AU728997B2 - Animal holder - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant: DAVID E. RENTSCH Invention Title: ANIMAL HOLDER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 ANIMAL HOLDER This invention relates to an animal holder for restraining an animal, and in particular, for gripping a leg of an animal such as a sheep's leg.

The animal holder of this invention has particular application with the animal handling apparatus disclosed in my co-pending Australian Patent No. 638847.

Animal holders for gripping a part of an animal and, in particular, a sheep's leg are known. However, such mechanisms are difficult to use and they generally require a workman to position the animal's leg in the holder and e 15 then for the workman to manipulate a closure to lock the animal in place. This can be difficult, particularly with sheep which are likely to struggle if an attempt is made to restrain them.

S" 20 The object of the invention is to provide an animal holder which is easier to use than those currently available.

The invention provides an animal holder for restraining an animal, including: 25 at least one pair of gripper elements for movement between an open position where an animal is releasable from the animal holder and a closed position wherein the animal is gripped by the animal holder; closure means coupled to at least one of the pair of gripper elements for causing the pair of gripper elements to move to the closed position; actuating means having a spring for biasing the actuating means into a first position so that when a portion of the animal enters the open gripper elements, the actuating means is moved against the bias of the spring to a second position; and a cam having a locking recess, the cam being H:suzanneg\Keep\Speci\1773-97RFE'SCHREV-SHW.doc 13/11/00 3 coupled to one of the gripper elements, and a roller mechanism connected to said actuating means, so that when the actuating means is moved to the second position, the roller mechanism is moved out of said locking recess to release the cam and the gripping element to which the cam is coupled so that the gripping element can be moved by the closure means to place the gripping elements in the closed position.

Since the actuating means detects when a part of the animal is moved into the gripper elements and the elements are then closed, it is not necessary for the workman to manipulate the device in order to enclose the animal. As soon as the animal's leg is located in the gripper elements, the gripper elements will be closed to quickly and conveniently grip the animal. Thus, the workman is free to concentrate on locating the animal's leg between "'"the gripper elements without the need to manipulate parts of the holder to restrain the animal.

2 Preferably the actuating means comprises a rod and a spring for biasing the rod into a first position so that when a portion of the animal enters the open gripper elements, the rod is moved against the bias of the spring to a second position.

Preferably, the gripping element to which the cam plate is S" coupled is moveable and the other of the gripping elements is fixed.

H: \suzanreg\Keep\Speci\17738-9RENTSCHREV-SHW.doc 13/11/00 4 Preferably, the actuating means applies bias to the moveable gripper element so that when the roller mechanism is moved from the locking recess, the cam plate and the moveable gripper element are moved by the actuating means so that the gripper elements take up the closed position.

Preferably the actuating means comprises a pneumatic cylinder arrangement.

Preferably, the animal holder includes opening means for causing the actuating means to allow the moveable gripper element to move to the open position to release the animal and to enable the roller mechanism to enter the locking recess to lock the cam plate and the moveable gripper element in the open position.

When the holder is used with the animal handler according to my aforementioned Australian Patent No. 638847, it is preferred that the opening means be included in that handler so that when a cradle of the handler is inverted to locate the animal in an inverted position, the holder is operated by locating the animal's leg between the gripper elements. Thus, the animal's leg can be firmly held to enable a workman to perform various operations on the animal. When the cradle is activated to return the animal to the upright position and before the cradle begins to move the gripper elements are returned to the open position to release the animal. When the holder of this invention is used with the handler of my aforesaid patent, the holder can be located on a fixed frame member adjacent a position the animal will be in when in the inverted position within the cradle.

In other embodiments, the opening means may be a stand alone switch arrangement which, when depressed, releases the actuating means so that the actuating means enables the staff/aenikeep/prov/RENTSCH.animal. holder 23.7.96 5 gripper elements to return the open position to release the animal.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of an animal holder according to the preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the holder of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line III-III of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an exploded view of part of the Sholder of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view along the line V-V of Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a view of part of the holder of Figure 1 showing movement between an open and closed positions.

With reference to Figure 1, a holder 10 is shown for holding the leg of an animal such as a sheep. The holder has a pair of plates 12 and 14 which are separated by a sleeve member 16. The sleeve member 16 is welded between the plates 12 and 14 at one end of the plates 12 and 14 to thereby couple the plates 21 and 14 together as well as to couple the sleeve portion 16 to the plates 12 and 14. The sleeve 16 has a central bore 18. A beam 20 is welded to the plate 14 at the end of the plate 14 remote from the sleeve 16. The beam 20 may carry a lug 22 to which a cover member (not shown) can be coupled to enclose the main mechanical parts of the holder 10 for safety during use.

