Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Head or neck stock
Patent
1996-08-12
1998-01-13
Price, Thomas
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Head or neck stock
A61D 300
Patent
active
057067635
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to restraining devices and holding assemblies.
This invention has particular but not exclusive application to restraining devices such as head bails for animals and holding devices therefore and for illustrative purposes reference will be made hereinafter to such application. However it is to be understood that the restraining devices and holding assemblies of the present invention can be used independently of one another.
Presently utilised restraining devices such as head bails for cattle typically include moveable bails which are arranged to capture a beast by quickly clamping against opposite sides of a beasts neck, behind the ears. In this manner the beast is restrained before it can exit rearwardly from the bails which are maintained in their clamped position by a suitable holding assembly.
Generally the bails are actuated by a single action lever mechanism which affords a sufficiently high speed of operation to capture the beast's neck between the bails. The holding assembly is typically a ratchet and pawl mechanism which maintains the bails in the captured position against the neck of the beast. However, an optimum clamping force on the beast's neck cannot always be achieved because the rachet mechanism provides only a specific number of discrete holding positions and one of these positions must be engaged. Single action lever mechanisms are utilised as the speed of reversal of a beast generally does not permit performance of more than one operating action by an operator. Beasts which are not captured in the initial pass often become very difficult to handle.
Such rachet type holding assemblies are prone to wear rapidly as the rachet must be released whilst under load. Worn ratchet mechanisms can become liable to pawl slip and accordingly can be dangerous, allowing unexpected release of a secured beast.
Attempts have been made to overcome this problem, for example by the use of larger rachet teeth. However, when the size of the ratchet teeth is increased the number of discrete holding positions is reduced so that the beast cannot be restrained in the desired position.
In another attempt at reducing the danger of worn or wearing ratchet type holding assemblies the tooth cutback has been increased. However, the increased cutback makes the ratchet mechanism more difficult to release under load, thereby increasing the likelihood of damage to or loss of the beast as well as danger to the operator.
Ratchet type holding assemblies also create undesirable noise as the rachet pawl travels across the ratchet teeth as the head bail is being moved to the clamped position. Such noise may frighten the beast being clamped in the head bail and also those beasts in the race or holding yard awaiting treatment. This may result in greater difficulty in coaxing or encouraging the waiting beasts to enter the head bail.
Head bails are often makeshift as relatively poor bail performance can be tolerated provided there are adequate persons to control the beast to be bailed. However, many modern farmers have significantly reduced their labour forces and as a consequence they require good performance from their head bails. As such articles are bulky, their transport costs add significantly to the cost of supplying new head bails. Furthermore the addition of a modern head bail assembly to an existing race is often a practical mismatch leading to premature failure of the head bail assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the above disadvantages and to provide beast restraining apparatus which will be reliable and efficient in use.
This invention in one aspect resides broadly in a bail assembly including: position; operative engaged positions and said disengaged position, and engaged position. The holding means is suitably infinitely variable over at least the engaged positions of the bail means.
The bail means may include one fixed bail and one moveable bail but preferably it includes a pair of opposed moveable bails interconnected for movement towards
REFERENCES:
patent: 2678631 (1954-05-01), Hagar
patent: 3245383 (1966-04-01), Priefert
patent: 4632063 (1986-12-01), Priefert
patent: 5109802 (1992-05-01), Priefert
Price Thomas
Rural Pacific Marketing PTY. LTD.
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