting the back is shown, and (d) shows a state in which the pig has passed through the entrance.
The same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the duplicated configuration and operation will be omitted.

The control device 1 for controlling the number of induced pigs according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the opening / closing piece 60 is configured such that a plurality of opening / closing pieces 110 are rotatably connected via the joint 120, and the movable base 54 and the uppermost opening / closing piece are provided. It is characterized in that it has a configuration in which it is rotatably connected to the base 110 via the joint 120.
That is, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that each opening / closing piece 60 has a multi-joint structure. Note that not all the opening / closing pieces may be articulated, but only some opening / closing pieces may be articulated.

Although a drive mechanism is not shown in FIG. 14, a drive mechanism such as an air cylinder for raising and lowering the opening / closing unit is actually provided. In addition, the guideway, the detection means, the sorter, and the like are not shown.
The multi-joint opening / closing piece 60 of this example has a configuration in which ends of short cylindrical opening / closing pieces 110 are rotatably connected by joints 120. In the state where no external force is applied at the ascending position shown in FIG. 14A, each of the open / close pieces 110 is closed beyond the initial posture (the limit position of the rotation in the closing direction) shown in FIGS. Cannot rotate in any direction.
That is, the opening / closing small piece 110a located at the uppermost portion is prevented from rotating in the closing direction beyond the illustrated initial posture by the movable base 54, and the opening / closing small piece 110b immediately below the uppermost opening / closing small piece 110a is moved to the uppermost portion. Similarly, the joint 120a provided at the lower portion of the opening / closing small piece 110a prohibits rotation in the closing direction beyond the initial posture. The turning direction of the lower opening / closing piece is similarly restricted by a joint provided below the opening / closing piece.
However, since each joint portion 120 allows the opening / closing piece connected directly below to rotate in the opening direction, the opening / closing piece according to this embodiment is different from the opening / closing piece of the first embodiment. Since the joint can be rotated in the opening direction in multiple stages, the resistance generated when the pig touches the back of the moving pig as shown in FIGS. 14B and 14C can be greatly reduced.

In a state where the pig has passed and the opening / closing unit has been completely lowered to the closed position as shown in FIG. 14 (d), each opening / closing piece 60 closes the inlet portion 12, and the following pig will forcibly push the opening / closing piece. However, since the opening / closing piece does not rotate in the closing direction, it cannot enter.
FIG. 14E shows a configuration example of a joint, which can be applied to a joint between the movable base 54 and the uppermost opening / closing piece 110a and a joint between the opening / closing pieces.
In this configuration example, the ends of the two open / close pieces are rotatably connected by a rotary shaft 121 as a joint, and the stopper 122 provided on one open / close piece is applied to the end of the other open / close piece. The rotation in the closing direction is restricted by the contact.
Also in this example, the position of the lower end of each opening / closing piece may be constant (horizontal) by making the total length of each opening / closing piece constant, or the center portion may be shortest as shown in the configuration example of FIG. You may make it lengthen sequentially toward both sides.

In the above embodiment, the movable base 54 and the uppermost opening / closing piece 110a are rotatably connected by the joint. However, the movable base and the uppermost opening / closing piece are fixed at a predetermined angle in advance, Only the upper joint piece and the opening / closing pieces smaller than the upper joint piece may be sequentially rotatably connected by the joint portion.
Since the regulation procedure and the regulation method in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted.
Also in this example, when the opening / closing unit is in the closed position, each opening / closing piece is freely rotatable in the opening direction, so that the exit gate is closed due to a power failure or the like, so that the opening / closing piece is confined in the taxiway and advances. The pig which has fallen into an impossible state can push back and open the opening / closing piece by retreating and return to the outside from the entrance.

<Third embodiment>
FIGS. 15A to 15D are diagrams illustrating a configuration and a regulating operation of the pig head count regulating device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
15A shows a state in which the opening / closing unit 50 constituting the guidance head number regulating device 1 is in the raised open position and the entrance is opened, and FIGS. A state in which the passing of the preceding pig is allowed while contacting the back of the pig is shown, and (d) shows a state in which the preceding pig has passed through the entrance.
The same parts as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the duplicated configuration and operation will be omitted.

