Abstract:
The specification discloses a mobile cattle hospital that is adapted to be located near a pen of cattle for treatment operations. A gooseneck trailer forms a platform upon which various gates, fence panels, a squeeze chute, a squeeze pen and supplies are located for the treatment, or working, operations. The trailer is further configured to selectively raise and lower, sitting on the ground during working operations to make easier the movement of the cattle on and off the trailer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    None.  
         STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0004]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a structure and related method for treating cattle in feedlot operations. More particularly, the preferred embodiments are directed to a mobile cattle hospital for treating pens of cattle close to the pens.  
           [0005]    2. Background of the Invention  
           [0006]    Feedlot operations, typically situated in corn producing areas of the country such as the Texas Panhandle, eastern Colorado, Nebraska and the like, are in the business of raising cattle in such a manner as to maximize weight gain and minimizing corresponding time for the weight gain. Part of this cattle feeding technique is keeping the cattle healthy by periodic medical treatments.  
           [0007]    The majority of treatments to which the cattle are subjected take place in the first few days and weeks after the cattle enter the feedlot. In particular, it is customary that the entire pen of cattle, which may comprise more than a hundred head, depending on the size of the pen, need to be treated as a group. In the related art, after being unloaded from the truck, cattle are typically placed in a receiving pen relatively close to a processing barn or facility. Soon thereafter, the cattle are first-round processed, and this process may include receiving various disease fighting shots such as IVR, and also may include hormone implants. After the entire pen has been treated, the cattle are returned to the receiving area, again relatively close to the processing barn. The cattle are again processed after seven days in the feedlot, and this processing may include additional or booster shots of various medication.  
           [0008]    Working or processing cattle in this manner is a group effort on the part of employees of the feedlot. In particular, a plurality of men are required to run the squeeze chute in the processing barn, the squeeze chute being a device which captures a single animal and then allows the men safe access for application of the implants and medicines. Additionally, another set of employees, typically on horses, is required to move the cattle from the receiving pen to the processing barn and back. After the second treatment, cattle are typically placed in a semi-permanent pen. While working the cattle as they enter the feedlot is the primary time that these operations take place, the cattle as a pen may, at any time during their stay in the feedlot, need additional treatment, in addition to individual treatments.  
           [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 shows an overhead view of a portion of a cattle feeding operation. In particular, the cattle are placed in pens  10 A-I. Separating a series of pens, for example a first series  10 D-F and a second series  10 G-H, is a feed alley  12  through which feed trucks drive and place cattle feed in feed troughs  14 . Between the pens on the other side is a working alley  16  (only one working alley shown in FIG. 1, but it is understood that between pens  10 G-I and the corresponding set of pens to the right, there is another working alley, and so on). The working alley is generally used to relocate the cattle as well as providing access for cowboys on horses to enter and “ride” the pens looking for sick animals.  
           [0010]    Thus, each time a pen of cattle needs to be treated, they are moved from either their receiving area pen or their semi-permanent pen into the working alley  16 , and then they are driven to the processing barn (not shown). After processing is complete, the pen of cattle is then driven back through the working alley  16  into their respective semi-permanent pen. As can be appreciated from the discussion, moving the cattle from one location to another, whether it is the receiving pen or the semi-permanent pen, is labor-intensive. Additionally, each time the cattle are moved, they are stressed to some degree, which may affect weight gain.  
           [0011]    Thus, what is needed in the art is a more efficient way to treat cattle in feedlot operations.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
         [0012]    The problems noted above are solved in large part by a mobile cattle hospital that can be selectively located in a working alley proximate to a pen of cattle that need to be treated or worked. The mobile cattle hospital of the preferred embodiment comprises a trailer having a squeeze chute mounted thereon, which grasps and immobilizes the cattle for treatment, as well as a series of gates to selectively allow the treated cattle to exit. Additionally, in the preferred embodiments, a series of panels are mechanically connected near or on the back of the trailer, which allows for creation, proximate to the cattle pen, of a squeeze pen to allow handling and proper flow of the cattle to the squeeze chute. Cattle do not willingly proceed up steep ramps, inclines and the like, and thus in the preferred embodiments of the mobile cattle hospital the trailer is hydraulically operated such that for relocation it is raised and appears as a typical trailer, but when placed proximate to a pen of cattle for working the trailer sits on the ground, thus minimizing the vertical distance the cattle must traverse before entering the squeeze chute.  
           [0013]    The disclosed devices and methods comprise a combination of features and advantages which enable it to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art devices. The various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.  
         BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0014]    For a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:  
           [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 shows an overhead view of a cattle feeding operating;  
           [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the mobile cattle hospital of the preferred embodiment;  
           [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3A shows an arrangement of gates to allow cattle to exit the trailer;  
           [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3B shows a second arrangement of gates to allow the cattle to exit the trailer;  
           [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4A shows the trailer of the preferred embodiments in its raised configuration;  
           [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4B shows the trailer  22  of the preferred embodiments in its lowered configuration;  
           [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5A shows the preferred arrangement for raising and lowering the wheels of the trailer, in the lowered configuration;  
           [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5B shows the preferred arrangement for raising and lowering the trailer, in the raised configuration;  
           [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 shows an overhead view of the various panels mechanically connected to the back of the trailer to form a squeeze pen; and  
           [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 shows the various panels of the squeeze pen in their folded configuration.  
       
    
    
     NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE  
       [0025]    Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.  
         [0026]    In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . ”. Also, the term “connect” or “connects” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct mechanical connection. Thus, if a first device connects to a second device, that connection may be through a direct mechanical connection, or through an indirect mechanical connection via other devices. Further, the term connected could mean a rigid connection, but may also comprise hinged connections.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention were developed in the context of treating cattle in a feedlot, and will be described in that context; however, this description should in no way be considered limiting as to other applications of such a mobile treatment facility, such as in the raising of hogs, sheep, dairy cattle and the like.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the preferred arrangement for the mobile cattle hospital  20 . In particular, the base structure of the mobile cattle hospital is a gooseneck trailer  22 . While it may be possible to build a mobile cattle hospital on a commercially available gooseneck trailer, in the preferred embodiments the trailer  22  has a width (W in the figure) of 12 feet, significantly wider than commercial gooseneck trailers for highway use, but slightly less than the standard 16 feet width of the alley  16  (FIG. 1) of most commercial feedlots.  
         [0029]    Working cattle using the mobile cattle hospital of the preferred embodiment preferably involves forcing cattle, in single file, into the snake or offset walkway  24 . The offset walkway  24  leads from the back of the trailer  22  to the squeeze chute  26 . The offset walkway  24  is curved in an “S” shape in order to ease the cattle&#39;s progression. Likewise, the offset walkway  24  has a substantially “V” shape with the smaller portion being near the floor of the trailer  22  and the larger portion being near the top.  
         [0030]    In the perspective view of FIG. 2, the squeeze chute  26  is shown only in rough outline. As one of ordinary skill in the art is aware, a squeeze chute is a device whereby a single animal is confined, within a “V” shaped structure. Once the single animal is confined, the V closes slightly to immobilize the animal, hence the term “squeeze chute”, so that treatment may be performed. Some squeeze chutes also have the capability of rotating about a horizontal axis, especially to allow treatment of hooves and the like. Any suitable squeeze chute may be used, but the preferred embodiment comprises a squeeze chute manufactured by C&amp;S of Sublette, Kans. Once the treatment is complete, the animal is allowed to leave the squeeze chute  26 , continuing in a forward direction. In the preferred embodiments, the animal may exit the mobile cattle hospital either to the left or the right, as viewed from the back of the trailer  22  facing forward, by selective positioning of the gates  28 ,  30  and  32 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3A shows one arrangement for the gates  28 ,  30  and  32  whereby an animal leaving the chute  26  exits to the left of the trailer  22 . Allowing cattle to depart the squeeze chute with the gates as shown in FIG. 3A makes a small holding pen  34  between the center gate  30  and the right-hand gate  32 . FIG. 3B shows yet another configuration of the gates  28 ,  30  and  32  in which the animal leaving the squeeze chute  26  is allowed to exit to the right of the trailer  22 , and in this case a small holding pen  36  is created by the position of the gates  28  and  30 . These holding pens  34 ,  36  allow, for example, holding cattle that need to be segregated because of illness and the like.  
         [0032]    Referring again to FIG. 2, the preferred embodiments allow access to the squeeze chute along both sides. In particular, on the left side  38 , access may be had to the squeeze chute  26  by walkway  40 . Access to walkway  40  in the preferred embodiments is by way of gate  42 . While gate  42  is shown in front of the wheels  44 , the gate  42  may be equivalently placed at any location, or not included at all, and these variations would be within the contemplation of this invention. Likewise, on the right side of the trailer  46 , a walkway  48  exists alongside the squeeze chute  26 . Access to walkway  48  preferably takes place through gate  50 . Again, however, one of ordinary skill in the art could devise many equivalent locations for the gate to access the walkway  48 , and all of these would be within the contemplation of this invention. Generally speaking, the walkways  40  and  48  are isolated from the cattle by means of a plurality of fence-like panels (not specifically numbered) shown on the outer edge of the trailer  22 .  
         [0033]    Preferably the mobile cattle hospital  20  has cabinet space  52 , in the preferred embodiments located at the back right-hand side of the trailer. This cabinet space  52  preferably houses a computer  60  and related accessories, and also acts as working space for the persons performing treatment on the animals as they move through the squeeze chute  26 . The mobile cattle hospital  29  of the preferred embodiment also comprises an electrical power-generator  62 , preferably placed on the tongue section  54  of the trailer  22 , which provides power for lights (not shown), the computer  60  and any other electrically operated devices, such as electric saws for de-homing operations. The preferred embodiments also comprise a sink  64  in the cabinet area  52 , along with corresponding water tanks for storage of water for use with the sink. Moreover, many of the medicines given to cattle musts be refrigerated, and thus the mobile cattle hospital of the preferred embodiment also comprises a refrigerator  66 , preferably located beneath the cabinet  52 .  
         [0034]    As one of ordinary skill in the art is aware, cattle, and possibly other animals, tend to resist movement if that movement involves climbing or descending steep slopes. The mobile cattle hospital  20  is preferably situated proximate to the pen of interest by rolling on wheels  44 , which implies that the frame of the trailer  22  may be several inches or even feet off the ground to accommodate relocation. Once in place, the frame of the trailer  22  is adapted to rest substantially on the ground, thus requiring the cattle only to climb a vertical distance of only a few inches to be on the working deck on the same plane as walkways  40  and  48 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 4A and 4B show an elevational side view of the mobile cattle hospital  20  of the preferred embodiments with the various components mounted on the trailer not shown for clarity of the figure. In particular, FIG. 4A shows the trailer  22  mechanically connected to a tractor  56  and having a height H above the ground. Preferably, the mobile cattle hospital  20  is moved from place to place while in the raised configuration. Likewise, FIG. 4B shows the trailer  22  sitting substantially on the surface of the ground  58 . Referring somewhat simultaneously to FIGS. 2 and 4B, in the preferred embodiments, the cattle need merely traverse the relatively small vertical distance (approximately twelve inches) from the ground  58  to the horizontal plane that comprises the walkways  40  and  40 A, as well as the bottom of the offset walkway  24 . Preferably, a ramp hinges to the back of the trailer  22  and extends outward, minimizing slope of the path traveled by the cattle. The ramp, as well as a series of panels for creation of a squeeze pen, are discussed more fully below.  
         [0036]    Referring still generally to FIGS. 4A and 4B, in the preferred embodiments the mobile cattle hospital  20  is moved from place to place by means of the tractor  56 . Because in the preferred embodiments the trailer  22  sits substantially on the ground along its length, not only do the wheels  44  of the preferred embodiment selectively move up and down to raise and lower the trailer, but also the tractor  56  correspondingly raises and lowers the tongue  54 . Raising and lowering the trailer of the preferred embodiments takes place by hydraulically operating the wheels  44  of the trailer  22 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 5A shows the preferred lifting structure for one set of wheels  44 . In particular, FIG. 5A shows the wheels  44  in their raised or retracted position. Preferably, a hydraulic cylinder  80  acts to raise and lower the wheels on one side of the trailer. Thus, in the preferred embodiments, there will be a hydraulic cylinder  80  associated with each set of wheels  44 . The hydraulic cylinder  80  mechanically connects to movable member  82 . Movable member  82  comprises a substantially horizontal component, as well as two substantially vertical components  84 A, B, which mechanically couple to the wheels  44 . The wheels  44  are rotatably coupled to the movable member  82 . Each of the substantially vertical portions  84 A, B of the movable member  82  are slidingly within the stationary structure  86 , which preferably connects to the frame  88  of the trailer  22 . FIG. 5B shows the preferred implementation with the wheels  44  in their down or extended orientation. Preferably, cylinder  80  pulls the movable member  82  downward (which then raises the trailer  22  upward) such that the wheels  44  contact the ground  58  and raise the trailer. FIG. 6 shows an exemplary hydraulic system setup to perform this raising and lowering operation in the preferred embodiments. In particular, a pump  100  preferably takes sections from a reservoir  90 . The pump feeds a valve system  102 , which then fluidly couples the hydraulic fluid, under pressure of the pump  100 , to the appropriate side of the cylinders  80 . The preferred arrangement is having the cylinders operate in parallel from a single source. As hydraulic fluid enters one side of the parallel operating sets of cylinders  80 , the fluid is allowed to exit the other side, through the valve system  102 , and is allowed to flow back to the reservoir  90 . Lowering the trailer  22  of the preferred embodiment involves forcing fluid into the cylinders  80  such that the cylinders extend in length, again by forcing fluid into one side of the hydraulic cylinder while allowing fluid from the second side to return to the reservoir  90 .  
         [0038]    As depicted in FIGS. 4A, B, preferably the trailer  22  mechanically couples to a tractor  56  for movement about the feed lot and placement proximate to a pen of cattle that need treatment. In the preferred embodiments, the reservoir  90 , hydraulic pump  100  and valving arrangement  102  are all an integral part of the tractor  56 ; however, it would be an operable system to have an independent reservoir  90 , pump  100  and valving system  102  mounted on the trailer such that raising and lowering could be accomplished without the aid of a tractor  56 , and thus moving the trailer  22  from location to location could be done with some other vehicle, such as a truck. The hydraulic pump  100 , in this circumstance, could be gasoline operated, operated from the alternating current generated by the preferred electrical generator  62 , or could operate from battery power. Alternatively, the truck used to relocate the trailer could have a power-take-off (PTO) unit capable of providing hydraulic fluid under pressure.  
