A Stock or Appliance for Holding Pigs while being Ringed.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1890
5
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Stock or Appliance for Holding Pigs while being Ringed.
I, JAMES WEST HARRELSON, of the City of Belton, County of Cass, and State of
Missouri, United States of America, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to hog-traps, and more particularly to devices wherein a
hog may be easily driven and secured firmly until a ring can be passed through
his nose in the customary manner and place.
The object of the invention is to produce a machine of this character which
embodies, as its chief characteristic, rapidity and accuracy in action, and
simplicity and durability of construction.
To these ends, it consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction
and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.
Referring to the drawing, which illustrates in perspective a hog-trap embodying
my invention,-
1 designates a hog-chute, of the usual construction, that is to say, comprising
longitudinal slats or timbers nailed or bolted to uprights secured in the ground.
The end uprights in this connection, by preference, are of large cross-section, and
therefore very strong and heavy, while the intermediate uprights 3, only one of
which is shown, and the number of which depend upon the length of the chute
or the distance to which they are spaced, are smaller, as they are subjected to no
special strain.
The chute at its rear end communicates with a hog-pen (not shown), while at
its front end are located the upright bars, which in conjunction with the chute
form the hog-trap.
Erected parallel with and adjacent to one upright 2, is an upright 4, and some
distance beyond the opposite upright 2 are a pair of uprights 5,
The uprights 5 and the uprights 4, and 2, first-named, are connected by a cross-
bar 6 near their upper ends; said cross-bar being also bolted, preferably, to the
intermediate cross-bar 2, so as to provide a strong and rigid support or tie-bar
for the isolated uprights 5, and also a brace for the upper and front end of the
chute.
The latter is, furthermore, braced by the cross-bars 7, the lowest one of which
(if there be more than one, as shown) will be above the cross-beam 8, connecting
the first-named upright 2 and 4 to the uprights 5 near their lower ends.
Said cross-beam is also bolted, preferably, to the intermediate upright 2, and
opposite the middle of the chute is formed in its upper side with a neck groove 9
A heavy lever, 10, is arranged between the uprights 2 and 4 and the uprights 5
so that it shall have vertical play alone.
Its pivotal point upon the bolt 11 is between said uprights 5, so as to make
o the distance between said pivotal point and the neck-groove 12 in its under side
and vertically over the neck-groove 9 as long as possible, so that the lever, wher
rasped by the handle 13, need be elevated only a slight distance to leave plenty

page_text: of room between the neck-grooves 9 and 12, for a hog to poke its head through,
and for the passage of its body.
By vertically adjusting the pivot-bolt 11 in the holes 14 in the uprights 5,
the space between the beam 8 and the lever can be varied so as to accommodate
hogs of different sizes.
In practice, when it is desired to "ring" a hog, it is driven through the chute,
which is wide enough, preferably, for only a single hog, consequently they are
compelled to travel in single file.
One operator stands at the head of the trap with the lever raised, as shown
in dotted lines, and as the hogs successively poke their heads through the opening,
preparatory to leaping through, he brings the lever down upon the hog's neck and
thereby holds his head immovable while the second operator passes the ring through
his nose in the customary manner.
He then raises the lever, the hog leaps through, and the next hog is caught and
operated upon in the same manner.
From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a trap of
this character which can be built in a very short time and at small expense,
and which can be manipulated to secure the hog firmly by a single attendant, so
that one operator only is necessary to "ring" the hog, making two trap-attendants
in all, who can secure and " ring" a large hog with about as little effort as a
small one.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A hog-trap, comprising a chute, cross-bars at the end of the same, a grooved
cross-beam at the end of the same below said cross-bars, and a lever playing
vertically between said beam and cross-bars and provided with an opposing groove,
substantially as described.
2. A hog-trap, comprising a chute, uprights at its front end, an upright com-
panion to one of said chute-uprights, an upright at the opposite side of the other
chute-upright, a cross-bar 6 connecting the uprights, one or more cross-bars below
the same, a cross-beam 8 connecting said uprights near their lower ends and pro-
vided with a groove in its upper side opposite the middle of the chute, and a
lever, arranged between the upright of the chute first-mentioned and the opposing
or companion upright, and pivoted to operate beyond the opposing upright of the
chute, and provided with a groove in its under side opposing the groove of said
cross-beam, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of April 1898