Abstract:
A rectangular shaped animal trapping cage with one side of the cage configured in two segments that can be swung toward the inside of the cage and locked to facilitate the immobilization of sheep and goat sized animals.

Description:
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The Sheep and Goat Containment Cage is a rectangle shaped box made out of steel that is approximately 48 inches long, 18 inches wide (inside dimension), 40 inches tall, weighs approximately 200 lbs, and has fittings on all four outside corners than enable connection with readily available standard sheep and goat panels. It is constructed out of 1¼ and 1 inch square tubing and various small diameter steel pipe (1, ¾, ½). The cage has a guillotine 1  entry door on one side (the 18 inch dimension) and a head gate 2  on the opposite side, which is also hinged so that it can be used as an exit door. Each of the other two sides of the cage (48 inch dimensions) also have exit/access doors, one being a standard exit/access door 20 inches wide and the other door encompassing 30 inches of the other 48 inch side of the device. The 30 inch long exit door on the left side of the cage is constructed with special features that enable it to also serve as a confining gate, which enables the user to restrain sheep and goats to facilitate the application of medicine as well as sorting individual animals from larger groups.  1  A guillotine door is a door that opens and closes by vertical movement. The door moves up (open) by applying force from above and down (closed) by allowing gravity to overcome the force otherwise holding the door open. 2  A headgate is a gate or wall that has an opening in the midsection that is large enough for an animal to believe he can escape through, but has a mechanism that enables the operator to reduce the opening against an animal&#39;s neck once the animal&#39;s head goes through the gate but before the animal&#39;s shoulders go through the gate. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    Sheep and goats are becoming a popular livestock of choice for many small commercial ranchers as well as week-end ranch enthusiasts and market prices are continuing to increase for these ruminant species in response to the increasing demand. Because of sheep and goats&#39; smaller physical size, lower cost per individual, higher reproduction rates, and ability to forage on brush and other low quality vegetation, these animals are often seen as a good fit for owners of small parcels of land near urban centers that may not have the expertise and staff to manage physically larger cattle. However, precisely because sheep and goats are smaller animals than cattle, producers have to deal with a larger number of individual animals in order to approach the economic potential of raising cattle. In addition the nature of sheep and goat&#39;s digestive and reproductive systems requires additional management activities to treat internal parasites and assist with birthing. As with the productive management of any domesticated livestock, the heart of a management system to deal with sheep and goats needs involves a process to concentrate the animals in a small space and then employ the use of a chute or cage to restrain the animal so the owner can address the maintenance needs. However, most livestock equipment on the market today is built specifically to handle cattle, thus there is limited availability of equipment specifically designed to be used for sheep and goat sized animals. As a result of this, many sheep and goat operators are forced to either use makeshift handling equipment or try to adapt larger and more expensive equipment that was designed for the cattle industry. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The Sheep and Goat Containment Cage is constructed of steel tubing and uses a series of simple hinged or gravity doors to accomplish entry, restraint, and release of any animal of the general size of a sheep or goat. Unlike similar livestock appliances designed for cattle, the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage is light enough to be lifted into the back of a pickup and transported to the intended location of use, and also includes removable wheels so that it can easily be rolled to the operator&#39;s exact optimal location. Once the desired placement has been accomplished, the wheels can be removed and stowed in the device for future use. 
         [0004]    The Sheep and Goat Containment Cage is able to efficiently accomplish its intended use because of the innovative design of one of the sides of the device, called the confining gate. The confining gate consists of 2 separate segments, whose placement is moved through the various animal handling processes, conforming the inside of the rectangular main structure of the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage as a simple rectangular to facilitate entry and trapping of the animal at the beginning of the cycle and then culminating into total immobilization of the animal inside the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage by changing where the confining gate segments are latched. 
       OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Included among the objects and advantages of the invention are the ability to operate the device by a single individual, without the assistance from other individuals. This is enabled by using the rope to operate the vertical entry door from a remote location, allowing a single user to herd and trap an animal in the device. Another object of the invention is to perform all operator required actions, once the animal has entered the device, from a single location. This is enabled by convenient placement of all of levers, latch chains and latch pins within reach from a single location near the front of the device. A further object of the invention is to be able to use the same device to restrain animals of varying height, width and length. This is accomplished by the design and configuration of the two segmented confining gate, which can be placed in an almost unlimited number of positions within a few seconds, effectively changing the shape of the inside of the device in which the animal stands to whatever the operator desires. Another advantage of the device is the inclusion of the face gate, providing for complete restraint of the animal&#39;s face, which is the application location for most of the medical/maintenance needs being administered. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The device is depicted in 8 drawings.  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7  address the various profile views of the device and depict the more complex door configurations in both open and closed positions.  FIG. 8  is a view from above the device with the head gate side facing the top of the page and depicts the operation of the two segmented confining gate in all cycles of operation ( FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8F, 8G ). 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The operation of the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage is summarized as follows, with the operator positioning himself against the side of the regular exit/access door near the head gate, across from the confining gate. Using the rope and pulley, the operator raises the guillotine entry gate and then lowers it after an animal enters. From this location, the head gate window in opened and the animal is encouraged to place its head through the head gate window, then the head gate window is closed against the animal&#39;s neck and secured with latch chain. The operator then reaches across the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage and lifts the latch pin from the end of the first segment of the confining gate (near the guillotine entry gate) and swings the end of the first segment of the confining gate toward the operator. Using the same latch pin, the operator pins the end of the first segment of the confining gate into a special pin/slide assembly. This maneuver immediately changes the inside shape of the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage from a rectangle to smaller rectangle and a triangle, partially confining the animal. The operator then reaches across the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage and lifts the latch pin from the end of the second segment of the confining gate (approximately 20 inches from the head gate, where hinges are strategically located) and pulls both segments of the confining gates towards him until the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage shape is further reduced into a trapezoid and an even smaller triangle, depending on the size of the animal. The confining bar is then raised over the top of the either segment of the confining gate (regardless of where it is) to hold the confining gate in the desired position, then the face gate bar is moved from the vertical to horizontal position. At this point, the animal is completely immobilized, not being able to move from side to side or backup due to the confining gate position; and, not being able to move forward due to the animal&#39;s position in the head gate window and the position of the face gate bar. After the animal is in this position, the operator has full and unfettered access to the animal&#39;s mouth, eyes, and ears by standing or sitting in front of the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage. Additionally, the regular exit/access door can now be opened to gain access to the animal&#39;s front shoulders and abdomen. Finally, the rear of the animal can be accessed through the 5 inch gaps between the steel bars of the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage&#39;s rectangular main structure. All of the above access to the animals various body locations can be made without fear of the animal being able to move and injure himself or the operator. 
         [0008]    After the animal has been treated/inspected, the confining bar is released and swung out of the way, both segments of the confining gate are moved back to their initial positions and pinned, the face gate bar its returned to its vertical position and the head gate window is opened so that the animal can back out of the head gate window. At this point, the operator makes a determination as to how the animal should be grouped, then releases him out of the one of the three different exit gates; (1) regular exit/access door, (2) first segment of the confining gate, or (3) head gate. This multiple exit door, concept provides additional functionality for the Sheep and Goat Containment Cage in that once the animal enters, regardless of the treatment accomplished, the animal can be sorted into various management groups (sell, maintain in separate area for additional treatment, return to pasture, etc). 
       Drawings 
       [0009]      FIG. 1 —Right Side (includes Exit Gate # 3 )
       The regular exit door  1  is attached to column  1  by hinge  4 . Regular exit door  1  is opened by raising drop pin  2  so that it clears drop pin receiver  3  then regular exit  1  door is swung out from under top bar  6  away from main structure. Drop pin  2  is lowered back into receiver  3  while regular exit door  1  is held open. Regular exit door  1  is closed by raising drop pin  2  so that it clears receiver  3  and regular exit door  1  is swung to return under top bar  6  then drop pin  2  is lowered into receiver  3  to secure regular exit door in the closed position.       
 
