Abstract:
The present invention includes a portable alley way having openings at one end. A collapsible crowding tub is connected to the alley way and includes an opening communicating with the opening of the alley way. The collapsible crowding tub includes a plurality of curved panels which are connected together in a substantially semi-circular pattern surrounding a fifth wheel hitch. An end curved panel is connected to the alley way adjacent the opening of the alley way. An extension panel has one end connected to the alley way on the opposite side of the opening of the alley way and has a second end connected to the fifth wheel gooseneck. A gate has one end pivotably attached to the fifth wheel gooseneck and is sized to swing in an arc within the semi-circular pattern of the curved panels. A latch is provided for latching the gate to a selected curved panel.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/543,213 filed Feb. 10, 2004. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a portable alley way with a collapsible crowding tub for livestock animals such as cattle. With this apparatus, the alley way may be transported to where the cattle are located and eliminates the need to move the cattle to a fixed alley way. 
   Portable livestock working systems are known such as described in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,959 to Mollhagen and U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,121 to Reynolds. 
   The present invention is an improvement over the known portable livestock systems in that it utilizes a fifth wheel gooseneck as a center column for supporting a series of curved panels forming a crowding tub connected to a portable alley way. The present invention is easily carried with a truck having a fifth wheel hitch. The collapsible tub is easily assembled in the field and also easily disassembled for transportation to another location. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a portable alley way having opposed first and second sides with a top and a bottom and an opening at a first end and an opening at a second end. A collapsible crowding tub is provided having an opening communicating with the opening at the second end of the alley way. The collapsible crowding tub includes a top brace extending from the top of the second end of the alley way to a fifth wheel gooseneck and a plurality of curved panels which are connected together end-to-end in a substantially semi-circular pattern surrounding the fifth wheel hitch in equidistance, spaced-apart relation thereto. An end curved panel is connected to the first side of the alley way adjacent the opening at the second end of alley way. An extension panel has one end connected to the second side of the alley way adjacent the opening at the second end of the alley way and has a second end connected to the fifth wheel gooseneck. A plurality of rod brace members are provided wherein each rod brace member extends from the fifth wheel gooseneck to one of the curved panels. A gate has one end pivotably attached to the fifth wheel gooseneck and is sized to swing in an arc within the semi-circular pattern of the curved panels, and finally a means is provided for latching the gate to a selected curved panel. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective photograph of a portable alley way with self-supporting crowding tub according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective photograph of the portable alley way shown in  FIG. 1  in a collapsed condition, ready for transport; 
       FIG. 3  is an end perspective photograph of an alley way used with the present invention with parts removed; 
       FIG. 4  is a detail perspective photograph of the present invention with parts removed; 
       FIG. 5  is an elevational view of a tub panel used with the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a plan view of a stabilizing rod used with the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a detail perspective view of a rod support plate used with the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is an elevational view of the rod support plate shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 8A  is a detail view of a locking post shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a detail perspective view of the rod support plate shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a detail perspective view of a rod locking plate used with the present invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a plan view of the rod locking plate shown in  FIG. 10 ; 
       FIG. 12  is an elevational view of the rod locking plate shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
       FIG. 13  is an end view of the rod locking plate shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
       FIG. 14  is a detail view of a rod locking leg used with the present invention; 
       FIG. 15  is a detail photograph of the rod locking leg shown in  FIG. 14  with the leg swung outwardly; 
       FIG. 16  is a perspective photograph of an alley way extension panel used with the present invention; 
       FIG. 17  is an elevational view of the alley way extension panel shown in  FIG. 16 ; 
       FIG. 18  is an elevational view of a tub gate used with the present invention; 
       FIG. 19  is a detail view of a hinge for the gate shown in  FIG. 18 ; 
       FIG. 20  is a cross-sectional view of a bar used to connect the gate to the hinge shown in  FIG. 19 ; 
       FIG. 21  is a detail photograph of a latch used with the gate according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 22  is a detail photograph of the latch shown in  FIG. 21  with a keep in a retracted position; and 
       FIG. 23  is a detail photograph of an end panel used with the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A portable alley way with self-supporting crowding tub for cattle  10  according to the present invention, is shown in  FIG. 1 . The invention  10  includes a conventional portable alley way  12  to which is a attached a portable crowding tub  14 .  FIG. 2  shows the invention  10  with the tub in a collapsed condition. A triangular overhead brace  16  is welded to a pair of uprights  18  and  20 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The uprights  18  and  20  are welded to the frame of the conventional alley way  12 . 
