Patent ID: 9497935
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: A01K

Claim Text:
1. A system for handling a plurality of live animals in a facility, comprising: at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of a plurality of movable animal housing modules, at least one of said movable animal housing modules containing and enclosing, at least partially, at least one of the plurality of live animals when the system is and/or will be in operation; a plurality of stations at a first location in the facility, at least one of the stations communicating with at least one of the movable animal housing modules positioned adjacent the at least one of the stations when the system is and/or will be in operation, whereby at least one of a food, a supplement, and a fluid for the at least one of the plurality of live animals is automatically dispensed to the at least one of the movable animal housing modules from the at least one of the stations, and/or at least one of a product and a waste from the at least one of the plurality of live animals is automatically collected from the at least one of the movable animal housing modules by the at least one of the stations; a first transporter for transporting at least a part of the at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of the plurality of movable animal housing modules in a first direction, the first transporter having transported across it at least one first movable animal housing module in the series of movable animal housing modules from a second location in the facility to a first position between the first location and the second location when the system is and/or will be in operation; a second transporter for transporting at least a portion of the at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of the plurality of movable animal housing modules in a second direction, the second transporter having transported across it the at least one first movable animal housing module in the series of movable animal housing modules from the first position to a second position nearer the plurality of stations when the system is and/or will be in operation, whereby at least one of the movable animal housing modules in the series of movable animal housing modules is positioned adjacent the at least one of the stations; a source of a first motive force that moves the at least a part of the at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of the movable animal housing modules across the first transporter, whereby at least one of the movable animal housing modules pushes and thereby moves an adjacent movable animal housing module or another movable animal housing module in said at least a part of the at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of the movable animal housing modules when said at least a part of the at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of the movable animal housing modules is moved by the first motive force; and a source of a second motive force that moves the at least a portion of the at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of the movable animal housing modules across the second transporter, wherein the at least one of said movable animal housing modules includes at least one support comprising at least one movable component selected from a group including at least one wheel, caster, other rolling device, and sliding device, and wherein the first transporter is below the at least a part of the at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of the plurality of movable animal housing modules transported in the first direction, and wherein the second transporter is below the at least a portion of the at least one movable linear or curvilinear series of the plurality of movable animal housing modules transported in the second direction.