Abstract:
Kick bar assemblies mounted to an opposite side walls of a squeeze chute structure each include an upright shaft that is rotatably mounted to the squeeze chute wall. Each kick bar assembly connects at one end to an actuator for rotating the shaft and at the other end to a kick bar which may be pivoted by the actuator between a first retracted position, a second normal extended position in which the kick bar is generally normal to the wall of the squeeze chute and a third forward position in which the kick bar is rotated forward of the normal position and defines an acute angle with the squeeze chute wall. The actuators controlling the motion of the kick bars are capable of being simultaneously remotely controlled to act in unison.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/278,045 filed Oct. 2, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for preventing an animal from kicking with its hind legs when the animal is retained in a squeeze chute. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Livestock animals, such as cattle, may be directed into a squeeze chute adapted for restraining the animal for the administration of veterinary procedures such as vaccinations. A difficulty that occurs in connection with such a squeeze chute process is that an animal will struggle and kick its hind legs. This is especially dangerous to wranglers or operators who are performing veterinary tasks in the vicinity of the rear quarters of an animal. Often when such tasks are performed an animal will kick violently. This presents a very serious risk of injury to the operators. A typical solution is to slide a member such as a 2×4 or a bar through the structure of the squeeze chute directly behind the animal&#39;s hind legs in order to prevent kicking. However, even this solution presents risks to the operator and the animal if the animal is kicking when the board or bar is inserted through the squeeze chute. What is needed is a remotely actuated apparatus that can be moved into position to prevent an animal from kicking when placed in a squeeze chute. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The above described need is satisfied by the addition of kick bar assemblies to a squeeze chute. Opposing kick bar assemblies are mounted to opposite side walls of a squeeze chute. Each kick bar assembly includes an upright shaft that is rotatably mounted to the squeeze chute wall, a generally horizontal top bracket that preferably extends from the upper end of the upright shaft and a kick bar that preferably extends from the lower end of the upright shaft. The kick bar is preferably located at a level that is suitable for preventing the kicking movement of the hind leg of the type of livestock animal intended for handling by the squeeze chute. A remotely controllable actuator extends between the distal end of the top bracket and the squeeze chute wall. The actuator is adapted to pivot the kick bar assembly between a first retracted position in which the kick bar assembly is preferably retracted into recesses in the squeeze chute wall, a second normal extended position in which the kick bar is generally normal to the wall of the squeeze chute, and a third forward position in which the kick bar is rotated forward of the normal position and defines an acute angle with the squeeze chute wall. It is preferable that the actuators controlling the motion of the kick bars are capable of being simultaneously controlled to act in unison. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a squeeze chute which includes opposite kick bar assemblies. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing only the side walls of a squeeze chute which includes opposite kick bar assemblies shown in the retracted position. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing only the side walls of a squeeze chute which includes opposite kick bar assemblies shown in the normal extended position. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing only the side walls of a squeeze chute which includes opposite kick bar assemblies shown in the forward position. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing only one side wall of a squeeze chute which includes a kick bar assembly in the retracted position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view showing in isolation the retracted kick bar assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the side wall of  FIG. 5  which includes a kick bar assembly in the normally extended position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6A  is a perspective view showing in isolation the normally extended kick bar assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 6B  is a cut away view taken from plane A-A of  FIG. 1  with the second set of forward head gates removed showing a steer placed in the squeeze chute with the left side kick bar of kick bar assembly  10 A in the normal extended position behind the left hind leg of the steer. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the side wall of  FIGS. 5 and 6  which includes a kick bar assembly in the normally extended position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7A  is a perspective view showing in isolation the forwardly extended kick bar assembly of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a squeeze chute  2  oriented from left to right in the direction of movement of livestock animals through squeeze chute  2  as indicated by direction arrow D. Squeeze chute  2  includes a kick bar apparatus  10  that includes two kick bar assemblies  10 A and  10 B. (Squeeze chute  2  shown in  FIG. 1  is shown with a second set of forward head gates which not a typical design as most squeeze chutes of this type typically have one set of head gates. Accordingly, the remaining figures do not show the second forward set of head gates.) As can be seen in  FIG. 1  and subsequent figures, kick bar assemblies  10 A and  10 B are mounted to the inside surfaces of opposite squeeze chute side walls  4  and  5 . As can be seen more easily in  FIGS. 2-7 , each side wall  4  and  5  (which are referred to by those skilled in the art as “gates”) carries opposite and symmetrically identical kick bar assemblies which may be denoted here as left kick bar assembly  10 A and right kick bar assembly  10 B. Because right and left kick bar assemblies  10 A and  10 B are symmetrical and identical, only left kick bar assembly  10 A will be described here in detail. The skilled reader should understand that all of the elements of left kick bar assembly  10 A can be found as corresponding, opposite and symmetrical elements in kick bar assembly  10 B. 
         [0017]    As can be best seen in  FIGS. 5 ,  5 A,  6 ,  6 A,  6 B,  7  and  7 A, kick bar assembly  10 A is mounted to side wall  4 . Side wall  4  is essentially a rectangular frame fashioned from upright and horizontal members. As can be best seen in the isolated views given in  FIGS. 5A ,  6 A and  7 A, kick bar assembly  10 A includes an upright bearing member  12 , an upright shaft  14 , a pivot member assembly  16 , an actuator  18  and a kick bar  20 . Upright bearing member  12  is fixed to the frame of side wall  4  and is adapted to receive and upright shaft  14  so that upright shaft  14  may freely rotate about axis A. Pivot member assembly  16  is fixed to the upper end of upright shaft  14 . In this example, pivot member assembly  16  includes a first pivot arm  16 A which extends toward the rear of squeeze chute  2  when kick bar assembly  10 A is in the retracted position shown in  FIGS. 5 and 5A . A second pivot arm  16 B is fixed to the distal end of first pivot arm  16 A extends generally normally from pivot arm  16 A and inboard toward the centerline of squeeze chute  2  when kick bar assembly  10 A is in the retracted position shown in  FIGS. 5 and 5A . Actuator  18  in this example is a hydraulic cylinder that extends between a mounting bracket  18 A where it is pivotably attached by a first clevis  18 B. As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , mounting bracket  18 A is fixed to a horizontal member of side wall  4 . At its opposite end, actuator  18  is pivotably attached by a second clevis  18 C to the distal end of second pivot arm  16 B of pivot member assembly  16 . Kick bar  20  is fixed to the lower end of upright shaft  14  and is generally parallel to first pivot arm  16 A of pivot assembly  16  so that kick bar  20  is retracted within a recess in side wall  4  when kick bar assembly  10 A is in the retracted position shown in  FIGS. 5 and 5A . All of the members described above may be fashioned from steel or some other suitable strong durable material. Although not shown in the figures, kick bar  20  is preferably covered by protective padding in order to prevent injuries to animals. 
         [0018]    The operation of kick bar assembly  10 A and by extension the simultaneous operation of kick bar assemblies  10 A and  10 B can be best understood by referring to  FIGS. 5A ,  6 A and  7 A. In  FIG. 5A , hydraulic cylinder  18  is fully extended. This pushes second pivot arm  16 B of pivot assembly  16  into the retracted position shown in  FIG. 5A . It is by the contraction of hydraulic cylinder  18  that kick bar assembly  10 A is rotated from the refracted position shown in  FIG. 5A  to the extended positions shown in  FIGS. 6A and 7A . As hydraulic cylinder  18  contracts from its fully extended position shown in  FIG. 5A  to the partially contracted position shown in  FIG. 5A , kick bar assembly  10 A and more particularly kick bar  20  rotates into a normal extended position shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  as upright shaft  14  is rotated within bearing member  12  by the rotation of pivot arm assembly  16 . As hydraulic cylinder  18  continues to contract to the fully contracted position shown in  FIG. 7A , kick bar  20  continues to rotate into the forward position shown in  FIG. 7A . Generally, the normal extended position shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  is suitable for preventing an animal from kicking backwards.  FIG. 6B  shows the location of kick bar  20  with respect to a steer  6  and more particularly with respect to the left hind leg  6 A of steer  6 . Kick bar  20 , in this position, will prevent steer  6  from kicking its hind leg in a backward direction. The forward position shown in  FIG. 7A , in which kick bar  20  defines an acute angle with side wall  4 , is suitable for urging the leg of the animal toward side wall  4  of squeeze chute  2 . Thus, the inboard end of kick bar  20  shown in  FIG. 6B  would move forward and outboard as the upper portion of the animal&#39;s leg is engaged and restrained by kick bar  20 . When this is accomplished in unison on both sides of squeeze chute  2 , the hind legs of the animal are urged apart, which, for example, is useful when conducting reproductive work. The skilled reader should understand that the operations described above are normally conducted in unison so that both kick bar assemblies  10 A and  10 B move together. 
         [0019]    Kick bar assemblies  10 A and  10 B are employed in the following manner. When steer  6  enters squeeze chute  2 , kick bars  20  are in the first retracted position. Steer  6  is urged far enough forward in direction D (shown in  FIG. 1 ) so that steer  6  may be captured by the head gates of squeeze chute  2  as shown in  FIG. 6B . Kick bars  20  are then simultaneously actuated in a forward direction until they are generally normal to sidewalls  4  of squeeze chute  2  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Further, kick may be moved to the forward position for restraining the hind legs of steer  6 . Prior to releasing the animal from squeeze chute  2 , if kick bars  20  are in the forward position, kick bars are preferably retracted to at least the normal position. If kick bars  20  are in the normal position when the steer  6  is released, then steer  6  is prevented from moving backwards in squeeze chute  2 . Accordingly, it is preferable to have kick bars  20  in the normal position as shown in  FIG. 6B  when steer  6  is released. After steer  6  is released, then kick bars  20  are returned to the retracted position shown in  FIGS. 5 and 5A  in preparation for receiving the next animal. 
         [0020]    Thus, the objectives of the invention are accomplished by the above described kick bar assemblies. Kick bar assemblies  10 A and  10 B are arranged so that they can be retracted into the side walls of cattle chute  2  when not in use so that they present no impediment to the movement of an animal through squeeze chute  2 . Although second pivot arm  16 B and portions of actuator  18  are not flush within the side wall when a kick bar assembly is in the retracted position, because of the length of pivot shaft  14 , they are positioned well above an animal in the squeeze chute and present no obstacle to the movement of the animal. When kick bar assemblies  10 A and  10 B are extended for use, they can be used to restrain the violent and dangerous injury caused kicking of an animal and with further forward extension as described above can be used to urge the legs of an animal apart for various tasks as noted above. 
         [0021]    It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof.