Abstract:
A cattle guard has a grate section, wherein the grate section is arced shaped and is positioned on a ground. An end member is hingedly coupled to the grate section. The end member allows the cattle guard to adjust to conform to different fence openings.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled, “Universal Cattle Guard”, Filed Dec. 7, 2009, having U.S. Ser. No. 61/267,427, in the name of the same inventor, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The present application further claims the benefit of the aforementioned. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Embodiments of this disclosure relate generally to A cattle guard and, more particularly, to a cattle guard which is portable that may be used in multiple locations and further does not require any type of pit to be dug for installation. 
         [0003]    Cattle guards may be used as a type of obstacle to prevent livestock from passing through an opening in fencing that may be surrounding a piece of property. Cattle guards are usually installed over roads where they cross a fence line, often at a boundary between public and private lands. Cattle guards may be used as an alternative to the erection of gates that would need to be opened and closed every time a vehicle passed, and are common where roads cross open moorland, rangeland or common land maintained by grazing, but where segregation of fields is impractical. 
         [0004]    Prior art cattle guards generally require that a trench/pit be dug in the road between the fence posts where the cattle guard is to be installed. The trench/pit is generally covered by a transverse grid of bars or tubes, normally made of metal and firmly fixed to the ground on either side of the trench/pit. In general, gaps are formed between the bars. The gaps are generally wide enough for animals&#39; legs to fall through, but sufficiently narrow not to impede a wheeled vehicle. Cattle will generally not cross the cattle guard since the bars over the trench/pit do not provide adequate footing. 
         [0005]    Current conventional cattle guards have many problems. First, many conventional cattle guards require pits to be dug to allow installation. The pits are inconvenient and expensive to install. Further, the pit is not wildlife friendly as small animals may fall in the pit and become trapped without a means of egress. For conventional cattle guards that do not require a pit, expensive mechanical features are generally required. These mechanical features generally wear out and are subject to mechanical failure. Further, typical cattle guards that do not require a pit are complex in nature and generally not practical for everyday use, with trailers etc. Conventional cattle guards are also permanent fixtures. Thus, current conventional cattle guards may only be utilized for one specific location. Further, conventional cattle guards have bar spacing to form a grating that is wide enough to allow a large animal&#39;s legs to fit between the bars, and a distance to solid ground deep enough to make it unable for the animal to extricate itself without causing serious injury. Unfortunately, many times, when cattle are trapped in conventional cattle guards, the cattle tend to injure themselves trying to escape. The injured cattle frequently have to be euthanatized. 
         [0006]    Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method that overcomes the above. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In accordance with one embodiment, a cattle guard is disclosed. The cattle guard has a grate section, wherein the grate section is arced shaped and is positioned on a ground. An end member is hingedly coupled to the grate section. The end member allows the cattle guard to adjust to conform to different fence openings. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another embodiment, a cattle guard is disclosed. The cattle guard has a plurality of pole members, the pole members placed on a ground area and arranged to form an arc. A pair of end member is hingedly coupled to a pair of sides of the pole members, the end members allowing the cattle guard to adjust to conform to different size fence openings. 
         [0009]    The features, functions, and advantages can be achieved independently in various embodiments of the disclosure or may be combined in yet other embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Embodiments of the disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1A  is a top view of one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 1B  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 1C  is a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a magnified view of the end members used in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a magnified view of a side plate member used in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4A  is a top view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4B  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4C  is a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4A ; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a magnified view of a side plate member used in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The present invention is a cattle guard. The cattle guard overcomes many of the issues with current designs. The cattle guard sits on top of the ground and therefore requires no pit. The cattle guard is completely portable and designed with side guards that facilitate the ease of installation between any two gate posts. The cattle guard has spacing designed narrowly enough to prevent a large animal from stepping through to solid ground and wide enough to present a deterrent. The cattle guard is maintenance friendly due to clean out procedures which require only dragging the cattle guard a few feet and then returning it to the desired position. Dragging the cattle guard re-levels the roadway under the cattle guard, and removes dirt and debris from between the rails of the cattle guard. The cattle guard eliminates the expense of pouring concrete as well as eliminating the concrete footing that large animals tend to traverse. The cattle guard utilizes the fact that the rounded nature of pipe provides unsuitable footing for hoofed animals, consequently making it virtually impossible for a hoofed animal to walk across; therefore being superior to square or flat materials used in most cattle guards. The cattle guard is simple in design utilizing only spacing that is inadequate for a large animal to get its foot through, and the fact that the arc of the pipe provides inadequate footing for hoofed animals, eliminating a need for expensive mechanical parts. The cattle guard has no moving parts that could potentially pop-up at an inopportune time and catch a trailer hitch, jack, etc. The sleek design of the cattle guard allows for a vehicle and trailer to pass without dragging, by providing a uniform arc keeping vehicle and trailer on similar planes. The cattle guard utilizes a revolutionary design in its side guards. By designing a side guard that adapts to variable size gate openings, clue to its hinged base, and using chains to attach to the existing fence posts, the present invention eliminates the need to install additional fencing or move gate posts. This design utilizes easy to use chains in lieu of traditional labor-intensive installation of barbed wire commonly used to connect most cattle guards to fences. The side guards fold out to fit virtually any size gate opening. The cattle guard, because it sits on the ground, allows no space for any size animal to become trapped and no mechanical parts to form pinch points, making it wildlife friendly, compared to existing products. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , one embodiment of a cattle guard  10  will be described. The cattle guard  10  may have a bottom grate section  12 . The grate section  12  may be placed directly on top of the ground and therefore requires no pit/trench to be dug like in prior art designs. Further, since the cattle guard  10  sits on the ground, no space is created between the cattle guard  10  and the ground for any size animal to become trapped. The grate section  12  may be formed in an arced structure. The arced shape of the grate section  12  may allow for vehicles to travel over the cattle guard  10  while aiding in preventing animals from crossing the cattle guard  10 . 