         [0011]      FIG. 2 —Left Side (includes Two Segmented Confining Gate/Exit Gate # 2 )
       The confining gate serves as a confining gate when allowed to swing inside the main structure and also an exit gate when allowed to swing outside of the main structure. The first segment confining gate  13  is attached to second segment confining gate  11  with hinge  4  between column  14  and column  15 . To operate as an exit door, first segment confining gate  13  is opened by raising drop pin  18  so that it clears receiver  19  then first segment confining gate  13  is swung out from under top bar  6  away from main structure. Drop pin  18  is lowered back into receiver  19  while first segment confining gate  13  is held open. First segment confining gate  13  is closed by raising drop pin  18  so that it clears receiver  19  and first segment confining gate  13  is swung to return under top bar  6  then drop pin  18  is lowered into receiver  19  to secure first segment confining gate  13  in the closed position. To operate both first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  in the complete confining gate function, see  FIG. 8  and the associated description.       
 
         [0013]      FIG. 3 —Back Side (includes entry gate shown in open position)
       The entry door  23  travels vertically between column  24  and column  25 . Entry door  23  is opened by pulling on rope  22  which is threaded through pulley  21 . Force is applied to rope  22  until entry door  23  is raised to contact top frame  26 .   Once entry door  23  makes contact with top frame  26 , tension is maintained on rope  22  until animal enters main structure. After animal is inside main structure, entry door  23  is closed by reducing tension of rope  22  and allowing gravity to overcome entry gate  23  position in contact with top frame  26  so that entry gate  23  travels down to closed position.       
 
         [0016]      FIG. 4 —Back Side (includes entry gate shown in closed position) 
         [0017]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 —Front Side [Exit Gate # 1 ] (includes head gate door, with head gate window shown closed in  FIG. 5  and head gate widow open in  FIG. 6 )
       Head gate door  27  is attached to column  9  with hinges  4 . Head gate door  27  is opened by raising drop pin  28  so that it clears receiver  29  then head gate door  27  is swung out from under top bar  6  away from main structure. Drop pin  28  is lowered back into receiver  29  while head gate door  27  is held open. Head gate door  27  is closed by raising drop pin  28  so that it clears receiver  29  and head gate door  27  is swung to return under top bar  6  then drop pin  28  is lowered into receiver  29  to secure head gate door  27  in the closed position.   Head gate window  30  rotates at Head gate Window pin  31 . Head gate window  30  is opened by raising chain  32  from chain latch  33  and head gate window lever  34  is moved away from center of main structure. Animal&#39;s head and neck are directed between head gate post  27  and head gate window  30 . Head gate window  30  is closed by moving head gate window lever  34  toward main structure until head gate window  30  contacts animals neck. Head gate window  30  is secured in closed position by engaging chain  32  into chain latch  33 .       
 
         [0020]      FIG. 7 —Front Side [Exit Gate # 1 ] (includes head gate door, with head gate window shown closed and face bar shown closed)
       Head gate window  30  is shown in closed position. Face bar  41  rotates at Face bar pin  43 . Face bar  41  is closed by pushing Face bar Handle  42  to the left down to the horizontal position then pivoting Face bar handle  42  toward Head gate window  30  which latches face bar  41  in the horizontal position.       
 
         [0022]      FIG. 8 —Top Side (includes views of each cycle/position of the Two Segmented Confining Gate) 
         [0023]    The various cycles of the confining gate segments are depicted in  FIG. 6 .  FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D  depict the first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  as they move through various positions to accomplish the immobilization of sheep and goat sized animals.  FIGS. 6E and 6F  depict alternate positions of first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  that can be used for faster but less immobilization of animals ( 6 E) and confining unusually large specimens ( 6 F). Finally,  FIG. 6G  depicts the use of the first segment confining gate  13  as an alternate exit gate, which is more completely described in the description associated with  FIG. 2 .
         FIG. 8A . (Stage  0  position) Animal contained in main structure. First segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  in closed position.     FIG. 8B . (Stage  1  position) Front of animal has been secured with head gate window  30 . First segment confining gate  13  is used to reduce the area inside main structure by raising latch pin  18  from receiver  19  and swinging first segment confining gate  13  across main structure and placing latch pin  18  through first segment confining slide  37  and back into receiver  19 .     FIG. 8C . (Stage  2  position) Front of animal has been secured with head gate window  30 . First segment confining gate  13  is used to reduce the area inside main structure by raising latch pin  18  from receiver  19  and swinging first segment confining gate  13  across main structure and placing latch pin  18  through first segment confining slide  37  and back into receiver  19 . Latch pin  16  is raised from receiver  17  and stowed in receiver  40 , then second segment confining gate  11  is swung toward the inside of the main structure. As first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  move toward inside of main structure, first segment confining slide  37  allows first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  to accommodate almost any angle of movement between first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11 , providing the ability to further reduce the area inside main structure. Confining bar  35  is placed in first confining bar receiver  8  and confining bar clamp  36  is adjusted to hold first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  in desired position.     FIG. 8D . (Extreme Stage  2  position). Same as described in  FIG. 6C  but demonstrates the ability to completely immobilize animal by adjusting confining bar clamp  36  on confining bar  35  until first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  contact the animals body.     FIG. 8E . (Speed Stage  2  position). Front of animal has been secured with head gate window  30 . Latch pin  16  is raised from receiver  17  and stowed in receiver  40 , then first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  are swung toward the inside of the main structure. As first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  move toward inside of main structure, confining slide  38  allows first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11  to accommodate almost any angle of movement between first segment confining gate  13  and second segment confining gate  11 , providing a quick side to side confinement of the animal.     FIG. 8F . (Oversize Stage  2  position). Front of animal has been secured with head gate window  30 . First segment confining gate  13  is used to reduce the area inside main structure by raising latch pin  18  from receiver  19  and swinging first segment confining gate  13  across main structure until contact is made with the animal&#39;s body. Confining bar  35  is placed in confining bar receiver  7  and confining bar clamp  36  is adjusted to hold first segment confining gate  13  in desired position     FIG. 8G  (Exit Position). Depiction of first segment confining gate  13  used as an exit gate, described is  FIG. 2 .