Abstract:
A portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus for providing an easily transportable cattle care station. The portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus includes a frame assembly having an integrated tank for holding a treatment composition. The tank is coupled to a livestock oiler device in use to provide a distribution apparatus for the treatment composition. The tank is preferably sloped from one side to the other to facilitate gravity flow of the treatment composition. The frame assembly may also be used to support additional livestock care implements such as salt, mineral, and livestock dusters.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to mobile livestock feeding and pest control devices and more particularly pertains to a new portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus for providing an easily transportable cattle care station capable of supporting a variety of cattle care implements including salt, mineral, a livestock oiler, and a livestock duster. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   The use of mobile livestock feeding and pest control devices is known in the prior art. One illustrative example of these previously known devices includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,738 to Kemnitz, which teaches a mobile livestock feeder. The apparatus of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,738 patent utilizes an oiler tank which is mounted on a gooseneck hitch arm and does not have any slope or cant to the tank which would facilitate either filling or draining the tank. 
   Another illustrative example of previously known devices is U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,586 to Brewster which discloses a livestock oiler which utilizes a tank suspended between two sets of pipe legs. Again the tank is designed to be maintained in a level condition when the apparatus is placed on level ground, but placement on an uneven or non-level ground (such as is commonly found in pastures). This design may deprive one or both spray assemblies of oil even if oil remains in the tank, no slope to the tank is provided, especially since the oiler tank is connected to both sets of pipe legs at opposite ends of the device. 
   Thus, under conditions that are often found in pastures and field, the know oilers can prematurely stop dispensing oil before their tanks are actually empty. 
   In these respects, the portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an easily transportable cattle care station capable of supporting a variety of cattle care implements including salt, mineral, a livestock oiler, and a livestock duster. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of mobile livestock feeding and pest control devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus construction wherein 50 the same can be utilized for providing an easily transportable cattle care station. 
   To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a frame assembly having an integrated tank for holding a treatment composition. The tank is coupled to a livestock oiler device in use to provide a distribution means for the treatment composition. The tank is preferably sloped from one side to the other to facilitate gravity flow of the treatment composition. The frame assembly may also be used to support additional livestock care implements such as salt, mineral, and livestock dusters. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
   In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   One significant advantage of the present invention is the lightweight physical configuration which allows for easy transport of the device by a single individual. 
   Further advantages of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects of the invention will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a new portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic front view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view of the present invention utilizing multiple uprights members for the rear and tongue sections. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged, sectional view of the portion of  FIG. 2  indicated by the circle marked “ 5 ”. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
   As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the portable multi-purpose cattle care apparatus  10  generally comprises a frame assembly  20  for supporting a variety of livestock servicing implements  70 . The frame assembly  20  further includes a reservoir section  30 , a rear section  21  and a tongue section  40 . The frame assembly  20  may be disassembled for storage and shipping, or simply transporting over long distances where simply trailering the apparatus is not possible or desirable. To this end, the sections of the frame assembly  20  may be provided with flanges that are fastenable together by bolts, although other connection means may be employed. 
   A livestock oiler device  72  may be suspended from the frame assembly  20  for applying a treatment composition  71  to livestock when the livestock rubs against the livestock oiler device  72 . 
   The reservoir section  30  is preferably positioned in a spaced relationship above the ground when in use and includes a treatment composition storage tank  31 . Preferably, the treatment storage tank  31  is integrated into the frame assembly and actually forms a large portion of the reservoir section of the frame assembly. The reservoir section  30  is supported by the rear section  21  of the frame assembly and the tongue section  40  of the frame assembly. 
   In a significant feature of the invention, the portion of the reservoir section  30  that is located adjacent to the rear section  21  is supported at a relatively greater (farther) distance from the ground and the portion of the reservoir section  30  adjacent to the tongue section  40  is supported at a relatively closer distance to the ground. As a result, the reservoir section  30  is inclined and slopes downwardly from the rear section of the frame assembly to the tongue section of the frame assembly so that the treatment composition fluid is urged to flow towards the tongue section by gravity. 
   In at least one embodiment, the reservoir section  30  further comprises a fill port  32 , a cap member  33 , and a drain port  34 . The fill port  32  is preferably positioned on a top side  36  of the reservoir section  30  and adjacent to the rear section  21  of the frame assembly  20 . The fill port  32  is in environmental communication with the treatment composition tank  31  and is used to fill the treatment composition tank  31  with the treatment composition prior to use. The cap member  33  may be selectively coupled to the fill port  32  to selectively close the fill port  32  and inhibit contaminants from entering the treatment composition tank  31  through the fill port  32 . The drain port  34  is preferably positioned on a lower portion  38  of the reservoir section  30  adjacent to the tongue section  40  and is most preferably located at substantially the lowest location on the reservoir to facilitate substantially complete drainage of the reservoir. The drain port  34  is in environmental communication with the treatment composition tank  31 . The drain port  34  permits the treatment composition to flow outward from the treatment composition tank  31 . The drain port  34  is removably connectable to a conduit  73  to the oiler device  72  in a known manner. 
   The rear section  21  may be provided with at least one wheel  22  to facilitate rolling the frame assembly  20  across the ground when the livestock and the apparatus is moved to another location such as another field for grazing. Preferably, a pair of wheels  22  is mounted on the rear section of the frame assembly. Each one of the pair of wheels  22  may be rotatably coupled to a lower portion of the rear section  21  to support the rear section off of the ground. 
   The frame assembly  20  may include a support plate  50  coupled to a lower portion of the tongue section  40 . The support plate provides an enlarged surface area for the tongue portion  40  to contact the ground, which is especially beneficial for use on soft ground, such as soil in fields, so that the end of the tongue does not become lodged in the ground due to its weight. 
   The frame assembly  20  may also include a stake member  54  that is mounted to an underside of the support plate  50 , and which serves multiple functions. Most importantly, the stake member  52  is insertable into the ground of the field and this penetration inhibits the frame assembly  20  from moving across the ground when the assembly is positioned in a field. Additionally, the stake member  54  may be employed as a hitch member for removably coupling the frame assembly  20  to a complementary hitch structure (such as a loop) on a vehicle to facilitate pulling or trailering of the apparatus across the ground. 
   In a further embodiment, a mineral feeder drum  74  is mounted on the lower portion of the rear section  21 . The mineral feeder drum  74  receives a mineral, such as salt, to be fed to the livestock. The mineral feeder drum  74  is positionable substantially opposite of the wheels  22  to inhibit the frame assembly  20  from rolling across the ground or from rotating. Additionally, a mineral feeder barrel  78  may be suspended from the frame assembly  20 , and preferably is suspended from the reservoir section  30  of the frame assembly  20 . This barrel  78  may also be employed to hold other livestock servicing materials. 
   A duster support frame  60  may be coupled to the frame assembly  20  to support at least one, and preferably a pair of, duster bag devices  76 . The duster support frame  60  may be oriented substantially perpendicular to the reservoir section  30  of the frame assembly, and may also be substantially horizontal orientation in a spaced relationship above the ground. 
   In an embodiment, the rear section  21  is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the reservoir section  30  to improve the stability of the apparatus, especially when bumped by the livestock, by resisting tipping of the frame assembly rearwardly. The rear section  21  of the frame assembly may also include lateral arms that support an axle on which the pair of wheels are mounted. 
   The rear section  21  and the tongue section  40  may each comprise single or multiple uprights as well as cross-braces and corner support bracket so that portions of the frame assembly resemble a ladder (see, for example,  FIG. 4 ). 
   In an illustrative embodiment, the reservoir section is approximately 140 inches long, the tongue section is approximately 72 inches long, and the rear section is approximately 80 inches long. 
   In use, the frame assembly is initially assembled from the rear section, the tongue section and the reservoir section. The reservoir section may be joined to the rear section and the tongue section using a bolted flange configuration, a pinned tab and slot configuration, a dovetail configuration or other suitable mechanical connection. The frame assembly may be positioned in a desired location for use and populated with at least one of the variety of livestock care implements including salt, mineral, a livestock oiler, and a livestock duster. The frame assembly with or without the livestock care implements may be moved or repositioned as desired by lifting up the tongue section and either rolling the frame assembly or coupling the frame assembly to a vehicle using the hitch member to facilitate transporting the apparatus to another desired location. Even if the invention is located on an uneven or non-level area of ground, the user merely detects approximately which spot is the highest or nearly the highest spot in the area, and positioned the rear section of the frame assembly at or near that spot, and the slope built into the assembly facilitates substantially complete draining of the reservoir. 
   The frame assembly does not need to be disassembled to be moved from one location to another or to be stored, although each of these is possible. The original shipment to the user in a disassembled fashion allows for more efficient use of space. Additionally should a replacement be needed for one of the main sections, replacement can be performed rapidly without the need to physically cut or weld the main section. 
   With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
   Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.