Although the drive mechanism 80 is not shown in FIG. 15, a drive mechanism such as an air cylinder for raising and lowering the opening / closing unit is actually provided. In addition, the guideway, the detection means, the sorter, and the like are not shown.
The pig head number control device 1 according to the present embodiment is characterized in that each opening / closing piece 60 is individually supported by the movable base 54 so as to be able to linearly move up and down in the vertical direction (axial direction).
That is, also in the present example, the opening / closing unit 50 is supported by the pair of columnar elevating guide members 30 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The opening / closing piece 60 constituting the opening / closing unit is a rectangular column-shaped rod (or a plate-like body) extending linearly, and is fixed at a predetermined lateral pitch to a fixed guide member 130 which is fixed across the elevating guide member 30. It is supported in each through hole 132 provided so as to be able to move up and down. When no external force in the direction of pushing up is applied to each opening / closing piece 60, each opening / closing piece 60 is lowered into its own through hole 132 by its own weight. Further, a movable base 54 in a posture parallel to the fixed guide member 130 is disposed above the fixed guide member 130, and the movable base is supported by the elevating guide member 30 so that both ends thereof can move up and down along a predetermined locus. The movable base 54 has a through hole 135 formed at a position corresponding to the through hole 132 of the fixed guide member 130 in a vertical positional relationship, and each of the through holes has an opening / closing piece 60 having a corresponding positional relationship. One by one is inserted so as to be relatively movable. A stopper 140 is formed at the upper end of each opening / closing piece to prevent the opening / closing piece from falling out of the through-hole 135, and a roller 142 for rotatably contacting and sliding with the pig is rotatably arranged at the tip of each opening / closing piece. Have been.
That is, each opening / closing piece 60 is provided with a through hole 132 provided in the fixed guide member 130 fixed between the elevating guide members 30 and a through hole provided in the movable base 54 which moves up and down in a parallel posture above the fixed guide member. The hole 135 is inserted and supported so as to be relatively movable up and down. When the opening / closing unit 50 at the open position moves in the direction of closing the entrance portion 12 and descends onto the body of the pig, the opening / closing piece that comes into contact with the pig and is prevented from descending is slid with the body of the pig as it is. It moves up and down while touching, and the opening / closing piece located at a position separated from the pig protrudes into the gap G formed on the side of the pig and prevents the following pig from entering.

The regulation procedure and the regulation method according to the present embodiment are almost the same as those according to the first embodiment, and a duplicate description will be omitted.
Although not shown, each opening / closing piece may be constituted by a plurality of tubular bodies each having a short length and a diameter sequentially different from each other, and these small pieces may be configured so as to be expandable and contractible in a multistage nested manner.

<Weight estimation system and detection means>
In the automatic sorting system shown in FIG. 19, the weight of a pig riding on a weight measuring device arranged on a taxiway (on a walking path) inside the entrance is measured, and it is determined whether or not the pig has reached an appropriate weight. Then, the rotary gate 251 is operated by the sorter 250 and sorted to the feeding area 210 or the shipping area 240.
However, there is a problem that an error occurs due to an increase in the size of the weight measuring device or movement of livestock during measurement. Also, if two pigs entering the taxiway ride on the weight measuring device at the same time, accurate measurement becomes impossible, and it is determined that both pigs satisfy the specified weight and are distributed to the shipping area. Will be.
In order to solve this problem, the present applicant has proposed a system for estimating the weight of a pig from a photographed image in Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-171256. According to this, an image is taken by a camera (camera 92 in FIG. 1) at the moment when the pig walking on the taxiway enters the measurement position, and data for calculating the weight of the pig is acquired from the image. be able to. In this system, by combining multi-slit light and random dots, a three-dimensional shape of a pig is acquired from one image, and image measurement that is not affected by disturbance light to a moving living body can be realized. According to this method, a three-dimensional shape can be restored from one image, so that it is useful for biometric measurement in which it is difficult to keep still.
The image obtained from the camera 92 can also be used as means for detecting the timing at which the drive mechanism 80 is operated to operate the opening / closing unit 50. That is, the camera 92 constitutes the detection unit 90.
However, even with a pig weight estimation system that uses a camera, accurate weight estimation is not possible if part of the head or front legs of the following pig is included in the image of the preceding pig. .

By applying the guidance head number control device according to the present invention to the present estimation system, measurement can be performed in a state where one head is always positioned within the imaging range. Further, since the photographing time required for measuring the weight is usually about 1 second, the working efficiency can be improved.
In some cases, it may be necessary to take a plurality of images in the process of the pig moving forward in the taxiway. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a margin for the length of the taxiway corresponding to the photographing area of the camera.
As a modified example, a switch (not shown) that is activated when a weight is applied by a pig stepping on an appropriate place on a walking path is provided, and the opening / closing unit is activated by activation of this switch (entrance detection). You may comprise.

<Countermeasures for lying pigs>
If the pig is left untreated, it will lie down for a long time regardless of the location, such as the rest area 201, the feeding ground 210, the taxiway 220, the shipping area 240, etc. If you fall asleep in this position, the entrances and passages will be blocked, which will hinder other pigs from getting in and out. This will limit hungry pigs from going to the feeding ground, thus affecting feeding frequency and adversely affecting pig growth.
Conventionally, as a countermeasure to prevent sleeping on a taxiway, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, an obstacle protrusion formed of a Λ-shaped rail for preventing pigs from sleeping on the road surface of the internal walking path 16a. 25 was formed over the entire length. However, conventionally, since the obstacle protruding portion 25 is not provided on the external walking path 16b, no measures have been taken against pigs sleeping on the external walking path 16b. In the present invention, since the obstacle protruding portion 25 is also arranged on the external walking path 16b, it is possible to eliminate a pig that becomes an obstacle at the entrance.

In the meantime, as described in the first embodiment, in the guidance head number control device 1, the approach route to the entrance is formed by vertically setting the columns 20 at the two corners of the external walking path 16b. It is divided into three routes: a front route R1, a left route R2, and a right route R3. Therefore, as shown in the state diagram of the pig at the entrance portion in FIG. 16, when one pig P3 is going to enter the entrance portion from the route R3, one or two routes R1 and R2 are connected to the other pigs P4 and P5. It is possible to enter from the remaining route R3 even if the vehicle is blocked.
Even if all the routes are closed by pigs, a space (space on the external walkway 16b) is formed between each route and the entrance, so that the entrances are directly closed by pigs. Not necessarily. Therefore, it is possible to enter the entrance by overcoming a pig lying down blocking the path.

<Reverse entry control device at exit of taxiway>
FIGS. 17A, 17B, and 17C are perspective views on the exit side showing the configuration of an example of the reverse intrusion restricting device disposed at the exit of the taxiway.
The reverse intrusion control device 150 (150A, 150B) according to the present embodiment distributes the pig approaching the exit portion 14 from inside the taxiway 10 to one of the feeding area 210 and the shipping area 240 and exits from the taxiway. The selector 152 is provided.
The sorter 152 includes a feeder-side opening / closing mechanism 154A that enables pigs entering the guideway from the inlet 12 and approaching the outlet 14 to exit the feeder side, and exiting to the shipping area side. The opening / closing mechanism 154B on the shipping area side, a detecting means 95 (FIG. 12) for detecting the position of the pig at the outlet, and a control means 100 for controlling these.

