CA1155171A - Apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered in particular pigs - Google Patents

Apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered in particular pigs

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Publication number
CA1155171A
CA1155171A CA000367470A CA367470A CA1155171A CA 1155171 A CA1155171 A CA 1155171A CA 000367470 A CA000367470 A CA 000367470A CA 367470 A CA367470 A CA 367470A CA 1155171 A CA1155171 A CA 1155171A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
electrodes
animal
conveyors
head
passageway
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000367470A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Johan W. Nijhuis
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Machinefabriek GJ Nijhuis BV
Original Assignee
Machinefabriek GJ Nijhuis BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Machinefabriek GJ Nijhuis BV filed Critical Machinefabriek GJ Nijhuis BV
Priority to CA000367470A priority Critical patent/CA1155171A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1155171A publication Critical patent/CA1155171A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

ABSTRACT
An apparatus is provided for electrically stunning animals, in par-ticular pigs. The apparatus comprises a restrainer in the form of two endless conveyors positioned to form a V-shaped passageway between opposed operating surfaces whoch hold an animal and further comprises a pair of electrodes extending downwardly into said passageway. Said electrodes are arranged side by side to engage or contact the sides of the head of the animal. The elec-trodes are shaped to conform to the contour of an animal's head. Said elec-trodes preferably are formed by plates having the outwardly turned edge parallel to the adjacent operating surface while the other edges first diverge upwardly and by a curvature merge into converging parts. The plates have a profile such that they also converge in the direction of conveyance.

Description

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The invention relates to an apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered, in particular pigs, comprising two endless conveyors, said conveyors being operable to run parallel to each other and at a synchronized rate and being positioned to form a substantially V-shaped passage way between the operating surfaces thereof, as well as a pair of electrodes or sets of electrodes, said electrodes or sets of electrodes being insulated with respect to each other and being adapted to extend into said V-shaped passage way, said electrodes furthermore being adapted to engage the head of the animal to be stunned and to clear said passage way, and comprising furthermore means opera-tive to make zero in principle the speed difference between the electrodes and the conveyors upon closure of the current circuit between said electrodes or said sets of electrodes, respectively.
A similar apparatus has been described in our older Dutch patent appli-cation 79.03681 published November 10, 1980, which patent application per se constitutes a further development of the apparatus according to our Dutch patent application 77.05519 published November 18, 1978.
In both instances, the electrodes or sets of electrodes, respectively, are arranged in a spaced relationship to each other in the direction of convey-ance. Consequently the animal transported by the conveyors will first be en-gaged by the first electrode or first set of electrodes, respcctlvely, passing over the head of the animal while onJy upon engagcmellt betweell the second elec-trode of the second set of elcctrodes, respectively, a current wlll start to flow, initially at slight intensity for determining whether a proper con-tact has been made or not and upon determining a proper contact a jolt of current of sufficient intensity to cause the stunning.
Like it has been explained already in the older Dutch patent applica-tion 79.03681 when stunning one has to take care that no improper or insufficient l~LSS~7~

current passage occurs because such a current passage will lead to damaging the animal to be slaughtered. The current passage required for the stunning should pass directly through the head of the animal at the correct potential and the correct intensity. When such current passage is not obtained or it is insuf-ficient, arbitrary muscular contractions will occur causing bone breakage and internal bleedings respectively. The meat of such an animal will then be classified in a lower quality class.
When stunning with the aid of manually operated stunning means there are utilized stunning rods which may be made to engage the head of the animal either in the longitudinal direction or in a direction transverse thereto.
The percentage of animals that may not be considered to be of prime quality be-cause of internal bleedings and bone breakage, respectively, is relatively low and amounts to only some animals per one thousand thereof. The manual stunning presents, however, the draw back that upon increasing production the drop out percentage increases too because the operators performing the manual stunning will then be subjected to a greater stress.
For avoiding the situation that the animal to be stunned is only uncon-scious and hence seems to be stunned but has not been stunned in reality it is desired to use a higher voltage than would be safe for the operators. Most of the above-mentioned considerations have only become apparont after Filing the above-mentioned Dutch patent application 77.05519.
The application of the latter apparatus in practice was conducive to a higher drop out percentage than that occurring in manual stunning. As a consequence thereof there has been a assiduous search for finding further improvements such as the provision of a damping device for damping the movements of the electrodes in the proposition according to our Dutch patent application 79.03678, published November 10, 1980, the maintenance of a fixed distance llS5~7~

