Patent ID: 9661859
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: A22B

Claim:
1. A pneumatic animal stunner for stunning an animal comprising: a housing having a front end; a stunning rod within the housing and capable of being driven forward along a longitudinal axis towards the front end of the housing; a catch mounted within the housing for alternately holding and releasing the stunning rod, the catch having a body portion pivotally mounted on a catch pivot disposed on a side away from the stunning rod longitudinal axis and an end portion extending from the body portion toward the housing front end and distal from the catch pivot, the catch end portion being movable between a hold position toward the longitudinal axis preventing the stunning rod from being driven forward and a release position away from the stunning rod longitudinal axis permitting the stunning rod to be driven forward; a catch piston disposed adjacent the catch end portion on a side away from the longitudinal axis, the catch piston being in sliding contact with the catch adjacent the catch end portion and out of contact with the catch body portion, the catch piston being adapted to slide in the directions of the longitudinal axis between a first position urging the catch end portion toward the stunning rod longitudinal axis in the hold position, thereby holding and preventing the stunning rod from being driven forward, and a second position permitting the catch end portion to move to the release position away from the stunning rod longitudinal axis releasing and permitting the stunning rod to be driven forward; and a valve operable to control a flow of air to cause the catch piston to move from the first position to the second position, thereby driving the stunning rod forward along the longitudinal axis to stun an animal.