   Four conventional hydraulic lifters  13  are secured to each corner of the alley way  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The lifters  22  are hydraulically controlled with a conventional controller  24  mounted to a side of the alley way  12 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
   The apex of the overhead triangular brace  16  is secured to an upright gooseneck  26 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . At the distal end of upright gooseneck  26 , a ball receiving hitch  28 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , is secured for receiving a hitch ball (not shown) provided on the towing vehicle, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   A series of six panels  30  are arranged in an essentially semi-circular pattern to form the crowding tub  14 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . A detail view of a single panel  30  is shown in  FIG. 5 . Each panel  30  includes an end upright standard  32  having one end  33  for resting on a ground surface. The panel  30  further includes a panel body  34  and an end upright standard  36  secured at the distal end of the panel body, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The upright standard  32  has an upper pair of plates  38  welded to the upright standard  32  extending in an outward direction, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The upright standard  32  is further provided with a lower pair of spaced apart plates  40  which are spaced apart from the upper plates  38 . The plates  38  and the plates  40  each have an aligned bore therethrough for receiving a connecting pin. 
   The upright standard  36  is provided with an upper tongue  42  and a lower tongue  44 . Each of the tongues  42  and  44  have a bore therethrough for receiving a pin. The tongues  42  and  44  are positioned to extend between the respective plates  38  and  40  of an adjacent panel  30  so that when a pin is inserted through the hole provided in plates  38  and tongue  42  and another pin inserted through the hole provided in plates  40  and tongues  44 , adjacent panels are connected together. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , a similar upper pair of plates  38  and a lower pair of plates  40  are secured to an end frame of the alley way  12  for receiving the tongues  42  and  44 , respectively, of the first panel to be joined to the alley way  12 . 
   The upright standard  26  of the fifth wheel hitch is provided with an upstanding pin  46 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Six stabilizing rods  48  are mounted on the pin  46 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , each rod  48  has a hole  50  and  52  provided therein. Each rod  48  is inserted on pin  46  by threading the pin  46  through a respective hole  50 . 
   Each upright standard  32  of panel  30  is provided with an upright pin  54 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The hole  52  of each rod  48  is then threaded on a pin  54  of one panel with one rod extending to one panel, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   When the invention  10  is removed from the vehicle and is to be used as a crowding tub and alley way, a rod support plate  56  is mounted to the ball receiving hitch  28  secured to the upright gooseneck  26 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . A detail view of the rod support plate  56  is shown in  FIG. 8 . The rod support plate includes a body portion  58  on which a series of upright pins  60  are secured as by welding. Further, a ball mount  62  is welded to the body portion  58  and supports a hitch ball  54  to be received by the ball receiving hitch  28  attached to the upright gooseneck  26 . A conventional locking pin  66 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , is used to lock the ball  54  within the ball receiving hitch  28 . 
   Stabilizing rods  48  are then positioned so that each of the pins  60  receive one rod  48  with the hole  50  being threaded over a respective pin  60 .  FIG. 9  shows the rods  48  inserted on pins  60 . 
   A locking plate  68  is positioned over the rods  48  to hold the rods  48  on the pins  60 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . A detail view of the locking plate is shown in  FIGS. 11–13 . The locking plate  68  includes a body plate  70  which has a cutout  72  sized to receive the ball mount  62 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . An upright plate  74  is secured to the body portion  70 . The plate  74  includes a bore  76  which is positioned to receive a post  78  secured to the ball mount  62 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . The post  78  includes a transverse bore  79 , as shown in  FIG. 8A . When the post  78  is inserted through bore  76 , a pin (not shown) is inserted through bore  79  to hold the locking plate  68  over the rods  48 . 