between the electrodes according to our Dutch patent application 79.03680 published November 10, 1980 and the joint movement of the electrodes and the animal according to the above-mentioned Dutch patent application 79.03681.
Although these improvements were conducive to a decrease of the drop out per-centages such decrease was not sufficient.
The object of the invention accordingly is to provide an apparatus in which the occurrence of drop out will be lower than that in manual stunning.
Surprisingly this object is now attained in that the two electrodes or sets of electrodes, respectively, are or have been arranged side by side in the passage way and said electrodes or sets of electrodes, respectively, are of such a shape and have been mounted in such a manner that they are operative to engage the sides of the head of the animal substantially at the same time.
The electrodes are thus not positioned anymore in a consecutive manner but side by side so that the current will pass transversely through the brains of the animal. When applying the consecutive electrode arrangement the animal could already become disquieted upon being engaged by the first electrodes. This situation is now prohibited. In the present arrangement the animal will be engaged by both the electrodes substantially at the same time. Thereupon a sensing current of low voltage will start to flow, said current registering whether the proper resistance is presented or not. Every kind of animal pre-sents its own specific resistance so that it is therefor possible to determine whether the animal is e.g. a pig or not on the basis o~ this current. When a current connection between the electrodes is established in this manner, this being the case when the electrodes engage the head of the animal in the pro-per way, the main current is switched in and the stunning occurs.
It is very surprising that in this way an automatic stunning may be attained at a drop out percentage that is not only lower than that in the 1~55~l7~

older propositions for automatic stunning but also lower than that in manual stunning particularly in manually stunning with electrodes placed on the head in a transverse manner. While maintaining the proper quality, that is to say at an equally low drop out percentage, the production may now be increased considerably.
Thus, in accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered, comprising: two endless conveyors, said conveyors being operable to run paral-lel to each other and at a synchronized rate and being positioned to form a substantially V-shaped passageway between the operating surfaces thereof; a pair of electrodes carried by a movable frame, said electrodes being insulated with respect to each other and being adapted to extend into said V-shaped passageway, said electrodes being further adapted to engage the head of the animal to be stulmed and to clear said passageway; and means for moving said movable frame, said means being adaptable to move said movable frame at said synchronized rate, the two electrodes being arranged side by side in said passageway, said electrodes being of such a shape and mounted in such a manner that they are operative to engage the sides of the head of the animal substan-tially at the same time.
Preferably the apparatus is constructed in such a manner that the two electrodes COllSiSt of two plates, thc outor edgcs of which are substuntinlly parallel to each other and run at closc proximity to the pertaining operating surfaces of said conveyors and the edges oE which facing each other diverge from the lower ends thereof in upward direction up to about half the height of said plates whereupon by means of a curvature said latter edges merge into a conver-ging portion. When applying this shape there will be excluded the danger that the animal will put its head into the gap between one electrode and one con-veyor. The animal will seek the -3a-1~5517~

space between the two electrodes whereby the snout of the animal will seek more or less unintentionally the correct position with respect to the electrodes so thzt these electrodes will pass across the sides of the snout and head. The current will then be switched in at the correct moment while using optionally, apart from the above mentioned sensing current~ an adjustable time relay so that the current will pass with certainty transversely through the brains at the correct position. When the stunning jolt of current is switched in a movement is imparted to the electrodes e.g.
in the way like described in the Dutch patent application 79.03681 so that the proper contact will remain assured. The difference in velocity between the conveyors and the frame will then be reduced substantially to zero.
Preferably, when viewed in the direction of conveyance, the electrodes have been mounted or shaped in such a V-shaped or arcuate manner, respectively, that the parts of said two electrodes or sets of electrodes respectively at closest distance from each other extend also farthest to the front in the direction of conveyance. It is preferred that this V-shape or arcuate shape is most pronounced and half the height of the electrodes. This shape is the most favourable for catching the head of the animal in the most appropriate way.
The invention will now be elucidated in detail with refcrellce t~
the drawings.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation, partially in cross section, along the line I-I in Figure 2 of the apparatus according to the invention.
Pigure 2 shows a cross section along the line II-II in Figure 1 With reference to Figure 1 there have been shown two conveyors 1 and
2, said conveyors being positioned to form a substantially V-shaped passage way between which conveyors the animals may be transported in a way known per se, llSS17~