As is best seen in Figure 2, a cylindrical stem 24 is welded to the top of the sleeve 16 and projects upwardly from the sleeve 16. The stem 24 has a bore 26 (as best stafVaenkeepprov/RENTSCHniaLhofder 23.7.96 6 shown in Figures 3 and A pivot pin 30 is arranged in the bore 26 and pivotally mounts a cam plate 32. The cam plate 32 includes a generally circular boss portion 34 which has a bore 36 for receiving the pin 30, a central lever section 38 and a cam portion 40. The cam portion 40, lever 38 and boss 34 may be formed integrally or may be welded together from separate parts.

As best seen in Figure 3, the boss section 34 sits on the cylindrical stem 24 and pivots about pin 30 on stem 34 as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The cam section 40 has a locking recess 42 and a cam surface 44.

A gripper arm 46 is connected to the boss 34 by being made 15 integral with the boss 34 or being welded to the boss 34.

The gripper arm 46 may be covered by padding 48. Thus, the cam plate 32, together with the gripper arm 46 is able to pivot on pin 30 to move the gripper arm 46 between open and closed positions as will become clearer hereinafter.

A second gripper arm 50 is fixed to the sleeve 16 and may also include padding 62. A lug 64 is connected to the arm for mounting the cover member (not shown) previously mentioned.

As best seen in Figure 2, an L-shaped lug 70 is connected to arm 46 and includes an upper section 72 and a rightangled section 74. A pneumatic cylinder 80 is pivotally mounted on beam 20 by a pivot pin 82 which locates in a lug 84 connected to the cylinder 80. The cylinder 80 is preferably a M/7025/25 cylinder made by'Martonair and includes a cylinder rod 82 which is spring biased in the staftaen/keeptprov/RENTSCH.animal.holder 23.7.96 7 cylinder 80 to pull the rod 82 in the direction of arrow A in Figure 2. The rod 82 has a bifurcated end 84 and is Pivotally coupled to section 74 of the lug 70 by a pin 79.

The sleeve 16 carries a horizontal rod 90 within its bore 18. The rod 90 has a head 92 at one end and a spring 94 is arranged between the head 92 and the sleeve 16 for biasing the rod 90 and head 92 in the direction of arrow B in Figures 1 and 2. The rod 90 extends through the bore 18 in the sleeve 16 and is coupled to a vertical rod 96 by welding or the like. The rod 96 is located between the plates 12 and 14 and carries a pair of rollers 98 and 100 which are mounted on the rod 96 for rotation about the rod 96. The plates 12 and 14 are spaced apart by a distance just slightly greater than the diameter of the rollers 98 15 and 100 so that the rollers 98 and 100 can ride and be guided on one of the plates 12 or 14 so that the plates effectively form a guide passage for movement of the rod 96 and the rollers 98 and 100, but the spacing is such that the plates 12 and 14 do not tightly engage the rollers 98 and 100 so that the rollers can roll on one or the other of the plates 12 and 14. The rod 96 also carries a roller 102 which is in registry with the locking recess 42 of the cam plate 32 and locates in the recess 42 in order to lock the cam plate 32 in place and therefore lock the gripper arms 46 and 60 in the open position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The pneumatic cylinder 80 is provided with a supply 110 of compressed air. The supply 110 may be a suitable conduit from a source of compressed air (not shown). Even though the conduit 110 is supplied with compressed air to in turn supply the cylinder 80, the rod 82 is in its retracted position because the arm 46 is locked in place by location of the roller 102 in the locking recess 42. When a sheep's leg is drawn between the gripper arms 46 and 60, the head 92 of the rod 90 is pushed against the bias of spring 94 in staf/aen/keep/prov/RENTSCH.animalholder 23.7.96 8 the direction of arrow C in Figures 1 and 2. This forces the rod 96, together with the rollers 98, 100 and 102 also in the direction of arrow C (with rollers 98 and 100 rolling on one of the plates 12 or 14) so that the roller 102 leaves the locking recess 42. The movement of the rod 96 and the rollers 102, 198 is best illustrated in Figure 6 which shows the movement of the roller 102 and rod 96 from the position shown in solid lines in Figure 6 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 and illustrated by the references 102' and 96'. Thus, the roller 102 has moved in the direction of arrow C in Figures 1 and 2 (and also in Figure 6) so that it leaves the locking recess 42.

