Patent Publication Number: US-7217239-B1

Title: Semen collection apparatus

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to horse breeding and artificial insemination. More particularly this invention relates to an improved semen collection apparatus for collecting semen from a stallion. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The best predictor and indication of the value of a horse is its bloodlines. A prize horse is largely valued for its potential for breeding. Breeding stallions are most in demand after they have had a long and distinguished show or racing career. Unfortunately these careers frequently over tax their joints and they have limited ability to breed. These mature animals are also more affected by disease and injuries which have affected their ability to stand or balance on their hind legs. Because transportation of horses is difficult, time consuming, and expensive, artificial insemination is widely practiced. The use of frozen collected semen for artificial insemination has only been widely accepted in the last five years. The breeding associations for quarter horses, (the largest registration of horses) as well as the breeding associations for appaloosa, and paint horses have only accepted the use of frozen semen in the last five years. And now, collected semen can be deposited by anyone, within a cooling container having a removable frozen pack, then couriered overnight for use the next day. 
   The most difficult aspect of artificial insemination has been collecting the semen from the horse. U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,531 was issued to Jack L. Dyer, the inventor herein, is for a semen collection apparatus. One of the problems with this apparatus was the rear entry door on the horizontal body. During use the door is subjected to continual downward pressure by the stallion&#39;s body as well as to forceful thrusting. Because of this downward pressure, and the lateral components of the thrusting, the door&#39;s thickness could not be excessive. Occasionally this door opened during use and the unpadded rear peripheral edge portion of the body injured the stallion. Another problem with this door was that it limited thickness minimized the potential to provide an interior funnel to guide a horse&#39;s penis to a central opening adjacent to the artificial vagina. It is significantly more convenient for the operator when all horses are able to guide themselves to the artificial vagina. It is critical for some horses, which refuse to continue, if they are handled to be guided to the artificial vagina. In addition to the safety of the horses another problem with this apparatus was the safety of the operator. With this apparatus the operator was too frequently required to get beneath the horse to initially guide the horse into the artificial vagina. And the operator was always required to get beneath the horses after semen was collected. Operators received frequent kicks from the flying front feet of the horse. 
   Another feature the original semen collection apparatus lacked was an ability to accommodate a stallion which had suffered back, and/or hind leg injuries, and/or any other neurological disorder which effects their ability to balance themselves while standing on only their hind legs. A surprising number of prize animals, due to a hock, stiffle, or back injuries sustained during a long show or racing career, are prevented from breeding due to an inability to wholly support and balance themselves standing wholly on their hind legs. Particularly West Nile virus, and equine protozoal myelitis (E.P.M.) which effect the horse&#39;s balance, have prevented many prize stallions from having a successful natural breeding career. Most horses are shown or raced at great expense primarily to pay off in a breeding career. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of this invention to disclose a more convenient semen collection apparatus. An apparatus which a horse is able to consistently and solely guide himself into without the assistance of an operator is much easier to use. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose a safer semen collection apparatus. The apparatus disclosed herein requires infrequent operator positioning beneath the horse. The horse is also substantially safer. It is almost impossible for the horse to injure himself on the apparatus. It is a final object of this invention to disclose a semen collection apparatus which can accommodate a stallion which due to injury or illness is otherwise unable to breed. 
   One aspect of this invention provides for an apparatus for collection of semen comprising: i) a frame forming an elongate generally horizontal body having a rear entry end; ii) a base supporting and elevating the body; iii) a tubular receptacle containing an artificial vagina having a rear entry opening, a rear end portion, and an inner end portion, said rear end portion pivotally carried on opposite lateral sides within the body, and said inner end portion releasably carried within the body; so that when the inner end portion is released collected semen therein will drain downwardly to an inner end portion of the artificial vagina; and, iv) a recessed rear access door, said door having an inner side portion positioned adjacent to the opening in the rear end portion of the tubular receptacle and an outer side portion positioned within an interior peripheral top and lateral side portions of the rear entry end of the body, so that downward and lateral components of thrust load exerted by the horse are largely sustained not by the door, but by the frame of the body, and wherein said recessed and protected door also has an enlarged thickness to accommodate a funnel shaped opening in the exterior side portion thereof so that the horse is guided and funnelled into a central opening in the door. When the horse is able to independently guide himself into the artificial vagina the apparatus is substantially more convenient and safer to use. 
   In a preferred aspect of this apparatus the inner end portion of the tubular receptacle may be released remotely so that the operator need not endanger himself by positioning himself beneath the horse. 
   In yet another aspect of this invention the base comprises a column, and the body is hinged to the column, so that a rear end of the body may be lowered with respect to the front end portion of the body to accommodate a stallion injured, ill, or otherwise unable to stand and balance on his hind legs for breeding. 
   Various other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     FIGURES OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a semen collection apparatus having an improved rear entry door and a positioning mechanism to accommodate an injured horse. 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of the rear entry door as viewed along line  2 — 2  on  FIG. 1 . 
   

