GB2473468A

GB2473468A - Releasable retention mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2473468A
Application number: GB0915922A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Amanda Beales
Original assignee: PHILIP GHAZALA
Current assignee: PHILIP GHAZALA
Priority date: 2009-09-10
Filing date: 2009-09-10
Publication date: 2011-03-16
Also published as: GB0915922D0

Abstract

An animal stall 10, such as a horse box or trailer, includes a loading bar 20, the loading bar incorporating a latching mechanism 25 to retain it in use in a position to secure an animal within the stall, the loading bar comprising an emergency release mechanism 50 located outside the stall and operatively connected with the latching mechanism 25 to disengage the latching mechanism to enable the animal to be released from the stall. The emergency release mechanism 50 may comprise a cable 62 connected at the remote or distal end to the latching mechanism and at the proximal end, outside the stall, to a tensioning mechanism to withdraw the cable and disengage the latching mechanism. Also claimed is an emergency release mechanism for releasing a loading bar of an animal stall from outside the stall and a lorry or van including such a release mechanism.

Description

Releasable Retention Mechanism This invention relates to animal stalls, including both stationary and mobile stalls such as, for example, horse boxes and horse trailers, and in particular to loading bars for such stalls. Such stalls are suitable for containing domestic animals such as horses, ponies, cattle, livestock, donkeys and so forth, as well as wild animals whether in a zoo, safari park or in an unfenced environment.

Known mobile stalls such as for the transport of ponies and horses generally comprise one or more compartments in which an animal is led and tied up at the front. A loading bar is raised into position behind the rear of the animal to stop it reversing out of the compartment. An assistant is usually required to place the loading bar in position and, quite often, the animal becomes alarmed when it is in the stall and someone approaches from the rear to fix the loading bar in place, or if sudden noises are created behind it. Horses are unpredictable animals and will often panic and kick out, sometimes causing injury to the assistant.

GB2415351A discloses a loading bar for fixing to the wall of an animal, especially a horse, transporter. The loading bar comprises an elongated member having a front section, located at a front of the compartment, a rear section that in use extends across the rear end of the compartment and an intermediate section that extends in a direction along the length of the compartment and interconnects the front and rear sections.

The loading bar includes latch means that co-operates with features in the transporter to hold the loading bar in a raised position across the stall when the front section of the loading bar is raised. In operation of the loading bar, the front and rear sections of the loading bar are lowered to the open position and the horse is led in from the back of the transporter into the compartment. When the horse is positioned within the compartment, the front section of the loading bar is raised, whereby the rear section is pulled up behind the horse and secures the horse in the stall for transporting the horse byroad.

There have been many instances in the past where horse boxes have been involved in road accidents and the horse box has turned over trapping the horse within the horse box. In many instances, it is impossible to release the horse from the horse box without having to destroy the animal.

Vans and lorries are also used for the transport of animals, and may have internal compartments defined by partitions which are hingeably connected about a vertical axis to one side wall so that they can be swung between open and closed positions.

Especially in the event of an accident, animals may become trapped in the compartments and need to be destroyed before they can be removed.

In one aspect, the present invention provides an animal stall including a loading bar, in which the loading bar incorporates a latching mechanism to retain it in use in a position to secure an animal within the stall, the loading bar comprising means located outside the stall and operatively connected with the latching mechanism to disengage the latching mechanism to enable the animal to be released from the stall.

Preferably, the loading bar disengagement means comprises a cable connected at the remote or distal end to the latching mechanism and at the proximal end, outside the stall, to a tensioning mechanism to withdraw the cable and disengage the latching mechanism. Preferably, the tensioning mechanism operates with a lever means providing a mechanical advantage, to enable the latching mechanism to be disengaged even under a load applied by the weight of an animal against or on the loading bar.

The loading bar may comprise an individual bar or a bar of the type described in GB2415351A. Additionally, the loading bar may be attached to a partition wall hingeably connected to a side wall of a lorry, van or trailer, to enable the partition wall to be released when required from outside the vehicle.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an emergency release mechanism for releasing a loading bar of an animal stall from outside the stall, wherein the loading bar is provided with a latch means for retaining the loading bar in an animal-securing position across the stall, the release mechanism being operatively connected to the latch means to enable the loading bar to be released and to assume an animal-releasing disposition.

