Abstract:
A support apparatus for an animal has a frame for suspending an animal for hanging, gutting, cleaning and/or storage. At least one prong member is connected to the frame and has at least one hook extending from it. The prong member is movable between an animal supporting position and an animal releasing position. A securing mechanism releasably secures the prong member in the animal supporting position until the hanging, gutting, cleaning and/or storage and any additional processing is completed, after which the prong member is free to fall to the release position and the animal is released from the support.

Description:
this application claims the benefit of Provisional application No. 60/189,471, filed Mar. 15, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a releasable support apparatus for an animal and, more particularly, to an apparatus for suspending an animal for hanging, gutting, dressing out, handling and storage, with a quick, safe release of the animal during, or upon completion of, the processing of the animal. The present invention also contemplates an optional auxiliary support assembly for supporting the animal during the release and after the release, and for providing for further handling, processing or storage of the animal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     By the present invention, an apparatus is provided by which wild and domestic animals such as deer, pigs, cows, sheep, and the like can be attached by the hind legs for hanging, gutting, dressing out, handling and storage, with a quick, safe release upon completion of the processing and/or storage of the animal. The apparatus consists of a frame with attached prongs for receiving the legs between the bone and tendon, the prongs being movable between an animal-supporting position, in which the animal can be gutted, dressed out, handled or stored, and a releasing position, in which the animal can be removed or supported by an auxiliary support assembly. 
     The auxiliary support assembly includes a ring and a line or cable assembly attachable to the legs of the animal and to the support apparatus. Additionally, a securing mechanism is provided to hold the prongs in the animal-supporting position and thereby safely retain the animal during processing. The securing mechanism can be activated to permit the prongs to move under the influence of gravity to their release position, whereupon the legs fall from the prongs. Where the auxiliary support apparatus is used, after its release from the prongs, the animal is still supported by the ring and the line or cable, which are attached to the support apparatus. The auxiliary support assembly can be removed from the support apparatus with the animal and thereby provide a mechanism by which the animal can be hung for further processing or cold storage. Alternatively, the releasable support apparatus can be kept in the animal animal-supporting position and used to store the animal. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the support apparatus of present invention in an animal-supporting position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the support apparatus of FIG. 1 with a locking mechanism in a release position; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the locking mechanism of the support apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the support apparatus of FIG. 1 between the animal-supporting position and a release position; 
     FIG. 5 is perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 closer to the release position than the support apparatus of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is perspective view from a different perspective of the apparatus of FIG. 1 close to the release position; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in the full release position; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with an auxiliary support assembly attached an in a back-ups supporting position; 
     FIG. 9 is a further perspective view of the support apparatus of FIG. 1 in the full release position, with the auxiliary support assembly attached and in a back-ups supporting position; 
     FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the support apparatus of FIG. 1 in the release position and the auxiliary support in a supporting position; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus; 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the of the embodiment of FIG. 11, showing animal legs attached to the support apparatus and the auxiliary support assembly attached to the apparatus and the animal legs; and 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the auxiliary support assembly and the animal legs removed from the support apparatus of FIG.  12 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As can be seen from FIGS. 1-10, a preferred embodiment of the support apparatus according to the present invention, which is designated generally by the reference numeral  100 , includes a frame  3  constructed of a strong material, such as steel, having a plurality of spaced horizontal members  2 . 1 ,  2 . 2 , and  2 . 3 . In the illustrated embodiment, the frame is triangular, with a point of the triangle at the top, making the frame  3  well suited for hoisting by a cable and pulley. A pivot member  8  has a prong  5  at each laterally outward end, the prongs extending upward in an animal-supporting position of the apparatus  100  and downward in an animal release position. Pivot member  8  is received in eyes  1  secured to the bottom horizontal member  2 . 3 , the pivot member  8  being mounted for pivoting in the eyes  1 . A pivot arm  7  extends generally perpendicular from the middle of the pivot member  8 . Preferably, there are four eyes  1 —one eye near each end of the lower horizontal member  2 . 3  and two eyes near the center, on and spaced from one another, the latter two eyes being opposite sides of the pivot arm  7 , as is shown in FIG.  1 . 