Gn the top of the frame 3 of the apparatus, said frame only being indicated schematically in Figure 2 there is a frame 4 said latter frame being fastened to the former one. Said frame 4 comprises lower and upper channel members, the flanges of which facing each other are provided with V-shaped rail surfaces 5 and 6 for the runners 7 of a - 4a -frame 8.
In said frame 8 two electrodes 9 and 10 are rotatably mounted on a shaft 11 which electrodes are hingedly coupled to a damped spring 13, by means of a rod 12 said spring being hingedly fastened in the frame 8 at 14. In a way not shown but known per se the electrodes 9 and 10 are insulated with respect to each other on the shaft 11 as well as with respect to the frame 8. In a way not shown the electrodes have been further connected to current conduc-tors.
On top of the frame there is a support 15 in which there has been fastened a hydraulic cylinder 16 inc].uding a motor driven pump 17 coupled thereto. The piston rod ].8 of the cylinder 16 has been coupled by means of a lever 19 to the frame 4 and to the fra~e 8 at 20 and at 21, respectively. A movement of the piston rod to the right handside will be conducive to a movement of the frame 8 together with the electrodes in the direction of conveyance.
The el.ectrodes 9 and 10 possess outer side edges 22, 23 running parallel to the operating surfacesof the conveyorsl and 2 and at close proximi.ty thereof.
The inner edges facing each other possess diverging lower portions 24 and 25 merging by means of a curvature 26, 27 into converging portions 28, 29, the latter merging fi.nally into parallel edge portions 30 In hori.zontal cross section each one of the electrodes is curved, tlle strongest curvature being present at the level oF the portion 26 or 27 respectively. This curvature is such that, when viewed in the directlon oF conveyance, the etlges 26 and 27 , respec-tively, will be present in Front oF the edges 22, 23 and will pre-ferably form part of an arc. In the lower portion and in the upper portion, that is to say the portions having diverging eclges 24, 25 and converging edges 28, 29, respectively, this curvature may be less pronounced. It is conceivable to use an embodiment in which, when viewed From below, the lower portions of the electrodes constitute flat planes positioned to Form together a V-shaped border line , said planes either maintaining said V-shaped though at a change of the angle or merging into a curvature.

Claims (3)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered, com-prising: two endless conveyors, said conveyors being operable to run parallel to each other and at a synchronized rate and being positioned to form a substan-tially V-shaped passageway between the operating surfaces thereof; a pair of electrodes carried by a movable frame, said electrodes being insulated with respect to each other and being adapted to extend into said V-shaped passage-way, said electrodes being further adapted to engage the head of the animal to be stunned and to clear said passageway; and means for moving said movable frame, said means being adaptable to move said movable frame at said synchronized rate, the two electrodes being arranged side by side in said passageway, said electrodes being of such a shape and mounted in such a manner that they are operative to engage the sides of the head of the animal substantially at the same time.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two electrodes comprise two plates, the outer edges of which are substantially parallel to the respec-tive operating surfaces of the conveyors and extend in close proximity to the operating surfaces of said conveyors, said edges facing each other and diverging from the lower end thereof in an upward direction up to about half the height of said plates, forming a curvature, said edges further merging into a conver-ging portion.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrodes are shaped, when viewed in the direction of conveyance, in such an arcuate manner, that the parts of said two electrodes at the closest distance from each other extend farthest to the front in the direction of conveyance.
CA000367470A 1980-12-23 1980-12-23 Apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered in particular pigs Expired CA1155171A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000367470A CA1155171A (en) 1980-12-23 1980-12-23 Apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered in particular pigs

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000367470A CA1155171A (en) 1980-12-23 1980-12-23 Apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered in particular pigs

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1155171A true CA1155171A (en) 1983-10-11

Family

ID=4118772

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000367470A Expired CA1155171A (en) 1980-12-23 1980-12-23 Apparatus for electrically stunning animals to be slaughtered in particular pigs

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1155171A (en)

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