In an animal stall or a release mechanism according to the present invention, the loading bar may be of the type comprising front and rear sections that are interconnected by an intermediate section that extends in a direction along the length of a first wall of the stall and in which the front and rear sections are moveable simultaneously to, and from, a first lowered position where access to the stall is opened and a second position where the front and rear sections are raised and in use extend across the stall respectively in front of and behind an animal in the stall. At least the rear section may be provided with latch means which preferably has a plunger for engaging in a recess in a second wall of the stall opposite the first wall when the front and rear sections extend across the stall to hold the front and rear sections in the raised position. The emergency release mechanism preferably comprises an operating handle connected to a ratcheted winch drum, a cable extending from the plunger and the winch drum being operable to wind the cable around the drum with a mechanical advantage, thereby to disengage the plunger from the recess to release the loading bar and allow it to fall to the lowered position.

The animal stall may be part of an animal transporter having a dividing wall that divides the transporter into two adjacent stalls or compartments and defines said second wall of the or each stall, wherein the latch means of the rear section of the, or each, bar releasably co-operates with the dividing wall to hold the bar in a horizontal raised position across a respective stall when in use, further characterised in that each stall has an emergency release mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Preferably a first release mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention is provided at the front of the, or each, stall and a second release mechanism is provided at the rear of the, or each, stall.

In a further embodiment of the invention the, or each, stall has a common emergency release mechanism and the winch drum has two cables one of which is connected to the plunger at the rear section of the loading bar at the rear of the or each stall and the second of which cables is connected to a second plunger at the front section of the loading bar at the front of the or each stall.

Preferably the winch drum has at least one toothed ratchet wheel and the operating handle carries a pawl that is biased to engage the teeth of the winch drum. Preferably the pawl is mounted on a handle and is movable relative thereto to engage or disengage the pawl from the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

A second latch operating means may be provided at or adjacent a location on the front section of the loading bar and is connected by an independent cable to the plunger at the rear section of the loading bar to enable the plunger to be disengaged from the recess during normal non-emergency use of the loading bar.

Preferably the, or each, plunger is biased to a position where, in use, it engages a locking feature on the second wall of the stall by a biasing means, The second latch means may comprise a bolt that slides in a slot, said bolt being connected to the plunger of the latch means by the independent cable.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of one form of horse box having a loading bar incorporating an external release handle constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows a general assembly drawing of one form of loading bar constructed in accordance with the present invention, incorporating an external release handle; Figure 3 illustrates in greater detail the unlocking mechanism at the rear end of the loading bar shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows in greater detail the latch operating mechanism at the front end of the loading bar of Figure 2; Figure 5 illustrates a further form of loading bar for use with the present invention; Figure 6 is a plan view of one of the external release handles constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 7 is a side view of the release handle of Figure 6, shown as a section along the line Vu-Vu of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of a single loading bar located within a horse box stall and having an external release handle; and Figures 9 to 11 show respective side, plan and internal wall views of a lorry having internal compartments defined by partitions including loading bars with external release handles.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a schematic representation of a horsebox 10 comprising an outer body 11, of metal, wood, fibre glass or polyurethane construction, fixed to a base 12 that is mounted on twin axles that carry road wheels 13. The horsebox 10 has a towing hitch 14 for connection to a tow vehicle (not shown). The horsebox 10 has a central dividing wall 15 that divides the horsebox into two stalls 16, 17 located side by side. In some horseboxes the front and/or rear part of the diving wall could be hinged so that, during loading of a horse into one of the stalls, the rear of the dividing wall can be swung back to give easier access for the horse entering the horsebox from the rear. The horsebox has a rear door 18 that is lowered to form a ramp at the rear of the horsebox 10, and one or more front doors 19 at the front of the horsebox.

