Abstract:
A vertically moveable immobilizing sow chute to allow hoisting and holding horizontally of a sow for foot treatment is described. The unit avoids the use of slings, can be operated electrically, and has numerous fail safe features as well as mobility and stability.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention generally relates to an improved immobilizing sow chute to allow hoisting and horizontal holding of a sow for foot inspection and treatment. It avoids use of a flexible sling, and can be operated by a single operator. It represents an improvement over my earlier invention of U.S. Ser. No. 11/686,183 filed Mar. 14, 2007. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Lifting devices for animals are generally known. In the most general sense, they often incorporate a winch having a cable attached thereto and some form of sling lifted by the winch to cradle the animal inside of the sling apparatus. While such lifting devices are generally described and known, there is a need for a very specific purpose lifting device, designed especially for sows to allow for foot inspection and treatment. Such a device presents unique problems. For example, an effective immobilizing sow chute must be ‘sow friendly’. That is to say, the chute must be easy to enter, easy to exit, and causes no harm or alarm to the sow when she is restrained. An effective chute must prevent the sow from fighting, squealing, and kicking while her feet are inspected and/or treated. And the unit must be stable and safe when in the raised position. 
         [0003]    Another special problem with sows is they are very heavy and that the hoist must allow hoisting of the animal in a manner that does not risk injury either to the animal&#39;s legs, shoulders, hips, or cause other internal injuries. Furthermore, the chute must present the sow in a manner which is safe for persons to inspect/treat the sow&#39;s feet. One way of avoiding injuries to the animal is to provide adequate support through the use of a sling, while maintaining the animal in a standing position during lifting. But slings per se have disadvantages such as difficulty in securing all four animal legs into the sling, danger of injury for workers while adjusting feet of the animal into the sling, agitation of some animals while harnessing the sling, risk of strap/apron failure, and danger of tangling with other parts of the device. They also require several workers to successfully operate. 
         [0004]    Finally, an effective device to immobilize sows for foot examination must be one which can be operated by a single operator, because many times no one else is around. My earlier referred to application related to slings. As stated in some instances, it is desirable to avoid slings altogether. 
         [0005]    While I have used slings successfully in the past for raising animals for foot inspection, they have some disadvantages as earlier mentioned and are disliked by some users. It would therefore be desirable to provide a non-sling option. 
         [0006]    Another problem to be overcome by a successful chute is that it must have both mobility and stability. That is to say the unit must be easily moveable from place to place and at the same time, with the considerable weight of a sow within it when it is in up position it must be extremely stable. 
         [0007]    Another problem with prior art chute units that have tried to go 100% electrical power is that they fail to have a backup system operable when there is an electric failure. This may be essential to getting a raised animal down. 
         [0008]    Yet an additional problem with chute units which raise sows is that in the event of an electrical failure, there must be a stop system which will allow the operator to make sure that the animal does not fall from the elevated position to a lower position. 
         [0009]    Finally, a special need for such units is that they must operate to provide maximum animal comfort and safety and the least amount of animal stress. 
         [0010]    It is a primary object of the above invention to provide an immobilizing sow chute which can be entered from either end, which avoids the use of a sling, and which provides comfort, stability, and safety. 
         [0011]    Another object of this invention is to provide an immobilizing sow chute which fulfills all of the above needs earlier described and which allows efficient operation by a single operator. 
         [0012]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide a unit which has safety brakes to prevent the fall of a raised chute in the event of an electrical failure or hoist cable failure. 
         [0013]    An additional object of the present invention is to provide a sow chute not only capable of entry from either end but which has contoured sidewalls to help support the animal&#39;s body for soft and relaxed holding of the sow. 
         [0014]    An additional object of the present invention is to provide a highly mobile unit and a padded center pipe which the animal straddles until comfortably lifted off the ground. 