Each of the opening /

closing mechanisms

154A and 154B includes openings 155A and 155B communicating with the outlet 14, respectively, and selectively opens one of the openings to cause the pig to retreat from the opening on the open side. That is, for pigs determined to have not reached the specified weight by the weight estimation system (or weight measuring device) provided in the taxiway, the opening / closing mechanism 154A is operated to open the opening 155A and exit to the feeding ground. The pig that has been determined to have reached the specified weight operates the opening / closing mechanism 154B to open the opening 155B and retreat to the shipping area.
Since both of the opening /

closing mechanisms

154A and 154B have the same configuration, the configuration and operation of the feeder-side opening / closing mechanism 154A will be mainly described here.
The opening / closing mechanism 154A is provided in the opening 155A and does not always prevent the pig in the taxiway from exiting from the outlet 14, but prevents the pig from entering the outlet from the outside (feeding ground). For this purpose, a plurality of opening / closing pieces 160 rotatably supported within a predetermined angle range, and a closing position for protruding into a space between the opening / closing pieces to close the internal pig from the opening 155A so as to be unable to withdraw. An advancing / retreating piece 170 for advancing / retreating between a retreat position where the pig can retreat from the opening 155B by retreating from between the opening / closing pieces.
An opening serving as an outlet 14 is formed on the exit side of the walking path 16 and the two side regulating members 18 constituting the guideway 10. An opening 155A is formed outside the outlet, and a fixed base 156 extending in the lateral direction is provided above the opening, and the fixed base 156 extends the upper ends of the plurality of opening / closing pieces 160 in the outward direction ( (Opening direction). In this example, the two opening / closing pieces 160 are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the longitudinal direction of the fixed base 156, and move from the closed posture shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B to the outside posture shown in FIG. It is configured such that it can rotate in the direction but not inward. The structure for supporting the opening / closing piece so as to be rotatable outward from the initial position and not rotatable inside is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 10B.

On the other hand, a through-hole penetrating up and down is formed at a portion of the fixed base 156 corresponding to between the opening / closing pieces, and advance / retreat pieces 170 are inserted into each through-hole movably up and down one by one. The upper part of each reciprocating piece 170 is fixed to the movable base 175 and integrated. The movable base 175 is supported so as to be able to move up and down by guide members 180 which are provided to project upward from both sides of the opening 155A. The movable base 175 and the reciprocating piece 170 constitute a comb fence.
The movable base 175 and the reciprocating piece 170 are driven up and down by a driving mechanism such as an air cylinder (not shown). In addition, a detection means 95 (not shown) is arranged at an appropriate place inside the outlet to detect the presence or absence of a pig heading toward the outlet.
The control means 100 raises the movable base 175 and the reciprocating piece 170 by operating the opening / closing mechanism 154A when the pig determined to have not reached the prescribed weight after receiving the weight measurement reaches the position just before the outlet. Only the opening / closing piece 160 hangs in the opening 155A. For this reason, the pig in the taxiway can move to the feeding ground by pushing the opening / closing piece 160.

In addition, the movable base 175 provided on the shipping area side by operating the opening / closing mechanism 154B on the shipping area side when the pig determined to have reached the specified weight after receiving the weight measurement reaches the position just before the outlet, and The reciprocating piece 170 is raised so that only the opening / closing piece 160 hangs down in the opening 155B. Therefore, the pig can move to the shipping area by pushing the opening / closing piece 160 on the shipping area side.
In this way, in the main sorter 152, the combination of the ID-shaped opening / closing piece 160 hanging down from above into the openings 155A and 155B and the comb-shaped fence (movable base 175 and the reciprocating piece 170) moving up and down between the opening / closing pieces is provided. While selectively allowing the pig to retreat from any of the openings 155A and 155B, it always prevents the pig from flowing into the openings from outside.
The conventional rotary sorter shown in FIG. 1 has been required to be improved in order to increase its weight, size, and cost. However, a comb-shaped flap 160 and a comb fence that moves up and down between the flaps are required. According to the present device configuration of a double structure in which the movable base 175 and the reciprocating piece 170 are combined, the opening / closing pieces and the comb fence are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction of the movable base so as to be substantially in a line. Therefore, it becomes possible to make the sorter compact (thinner), lighter, and lower in cost. In addition, you may arrange | position so that an opening-and-closing piece and a comb fence may be in the front-back positional relationship along the moving direction of a pig.

Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 18, a description will be given of a sorting operation performed by the reverse intrusion restricting device 150 (150 </ b> A, 150 </ b> B) included in the selector 152, with the restriction of reverse intrusion from the outside into the outlet.
Until it is detected that the pig to be sorted that has entered from the entrance section 12 has reached the exit section, the comb fences constituting each of the opening /

closing mechanisms

154A and 154B continue to be set to the closed positions, respectively. That is, the comb-shaped fence composed of each movable base 175 and the reciprocating piece 170 is at the lowest position (step S20).
In step S21, when the exit side detection means 95 detects that the pig has reached the exit side, the control means sets the comb fence constituting one of the opening /

closing mechanisms

154A, 154B based on the determination result by the weight estimation system. Open to allow pigs to leave either feeding area or shipping area. That is, if the pig has reached the specified weight in step S22, the opening / closing mechanism 154B on the shipping area side is operated to allow the pig to leave the shipping area. If the weight has not reached the specified weight in this step, the opening / closing mechanism 154A on the feeding ground side is operated to allow the animal to leave the feeding ground.
In addition, you may comprise so that it may detect that the pig completes exiting from each opening part 155A, 155B as needed.
In order to prevent a pig from laying down on the floor or the like outside each of the openings 155A and 155B and hinder other pigs from leaving, a Λ-shaped rail or the like is provided at a place where it is desired to prevent the pig from laying down. The obstacle projection 25 is installed.

<Summary of Configuration, Function, and Effect of the Present Invention>
The livestock guidance head number control device 1 according to the present invention includes a blind-shaped opening / closing unit (movable base 54, opening / closing piece 60) 50, a driving mechanism 80, a detecting means 90 for detecting the position (entering distance) of the livestock, And control means 100 for a drive mechanism.
The guidance head number control device can be applied to all cases where livestock guided into the guidance road are sorted into one head regardless of the purpose.
If the density of livestock in a livestock breeding house is high, two or more livestock will try to go to the narrow entrance of the taxiway at a time in order to go to the feeding ground, water area, etc. If this is the case, it is always possible to limit the number of heads to one.
Since the structure is simple and lightweight, the opening / closing operation speed can be increased, and even if the operation speed is increased, the performance of the head count control is not affected, and the processing speed can be increased.
When the livestock in the taxiway retreats to the entrance, the opening and closing piece that can freely rotate in the opening direction does not prevent the livestock from leaving the entrance.
In the process of moving the opening / closing unit in the closing direction at a predetermined timing after the preceding livestock enters the entrance, the preceding livestock smoothly advances without being obstructed by the rotation of the opening / closing piece in the opening direction. On the other hand, the following livestock is prevented from entering through the gap G between the livestock and the side wall of the taxiway due to the regulating action of the other opening / closing pieces.
The direction in which the opening / closing unit opens and closes the entrance by opening and closing is not limited to the vertical direction, but may be variously set, such as a horizontal direction, an oblique direction, and the like.
The type of livestock is not limited to pigs, and can be applied to all walking animals such as cows, horses, sheep, and chickens.

In the guide head number control device 1 according to the present invention, each opening / closing piece 60 is supported by the movable base 54 so as to be rotatable in a direction parallel to the livestock entering direction.
The role of each opening and closing piece is that it does not hinder entry by rotating in the opening direction by contacting livestock passing therethrough, and it fills the gap between the livestock and the taxiway and fills the gap where the following livestock enters. Divided into two. The opening / closing piece that protrudes into the gap does not rotate in a direction that allows the subsequent pig located outside the opening / closing piece to enter the entrance, and therefore cannot enter through the gap.

In the guidance head number control device 1 according to the present invention, each opening / closing piece 60 is in an open position where no new external force is applied, in a posture parallel to the entrance surface (a posture orthogonal to the moving direction of the livestock), or Also maintain the inclined posture inclined outward (opening direction) of the entrance portion at a predetermined angle, continue to maintain the respective postures even in the process of moving to the closed position, and are pressed by contact with livestock. Rotate in the opening direction.
The initial posture of the opening / closing piece when the opening / closing unit descends toward the livestock may be any angle and posture that does not prevent the passage of the livestock, and may be a posture parallel to the opening surface of the entrance (vertical posture or the like). However, the posture may be inclined in the opening direction. If the contact resistance with livestock can be reduced by providing a rotating body at the tip of the opening / closing piece or the like, it is not necessary to adopt the inclined posture.