The horsebox 10 is fitted with two loading bars 20. In Figure 1 one of the loading bars is shown in the raised position and the other is shown in a lowered position. For loading the horse into one of the stalls, the respective loading bar 20 would normally be lowered to an open position, as will be explained later.

One of the loading bars is shown in more detail in Figure 2 but it is to be understood that each loading bar 20 is of identical construction, with each being designed so as to extend across the full width of the appropriate stall. Referring to Figure 2, the loading bar 20 comprises a length of hollow metal tubing that is bent to a generally "U" shape to define three main sections, namely a front section 21, a rear section 22, and an intermediate section 23 that interconnects the front and rear sections 21, 22. The front and rear sections 21, 22 are dimensioned so that when they are in the raised position they each extend across the width of one of the stalls. The intermediate section 23 is mounted in two spaced-apart supports 24 that are constructed to fix to the inside of the outer sidewall of the outer body 11 of the horsebox 10.

The intermediate section 23 is dimensioned so that the rear section 22 will locate behind the rear quarters of the horse when the bar is raised, and the front section 21 lies across the stall at the front of the horse.

At least the rear section 22 is provided with a latch mechanism 25 (shown in greater detail in Figure 3). The latch mechanism 25 comprises a plunger 26 that is biased in an outwards direction through an end cap 28. The plunger 26 engages in a recess 29 in a plate 30 that is fixed to the rear portion of the dividing wall 15. The end cap 28 is made of a plastics material or is provided with a resilient pad 31 or a sound absorbing material that cushions the plunger 26 when it snaps into position in the recess 29 so as not to frighten the horse with a loud click when the plunger 26 engages the recess.

The plunger 26 is connected to a latch operating mechanism 32 located at the front section 21 of the loading bar by a cable 33. The latch operating mechanism 32 is shown in more detail in Figure 4. The front and rear corners 34, 35 of the loading bar 20 may be cut away to reveal a guide pulley (not shown) over which the cable 33 passes to reduce wear.

Referring to Figure 4, the latch operating mechanism comprises a bolt 35 to which the cable 33 is fitted. The bolt 35 slides inside the end of the front section 21 of the loading bar and has a handle 36 that slides in a slot 37. The cable 33 is pulled against the action of the spring 27 to retract the plunger 26 from engagement with the recess 29 during normal use by pulling the bolt 35 to the end of the slot 37 that is remote from the free end of the front section 21 and inserting the handle 36 into the retaining slot 38. Releasing the handle 36 from the retaining slot 38 releases the bolt 35 and the spring 27 urges the plunger 26 outwards so as to be able to engage the recess 29 in the plate 30.

To protect the horse from injury, the centre section 23 and the front and rear sections 21, 22 are covered with a padded outer covering (not shown). This cover may be in the form of a split sleeve made of rubber or foam that is secured in place by ties (not shown) that can be removed for cleaning.

Referring to Figure 5, there is shown an alternative design of loading bar in which the three sections 21, 22, 23 are made by welding three separate tubes or solid rods. If desired, strengthening bars 40 are provided to give more rigidity to the loading bar 20.

In the case of a hollow tubular structure, a latching mechanism 25 and a latch operating mechanism 32 similar to those of Figure 2 are provided. In the case of the use of solid bars, the latching mechanism 25 is operated by a cable 33 (not shown in Figure 5) externally mounted on the bars that constitute the front, rear and intermediate sections 21, 22, 23.

To load a horse into the horsebox single-handedly, the ramp at the rear of the horse box is lowered and the loading bar 20 for one of the stalls is lowered. A person leads the horse into one of the stalls. When the horse is in position in the stall, the person leading the horse pulls up the loading bar 20 from the front and operates the latch operating means 32 to release the plunger 26 into the recess 29 in the plate 30. A second plunger 45 in the form of a bolt is provided at the free end of the front section 21 to secure the front section 21 in the raised position. In an emergency, if the horse panics during loading, the loading bar 20 can be dropped immediately by pulling the plunger 26 out of the recess 29 from within the stall by operation of the latch mechanism 32 and dropping the loading bar to the open position. A second horse can be loaded alongside the first horse in a similar way. The person leading the horse raises the second loading bar 20 from the front when the second horse is in position in exactly the same way as described above.