         [0015]    The method and means of accomplishing each of the above objectives as well as others will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    A vertically moveable immobilizing sow chute to allow hoisting and holding horizontally of a sow especially for foot inspection and treatment but also for general inspection of the animal while it is restrained. The unit avoids the use of slings, can be operated electrically, and has numerous fail safe features as well as mobility and stability. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the immobilizing sow chute of the present invention with the chute down and immobile mode. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the chute of  FIG. 1  from the side opposite the winch to better show the hoist bar. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is one end view of the immobilizing chute. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is the opposite end view of the immobilizing chute. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  shows the immobilizing chute with the gates open at both ends to more clearly show the side contours and the longitudinally oriented center support. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  shows a close up view of the vertical guide bar. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  shows an end view with the casters down in the mobile mode. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  shows the casters raised so that the immobilizing chute may rest on the floor. 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  shows the casters raised and the retractable stabilizer bars out. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  shows an animal in raised position, with the casters off and in a stabilized mode with the stabilizer bars out. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0027]    Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIG. 1  there is shown an immobilizing chute  10  comprised of a cage or frame  12 , in itself defined by opposing sides  14  and  16  and gate ends  18  and  20 . As perhaps best shown in  FIG. 5 , gates  18  and  20  are pivotally mounted via hinge bars  22 ,  23 ,  24  and  25  to allow easy open and close entrance or egress from either end and either side of ends  18  and  20 . The sides  14  and  16  (see  FIG. 5 ) are each comprised of a vertically partially solid extending wall portion  18  and  20  with a shoulder  19 ,  21 . The bottom of cage or frame  12  is comprised of opposite end bars  29 A and  29 B and a mid position longitudinally extending horizontal support bar  27  generally rounded in configured and covered with soft padding  28 . Thus, it can be seen that an animal can enter from either end and stand on the floor  30  as shown in  FIG. 5 . If the cage frame  12  is raised the under belly of the sow will be supported on soft pad  28  of central support bar  27  and the animal side and shoulders are supported by the shoulders  19  and  20  of side walls  14  and  16 . Gate ends  18  and  20  are pivotally attached on either side so that the gates can swing open both ways at the convenience of the user. The gate latches are conventional spring loaded handles  30  and rod assembly  32  to form the pivot hinges. Springs  34  and  36  engage latch handles  30 . 
         [0028]    The chute frame  12  is mounted within chute frame stand  38 . Stand  38  is rectangle in shape and has rounded and elongated frame bar  40  and vertically oriented guide bars  41  and  42  at opposite ends. Located midway the ends of elongated frame bar  40  is vertical hoist bar  44 . Vertical hoist bar  44  and vertical guide bars  41  and  42  are vertically slidably attached via brackets  50 ,  51 ,  52  and  53  to chute frame  12 . In this way, chute frame  12  can be vertically raised and lowered by sliding up and down vertical guide bars  41 ,  42  and hoist bar  44 . 
         [0029]    At the top of vertical hoist bar  44  is lift arm pulley system generally defined at  54  with lift cables  58  and  60  on pulleys  60  and  61 . 
         [0030]    Conventional electrically driven winch  62  is attached to cables  56  and  58  so that it may be electrical power driven to raise and lower as the winch cables  56  and  58  wind and unwind. As the winch wind cables  56  and  58  tighten, the cage  12  is lifted upward on the vertical guide bars  41  and  42  and central support guide bar  44 . The vertical hoist bar  44  has notches  45  at regular intervals which catch or engage a primary brake system  64  which automatically engages as chute  12  travels upward. Spring biasing means  65  of safety brake  64  catches and fits into the notches  45  and bumps from one to the other as cage  12  rises so that if the steel cables  56  and  58  would break, the sow in the chute  12  would be caught as the falling cage  12  engages the notches  45 , preventing the animal from a crash fall. Vertical guide bars  41  and  42  at notches  66  engage wheel sprockets  68 ,  70  and rotate into each notch as the chute  12  travels upward and downward. This allows chute  12  to travel evenly and perpendicular to the ground. 
         [0031]    Hand winch  70  is also mounted to centrally positioned vertical hoist bar  44  so that it can be selectively used in the event that the electrical winch  62  fails. 
         [0032]    The chute frame  38  is capable of resting on the floor  30  selectively or on attached casters  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  at the corners of each end. As best seen in  FIG. 7 , casters  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  are attached to the frame  38  at the respective corners via connecting pins  80  and  82  with each caster having a jack pipe  84 . If it is desired for the unit to rest on the ground, pin  80  is removed, a jack  86  is inserted into jack pipe  84 , as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , jack  86  and the caster wheels  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  are raised. This allows the unit to rest on the ground  30 . Retractable stabilizer bars  88 ,  90 ,  92  and  94  slide outwardly as illustrated in  FIG. 9  to stabilize the unit in ground engaging position. When it is desired to make the unit mobile, stabilizing bars  88 ,  90 ,  92  and  94  can slide inward along elongated slot  96  to their closed or retracted position, the casters are then lowered to ground engaging position and the unit can be moved to a new location. 
         [0033]      FIG. 10  shows the unit in actual operation with the sow  98  in the chute. It is partially elevated midway between the raised and lowered positions. It can be seen the stabilizing bars  88 ,  90 ,  92  and  94  are out in ground  30  engaging position. The animal  98  is in contact with the central horizontal support bar  27  and pad  28 , and is engaging its under belly; its sides comfortably rest on shoulders end  19  and  21 . The animal&#39;s feet  100  protrude down out from the bottom so that they can be treated. The winch  12  after the animal&#39;s treatment can be engaged to lower the cage to ground  30  engaging position and either one of the gates  18  or  20  opened to allow the sow to exit. 
         [0034]    It can be seen that no sling is needed, the unit is stable, it can be operated by a single person, and has many safety, stability and mobility features heretofore not achievable. In this way, the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.