     As can be seen particularly from FIGS. 1 and 2, the pivot arm  7  has a locking mechanism L to retain the prongs  5  in an upwardly extending, animal supporting position. In this embodiment, the details of which are shown in FIG. 3, the locking mechanism L is has a safety hook  9  projecting from a sliding sleeve  10  that engages the middle horizontal member  2 . 2  of the frame  3 . The sliding sleeve  10  has a release trigger  11 , which is lifted in an upward direction to release the pivot arm  7 , as can be seen in FIG.  2 . The sliding sleeve  10  is prevented from rotating about pivot arm  7  by sliding reception of the release trigger  11  in a stop member S fixed to the pivot arm. The safety hook  9  engages the middle horizontal member  2 . 2  and thereby locks the prongs  5  in their upward and outward animal supporting position until the release trigger  11  and the hook  9  are raised, whereby the pivot member  8  is free to pivot downward, allowing the legs of the animal to slide off of the prongs  5  under the influence of gravity. Alternative designs for the locking mechanism L may be used, varying for instance the point of releasable engagement, the release mechanism, etc. without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     As can be appreciated from FIGS. 8 and 9, an auxiliary support assembly A is secured to the legs of the animal in the manner shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 and attached to an upwardly opening hook  4  fixed on the top horizontal member  2 . 1 , so that the auxiliary support assembly supports the animal by the legs when the legs have been released from the prongs  5 . The auxiliary support assembly A includes a ring  12 , two lines or cables  13 , and a hook or retainer  14  at one end of each line or cable  13 . The hooks or retainers  14  may take the form of spring-loaded clips, hooks as illustrated, or any suitable fastener. The ends of the lines or cables  13  not attached to the hooks or retainers  14  are attached to the ring  12 , which is attachable to the hook  4  secured to the frame  3 , preferably at the midpoint of the upper horizontal member  2 . 1 . The hook  4  is preferably secured at this or another point or a point similarly disposed directly below the point from which the frame  100  is suspended, which is the top of the triangle. Such an securement point for the hook  4  minimizes the pitch and yaw of the frame upon release. The hooks or retainers  14  are attached to either the bone or tendon of each leg of the animal or received between the bone and the tendon (FIGS.  12  and  13 ). The prongs  5  project upwardly to prevent the legs of the animal from slipping off the prongs  5 . Once the legs are released from the prongs  5 , by lifting the safety trigger  11 , moving the pivot arm  7  downward, and rotating the pivot member  8 , the animal is retained on the frame  3  by the auxiliary support assembly A on the hook  4  in the manner shown in FIG. 13, with the cables  13  and hooks  14  in the position shown in FIG.  10 . The ring  12  of the auxiliary supporting assembly A can be removed from the hook  4  when removal of the animal is desired. The auxiliary support assembly A permits the animal to be hung for further processing or storage in a large refrigerator, freezer, or like cold storage unit. 
     As can be seen from FIGS. 11-13, in an alternative embodiment, the support apparatus, which is designated generally by the reference numeral  200 , has a frame  21  essentially the same as the frame  3 , but the prongs  25  are provided at laterally outward ends of separate pivot members  29 . Each of the pivot members  29  is received in eyes  26  secured preferably to the bottom horizontal member  22 . 3 , the pivot members  29  being pivotable and slideable in the eyes  26 . Each pivot member  29  includes a main portion  30  and a pivot arm  31  extending perpendicularly from the main portion  30  at a laterally inner end. Each pivot member  29  is supported by two of the eyes  26 , one of which is laterally outside the other, and a compression spring  27  is positioned between the laterally outer eye  26  and an enlargement  28  on the main portion  30 . As a result, the spring  27  resiliently biases the pivot member  29  toward the center of the frame  21 , where the pivot arm  31  engages a holding tab  24  secured, preferably, on the back side of the middle horizontal member  22 . 2 . As is shown in FIG. 12, the force of the spring  27  maintains the pivot arm  31  in engagement with the holding tab  24  and prevents the pivot member  29  from rotating downward and releasing the leg of the animal. A line  32  is connected between the ends of the pivot arms  31  of the pivot members  29  to define a handle that can be grasped and pulled rearward to pivot each of the pivot members rearward. Such movement releases the pivot arms  31  from the hold of the holding tabs  24 , and allows the pivot members  29  to be moved laterally inward under the bias of the springs  27  and to pivot downward under the weight of the animal into an animal releasing position. In the animal releasing position, the prongs  25  extend downward and the legs of the animal slip off the prongs, as shown in FIG.  13 . 
     This embodiment uses the same auxiliary support assembly A as the previous embodiment. Therefore, when the pivot members  29  release the animal, the auxiliary support assembly A still supports the animal. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is contemplated that variations and/or changes in the embodiments illustrated and described herein may be made without departure from the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing description is illustrative only, not limiting.