To release the horse from its respective stall, the loading bar 20 is lowered from the first position by retracting plunger 45 by pulling on the second bolt whilst simultaneously pulling the plunger 26 out of the recess by operating the latch mechanism 32 and the horse is led out of the front door. 19.

In a modification of the above embodiments, the front section 21 may also be provided with an identical latch mechanism 25 to that shown in Figure 3 (but this is not shown in Figures 1, 2 or 5). In this case, the cable 33 serving the front plunger 45 is connected to the same latch operating means 32 (see Figure 4) as that used for the rear latch or to an independent identical operating means (not shown).

In a further modification of the embodiments described above, the latch operating mechanism 32 may be located at the front region 46 of the intermediate section 23 close to the inside of the side wall of the horse box. The handle 36 of the bolt 35 may then be positioned relative to a stop member 47 on the side wall of the horsebox so that, when it is in the cocked position with the plunger 26 retracted, the handle engages the stop member 47 as it is raised, and the stop member pushes the handle 35 out of the retaining slot 38 into the slot 37 to release the plunger 26.

Figures 6 and 7 show in more detail the emergency release mechanism 50 constructed in accordance with the present invention and located at the rear end of the stall of the horsebox 11 (See Figures 1, 2, and 5). The release mechanism comprises a plate 51 that is secured to the outer side of the wall of the horse box 11 by means of fixing screws 52. The plate 51 has two upstanding side flanges 53 for receiving a bolt 54 that enables a ratchet winching drum 55 to be mounted on the plate 50. The main frame of winching drum has holes for receiving the spindle 57 of the winch drum 55.

The winch drum 55 has a ratchet wheel 56 at each side of the drum. Mounted for rotation on the spindle 57 is an operating handle 58. Each side 59 of the handle 58 has a slot 60. Mounted in each slot 60 is a sliding pawl 61 that engages the teeth of a respective ratchet wheel 56 when at the bottom of respective slot 60. When the handle 58 is pulled away from the plates 51, the pawl 61 engages the ratchet teeth 56 and causes the winch drum 55 to turn on its spindle 57.

A second cable 62 that is connected to the plunger 26 is provided and extends from the plunger 26 and is fixed in a central hole in the winch drum 55. The release mechanism 50 is positioned on the outside of the outer wall of the horsebox 11 so that the cable 62 passes through the centre of the rear section 22 of the loading bar 20.

The length of the cable 62 is chosen so that it does not impede the normal operation of the cable 33 (not shown in Figures 6 and 7) that operates the plunger 26 of the latch by pulling the plunger 26 out of engagement with the recess 29 during normal use by operation of the bolt.

A safety cover (not shown) may be provided to cover the outside of the emergency release handle 50 and prevent accidental operation of the handle 58. The length of a handle 58 is chosen in relation to the diameter of the drum 55 so that maximum leverage can be applied to winch the cable 62 in an outwards direction to pull the plunger 26 out of the recess 29 when the handle 58 is operated from outside the horsebox.

A second emergency release handle 63 that is identical to the emergency handle 50 is provided at the front of the horse box to operate on a third cable 64 that is connected to the second plunger 45 at the free end of the front section 21 of the loading bar 20.

The second emergency release mechanism 63 is aligned with the plunger 45 so that the cable 64 is pulled out through the body 11 of the horsebox. Again the cable 64 must not impede the normal operation of the cable 33 that operates the front plunger during non-emergency operation of the loading bar 20. As with the emergency release mechanism 50, successive winching movement of the handle 58 of the second emergency release handle 63 winches the cable 64 to remove the plunger 45 from its recess at the front of the horse box.