In the guidance head number control device 1 according to the present invention, each opening / closing piece cannot rotate inward of the entrance part beyond a posture parallel to the entrance of the guidance path or an inclined posture.
When the opening / closing unit is in the closed position, each opening / closing piece can freely move between an entry restricting position for preventing livestock from entering the entrance and an entry permitting position for allowing livestock to enter the entrance. Have been. In this approach, the approach of livestock is prevented.

In the guiding head number control device 1 according to the present invention, the opening / closing piece has a configuration in which a plurality of opening / closing small pieces 110 are rotatably connected via joints.
The movable base 54 and the opening / closing piece located at the end may be rotatably connected via a joint or may be integrated.

In the guidance head number control device 1 according to the present invention, the opening / closing unit 50 includes a movable base 54 that can move forward and backward, a plurality of opening and closing pieces 60 that are individually and linearly protruded and retracted by the movable base, and that are supported to be able to move forward and backward. Prepare.
The opening / closing unit may be of a type that opens and closes an entrance by rotating by a movable base, and may be a type that moves forward and backward along the entrance without rotating. It may be of a type that moves forward and backward while rotating.

In the head number control device 1 according to the present invention, obstacle protrusions 25 for preventing livestock from lying are provided on the inner walkway 16a and the outer walkway 16b.
Since the obstacle protruding portion 25 that prevents the animal from lying down on the external walking path 16b is also arranged, it is possible to eliminate the animal that becomes an obstacle at the entrance.

The livestock reverse intrusion control device 150 according to the present invention allows the livestock to always escape from the exit portion 14, while supporting a plurality of rotatably supported livestock to prevent reverse intrusion into the exit portion. The opening / closing piece 160 and a closing position where the livestock in the taxiway is closed irreversibly from the exit by projecting between the opening / closing pieces, and the livestock can be allowed to exit from the exit by retracting between the opening / closing pieces. A reciprocating piece 170 for reciprocating between the retreat position.
With the combination of the interdigitated opening and closing piece 160 that hangs down under its own weight and turns, and the comb fence (movable base 175 and the reciprocating piece 170) that moves up and down between the opening and closing pieces, the pigs can retreat from the openings 155A and 155B. While selectively permitting, reverse intrusion into the opening from outside is always prevented.
According to this double-structured apparatus configuration, it is possible to make the sorter compact (thinner), lighter, and lower in cost.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Guide number control apparatus, 10 ... Guideway, 12 ... Entrance part, 14 ... Exit part, 16 ... Walkway, 16a ... Internal walkway, 16b ... External walkway, 18 ... Lateral control member, 18a ... Vertical pipe , 20 ... pillar, 22 ... handrail, 25 ... obstacle protrusion part, 30 ... elevating guide member, 36 closing member, 36a ... front end, 50 ... opening / closing unit, 54 ... movable base part, 55 ... base body, 55a ... bearing part, 55b ... Large diameter part, 57 ... Slider, 60 ... Open / close piece, 61 ... Sleeve, 62 ... Locked projection, 63 ... Stopper, 80 ... Drive mechanism, 82 ... Air cylinder, 83 ... Cylinder tube, 84 ... Piston rod, 90 ... Detecting means, 92 ... Camera, 95 ... Detecting means, 100 ... Control means, 110, 110a, 110b ... Open / close piece, 120 ... Joint part, 120a ... Joint part, 121 ... Rotating shaft, 122 ... Stopper 130: fixed guide member, 132: through hole, 135: through hole, 140: stopper, 142: roller, etc., 150: reverse intrusion control device, 152: sorter, 154A, 154B: opening / closing mechanism, 155A, 155B: opening Reference numeral: 156: fixed base, 160: opening / closing piece, 170: reciprocating piece, 175: movable base, 180: guide member, 200: pig house, 201: rest area, 206: one-way gate, 210: feeding ground, 220: taxiway 220a entrance, 225 automatic door, 225a lower bar, 230 weight measuring device, 240 shipping area, 250 sorter, 251 gate, 252 concave portion, 255 wall.

