Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to equipment for capturing and isolating an animal from a herd, and in particular to a mobile cart and related method of capturing a calf and isolating it from the mother cow, and to providing the cart operator with a safe environment for treating the captured calf with less risk of attack or injury from the mother cow or herd. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Operators such as ranchers and farmers must often isolate one farm animal from a herd of farm animals for treatment such as vaccination, tagging, transport or other reasons, and is commonly required with a newborn calf shortly after birth and periodically afterwards. However, attempts to isolate the calf from the mother cow can be difficult and highly dangerous for the rancher due to the mother cow&#39;s natural instinct to protect her calf. The large mother cows can and do react aggressively, and can attack an operator that attempts to approach and isolate or interact with the calf. 
     Such task is particularly difficult and dangerous in large open areas. Therefore a conventional technique for isolating a calf from its mother is to locate the animals in a pen or fenced area, and for the operator to isolate the calf by driving the mother cow outside the fenced area. However, this process is not only time consuming but also exposes the unprotected operator to attack by the mother cow. 
     A number of catch-carrier devices have been developed to handle animals for treatment. In one category there are cage-like enclosures that are either towed behind a vehicle or are raised and moved by a tractor or like device. Some of these devices require that the cage be lowered over an animal to trap it, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,685,970 and 6,964,245, or to drive the animal into the cage through a side gate, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,389,746 and 5,372,092. 
     These prior art devices suffer from numerous disadvantages. None are designed to be moved by an operator alone from inside the cage, nor for the operator (while inside the cage) to approach a calf unseen so as to scoop the calf into the cage, nor to isolate a calf from the mother&#39;s view while the operator treats the calf, nor to manually transport the calf to another location while the mother can see the calf but not the operator. 
     In another category there are portable animal carriers that are either wheeled by the operator or slide on the ground, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,090,368 and 4,567,853. In addition to suffering substantially the same disadvantages as the earlier noted prior art devices, none of these devices function to protect the operator from the herd, nor cage the calf but merely cradle the calf during transport, nor can the transported calf be hidden from view of its mother or the herd. 
     What is therefore desired is a an operator propelled device that facilitates the process of trapping and isolating an animal from a herd in a safer and more effective manner, and which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of existing processes and devices. Preferrably the device should form a protective enclosure for the operator to prevent injury from the herd, and should conceal the operator from view as the operator moves the device toward the animal. The operator should be able to trap the animal within the device so as to isolate it from the herd, and be able to treat the animal within the device unseen by the herd. The device should have a basket arrangement for holding the animal and preventing its escape from the device while the operator moves the device and animal to another location. The basket arrangement should provide the operator with the options of keeping the captured animal concealed from the herd (during such transport), of exposing the captured animal to the herd but keeping the operator concealed, and of exposing both the animal and operator to the herd. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, there is provided in one aspect a device in the form of a cart for isolating an animal from a herd comprising: 
     a rigid frame having opposed front and rear ends each connected to opposed sides defining a protective enclosure with an open base for receiving an operator and the animal and capable of concealing the operator from the herd; 
     a drive assembly at the rear end to facilitate mobility of the cart; and, 
     a control means at the front end to manipulate the cart between several modes of operation including a drive mode allowing the operator in the enclosure to propel and guide the cart along the ground toward the animal, a capture mode allowing the operator to capture and conceal the animal within the enclosure thereby isolating the animal from the herd, and a treatment mode allowing the operator to treat the captured animal within the enclosure before releasing or moving the captured animal to another location. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view, from the rear and above, of an animal isolating cart according to a preferred embodiment of the invention showing a captured calf within a basket at the rear end of an enclosure, where a screen is in a first position concealing the interior of the enclosure but visually exposing the basket from outside the cart; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view, from the front and above, of the cart of  FIG. 1  made partially transparent by omitting the near side panel for a better view of the enclosure, and shows the screen in a second position concealing both the basket and the interior of the enclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the cart of  FIG. 2  showing the screen rolled up in a third position where the basket and interior of the enclosure are visible from outside the cart at the rear end, and an optional bracket extending between the tops of the opposed sides with a weigh scale hanging therefrom; 
         FIG. 4  shows the cart of  FIG. 2  with an operator that has lifted the front end of the cart by pivoting it about the rear wheels and has entered the enclosure; 
         FIG. 5  shows the cart of  FIG. 2  in a first drive mode allowing the operator to propel and guide the cart along the ground, and shows the rear screen hanging in an alternate first position concealing the interior of the enclosure but visually exposing a portion of the basket; 
         FIG. 6  shows the cart of  FIG. 2  in a second capture mode allowing the operator to guide the enclosure over the calf by titling the front end up and moving forward; 
         FIG. 7  shows the cart of  FIG. 2  in a third treatment mode in which the calf has been captured and concealed within the enclosure after the operator has lowered and rested the front end on the ground, and allowing the operator to treat the captured calf; 
         FIG. 8  shows the cart of  FIG. 2  where a gate at the front end is raised by the operator for enhanced clearance over the standing calf that is being approached for capture; 
         FIG. 9  shows the cart of  FIG. 8  where the calf has been brought into the enclosure under the raised gate for capture; and, 
         FIG. 10  shows the cart of  FIG. 9  where the gate is lowered to capture the calf within the enclosure to safely isolate the calf and operator from other animals of the herd, including the calf&#39;s mother. 
     
    
    
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS IN DRAWINGS 
     
         
           10  cart 
           12  calf 
           14  operator 
           16  ground 
           20  rigid frame 
           22  enclosure 
           24  front end 
           26  rear end 
           27  opening at  26   
           28  left side 
           30  right side 
           32  base 
           33  bottom of  20   
           34  top of  20   
           36  side panel 
           38  rear panel 
           40  wheels 
           42  axle 
           44  bucket 
           46  weigh scale 
           48  bracket between  28 ,  30   
           50  basket 
           50   a  inside edge of  50   
           50   b  outside edge of  50   
           52  bars 
           54  screen 
           56  top edge of  27   
           58  bottom edge of  54   
           60  shield 
           62  view ports in  60   
           64  inside surface of  60   
           70  gate 
           72  vertical edges of  70   
           73  vertical tracks on  20   
           74  front opening 
           76  view ports on  70   
           78  slider handle 
           80  upper edge of  70   
           82  bottom edge of  70   
           90  hand grips 
           92  outside handle 
       
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The figures show a device, and method, for capturing and isolating an animal from a herd of animals, and is particularly effective at capturing a calf and isolating it from its mother and other cattle (collectively a “herd”). The device is referred to herein as a “cart” and is generally designated by reference numeral  10 , while the calf to be captured is indicated by  12 . The cart is mobile and is adapted to be propelled and steered from within by an operator  14 , such as a rancher. The cart enables the operator to remain concealed within the cart when approaching the calf and to remain concealed from the herd after capturing the calf within the cart. 
     Referring first to  FIGS. 1-3 , the cart  10  has a rigid frame  20  generally rectangular in plan view defining a protective enclosure  22  for the operator. The frame is formed by rigidly connected rows and columns of metal tubing defining a bowed front end  24  and an opposed rear end  26 , and opposed left and right sides  28  and  30 , respectively, as viewed in  FIG. 3 . The base  32  is open to the ground  16  for engagement by the operator when within the cart. The top  34 , or roof, of the cart is also open, although it may optionally be covered with a weather shield. Each side  28 ,  30  has one or more panels  36  mounted thereto to conceal the cart operator from view from outside the cart, and likewise the upper part of the rear end  26  is covered by one or more panels  38  to obscure visibility into the enclosure. The panels may be made of a rigid material such as puck board, or from flexible material such as a tarp. Some of the figures show the right side  30  uncovered to better illustrate the cart&#39;s interior features and configuration. The covering arrangement at the front end of the cart will be described later. 
     The terms “front” or “forward”, “rear” or “backward”, “left”, “right”, “top”, “bottom” and the like may be used for identifying certain features of the cart relative to the operator when positioned to propel the cart, as in  FIG. 5 . The use of these terms is not intended to limit the cart&#39;s use or orientation. Further, when describing the invention, all terms not defined herein have their common art-recognized meaning. 
     A drive assembly at the cart&#39;s rear end  26  facilitates mobility of the cart along the ground. Two spaced wheels  40  are rotatably mounted to the frame, one adjacent each side  28 ,  30  in the preferred embodiment. The wheel axles  42  form a pivot point to manipulate the cart in several modes of operation as described later, and to permit the operator to readily lift the front end  24  of the cart sufficiently to enter and exit the enclosure  22  from the front (shown in  FIG. 4 ). The wheels may be replaced with or mounted on skis (not shown) for use over snow. Continuous tracks could also be used, and optionally a small drive motor could be installed for propulsion, but this is not preferred due to weight and cost. 
     An open top barrel-shaped basket  50  is mounted in an opening  27  at the cart&#39;s rear end  26  intermediate the wheels  40 . The basket is positioned to avoid impacting the ground when the cart is driven along the ground ( FIG. 5 ) and when lifted for entry or exit by the operator ( FIG. 4 ). The operator has unobstructed access to the basket from within the enclosure to place or remove a captured calf therefrom. However, a security arrangement is provided at the rear of the basket in the form of closely spaced bars  52  to prevent the captured calf from escaping rearwardly out of the basket and cart. The bars allow a mother cow to see and smell the calf, but not to remove the calf from the basket, nor to access the enclosure over the basket and through the rear opening  27 . 
     A movable screen  54  is mounted above the basket  50  to control exterior visibility into the basket and enclosure, particularly after the calf is captured. In the preferred embodiment the screen is a flexible flap connected (either permanently or removably) to a top edge  56  of the opening  27  above the basket. The bottom edge  58  of the flap can be advantageously moved by the operator between several positions. In a first position the flap&#39;s bottom edge is removably secured (using snaps, Velcro™ or other suitable means) to the basket&#39;s inside edge  50   a  to visually expose the basket and its contents, but not the enclosure, from outside the cart ( FIG. 1 ). In this position the mother cow may see the calf within the basket but not the operator within the enclosure. In a second position the entire enclosure, including the basket, is concealed from view by removably securing the flap&#39;s bottom edge  58  to the basket&#39;s outside edge  50   b  ( FIG. 2 ). In this position the mother cow might smell the calf within the enclosure but can not see it nor the operator. In a third position the flap may be rolled up ( FIG. 3 ) or removed so as to visually expose the basket as well as the operator through the rear end opening  27 . In a variant of the first position, the flap may be left dangling with its bottom unattached to the basket ( FIG. 5 ), in which case the basket is only partially visible but the operator remains substantially or fully obstructed from view through the opening  27 . 
     The enclosure  22  should be sized to comfortably house the operator  14  and the captured calf  12  ( FIG. 10 ) and be of adequate height to substantially conceal a standing or slightly crouched operator ( FIG. 8 ), depending on the operator&#39;s height. The operator should have ample room to move within/about the enclosure to treat the calf, and to manipulate the calf into the basket  50  for transport to another location. Optionally, one or more receptacles may be located within the enclosure for convenient storage of tools and items needed by the operator for treating the calf and operating the cart. For example, one such receptacle, in the form of a bucket  44 , is shown removably mounted to the frame  20  at a rear corner of the enclosure ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Another option is to equip the cart with an animal manipulation apparatus  46 , such as a weigh scale, a small calf hoist, or the like. The apparatus is preferably supported from a transverse bracket  48  mounted between the tops of the sides  28 ,  30 . 
     Referring now to the opposed front end  24  of the cart, a shield  60  is fixed to the upper portion of the frame above a liftable gate  70 . In the preferred embodiment the shield is made of a resilient material mounted to the outwardly bowed frame  20 . The shield  60  has a number of spaced view ports  62  to enable the operator to see ahead and peripherally to some extent. The bottom gate  70  is of complimentary shape to the shield, and its vertical edges  72  are mounted to corresponding vertical tracks  73  on the frame that allow the gate to slide vertically past the inside surface  64  of the shield  60  between lowered and raised positions ( FIGS. 2 and 8 , respectively). In an alternate embodiment, the shield  60  and gate  70  may be made integrally to form a unitary gate spanning the height of the cart, but this is not preferred. 
     When the gate is raised, or “opened”, a front opening  74  or entrance is created into the cart. The opening  74  is “closed” when the gate is lowered to the base of the cart, as seen in  FIG. 2 . The gate may optionally have one or more view ports  76  which align with one of the shield view ports  62  when the gate is lifted, to allow the operator to continue to see therethrough. A slider handle  78  defines a first hand grip located near an upper edge  80  of the gate which an operator may grasp with one or both hands to lift and lower the gate as desired. When one hand grips the handle  78 , the operator&#39;s other hand is free to control the cart as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     The front end  24  is also equipped with a pair of opposed second hand grips  90  mounted to the frame inside the enclosure on each side  28 ,  30  adjacent the front end  24  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). The grips  90  should be as close as possible to the front of the cart to provide optimal leverage of the cart about the rear axles  42 , yet located behind the shield  60  so as not to interfere with the sliding of the gate  70  along the frame&#39;s vertical tracks  73 . The grips should also be at a suitable height from the cart&#39;s base to allow an operator to comfortably hold the grips, to lift the cart&#39;s front end and to push the cart when the operator is in an upright standing posture. Preferrably, the position of the grips is adjustable, employing a handle bolted onto a plate with multiple aperture spacings (vertically and optionally horizontally) or other known arrangements. Another exterior hand grip  92  is optionally mounted outside the cart to the front end of the frame, to provide the operator an exterior means of manipulating the cart, as when lifting the front end from outside to initiate the operator&#39;s entry into the cart. In effect, therefore, the various hand grips contribute to define a control means for the operator&#39;s use of the cart. 
     In use, the operator is able to manipulate the cart in several modes of operation. A first mode of operation allows the operator to propel and guide the cart from within to approach the calf while remaining concealed from the calf and the herd. This “drive” mode is best achieved by the operator using the pair of hand grips  90  to lift the cart&#39;s front end  24  off the ground slightly and to drive the cart via the wheels  40  in a desired direction (as in  FIG. 5 ). Navigation is achieved through the view ports  62 , and it is preferred that the gate  70  remain in its lowered position to keep the operator concealed when the front end of the cart is brought next to the calf as close as possible, without spooking the calf or the other cattle. 
     A second mode of operation then allows the operator to capture and conceal the calf within the enclosure  22 , and thereby isolate the calf from the herd. The operator has several options in this “capture” mode. The first option is shown in  FIG. 6  where the gate  70  remains closed and the operator lifts, or tilts, the front end  24  upwardly, using the grips  90 , to bring the front end above the calf to be captured. The operator then merely propels, or “walks”, the cart forward (as in the drive mode) to bring the cart over the calf, and lowers the front end to the ground to trap the calf within the enclosure ( FIG. 7 ). This option is most appropriate for a calf that is laying down, so as to minimize the required front end lift by the operator. 
     The operator&#39;s second option is appropriate for a standing calf, as in  FIG. 8 , where enhanced clearance of the front end over the calf is desired. The operator uses one hand to raise the gate  70  open with the slider handle  78 , and with the other hand on one of the grips  90  walks the cart forward (as in the drive mode) to bring the calf into the enclosure through the front opening  74  (see  FIG. 9 ). The operator and then lowers the gate  70  closed to trap the calf within the enclosure, as in  FIG. 10 . It will be appreciated that in this second option the amount of lift of the front end from the ground is at the discretion of the operator. Typically the calf is of a size that fits through the front opening  74  so that the operator need only lift the front end slightly off the ground to walk the cart forward. However, if the calf is particularly tall, then the operator may have to employ a third option, namely a combination of the first and second options where both the gate is open and the front end must be lifted substantially higher (than for the second option) to fit the calf through the front opening  74 . 
     Following the drive and capture modes of operation, the cart then provides a third “treatment” mode of operation after the cart becomes stationary, or parked, when the operator leaves the front end  24  (and specifically the bottom edges  33  and  82  of the frame and gate, respectively) resting on the ground (as in  FIG. 2  where movement is arrested) and releases the hand grips  90  and the slider handle  78 . The operator can then immediately attend to the captured calf, to tag or needle it, while remaining better protected from the mother cow, which typically becomes confused and merely walks or runs around the cart not knowing what happened to her calf. Once the operator is finished, the operator may release the calf by either opening the gate or by lifting the front end while backing up the cart to expose the calf. Alternately, the operator may place the calf in the rear basket  50  for transport to another location. While the calf is in the basket, the operator will typically move the screen  54  so that the mother cow can see her calf, and so the mother will follow the cart (and her calf) as the operator moves it to another location. As described earlier, the screen has several positions to provide the operator with the option of remaining concealed or seen by the mother cow, depending on what the operator feels is most appropriate in the circumstances. 
     Some of the many advantages of the present invention should now be better understood. The self-propelled cart allows an operator to approach and trap a calf unseen from the calf, the calf&#39;s mother and the rest of the herd. Once the operator has the calf trapped within the enclosure, both the operator and the calf remain concealed from the mother cow and the rest of the herd. The operator may then immediately attend to the calf, to tag or needle it, while remaining safely protected from the mother cow. Throughout the operator&#39;s encounter with a targeted calf the operator is within the protective enclosure and remains safer from attack or injury from the herd. 
     The above description is intended in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and variations to the specific configurations described may be apparent to skilled persons in adapting the present invention to other specific applications. Such variations are intended to form part of the present invention insofar as they are within the spirit and scope of the claims below.

Technology Category: 1