Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Animal relocating – loading or unloading
Patent
1998-08-21
2000-07-11
Poon, Peter M.
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Animal relocating, loading or unloading
119843, A01K 2900
Patent
active
060856971
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a method and a device for conveying loads and specifically relates to a conveying method by means of an animal-appropriate conveying device, such as are disclosed in the claims.
Mechanical conveyors with continuous load surfaces are used for numerous different purposes and inter alia serves for column conveying of loads, such as animals and humans. Such conveying devices can be in the form of slides, roller conveyors, as well as ski lifts.
Specifically for the conveying of animals conveying methods have been developed, in which pigs, calves and sheep stand with their feet on a roller conveyor and are conveyed in a conveying channel, e.g. to a slaughter bench. Other conveying methods make use of gondolas, in which the animals stand in gondolas and are immersed in cleaning or gas baths.
A disadvantage of conveying animals by means of roller conveyors and/or gondolas is in particular the difficulty of the animals on entering or transferring to the roller conveyors and/or gondolas. Animals oppose such an entry or transfer. In order to obviate this disadvantage, e.g. using restrictive supply aids such as electric shocks, the animals are driven. This conveying device is not suitable for an unaccompanied, automatic conveying of animals and does not allow a animal-appropriate entry and transfer. The need for using restrictive supply aids gives rise to stress anti fear conditions in the animals when said conveying device is used.
The object of the invention is to provide an animal-appropriate conveying method and in particular a conveying device for conveying animals in a stress and fear-free manner. The invention also aims at a substantially automated operation, i.e. so as to permit operation without manual animal supply.
These objects are achieved by the claims.
The invention aims at avoiding the causes of stress and fear situations in the animals being conveyed. Technical means adapt the animal conveying to natural behavioural patterns of the animals. In the same way as e.g. the width of the load conveyor belts are matched to the width of the loads to be conveyed, the inventive conveying and transfer of the animals takes place in conveying channels and drive means matched to the animal size and the behavioural pattern thereof.
The transportation, as well as the entry to and transfer to roller conveyors and/or gondolas take place without compulsion, without any action of fear-inducing or stress-generating supply aids. According to the invention the animals are conveyed by means of drive mechanisms into conveying zones such as roller conveyors and/or gondolas. The animals are guided on a platform and by swivelling in the platform the ground is removed from under their feet, a return or turning round is made impossible for them and they are dosed in the conveying spaces or areas.
The conveying device according to the invention can be used in numerous different ways. The animals dosed in this way into the conveying spaces can be conveyed on weighing scales or for cleaning purposes, can be conveyed for veterinary examination purposes or for injections, whilst also permitting conveying to shearing points for sheep and to slaughter benches for animals being slaughtered.
The method and device according to the invention are described in greater detail hereinafter relative to the attached drawings, wherein show:
FIG. 1 Diagrammatically the principle of the invention.
FIGS. 2 to 4 A side view of part of a preferred embodiment of an inventive conveying device with dosing belt and drive mechanism, as well as the kinematics of swinging in the platform.
FIG. 5 In side view the embodiment of the conveying mechanism according to FIGS. 2 to 4 without transfer kinematics.
FIG. 6 In plan view the embodiment of the conveying device according to FIGS. 2 to 5 without transfer kinematics.
FIGS. 7 to 10 In plan view part of a preferred embodiment of an inventive conveying device with dosing belt and drive mechanism and the kinematics of swivelling in a hinged or swivel door.
FIG. 11 In plan view an embodiment of
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patent: 5863174 (1999-01-01), Mola
Lacasse Randy W.
Peter Fuchs Technology Group
Poon Peter M.
Shaw Elizabeth
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