Claims

A livestock guidance head number regulating device that regulates the number of live animals entering the taxiway from the entrance portion one by one,
An opening / closing unit that can move back and forth between an opening position that opens the entrance to allow livestock to enter and a closed position that closes at least a part of the entrance to prevent livestock from entering; A drive mechanism for operating a unit, a detection unit for detecting the position of livestock in the taxiway, and a control unit for the drive mechanism,
The control means holds the opening / closing unit in an open position by the drive mechanism in an initial state in which the livestock enters, and detects that the livestock that has entered from the entrance reaches a predetermined position. Moving the open / close unit, which was in the open position by the drive mechanism when detected by the drive mechanism, in a closing direction toward the closed position,
The opening / closing unit is a process of moving from the open position to the closed position, and after moving, while allowing the livestock to move forward, another livestock enters from a gap between the livestock and the taxiway. A device for controlling the number of livestock to be induced, characterized in that the number of livestock is reduced.
The opening / closing unit has a movable base that can move forward and backward along a predetermined track, and a part of the movable base is rotatably supported within a predetermined angle range in a direction parallel to a livestock entering direction, and the other part. A plurality of opening and closing pieces extending toward the inlet portion, and a part of each of the opening and closing pieces is a process in which the movable base moves from an open position to a closed position, and after moving, While allowing the livestock to advance while being in contact with the livestock, the other opening / closing piece is located in the gap between the livestock and the taxiway, and prevents other livestock from entering through the gap. The animal head count control device according to claim 1, wherein:
The livestock guide number control device according to claim 2, wherein each of the opening and closing pieces is rotatably supported by the movable base in a direction parallel to a livestock entry direction.
In the open position, the opening / closing pieces maintain a posture parallel to the entrance or a posture inclined to the outside of the entrance at a predetermined angle from the direction parallel to the entrance, and move to the closed position. 4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the postures is maintained, and the animal is rotated in the opening direction by being pressed against the livestock.
The said number of opening / closing pieces cannot rotate inward of the said entrance part beyond the said parallel attitude | position or the said inclination attitude | position, The induced | guided number of livestock of any one of Claims 2 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Regulatory devices.
The livestock induced head number control device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the opening / closing piece has a configuration in which a plurality of opening / closing pieces are rotatably connected via a joint. .
The opening and closing unit includes a movable base that can move forward and backward, and a plurality of opening and closing pieces that are individually and linearly protruded and retracted by the movable base, and that are supported to be able to move forward and backward, and a part of each of the opening and closing pieces, The process in which the movable base moves from the open position to the closed position, and after the movement, while allowing the livestock to move forward, the other opening and closing piece is located in the gap between the livestock and the guideway. The livestock guidance head number control device according to claim 1, wherein the other livestock is prevented from entering through the gap.
The taxiway is arranged along one walking path on which the livestock that has entered the entrance can move forward and backward, and on both left and right edges of the walking path to prevent the animal from turning on the walking path. Formed by the left and right side regulating members,
The walkway has an internal walkway inside the entrance, and an external walkway located outside the entrance,
The livestock guide according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein obstacle protrusions that prevent livestock from lying are provided on road surfaces of the internal walkway and the external walkway. Head count control device.
In a taxiway having an exit portion from which livestock exits, a reverse intrusion restricting device that regulates that livestock reversely intrudes into the taxiway from the exit portion,
A plurality of opening and closing pieces rotatably supported to prevent livestock from back-intruding into the outlet from the outside while allowing the livestock to always exit from the outlet,
A closed position where the livestock in the taxiway is closed from the outlet part by protruding between the opening and closing pieces, and the livestock can retreat from the outlet part by retracting between the opening and closing pieces. A retreating piece that moves between the retreat position and
A livestock reverse intrusion control device comprising: