Material or article handling – Self-loading or unloading vehicles – Conveyor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-08
2003-03-25
Bratlie, Steven A. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Self-loading or unloading vehicles
Conveyor
C119S405000, C119S412000, C119S413000, C119S843000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06537016
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to animal transporting devices and more specifically it relates to an animal transporting system that allows animals to be loaded and unloaded within a desired and efficient progression.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Animal transporting devices have been in use for years. Typically, an animal transporting device is comprised of a ground or dock level trailer that is connected to a vehicle. Conventional animal trailers have a rear door exposing an interior portion having one or more gates for creating various sizes of holding pens for the animals.
The most significant problem with conventional animal trailers is that they generally require more than one person to load, sort, transport, and unload animals from within. Another problem with conventional animal trailers is that animals incur significant amounts of stress during loading, sorting, and unloading.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for easily loading, unloading, sorting and transporting high stressed, weakened, sick, or recovering animals within an enclosed structure. Conventional animal trailers are not efficient to utilize when loading and unloading one or more animals.
In these respects, the animal transporting system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of easily loading, unloading, sorting, and transporting animals within an enclosed structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of animal trailers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new animal transporting system construction wherein the same can be utilized for easily loading, unloading, sorting, and transporting animals within an enclosed structure with the operator removed or on the exterior of said structure.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new animal transporting system that has many of the advantages of the animal transporting devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new animal transporting system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art animal transporting devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a frame attached to a truck, a ramp movably attached to the frame that is extendable from the frame, a plurality of holding pens within the frame defined by a plurality of partitions, and a plurality of doors pivotally attached to the partitions. Each of the doors are manipulated by an actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder. A stimulator system is positioned within each of the holding pens to humanely encourage an animal to exit the holding pen.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the.present invention is to provide an animal transporting system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide an animal transporting system for easily loading, unloading, sorting, and transporting animals within an enclosed structure.
An additional object is to provide an animal transporting system that allows only one individual to load, unload, sort and transport animals.
A further object is to provide an animal transporting system that encourages free and natural movement of animals.
Another object is to provide an animal transporting system that allows an individual to safely load, sort, separate, and unload animals.
A further object is to provide an animal transporting system that does not require an individual to enter the interior with the animals.
A further object is to provide an animal transporting system that simple in construction thereby creating a strong and durable structure.
A further object is to provide an animal transporting system that allows sick animals to be transported thereby reducing stress to the animal.
A further object is to provide an animal transporting system that reduces labor costs.
A further object is to provide an animal transporting system that will sort, deliver and return animals from hospital pens within a feedlot to their home pens.
A further object is to provide a low-stress, calm, humane way to transport sick and weakened animals with minimal interaction between animals and people.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 225911 (1880-03-01), Alston
patent: 228933 (1880-06-01), Rieber
patent: 282706 (1883-08-01), Dahlman et al.
patent: 1266375 (1918-05-01), Adams
patent: 4566404 (1986-01-01), Instone et al.
patent: 5950562 (1999-09-01), Schulte et al.
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