Abstract:
An aerial pen raised and lowered by a driven land vehicle has sidewalls defining an open bottom, a retractable platform for a targeted animal to stand on, a livestock head gate, and a retractable crowding gate cooperatively arranged with the deployed platform and head gate for securing the targeted animal for aerial carrying. Use of the aerial pen is like practicing, on a large-scale, a box-trap style ‘pursuit-and-pounce’ of cattle catching, albeit at an unhurried pace of pursuit, followed by an unhurried pounce. The box-trap style capture might be likened to the activity of ‘pouncing’ or, more fancifully, likened to the activity of netting as practiced by insect collectors with aerial nets (eg., butterfly nets). Presumptively, the livestock animal is sick or otherwise slowed, which permits this activity to be practiced without harm to the animal.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
   This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/012,519, filed Feb. 1, 2008 now abandoned; which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/898,786, filed Feb. 1, 2007; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by this reference thereto. 

   BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to livestock controlling or handling. In more particular technical terms, the invention relates a combination of a head stock (eg., head gate) and crate (eg., chute) for which the crate has a movable clamping side. Additionally, the invention relates to a holding crate or trap having adjustable animal positioning or accommodating means. 
   Technical terms aside, the invention might be more fancifully reckoned as a method on a large-scale of box-trap style, ‘pursuit-and-pounce’ cattle catching:—albeit by an unhurried pursuit followed by an unhurried pounce. The box-trap style capture fancifully described as ‘pouncing’ might be furthermore fancifully likened to the activity of netting as practiced by insect collectors with aerial nets (eg., butterfly nets). 
   It is an aspect of the invention to empower a driver of a land vehicle with capabilities for practicing such a ‘pursuit-and-pounce’ method of cattle catching. 
   A number of additional features and objects will be apparent in connection with the following discussion of the preferred embodiments and examples with reference to the drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     There are shown in the drawings certain exemplary embodiments of the invention as presently preferred. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed as examples, and is capable of variation within the scope of the skills of a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. In the drawings, 
       FIGS. 1 through 8  comprise a sequence of perspective views depicting not only a method but also apparatus in accordance with the invention for aerial capture-and-carry of cattle in open terrain by land vehicle, wherein:— 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view apparatus in accordance with the invention for aerial capture-and-carry of cattle in open terrain by land vehicle, wherein a tractor with a front-end loader arrangement is carrying aloft an aerial pen/hauler in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view comparable to  FIG. 1  except showing further progress in the action; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view comparable to  FIG. 2  except showing further progress in the action; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view comparable to  FIG. 3  except showing further progress in the action; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged-scale perspective view, comparable to  FIG. 4 , except showing the drop of the abbreviated floor platform into its ground plane position; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the aerial pen/hauler hoisted in  FIG. 5  except from a vantage point about a quarter of a turn clockwise in order to better show the head gate, wherein the tractor is removed from view for convenience of illustration sake; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view comparable to  FIG. 6  except showing the crowding gate swung into its “crowding position; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view comparable to  FIG. 1  except showing the aerial pen/hauler in accordance with the invention being carried aloft, with the captured cow in transit; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view comparable to  FIG. 6 ; and 
       FIG. 10  is a section view taken along line X-X in  FIG. 9 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   As said,  FIGS. 1 through 8  comprise a sequence of frames showing the carrying-out of a method in accordance with the invention for aerial capture-and-carry of cattle in open terrain by land vehicle. 
   Pause can be taken to briefly describe the apparatus which are preferred to be put to service in practicing the invention. Basically, the preferred apparatus comprises a tractor  16  with a front-end loader attachment  18  in combination with an inventive aerial pen/hauler  20 . 
   As mentioned previously, it is an aspect of the invention to give a driver of a land vehicle the capability to practice the ‘pursuit-and-pounce’ method of cattle catching in accordance with the invention. The preferred land vehicle to put in service for practicing the invention includes without limitation a tractor  16  with a front-end loader attachment  18 . The reason for this preference includes that, farms and ranches or other operations likely to have cattle to care for are almost surely going to have a tractor  16  readily available on the premises or within easy reach. Moreover, nowadays a front-end loader attachment  18  is likewise a commonplace accessory on farms and ranches and like operations likely to have cattle to care for. Accordingly,  FIGS. 1-5  as well as  FIG. 8  show a tractor  16  with a front-end loader attachment  18  put to service in practicing the invention. 
   It is preferred if the hydraulics of the tractor/front-end loader attachment  16  and  18  are custom modified for a little bit faster operation than the speed provided by the factory, and for the reasons described more particularly below. 
   To turn ahead to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , they show better some of the inventive constructional aspects of the aerial pen/hauler  20  in accordance with the invention. The aerial pen/hauler  20  comprises four (4) frame panels  21 - 24  joined at four (4) corner posts  26 - 29  to form a square (or rectangular) pen that has an open-top and substantially open bottom. 
   The four (4) frame panels  21 - 24  comprise the following. That is, there is a front frame panel  21  of vertically-spaced bars in a grill pattern, a rear frame panel  22 , and a pair of side frame panels  23  and  24  which are not as altogether rigid as the front or rear panels  21  and  22 . One side panel  23  (eg., the left-side&#39;s panel) includes a swinging walk-in gate  32  along the corner  28  with the rear panel  22 . The walk-in gate  32  is solid for its lower half (or so) but then a grill of vertically-spaced bars for its remaining upper portions. 
   The other side panel  24  (eg., the right-side&#39;s panel) is an assembly comprising not only a head gate  34  (see, eg,  FIG. 9 ) that is disposed along the corner  29  with rear panel  22  but also a swinging crowding gate  36  (and shown swung to a “crowding position” in  FIG. 7 ). The crowding gate  36  constitutes the remainder of the right-side panel  24  of what is leftover by the head gate  34 . The crowding gate  36  is a grill frame construction of vertically-spaced bars. The crowding gate  36  is carried by hinges attached to a support post  52  therefor, which is situated up against the edge of the head gate  34 . 
   Aside from the four (4) panels  21 - 24 , the aerial pen/hauler  20  in accordance furthermore includes an abbreviated floor platform  38  which spans the full side-to-side width of the aerial pen/hauler  20  before the rear panel  22 . This abbreviated floor platform  38  extends forward to a forward edge that is coterminous with the forward extent of the head gate  34  of the right-side panel  24  and the walk-in gate  32  of the left-side panel  23 . This abbreviated floor platform  38  is attached by hinges to a rear bottom rail (eg.,  42 ) for swinging between a latched position flush with the rear panel  22  and a position parallel with the bottom elevation (eg., bottom rails  42 ) of the aerial pen/hauler  20 . 
   The crowding gate  36  swings between a latching position with the right-front corner post  27  (eg., as shown by  FIG. 6  or  9 ) and a quarter-revolution away latching position with the front edge of the abbreviated floor platform  38  (eg., as shown by  FIG. 7 ). 
   That is,  FIG. 7  shows the crowding gate  36  latched in a “crowding” position, whereas  FIG. 6  shows the crowding gate  36  latched in mere “confining” position. 
   The head gate  34  is operable among various positions as, namely, between an open position (eg., as somewhat shown by  FIG. 9 ) and a neck-collaring position (eg., as shown by  FIGS. 6 through 8 ). 
   The walk-in gate  32  is bracketed between the left-rear corner post  28  and a frame post  54  which defines its forward extent. In contrast to the crowding gate  36 , the walk-in gate  32  is supported by hinges to swing along its front edge (and not along its rear edge as the crowding gate  36 ). That is, the walk-in gate  32  is supported by hinges attached to the frame post  54  which defines its forward extent. 
   Thus, walk-in gate  32  swings between a latching position with the left-rear corner post  28  and a quarter-revolution away latching position with the front edge of the abbreviated floor platform  38  (this is not shown by any view). Again, despite that this is not shown in  FIG. 10  (nor in any other), the walk-in gate  32  is capable of being swung to a latching position with the front edge of the abbreviated floor platform  38 , and therefor meet and make a continuous continuation with the crowding gate  36  along the front edge of the abbreviated floor platform  38 . 
   The rear panel  22  is stiffened (eg., by stiffeners  56 ) for strength where the front-end loader  18 &#39;s coupling hardware attaches thereto. That way, the aerial pen/hauler  20  as a unit can be carried aerially in its entirety by the tractor/front-end loader  16  and  18  (and as shown by  FIGS. 1-3  and  8 ), or otherwise be set-down on the ground as shown by  FIGS. 4-7  and  9 - 10 . 
   The aerial pen/hauler  20 &#39;s four (4) corner posts  26 - 29  are secured in a fixed arrangement by at least four (4) top rails  44  as well as four (4) bottom rails  42 . That way, the aerial pen/hauler  20  can serve independently of and uncoupled away from the front-end loader  18  as a stand-alone cattle chute or alternatively a confining pen (eg., a small-scale corral). Moreover, when coupled to the tractor/front-end loader  16  and  18 , the aerial pen/hauler  20  can function as a tip chute, as for veterinary and like reasons. 
   The construction and arrangement of the aerial pen/hauler  20  as a whole is novel and inventive. Nevertheless, some components thereof (and in particular the head gate  34 ) are readily available from market sources including without limitation the products of Hawarden, Iowa&#39;s For-Most Livestock Equipment, Inc. 
   The pause to review the apparatus aspects of the invention can be discontinued within this description in favor of renewed attention to the method aspects of the invention. 
   Again,  FIGS. 1 through 8  comprise a sequence of frames showing the carrying-out of a method in accordance with the invention for aerial capture-and-carry of cattle in open terrain by land vehicle. 
     FIG. 1  shows the aerial pen/hauler  20  hoisted in an aerial transport position on the front-end loader attachment  18  of a moving tractor  16 .  FIG. 1  also shows the target cow which is under pursuit in the view. The aerial pen/hauler  20  has been prepared for entrapping the cow in at least the following way. The walk-in gate  32  is latched closed in its relative confining position, the crowding gate  36  is likewise latched closed in its respective confining position, and the head gate  34  is closed shut. The abbreviated floor platform  38  is swung up to its latched closed (and up) position in which it rest flush against the rear panel  22 . That way, the entire floor plan of the aerial pen/hauler  20  is open. 
     FIG. 2  shows the tractor  16  drawing nearer to the target cow, with the aerial pen/hauler  20  still held aerially aloft. At this point, the cow makes no real effort to run away. The reasons for this can be manifold. One reason might be, almost all of the herd will be real familiar with the tractor  16  driving among and around them in the open field, many times a week during some seasons. Thus the herd does not normally associate the tractor  16  as a strange thing to run away from. Indeed, it anything, the herd might have positive associations with the tractor  16 , such as being the noisy machine with brings out round bales of hay during the winter (ie., food). Another reason might be, the selected cow might be selected precisely because it is ill and is in need of medical attention:—it is too sick to want to desperately runaway. And so on, as these are cows, and seem to be endowed with a natural curiosity and trust. 
     FIG. 3  shows that the tractor  16  has closed the gap between the target cow, and with the hoisted-aloft aerial pen/hauler  20  disposed right overhead the cow. 
     FIG. 4  shows the trap set down. Now pause can be taken why it is preferred to customize the hydraulics to operate a little faster than stock from the factory. It is because a practitioner of the method in accordance with the invention (who would also be the driver of the tractor  16 ) wants the hoisted-aloft aerial pen/hauler  20  to drop down rather quickly out of the sky, like a box trap. If it descends too slow, the cow may be tempted to squeak underneath the descending trap, perhaps escaping capture. In any event, the sequence of  FIGS. 1 through 4  show that the pursued cow was apparently oblivious to the pursuit or otherwise was fairly docile-acting during the whole of the pursuit and capture. The reaction of the cow in  FIG. 4  might be a dawning realization that it is now confined.  FIG. 4  shows, finally, some measure of protest from the cow. 
     FIG. 5  shows that, at this point, the practitioner(s) of the method in accordance with the invention should drop the abbreviated floor platform  38  into its ground plane position. It either is latched there or else just allowed to rest upon welded tab seats. Generally, the confined cow will be out of the way as it might naturally tend to shy away from the tractor  16  and hence rear end rather than crowd it. In any event, it is also possible to shove and/or shoo away the cow toward the front two-thirds or so of this confinement pen  20  so that the abbreviated floor platform  38  can be dropped down (as it only correspondingly covers the rear third to quarter of the confinement pen  20 &#39;s ground plan when dropped down). However, the switch of positions for the abbreviated floor platform  38  is not shown in this view. 
   It is an aspect of the invention that the method in accordance with the invention can be practiced by a sole worker without assistance. Nevertheless, a sole worker probably cannot sit in the tractor  16  the whole time. Presumably, the worker would have to get off the tractor  16  and lure the cow to stick its head through the head gate  34  by opening the gate  34  with actuating lever  58  thereof, and then closing the head gate  34  on the cow&#39;s neck when the cow attempts to rush the gate  34 . 
     FIG. 6  shows, needless to say, freedom denied. The cow&#39;s attempt to rush out the gate  34  ended up with the cow collared as shown. The worker would have actuated the lever and pulled the side-by-side shutters of the head gate  34  to a partially-closed position, comprising a neck-collaring position. As mentioned above, head gates are conventional in the prior art, and the one depicted here is produced by the For-Most Livestock Equipment corporation of Hawarden, Iowa. The skill and experience for successfully luring and collaring a cow by a head gate  34 —apart from the inventive method hereof with the aerial pen/hauler  20  in accordance with the invention—have been long practiced and honed by many in the livestock trade. However, such is inventively utilized here in the practice of the method as a whole in accordance with the invention. 
     FIG. 7  shows several things. For one, the confined cow has been collared around its neck by the head gate  34 . Two, the cow is fairly unconcerned (eg., not struggling). This is so because cows become accustomed to being collared like this, it nowadays being a common experience for mature livestock to have been collared so numerous times in their lives, with release without harm being the ultimate outcome. Three, the crowding gate  36  has been swung and latched into its crowding position in order to do the following:—to keep the cow crowded to standing upon the abbreviated floor platform  38 . 
     FIG. 8  shows the hoisting of the inventive aerial pen/hauler  20  into an aloft position, with the cow as cargo. Experience has shown that the subject cow will not be unduly stressed by this method of capture and carry. Indeed, experience shows that cows remain pretty calm throughout. Again,  FIG. 8  shows that the tractor  16  is driving away with the captured cow held aloft and as secured in the inventive aerial pen/hauler  20  to a destination where its welfare and/or medical needs can be better looked after. Once more, it is worthy to remark that cows will be relatively unperturbed by this experience. 
   Given the foregoing, the following advantages and aspects of the invention are more readily apparent to practitioners of livestock care. 
   In the past, a sick cow was often roped in the open field and swarmed over to hold it motionless while a welfare examination was performed. Often times, the roping and swarming caused more stress than the welfare examination caused good. 
   In contrast, with the inventive aerial pen/hauler  20  in accordance with the invention, the captured livestock can be confined for however long as need be to best serve its welfare interests. The welfare thereof can be attended to in the field as soon as captured or else, better yet, once after hauled back to a barn or closer in site where there are more resources in the way of personnel and facilities for welfare attention. The tractor/front-end loader  16  and  18  can be uncoupled and the captured livestock be left in the confining pen  20  for an indeterminate amount of time with no problems. However, when serving merely as a holding area, it is preferred to release the subject cow from the head gate  34  and swing out the crowding gate  36  to the confining not crowding position so at least the subject cow has the whole floor play of the inventive pen (ie., aerial pen/hauler  20 ) without being too cramped. 
   It is another aspect of the invention that the aerially-carried subject as shown in  FIG. 8  can be deposited on a flatbed truck or trailer to be sped away to more skilled sites of welfare personnel and facilities. 
   It is another aspect of the invention that this inventive ‘pursue-and-pounce’ method of cattle catching (albeit at an unhurried pace to decrease stress and enhance welfare) can be practiced not stationary but on the cruise. Needless to say, the preferred cruise speeds are about the pace of walking gait for livestock. Still, there is no requirement the livestock stand still. The inventive method enables capture of targets on the hoof. 
   It is a further aspect of the invention that the aerial pen/hauler  20  doubles as a tip chute. 
   It is an alternate aspect of the invention that, during times of non-use, the aerial pen/hauler  20  serves as a conventional confining pen or enhanced one with a chute (eg.,  22 ,  32 ,  36  and  38 ) and head gate  34 . 
   It is still another aspect of the inventive aerial pen/hauler  20  that it is adapted to be manipulated by a tractor  16 &#39;s front-end loader accessory  18  because of livestock&#39;s acceptance of the presence of the tractor  16 , which is ingrained by many hours experience around the tractor  16 , a lot of which are pleasant associations because of the deposit of food in the way of round hay bales or the like. 
   The invention having been disclosed in connection with the foregoing variations and examples, additional variations will now be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is not intended to be limited to the variations specifically mentioned, and accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing discussion of preferred examples, to assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are claimed.