         [0039]    As mentioned above, the mobile cattle hospital  20  of the preferred embodiment also has a ramp leading to the offset walkway  24  and a series of panels connected to the back of the trailer  22  for on-location creation of a squeeze pen. Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown an overhead view of the relationship of the ramp that leads to the offset walkway  24 , as well as the various panels connected to the back of the trailer that form the mobile squeeze pen. In particular, FIG. 6 shows ramp  100 . Ramp  100  is preferably hinged to the back of the trailer  22 , and extends from a surface substantially parallel to the walkways  40 ,  48  to ground level  58  (not shown in FIG. 6). In the preferred operation where the mobile cattle hospital  20  sits substantially on the ground across its entire length, the vertical distance traversed by the ramp  100  is preferably only twelve inches or less (the vertical height of the frame of the trailer  22 ). However, in circumstances where the mobile cattle hospital  20  is operated in a working alley having a slope, it is possible that this distance could increase, but it is minimized by the fact that the trailer  22  sits substantially on the ground as described with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5.  
         [0040]    Preferably, the mobile cattle hospital  20  has a series of fence panels mechanically connected to the back of the trailer  22 . The overhead view of FIG. 6 shows those various fence panels in their extended position. In particular, along one side a series of two individual straight panels  102  and  104  couple to the back of the trailer  22 . Because it is envisioned that the mobile cattle hospital  20  of the preferred embodiments may not be operated on entirely flat surfaces, not only are these panels hinged to fold away from the trailer  22 , but are also hinged to allow up and down movement to accommodate the particular terrain. In particular, panel  102  hinges to the trailer  22 , and panel  104  hinges to the panel  102 . A short panel  106  preferably hinges to panel  104 , and provides stability for gate panel  108 . Preferably, panel  108  is hinged to panels  104  and  106  such that it can swing through at least an arc of ninety degrees. On the other side of the ramp  100 , a third and fourth straight panel  110 ,  111  preferably hinge to the trailer  22 . Two curved panels  112  and  114  preferably hinge to each other and to panel  111 . Short panel  116  is preferably hinged to panel  114 , panel  116  providing horizontal support for the squeeze pen. Finally, panel  118  preferably hinges to panels  114  and  116  to direct the cattle into the squeeze pen portion of the panels. As indicated in FIG. 6, panel or gate  108  preferably swings within the area partially bounded by panels  112  and  114 , such in this set up a squeeze pen area  120  is created within the area bounded by the panels  104 ,  108 ,  112  and  114 , with the cattle being forced up ramp  100  to the offset walkway  24  (not shown in FIG. 6). FIG. 7 shows the various fence panels  102 - 118  in their folded configuration, which is the preferred setup when the trailer is being relocated from pen to pen. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the various straight fence panels  102 ,  104  and  110  fold up to be substantially parallel to the width of the trailer. Short panel  111  folds to be substantially parallel to the length of the trailer with circular panels  112  and  114  folding in on themselves to be the outermost panels, straight panel  118  and short panel  116  folding within the setup to be substantially parallel to the remaining fence panels  102 ,  104  and  110 . Preferably, the curved fence panel  112  and curved fence panel  114  coupled by way of an arm  115  coupled substantially in the center of panel  112  and hinged to the end of the curved panel  114 . In this way, the two curved panels  112  and  114  hinge to be substantially coaxial in the folded position. FIG. 7 shows the relationship of panels  112 ,  114  and arm  115  in a partially folded configuration to show the relationship of these various components.  
         [0041]    Thus, the preferred embodiments comprise all the necessary equipment to perform cattle treating operations proximate to the pen of cattle, rather than having to move those cattle significant distances for cattle treating operations. Further, the trailer  22  of the preferred embodiments is adapted to sit on the ground during treating operations, thus minimizing the vertical distance that the animals must climb when entering or exiting the trailer  22 . Additionally, the mobile cattle hospital  20  of the preferred embodiments comprises the series of fence panels which are used to create a mobile squeeze pen for forcing the cattle through the offset walkway  24 .  
         [0042]    The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. For example, the mechanism for raising the lowering the wheels  44  shown in FIGS. 5A, B is the preferred embodiment; however, one of ordinary skill in the art now understanding how the trailer  22  of the preferred embodiment raises and lowers could device many equivalent systems for performing this task, such as air filled bladders, air operated shocks, mechanical (non-hydraulic) means such as motor operated jacks, and the like. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.