   The following is a discussion and description of the preferred specific embodiments of this invention, such being made with reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/or structure. It should be noted that such discussion and description is not meant to unduly limit the scope of the invention. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Turning now to the drawings and more particularly to  FIG. 1  we have a perspective view of a semen collection apparatus  20  having an improved rear entry door  32  and a positioning mechanism  43  to accommodate an injured horse  18 . The apparatus  20  for collection of semen comprises: i) a frame  22  forming an elongate generally horizontal body  24  having a rear entry end; ii) a base  26  supporting and elevating the body  24 ; iii) a tubular receptacle  28  containing an artificial vagina  30  and having a rear entry opening, a rear end portion, and an inner end portion, said rear end portion pivotally  32  carried on opposite lateral sides within the body  24 , and said inner end portion releasably carried within the body  24 . When the inner end portion is released collected semen therein will drain downwardly to an inner end portion of the artificial vagina  30 . 
     FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of the rear entry door as viewed along line  2 — 2  on  FIG. 1 . iv) A recessed rear access door  32  has an inner side portion positioned adjacent to the opening in the rear end portion of the tubular receptacle  28  and an outer side portion positioned within an interior peripheral top and lateral side portions of the rear entry end of the body  24 . Downward and lateral components of thrust load exerted by the horse  18  are largely sustained not by the door  32 , but by the frame  22  of the body  24  because said door  32  is recessed and accordingly protected therefrom. Because the door  32  is protected, the door  32  can have an enlarged thickness to accommodate a funnel shaped opening  34  in the exterior side portion thereof. 
   The horse then is much better guided and funnelled into a central opening in the door  32 . When the horse is able to independently guide himself, without manual assistance this makes the apparatus  20  much more convenient to use. It also makes the apparatus  20  much safer to use. It eliminates the necessity of the operator positioning himself beneath the horse  18 . It also enables some horses to be bred which refuse to proceed when they are handled. 
   In the most preferred aspect of this invention a hinge  47  attaches a bottom side portion of the door  32  to the frame  22  of the body  24 . Top and lateral peripheral side portions of the body  24  extend further rearwardly than the bottom side portion of the frame  22  to facilitate opening of the door  32 . The bottom portion of the frame  22  which does not extend as far rearwardly as the top and lateral side portions of the frame  22  protects the testicles of the horse from being crushed by the body  24 . 
   If the inner end portion of the tubular receptacle  28  is released remotely then the operator need not endanger himself by positioning himself beneath the horse. In the most preferred aspect of this invention a cord  36 , and an arm  38  and a stop  40  are provided. Said arm  38  has a lower end portion pivoted to the frame  22 , and a top end portion carrying the tubular receptacle  28 . Said top end portion of the arm  38  has one end of the cord  36  attached thereto. Said stop  40  holds the arm  38  in an upright position just beyond a vertical position. When the other end of the cord  36  is pulled forwardly, the arm  38  is pulled off the stop  40  and the inner end portion of the tubular receptacle  28  is released thereby causing the tubular receptacle  28  to tilt and collected semen therein to drain toward an inner end of the artificial vagina  30 . 
   In a preferred aspect of this invention the base  26  comprises a column  27 , and wherein the body  24  is hinged  42  to the column  27  so that a rear end of the body  24  may be lowered with respect to the front end portion of the body  24  to accommodate a horse  18  unable to stand and balance on his hind legs for breeding. When the rear portion of the body is tipped down with the front portion elevated the front portion of the horse&#39;s weight is still supported. Simply lowering the entire body  24  of the apparatus  20  will not allow the horse  18  to balance, and will not work. In the most preferred aspect of this invention the positioning mechanism  43  comprises a turn buckle  44  is used to tip the body  24  on the hinge  42 . Most preferably the body  24  further comprises a substantial height adjustment  46  on the base  26  to facilitate lowering the front end portion of the body  24  when the rear end portion is tipped and lowered down. It is common for a stallion to be most highly valued for breeding after a long and distinguished career of many shows. And it is not uncommon for such a stallion to have sustained knee and ankle injuries in such a career preventing that stallion from standing wholly on his hind legs. The innovation disclosed herein facilitates breeding such an injured stallion. 
   As was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,531, which is incorporated here into by reference, the body frame  22  is covered first in expanded metal, and then by foam, and finally by vinyl. It is further noted that while the column  27  of the base  26  may be positioned within an embedded tube (not shown), it has been generally found that it is more convenient to support the base  26  on legs  60  in ground  62 . 
   While the invention has been described with preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.