   The distal end  33  of upright standard  32  is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 14 . A plate bracket  82  is welded to the distal end  33  of the standard  32 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 14 . An upright pin  84  is welded to the leg bracket  82 . The pin  84  is used for receiving the hole  52  of the stabilizer rod  48 . A locking leg  86  has one end pivotally mounted to the standard  32  with a bolt  88 . The locking leg  86  has a laterally extending arm  87  mounted to the free end of leg  86 . A stop plate  90  is welded to the standard  32  to stop the swinging movement of the locking leg  86 . In use, the locking leg  86  is swung outwardly, as shown in  FIG. 15 , and the hole  52  of stabilizer rod  48  inserted over pin  84 . The leg  86  is then allowed to swing over the stabilizer rod  48  whereby the arm  87  holds the stabilizer rod  48  in place. 
   An alley way extension panel  92  is mounted to one side of the alley way  12  and extends between the alley way  12  and the upright gooseneck  26 . The panel  92  is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  16  and  17 . The frame of alley way  12  is provided with an upper pair of spaced apart plates  38  and is further provided with a lower pair of spaced apart plates  40  which are spaced apart from the upper plates  38 , as shown in  FIG. 17 . The panel  92  is provided with an upper tongue  42  and a lower tongue  44 . The plates  38  and the plates  40  each have an aligned bore therethrough for receiving a connecting pin  94 . The plates  38  and  40  and tongues  42  and  44  are used to secure the panel  92  to the alley way  12  in a manner similar to that for connecting adjacent panels  30  together. The tongues  42  and  44  are positioned to extend between the respective plates  38  and  40  so that when pin  94  is inserted through the holes provided in plates  38  and tongue  42  and another pin inserted through the holes provided in plates  40  and tongue  44  the panel  92  may be secured to the frame of alley way  12 . The opposite end of panel  92  is connected to the upright gooseneck  26  with a chain  96  in a conventional manner, as shown in  FIG. 17 . 
   A hingedly mounted gate  98  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 18 . The gate  98  is hingedly mounted to the upright gooseneck  26  with hinges  100 . A top view of the hinge  100  is shown in  FIG. 19 . The hinge  100  includes a tubular structure  102  slidably receiving the upright gooseneck  26 . A member  104  is secured to the tubular structure  102 , as shown in  FIG. 19 . The member  104  has a square bore  106  extending therethrough. The gate  98  is provided with a pair of brackets  108  to which is attached a depending elongate bar  110 , as shown in  FIG. 18 . The bar  110  has a square cross-section, as shown in  FIG. 20 , and is sized to be received by bore  106 . The member  104  includes a transverse bore  112 , as shown in  FIG. 18 , and the bar  110  also includes a transverse bore  114 , as shown in  FIG. 18 . A pin is inserted through bores  112  and  114  to hold the bar  110  in the bore  106 . 
   The gate  98  is hingedly connected to the upright gooseneck  26  by inserting the bars  110  into the bores  106  of the hinges  100 . A pin (not shown) is inserted through the aligned bores  112  and  114  to secure the gate  98  to the hinge  100 . 
   Further, the gate  98  includes a latch  116 , as shown in  FIGS. 18 and 21 . A detail view of the latch  116  is shown in  FIG. 21 . The latch  116  includes a tubular body portion  118 . A slidable keep  120  is positioned inside the tubular body  118 . A handle  122  is mounted to the keep  120  so that the keep  120  can be retracted into the tubular body  118 . A spring  124  provides a bias for extending the keep  120  outside the tubular body  118 . A catch  126  is also provided for keeping the handle  122  in the retracted position, as shown in  FIG. 22 . 
   In using the latch  116 , the gate  98  is rotated in the tub formed by the panels  30 , and at a selected panel, the keep  120  of latch  116  is allowed to extend into the space provided between adjacent panels  30  so that the tub can be adjusted in size simply by swinging and latching the gate at a selected position. 
   With respect to the last panel  30  forming the tub  14 , a latch plate  128  is welded to the upright standard  32  as shown in  FIG. 23 . The keep of latch  116  then engages the latch plate  128  so that the gate  98  is prevented from swinging past the last panel  30 . 
   While the fundamental novel features of the invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that various substitutions, modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications or variations are included in the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.