Patent Publication Number: US-11375687-B2

Title: Cattle guard assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Statement Regarding Federally Sponsored Research or Development 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to guard devices and more particularly pertains to a new guard device for improving the lifespan and durability of existing, metal cattle guards. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a cattle guard that is positionable in a depression in a roadway extending along a fence line. In this way the cattle guard inhibits livestock from crossing the fence line in the roadway. The cattle guard is comprised of a resiliently compressible material thereby resisting impact damage. Additionally, the cattle guard is comprised of a non-oxidizing material to resist corrosion. The cattle guard comprises a plurality of modular units thereby facilitating the cattle guard to have a selectable width for accommodating a variety of roadway widths. Each of the modular units is comprised of a molded, unitary structure such that said modular units resist breaking. Each of the modular units includes a base and a grate, and the grate is positionable in an existing cattle guard base for replacing an existing grate in an existing cattle guard. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a modular unit of a cattle guard assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of modular unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a right side view of an endplate of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of a modular unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a right side perspective view of a panel of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a left side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing panels being positioned on a cattle guard. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an end gate of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 10  thereof, a new guard device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the cattle guard assembly  10  generally comprises a cattle guard  12  that is positionable in a depression  14  in a roadway  16  extending along a fence line. Thus, the cattle guard  12  inhibits livestock from crossing the fence line in the roadway  16 . The cattle guard  12  is comprised of a resiliently compressible material, such as rubber or a rubber composite, thereby facilitating the cattle guard  12  to resist impact damage. In this way the cattle guard  12  improves upon existing cattle guard  12  construction involving metal components that are prone to breakage and deformation. 
     The cattle guard  12  is comprised of a non-oxidizing material to resist corrosion. In this way the cattle guard  12  improves upon existing cattle guard construction involving corrosion prone metal components. Moreover, the cattle guard  12  is comprised of a molded, unitary structure such that the cattle guard  12  resists breaking. In this way the cattle guard  12  improves upon existing cattle guard construction involving welds or other joints that are prone to breakage. 
     The cattle guard  12  comprises a plurality of modular units  18  thereby facilitating the cattle guard  12  to have a selectable width. In this way the cattle guard  12  can accommodate a variety of roadway  16  widths. Each of the modular units  18  may have a width of approximately 1.2 meters. Each of the modular units  18  includes a base  20  and a grate  22 . The grate  22  is positionable in an existing cattle guard base for replacing an existing grate in an existing cattle guard. In this way an existing, damaged metal grate can be replaced without requiring the existing base to be removed and replaced. 
     The base  20  comprises a pair of end plates  24  that each has primary end  26 , a secondary end  28  and an outer surface  30  extending therebetween. The outer surface  30  of each of the end plates  24  has a top side  32 , a bottom side  34  and a front side  36 . The bottom side  34  of each of the end plates  24  rests on a bottom surface  38  of the depression  14  in the roadway  16  having the top side  32  being aligned with a top surface  40  of the roadway  16 . 
     Each of the end plates  24  has a foot  42  extending away from the front side  36 . The foot  42  is aligned with the bottom side  34  of the end plate  24  and is coextensive with the end plate  24 . Additionally, the foot  42  on each of the end plates  24  has a top side  43  and each of the end plates  24  has a height of approximately 27.94 centimeters. A pair of spacers  44  is provided and each of the spacers  44  is positionable beneath the end plates  24  in the depression  14  in the roadway  16  when the depression  14  has a depth greater than 27.94 centimeters. Thus, each of the spacers  44  elevates the end plates  24  thereby facilitating the top side  32  of the outer surface  30  of the end plates  24  to be aligned with the top surface  40  of the roadway  16 . 
     The grate  22  comprises a pair of cross bars  48  that each has a first end  50 , a second end  52  and a lower surface  53  extending therebetween. Each of the cross bars  48  is elongated between the first  50  and second  52  ends to length of approximately 3.0 meters. The lower surface  53  of each of the cross bars  48  rests on the top side  43  of the foot  42  on each of the members  54 . Each of the first  50  and second  52  ends of each of the cross bars  48  is aligned with the front side  36  of the outer surface  30  of a respective one of the end plates  24  such that the end plates  24  are spaced apart from each other having each of the cross bars  48  being oriented perpendicular to the end plates  24 . Moreover, the cross bars  48  are spaced apart from each on the end plates  24 . 
     The grate  22  includes a plurality of members  54  that each has a lower surface  56 , an upper surface  58 , a front surface  60  and a back surface  62 . Each of the front  60  and back  62  surfaces tapers inwardly between the lower  56  and upper  58  surfaces. Thus, each of the members  54  has a trapezoidal cross section taken along a longitudinal axis of the members  54 . Each of the members  54  is integrated into and extends between the pair of cross bars  48  having the lower surface  53  of each of the members  54  being aligned with the lower surface  53  of the cross bars  48 . Additionally, each of the members  54  is oriented perpendicular to the cross bars  48 . 
     The upper surface  58  of each of the members  54  is aligned with top side  32  of the outer surface  30  of the end plates  24  when the cross bars  48  are positioned on the foot  42  on each of the end plates  24 . The members  54  are spaced apart from each other and are distributed between the end plates  24  to inhibit livestock from walking across the members  54 . In this way the livestock are inhibited from crossing the fence line in the roadway  16 . Each of the members  54  has a length that is equal to a length of each of the end plates  24 . 
     A pair of panels  64  is provided and each of the panels  64  is positionable on opposite sides of the cattle guard  12 . Each of the panels  64  has a lowermost surface  66  and a first lateral surface  68 , and the first surface  68  on each of the panels  64  has a protrusion  70  extending laterally away from the first surface  68 . The protrusion  70  on each of the panels  64  is aligned with the lowermost surface  66 . The protrusion  70  on each of the panels  64  extends beneath the lower surface  53  of each of the members  54  when the panels  64  are positioned on opposite sides of the cattle guard  12 . Additionally, the lower surface  53  of each of the panels  64  has a notch  72  extending upwardly therein to facilitate rain to drain therethrough. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , an end gate  74  is provided that includes a pair of uprights  76  and a plurality of supports  78  extending therebetween. The uprights angle  76  away from each other such that the end gate  74  has a triangular shape. Thus, the end gate  74  may be positioned between a fence post and the cattle guard  12  thereby inhibiting livestock from walking around the cattle guard  12 . Additionally, the end gate  74  is comprised of the same material of which the cattle guard  12  is comprised. 
     In use, the existing, damaged grate in an existing cattle guard can be removed and replaced with the grate  22  of the modular unit  18 . Thus, the existing cattle guard can be repaired without requiring removal and replacement of the existing base of the existing cattle guard. Alternatively, the entire existing cattle guard, including the existing grate and the existing base, can be removed from the roadway  16  and replaced with the base  20  and the grate  22  of a selected number of the modular units  18 . In the case that the existing depression  14  in the roadway  16  has a depth of 33 centimeters, the spacers  44  are positioned beneath the end plates  24 . In this way the top side  32  of the outer surface  30  of the end plates  24  is aligned with the top surface  46  of the roadway  16 . 
     The material of which the modular units  18  are constructed inhibits the cattle guard  12  from being damaged by vehicles or livestock and inhibits the cattle guard  12  from corroding. Thus, the cattle guard  12  comprising the modular units  18  have an improved lifespan and durability with respect to existing, metal cattle guards. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.