It is preferred to use two release handles 50, 63 for each stall but, if desired, a single release mechanism 60 may be provided, for example at the front end of the horse box instead of using two emergency mechanisms, In this instance, the cable 62 would be taken through the centre of the rear section 22 and along the intermediate section 23 out to the winch drum 55 of a common front emergency mechanism 63. Suitable guide pulleys would be provided at the junctions between the front and centre sections and at the region where the cable 62 passes through the body 11 of the horsebox out to the winch drum 55. Similarly, the cable 64 would be taken through the centre of the front section 21 out to the winch drum 55 of the front emergency handle 63.

In operation of the emergency release mechanism 50 and 63, for example in a road accident where the horsebox is lying on one of its sides, emergency services personnel can open the rear door (or front door) of the horsebox and then operate the handle 58 by successively pulling it away from the body 11 of the horsebox and pushing it back towards the body 11. This action causes the pawl to engage the ratchets on the winch drum and winches the cable 62 outwards and withdraws the plunger 26 from the recess 29.

It will be seen that in the event of an accident, even if a horse is sitting on the rear section 22 of the loading bar 20 or has its front feet on the front section 21 of the loading bar 20 (as often happens), the horse can still be released by withdrawing the rear plunger 26 and the front plunger 45 from their respective recesses. This can be done in relatively safe circumstances because the operator is located outside of the horse box. In trials of the invention, it has been possible to rescue animals from an overturned horse box without the need to destroy the animal.

With other forms of loading bar that do not incorporate the present invention, it has proved totally impossible to release the loading bars with weights equivalent to that of a horse on the loading bars. If a horse was present, as opposed to weights simulating a horse, the horse would have had to be destroyed to avoid the risk to human safety.

With reference to Figure 8, a single loading bar is shown disposed across a compartment of a horse box. The bar consists essentially of a tubular member 81 carrying, at its front or distal end, an axially-mounted sliding bolt 82 journalled in nylon washers 83 between which, and around the bolt, is carried a helical spring 84.

The bolt has an operating handle 85 which passes through and is journalled in a slot 86 formed in the tube 81 and having an orthogonal retaining slot 87 formed at its rear end. A steel cable 88 is attached to the rear of the bolt 82 and passes centrally through the rear or proximal end of the tube and through the external waIl 89 of the compartment, and is engaged with a ratchet release mechanism 90 as previously described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The tube 81 is pivotably attached to the wall 89, by hinges 92. The apparatus is shown with the bolt 82 in the forward position, engaging with a locking plate 91 mounted on the opposite wall of the compartment. In order to release the loading bar under normal conditions, the handle of the bolt is withdrawn in the slot 86 and retained in the slot 87, against the bias exerted by spring 84, whereupon the tube 81 will pivot about its mounting on external wall 89 to the open position. Alternatively, in an emergency, the mechanism can be released by operating the ratchet handle of the mechanism 90 to withdraw the bolt and release the bar.

It is to be understood that individual release bars, as shown in Figure 8, can be mounted at any desired position within an animal compartment or stall to define spaces in which animals may be secured for transportation or other purposes, for example attention by a veterinary surgeon in a static stall.

With reference to Figures 9 to 11, Figure 9 shows a lorry 91 having a van body 92 with, mounted on the outside of one side wall 94, three ratchet release mechanisms 93 each as described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. As shown in Figure 10, which is an internal plan view of the van body of Figure 9, each respective ratchet mechanism is operatively connected to a respective release bar 95 as described with reference to Figure 8 but, instead of being hingeably connected to the wall 32 of the van, each bar is connected to a partition wall 96. Each partition wall 96 is hingeably connected to the opposite side wall 97 of the van body for opening and closing movement as shown by the dashed lines, so that the reannost partition 95 adopts the open position shown at 98 when in the open position.

In order to load the van, each partition 96 is swung to the open position and a first animal is led into the van body through the rear door (not shown), to the front of the van body. The first partition is then closed and the release bar is latched into position.

The second animal is then led in and secured by the second partition, and so on until each compartment of the van body, as defined by the partitions, is occupied by an animal.

Figure 11 shows side wall 97 of the van body formed with a horizontal metal strip 98 having an array of spaced-apart holes 99 which can be used for selective engagement of the bolts of the latch mechanisms of the loading bars 95, to vary (within limits) the sizes of the internal compartments according to the size of the animals to be transported.

