CA2544279A1

CA2544279A1 - Length adjustable livestock chute with rear pushing member

Info

Publication number: CA2544279A1
Application number: CA 2544279
Authority: CA
Inventors: Eugene Pryslak
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-20
Filing date: 2006-04-20
Publication date: 2007-10-20

Description

ABSTRACT

LENGTH ADõIUSTABLE LIVESTOCB CHUTE WITH REAR PUSHING
MEMBER

This invention relates to agricultural livestock handling equipment and more specifically to a chute for securing anima[s.

BACKGROUND

Livestock chutes are well known in the prior art for eonfining and restraining movement by an animal such that various treatments or procedures can be carried out on the animal, for example calving assistance, branding, vaccination, castration, and like operations.

Such chutes typically include a headgate at the front end of the chute that engages the anunal's neck and restricts movement of the animats head. The headgate can be self-locking, such that when an animal enters the headgate its shoulders push the headgate to a closed position where it latches automaticaiiy, or some headgates must be manually locked. The headgate can include substantially vertical shoulder bars that move to a closed position adjacent each side of the animal's neck. The animal can typicaaly then move its head up and down. The shoulder bars can also be configured to curve close together above and below the neck to prevent such movement, or can include upper and/or lower stops eatending across the gap between the shoulder bars to prevent such movement.

Side panels extend rearward from the headgate, and restrict sideways movement of the animal's body. Some chutes incorporate a squeeze mechanism whereby one of the side panels is moved toward the other to squeeze the animal between the side panels and further confine the animal and restrict its movements. The rear of the chute is often left open to allow access to the animal, although reaching into the aroa behind the animal can be hazardous, as the animai's legs are typicaily free to move and kick. The rear of the chute can include a rear gate or the like to restrict the movement of the animal's legs and reduce the kicking hazard, however the animal's vary in length. Thus with a short animal, when the animal's head is in the headgate, its legs may stifli be removed some distance from the rear gate and free to kick.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a livestock chute for eonfining animals that overcomes problems in the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided a livestock chute apparatus with a headgate at a front end thereof, and sidewalls extending rearward from the headgate. The headgate is slidable with respect to the sidewalls such that the headgate can be moved forward or rearward relative to the sidewalls. The headgate is configured to restrain at

2 least upward movement of the animal's head. A pushing member is mounted to the rear end of the apparatus and extends lateralty between the sidewalls. The pushing member is movable and configured to be brought to bear against the rear end of an animal that has its head engaged in the headgate.

The pushing member can be mounted on arms pivotally attached to a top rear portion of the apparatus such that the arms can be operated by an actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder. The pushing member is mounted between lower ends of the arms, and can be configured to bear against the legs of a confined animal and move them forward and upward to a position where access to the testicles of the animal is readily available to a person at the rear of the apparatus, and castration can be easily accomplished with the animal's legs restrained such that kicking is not possible. With the anima.l so restrained other operations such as vaccination r the like could be carried out as well.

The pushing member will typically be a wide flexible fabric band that can bear against the animat's legs without causing injury. Pressure in the hydraulic cylinder will be reduced to the minimum possible to also reduce the chances of injury, and a limit stop will be provided to prevent the arms from moving beyond a maximum extended position.

By moving the headgate forward or rearward animals of varying length can be properly positioned with respect to the pushing member. It is contemplated as well that the pushing member mechanism could be movable with respect to a fixed headgate to attain the proper relative position with various animal lengths as well.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the livestock chute apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with an animal confined in the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a schematic rear view showing the pushing member and mechanism for moving the pushing member.

DETAILED DFSCRIPICION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS:

Figs.l - 3 illustrate a livestock chute apparatus 1 of the invention. A
headgate 3 is mounted at a front end of the apparatus l, and sidewalls 5 extend rearward from the headgate 3. The sidewalls 5 include such access doors 7 as might be required to give access to a confined animal for branding, vaccinating and the like. It is contemplated that

4 the sidewalls 5 could aEso be provided by a grid of bars as is known in the art however solid wall panels are generally preferred with the present chute apparatus I
since the animal can slide along a solid wall in response to forces exerted by the apparatus 1 on the animai, as will be described below, without the risk of a leg or the like prottuding through openings in a grid and causing injury to the animal.

The chute apparaws I can be mounted on wheels and include a hitch such as is known in the prior art so that the apparatua 1 can be convenientty moved to a desired operating location.

The headgate 3 is mounted on rails 9 or the like so that the headgate 3 is slidable with respect to the sidewalL-a 5. .'I$-- headgatme 3c--- thus br moved forward to position 3A or rearward relative to the sidewalls 5 by a headgate actuator 10, typically a hydraulic cylinder, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The headgate 3 is configured as is known in the prior art to restrain at least upward movement of the animal's head, and may be of the self loc.king or manually locking type.
A pushing nxmber 11. as besi seen in Fig. 3, is mounted to the zew end of the apparatus 1 and extends lateraIly between ttie sidewalls 5. In the illustrated embodiment the pushing niember 11 is mounted on arms 13 that are pivotally attached to a top rear portion of the apparatus about arm axis AA such that the arms 13 can be moved by an arm actuator, illustrated as arm hydraulic cylinder 15. The pushing member 11 is mounted between lower ends of the ,arms 13, and will typically be a wide flexible fabric

5 band that can bear against the animal's legs without causing injury.

The apparatus 1 is configured such that as the arm hydraulic cylinder 15 is extended, the pushing member 11 bears against the legs 20 of a conf'med anima122 and moves them forward and upward to a position illustrated in Fig. 2. The rear emi of the animat 22 moves up against the top of the chute apparatus 1, and the headgate 3 restrains upward movement of the animal's head 21 and tho animal 22 is tiws carifined in the position illustrated in Fig. 2.

In the confined position of Fig. 2, access to the testicles 24 of the animal 22 is readily availabie to a parson at the rear of the apparatus 1. Thus castration can bc easily accomplished with the animal's legs restrained such that ldclting is not possible. With the animai 20 so restrained other operations such as vaccination or the like could be carried out as weli.

Pressure in the arm hydraulic cylinder 15 will be reduced to the minimum required to satisfactorily confine the animai to reduoo the chances of injury. A limit stop 30 wig typically be provided to prevent the arrns 13 from moving beyond a maximum extended position, or a diverter valve 32 can be connected between the hydraulic supply and the arm hydraulic cylinder 15 to prevent the arm hydraulic cylinder 15 from extending beyond a selected point.

6 By moving the headgate 3 forward or rearward animals 22 of varying length can be properly positioned with respect to the pushing member l I so that the pushing member 11 bears against the legs 20 at a suitable location to raise the legs and geraerally pin the legs 20 against the belly 26 of the animal 22.

it is contemplated as well that an altemate chute apparatus could be provided where the pivot point at the arm axis of pashing member mechanism was movable with respect to a fixed headgate to adjust the relative positions of the pushing member and headgate to acoomnnodsrte various animal lengths.

Similarly while the pivoting arm pushing mechanism of the illustrated ennbodiment conveniently and simply provides the required funetion, it is contemp[ated that other mechanisms could be used as vQetl to bear against the animal's legs and move same upward and forward to the required oonfined position.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention.
Further. sinoe nutnerous changes and modifications will readily oocur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact consuuction and operation shown and described, and according[y, all such suitable changes or modifications in structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

7