Patent ID: 7765958

Claim:
An entrance gate for a livestock sorter including a weighing scale within a cage having an upper end, a lower end, a first side, a second side, an exit end which is selectively closeable by an exit gate and an entrance end; comprising: an elongated, horizontally disposed actuator member, having first and second ends, slidably mounted on the cage at the upper end thereof which is selectively movable between a retracted position to an extended position; said first end of said actuator member being positioned at the entrance end of the cage; a horizontally disposed support plate fixed to said first end of said actuator member for movement therewith and having first and second ends disposed at opposite sides of said actuator member; a first vertically disposed shaft, having upper and lower ends, rotatably mounted on the cage at the entrance end thereof at the first side thereof; a second vertically disposed shaft, having upper and lower ends, rotatably mounted on the cage at the entrance end thereof at the second side thereof; a first vertically disposed gate member having upper and lower ends which is spaced from said first shaft; a first support means secured to and extending between said first shaft and said first gate member; a second vertically disposed gate member having upper and lower ends which is spaced from said second shaft; a second support means secured to and extending between said second shaft and said gate member; a first linkage means secured to and extending between said first shaft and said first end of said support plate; a second linkage means secured to and extending between said second shaft and said second end of support plate; the movement of said first actuator member from its extended position to its retracted position causing said first and second gate members to move to a closed position wherein they prevent an animal from entering the cage through the entrance end thereof and prevent an animal within the cage from moving rearwardly from the cage through the entrance end thereof; the movement of said actuator member from its retracted position to its extended position causing said first and second gate members to move from their closed position towards an open position wherein they permit an animal to enter the cage through the entrance end; a first stop secured to said actuator member adjacent the second end thereof; an adjustable second stop means mounted on the cage which is adapted to be engaged by said first stop as said actuator member is moving between its retracted position to its extended position to limit the amount of opening movement of said first and second gate members as they move from their closed positions to their open positions to adjustably vary the horizontal distance between said first and second gate members when they are in their open positions; said second stop means being adjustable without the need of a wrench or the like.