The compressed air which is supplied to the cylinder 80 and which pushes the cylinder rod 82 in the direction of arrow D in Figure 1 therefore pivots the arm 46 and the cam plate 32 about pivot pin 30 so that the cam plate 32 moves from the position shown in solid lines in Figure 6 to the position shown in dotted lines with the roller 102 rolling on cam surface 44 as the arm 46 and cam plate 32 pivot in the direction of arrow E under the influence of the cylinder 80 and rod 82. Thus, the gripper arm 46 is moved into the closed position closer to gripper arm 60 so that the sheep's leg is locked between the gripper arms 60 and 46 and the sheep is firmly held and retained by the holder In order to release the sheep's leg, the supply of compressed air to the cylinder 80 is interrupted by, for example, an interrupt switch 130 in line 110 which may be depressed to cut off supply of compressed air to the cylinder 80 and to allow the compressed air in the cylinder to bleed to atmosphere. Thus, the spring biasing within the cylinder 80 will withdraw the rod 82 in the direction of arrow F in Figure 1 and Figure 2 so that the arm 46 together with the cam plate 32 is pivoted in a direction opposite arrow E back to its starting position. As the cam staffaenlkeep/prov/RENTSCH.animaholder 23.7.96 9 plate 32 pivots back to its starting position, the roller 102 will roll on the cam surface 44 until it arrives at the recess 42 and the spring 94 will bias the rod 90 and therefore the rod 96 and rollers 98, 100. and 102 in the direction of arrow B (as the sheep's leg leaves the gripper arms 46 and 60 and releases rod 90) so that the roller 102 re-enters the locking recess 42 to lock the clamp plate 32 back in its starting position awaiting entry of another sheep's leg so that the above mentioned locking cycle will be repeated.

Although in Figure 1 a manual release switch 130 is shown which could be depressed by a workman or the like after an o. operation on a sheep has been completed, if the apparatus is used with the handler according to aforesaid Australian Patent No. 638847, it is preferred that the supply of compressed air to the cylinder 80 be shut off when the cradle of the handling device according to our aforesaid patent commences its return from the inverted position to the normal position so that the arm 46 will be opened to release the sheep's leg just before the reinversion of the sheep so that the sheep is released from the holder 10 and the handling apparatus re-inverted for release of the sheep according to the aforesaid patent.

Thus, if the device is used in this manner in conjunction with the handler according to our aforesaid patent, the sheep will be automatically released from the holder just before the sheep is reinverted. Thus, release of the sheep occurs automatically without the workman needing to deactivate the holder.

Since the device is activated to lock the sheep's leg as soon as the sheep's leg enters between the gripper arms 46 and 60 and activates the rod 90, the sheep can be securely locked in place without the need for the workman to staftaenikeeprov/RENTSCH.anial.holder 23.7.96 10 manually place the holder into a locking position.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described by way of example hereinabove.

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*i *oo stafyaenlkeeprovRENTSCH.animal.holde 23.7.96

Claims (7)

1. 2. The holder of claim 1 wherein the actuating means is a rod.
2. 3. The holder of claim 1 or 2 wherein the cam is in the form of a cam plate.
3. 4. The holder of claim 3 wherein the gripping element to which the cam plate is coupled is moveable and the other of the gripping elements is fixed. The holder of claim 1 wherein the closure means H:\suzanneg\Keep\Speci\17738-97RENTSCHREV-SHW.doc 13/11/00 12 applied bias to the moveable gripper element so that when the roller mechanism is moved from the locking recess, the cam and the moveable gripper element are moved by the closure means so that the gripper elements take up the closed position.
4. 6. The holder of claim 1 wherein the closure means comprises a pneumatic cylinder arrangement.
5. 7. The holder of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the closure means includes opening means for moving the gripper element to the open position to release the animal and to enable the roller mechanism to enter the locking recess to lock the cam and the moveable gripper element in 15 the open position. C
6. 8. The holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cam has a cam surface and when the roller mechanism leaves the locking recess the roller 20 mechanism rolls on the cam surface to a remote position on the cam surface with respect to the locking recess and when the animal is released from the gripper elements the roller mechanism rolls on the cam surface back into engagement with the locking recess to lock the gripper elements in the 25 open position.
7. 9. An animal holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings Dated this 13th day of November 2000. DAVID E RENTSCH By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia H: \suznneg\Keep\Speci\17738-97RENTSCHREV-SHW.doc 13/11/00