Claims

Claims 1. An animal stall including a loading bar, in which the loading bar incorporates a latching mechanism to retain it in use in a position to secure an animal within the stall, the loading bar comprising means located outside the stall and operatively connected with the latching mechanism to disengage the latching mechanism to enable the animal to be released from the stall.
2. A stall according to claim 1, in which the loading bar disengagement means comprises a cable connected at the remote of distal end to the latching mechanism and at the proximal end, outside the stall, to a tensioning mechanism to withdraw the cable and disengage the latching mechanism.
3. A stall according to claim 2, in which the tensioning mechanism operates with a lever means providing a mechanical advantage, to enable the latching mechanism to be disengaged under a load applied by the weight of an animal against or on the loading bar.
4. A stall according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the tensioning mechanism comprises an operating handle connected to a ratcheted winch drum around which the cable is wound.
5. A stall according to any preceding claim, in which the loading bar comprises front and rear sections that are interconnected by an intermediate section that extends in a direction along the length of a first wall of the stall and in which the front and rear sections are moveable simultaneously to, and from, a first lowered position where access to the stall is opened and a second position where the front and rear sections are raised and in use extend across the stall respectively in front of and behind an animal in the stall, at least the rear section being provided with latch means having a plunger for engaging in a recess in a second wall of the stall opposite the first wall when the front and rear sections extend across the stall to hold the front and rear sections in the raised position.
6. An emergency release mechanism for releasing a loading bar of an animal stall from outside the stall, wherein the loading bar is provided with a latch means for retaining the loading bar in an animal-securing position across the stall, the release mechanism being operatively connected to the latch means to enable the loading bar to be released and to assume an animal-releasing disposition.
7. A release mechanism according to claim 6, in which the loading bar comprises front and rear sections that are interconnected by an intermediate section that extends in a direction along the length of a first wall of the stall and in which the front and rear sections are moveable simultaneously to, and from, a first lowered position where access to the stall is opened and a second position where the front and rear sections are raised and in use extend across the stall respectively in front of and behind an animal in the stall, at least the rear section being provided with latch means having a plunger for engaging in a recess in a second wall of the stall opposite the first wall when the front and rear sections extend across the stall to hold the front and rear sections in the raised position.
8. A release mechanism according to claim 7, comprising an operating handle connected to a ratcheted winch drum, a cable extending from the plunger and the winch drum being operable to wind the cable around the drum with a mechanical advantage, thereby to disengage the plunger from the recess to release the loading bar and allow it to fall to the lowered position.
9. A stall according to any of claims 1 to 4, the stall being part of an animal transporter having a dividing wall that divides the transporter into two adjacent stalls or compartments and defines said second wall of the or each stall, wherein the latch means of the rear section of the, or each, bar releasably co-operates with the dividing vaIl to hold the bar in a horizontal raised position across a respective stall when in use, further charactensed in that each stall has an emergency release mechanism according to any of claims 6 to 8.
10. A stall or stalls according to any of claims I to 4 or 9, in which the, or each, stall has a common emergency release mechanism and the winch drum has two cables one of which is connected to the plunger at the rear section of the loading bar at the rear of the or each stall and the second of which cables is connected to a second plunger at the front section of the loading bar at the front of the or each stall.
11. A stall according to claim 4 or claim 9 or a release mechanism according to claim 8, in which the winch drum has at least one toothed ratchet wheel and the operating handle carries a pawl that is biased to engage the teeth of the winch drum.
12. A stall according to any of claims ito 4, 9, 10 or II, in which a second latch operating means is provided at or adjacent a location on the front section of the loading bar and is connected by an independent cable to the plunger at the rear section of the loading bar to enable the plunger to be disengaged from the recess during normal non-emergency use of the loading bar.
13. A lorry or van including a plurality of internal partitions each pivoted to a wall of the lorry trailer or van body for movement between open and closed positions to define animal compartments within the lorry or van, in which each partition includes a release mechanism according to any of claims 6 to 8.