         [0022]    The arced shape of the grate section  12  may be formed in several manners. In the present embodiment, the grate section  12  may be comprised of a plurality of rounded pipes  14 . The rounded nature of the pipes  14  provide unsuitable footing for hoofed animals. The rounded nature of the pipes  14  makes it nearly impossible for a hoofed animal to walk across. The pipes  14  therefore provide a superior structure than square or flat materials used in most cattle guards. The rounded pipes  14  may be positioned so that adjacent pipes have spacing designed narrowly enough to prevent a large animal from stepping through to solid ground and wide enough to present unstable footing for a deterrent. 
         [0023]    In accordance with the present embodiment, pipes  14  may be made of horizontally arranged capped steel pipes in a combination of various diameters. The pipes  14  may be arranged with spacing from approximately 0″ to 3.5″ between the tangents. The smaller diameter pipes  14  may be arranged at the outer edges with the diameters of the pipes  14  progressively increasing toward a central area of the grate section  12 , creating an arc. 
         [0024]    The pipes  14  may be held in position by side end members  16 . The side end members  16  may be formed of a plate  16 A. The plate  16 A may be formed of a metal material such as steel, iron, or the like. The listing of the above materials is given as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. The plate  16 A may have a plurality of cutouts  18 . The cutouts  18  may be used to hold the pipes  14  within the plate  16 A. The size and shape of the cutouts  18  may vary based on the size and shape of the pipes  14 . In the present embodiment, the cutouts  18  may be a plurality of semi-circular cutouts  18 A. Each of the semi-circular cutouts  18 A may be sized to approximately fit the size of the respective pipe  14  positioned therein. The pipes  14  may further be secured within the cutouts  18 . In accordance with one embodiment, the pipes  14  may be welded within the cutouts  18 . 
         [0025]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the plates  16 A may be scalloped steel stringers welded perpendicular to the pipes  14  on the bottom side. The stringers are made of channel or angle iron or a suitable structural steel shape. The scalloping allows for the structural integrity to keep the pipes  14  at specified spacing, while allowing the pipes  14  to virtually sit on top of the ground, rendering virtually unlimited structural support. 
         [0026]    A pair of end members  20  may be hingedly coupled to the grate section  12 . In accordance with one embodiment, an end member  20  may be hingedly coupled to each end of the grate section  12 . The end members  20  may be used to connect the cattle guard  10  to existing gate posts P. Since the end members  20  are hingedly coupled to the grate section  12 , the end members  20  fold out to fit virtually any size gate opening. 
         [0027]    In accordance with one embodiment, the end members  20  may be made of steel angle iron. The end members  20  may be formed of a plurality of arm members  22  welded to form a trapezoid-like assembly  24 . Intermediate are members  26  may be spaced horizontally throughout the length of the trapezoid-like assembly  24 . 
         [0028]    The end members  20  span the width of the cattle guard with the base of the end members  20  pivoting on a hinge assembly welded to the ends of the cattle guard  10 . From the pivot point the end members  20  slope upward and outward with the apex of the end members  20  leaning against and attaching to the existing gate posts P on either side. 
         [0029]    The end members  20  may be attach with connectors  28  to the gate posts P. The connectors  28  may be rope, chains, or the like. The listing is given only as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. The connectors  28  may be spaced at approximately 1 foot horizontal increments from ground level upward. If chains are used as the connectors  28 , the chains may be welded to the intermediate members  26  of the end members  20  and are designed to wrap around the existing gate posts P, and then re-attach at a notch cut into the intermediate member  26  at a designed attachment point. This horizontal spacing of the connectors  28  creates a fence-like barrier between the cattle guard  10  and the existing fence. In addition to creating a fence-like barrier for the livestock, these connectors  28  also provide support against lateral movement of the cattle guard  10 . 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4-5 , another embodiment of a cattle guard  10 ′ will be described. The cattle guard  10 ′ is similar to the previous embodiment disclosed above. The cattle guard  10 ′ may have a bottom grate section  12 . The grate section  12  may be placed directly on top of the ground and therefore requires no pit/trench to be dug like in prior art designs. Further, since the cattle guard  10 ′ sits on the ground, no space is created between the cattle guard  10 ′ and the ground for any size animal to become trapped. The grate section  12  may be formed in an arced structure. The arced shape of the grate section  12  may allow for vehicles to travel over the cattle guard  10 ′ while aiding in preventing animals from crossing the cattle guard  10 ′. 
         [0031]    The arced shape of the grate section  12  may be formed in several manners. In the present embodiment, the grate section  12  may be comprised of a plurality of rounded pipes  14 . The rounded nature of the pipes  14  provide unsuitable footing for hoofed animals. The rounded nature of the pipes  14  makes it nearly impossible for a hoofed animal to walk across. The pipes  14  therefore provide a superior structure that square or flat materials used in most cattle guards. The rounded pipes  14  may be positioned so that adjacent pipes have spacing designed narrowly enough to prevent a large animal from stepping through to solid ground and wide enough to present unstable footing for a deterrent. 
         [0032]    In accordance with the present embodiment, pipes  14  may be made of horizontally arranged capped steel pipes in a combination of various diameters. The pipes  14  may be arranged with spacing from approximately 0″ to 3.5″ between the tangents. The smaller diameter pipes  14 A may be arranged at the outer edges. Then, larger diameter pipes  14 B alternating with smaller diameter pipes  14 A may be positioned in a central area of the grate section  12 . 
         [0033]    The pipes  14  may be held in position by side end members  16 . The side end members  16  may be formed of a plate  16 A. The plate  16 A may be formed of a metal material such as steel, iron, or the like. The listing of the above materials is given as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. The plate  16 A may have a plurality of cutouts  18 . The cutouts  18  may be used to hold the pipes  14  within the plate  16 A. The size and shape of the cutouts  18  may vary based on the size and shape of the pipes  14 . In the present embodiment, the cutouts  18  may be a plurality of semi-circular cutouts  18 A. Each of the semi-circular cutouts  18 A may be sized to approximately fit the size of the respective pipe  14  positioned therein. The depth of the cutouts  18  may be adjusted so that the grate section  12  may have the arced shape. The pipes  14  may further be secured within the cutouts  18 . In accordance with one embodiment, the pipes  14  may be welded within the cutouts  18 . 
         [0034]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the plates  16 A may be scalloped steel stringers welded perpendicular to the pipes  14  on the bottom side. The stringers are made of channel or angle iron or a suitable structural steel shape. The scalloping allows for the structural integrity to keep the pipes  14  at specified spacing, while allowing the pipes  14  to virtually sit on top of the ground, rendering unlimited structural support. 
         [0035]    A pair of end members  20  may be hingedly coupled to the grate section  12 . In accordance with one embodiment, an end member  20  may be hingedly coupled to each end of the grate section  12 . The end members  20  may be used to connect the cattle guard  10  to existing gate posts P. Since the end members  20  are hingedly coupled to the grate section  12 , the end members  20  fold out to fit virtually any size gate opening O. 
         [0036]    In accordance with one embodiment, the end members  20  may be made of steel angle iron. The end members  20  may be formed of a plurality of arm members  22  welded to form a trapezoid-like assembly  24 . Intermediate are members  26  may be spaced horizontally throughout the length of the trapezoid-like assembly  24 . 
         [0037]    The end members  20  span the width of the cattle guard with the base of the end members  20  pivoting on a hinge assembly welded to the ends of the cattle guard  10 . From the pivot point the end members  20  slope upward and outward with the apex of the end members  20  leaning against and attaching to the existing gate posts P on either side. 
         [0038]    The end members  20  may be attach with connectors  28  to the gate posts P. The connectors  28  may be rope, chains, or the like. The listing is given only as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. The connectors  28  may be spaced at approximately 1 foot horizontal increments from ground level upward. If chains are used as the connectors  28 , the chains may be welded to the intermediate members  26  of the end members  20  and are designed to wrap around the existing gate posts P, and then re-attach at a notch cut C into the intermediate member  26  at a designed attachment point. This horizontal spacing of the connectors  28  creates a fence-like barrier between the cattle guard  10  and the existing fence. In addition to creating a fence-like barrier for the livestock, these connectors  28  also provide support against lateral movement of the cattle guard  10 . 
         [0039]    While embodiments of the disclosure have been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the disclosure can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims.