Portable stunner

A method of stunning an animal comprising:

• providing a housing having a front end;
• providing a stunning rod within the housing capable of being driven forward along a longitudinal axis towards the front end of the housing, the stunning rod having a rear end portion;
• providing a catch mounted within the housing for alternately holding and releasing the stunning rod, the catch being pivotally mounted for moving a forward end portion inward and outward toward and away from the longitudinal axis, the catch forward end portion being moveable between a hold position contacting the rod rear end portion away from the longitudinal axis preventing the stunning rod from being driven forward and a release position toward the stunning rod longitudinal axis permitting the stunning rod to be driven forward;
• and
• providing a catch piston disposed adjacent the catch and in sliding contact therewith;
• sliding the catch piston in the direction of the longitudinal axis to a first position urging the catch forward end portion outward away from the stunning rod longitudinal axis in the hold position, thereby holding and preventing the stunning rod from being driven forward;
• and
• sliding the catch piston in the direction of the longitudinal axis to a second position permitting the catch forward end portion to move to the release position inward toward the stunning rod longitudinal axis releasing and permitting the stunning rod to be driven forward to stun the animal.

A pneumatic animal stunner for stunning an animal comprising:

• a housing having a front end;
• a stunning rod within the housing capable of being driven forward along a longitudinal axis towards the front end of the housing, the stunning rod having an opening in a rear end portion;
• and
• a catch mounted within the housing for alternately holding and releasing the stunning rod, the catch having a forward end portion extending into the rod rear end portion, the catch forward end portion being moveable between a hold position contacting the rod rear end portion preventing the stunning rod from being driven forward and a release position permitting the stunning rod to be driven forward to stun the animal.

A method of stunning an animal comprising:

• providing a housing having a front end;
• providing a stunning rod within the housing capable of being driven forward along a longitudinal axis towards the front end of the housing, the stunning rod having an opening in a rear end portion;
• and
• providing a catch mounted within the housing for alternately holding and releasing the stunning rod, the catch having a forward end portion extending into the rod rear end portion, the catch forward end portion being moveable between a hold position contacting the rod rear end portion preventing the stunning rod from being driven forward and a release position permitting the stunning rod to be driven forward to stun the animal;
• moving the catch forward end portion to a hold position contacting the rod rear end portion preventing the stunning rod from being driven forward;
• and
• moving the catch forward end portion to a release position permitting the stunning rod to be driven forward to stun the animal.

A pneumatic animal stunner for stunning an animal comprising:

• a housing having a front end;
• a stunning rod within the housing capable of being driven forward along a longitudinal axis towards the front end of the housing;
• a catch mounted within the housing for alternately holding and releasing the stunning rod;
• a catch piston disposed adjacent the catch and in sliding contact therewith, the catch piston being adapted to move between a first position urging the catch to hold and prevent the stunning rod from being driven forward, and a second position releasing the catch to permit the stunning rod to be driven forward;
• a pressure chamber in the housing for supplying a pressurized fluid to drive the stunning rod forward;
• a passageway between a source of pressurized fluid and the pressure chamber, the passageway being open to permit the pressurized fluid to flow into the pressure chamber when the catch piston is in the first position and closed to prevent the pressurized fluid from flowing into the pressure chamber when the catch piston is in the second position;
• and
• a first valve in the passageway operable to control flow of pressurized fluid from the source;
• wherein when the catch piston is in the first position urging the catch to hold and prevent the stunning rod from being driven forward, the operation of the first valve permit pressurized fluid to flow from the source into the pressure chamber, and when the catch piston is in the second position releasing the catch, operation of the first valve does not permit pressurized fluid to flow from the source into the pressure chamber.

A method of stunning an animal comprising:

• providing a housing having a front end;
• providing a stunning rod within the housing capable of being driven forward along a longitudinal axis towards the front end of the housing;
• providing a catch mounted within the housing for alternately holding and releasing the stunning rod;
• providing a catch piston disposed adjacent the catch and in sliding contact therewith, the catch piston being adapted to move between a first position urging the catch to hold and prevent the stunning rod from being driven forward, and a second position releasing the catch to permit the stunning rod to be driven forward;
• providing a pressure chamber in the housing for supplying a pressurized fluid to drive the stunning rod forward;
• providing a passageway between a source of pressurized fluid and the pressure chamber, the passageway being open to permit the pressurized fluid to flow into the pressure chamber when the catch piston is in the first position and closed to prevent the pressurized fluid from flowing into the pressure chamber when the catch piston is in the second position;
• and
• providing a first valve in the passageway operable to control flow of pressurized fluid from the source;
• moving the catch piston into the first position urging the catch to hold and prevent the stunning rod from being driven forward, wherein the operation of the first valve permits pressurized fluid to flow from the source into the pressure chamber;
• and
• moving the catch piston into the second position releasing the catch, wherein the operation of the first valve does not permit pressurized fluid to flow from the source into the pressure chamber.

A pneumatic animal stunner for stunning an animal comprising:

• a housing having a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being moveable toward and away from the rear portion, between a retracted position and an extended position;
• a stunning rod within the housing front portion capable of being driven forward along a longitudinal axis to stun an animal, the rod having a rear end portion;
• a catch mounted within the housing for alternately holding and releasing the rear end portion of the stunning rod;
• and
• a catch piston disposed adjacent the catch and in sliding contact therewith, the catch piston being adapted to move between a first position urging the catch to hold and prevent the stunning rod from being driven forward, and a second position releasing the catch to permit the stunning rod to be driven forward;
• wherein the housing front portion may be moved toward the housing rear portion to the retracted position to urge the stunning rod rearward and cause the catch piston to move to the first position urging the catch to hold the rear end portion of the stunning rod and prevent the stunning rod from being driven forward.

A method of stunning an animal comprising:

• providing a housing having a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being moveable toward and away from the rear portion, between a retracted position and an extended position;
• providing a stunning rod within the housing front portion capable of being driven forward along a longitudinal axis to stun an animal, the rod having a rear end portion;
• providing a catch mounted within the housing for alternately holding and releasing the rear end portion of the stunning rod;
• and
• providing a catch piston disposed adjacent the catch and in sliding contact therewith, the catch piston being adapted to move between a first position urging the catch to hold and prevent the stunning rod from being driven forward, and a second position releasing the catch to permit the stunning rod to be driven forward;
• moving the housing front portion toward the housing rear portion to the retracted position to urge the stunning rod rearward and cause the catch piston to move to the first position urging the catch to hold the rear end portion of the stunning rod and prevent the stunning rod from being driven forward;
• and
• moving the catch piston to the second position releasing the catch to permit the stunning rod to be driven forward to stun the animal.

A catch engageable with a catch retainer for capturing and releasing a stunning rod moveable along a longitudinal axis in a pneumatic animal stunner for stunning an animal comprising:

• a plurality of arcuate sections substantially forming a cylinder, each arcuate section having:
• a forward end, a rearward end and an inner wall toward the longitudinal axis and an outer wall away from the longitudinal axis;
• a flange at the rearward end of the arcuate section extending outwardly directly from the outer wall and away from the longitudinal axis;
• and
• a flange at the forward end of the arcuate section extending outwardly from the inner wall and toward the longitudinal axis;
• wherein each of the arcuate section rearward flanges is engageable with a groove of the catch retainer allowing the arcuate sections to pivot about the catch retainer groove;
• and
• wherein the arcuate sections are pivotable from a closed position wherein the arcuate section forward flanges extended outwardly from the longitudinal axis to an open position wherein the arcuate section forward flanges are extended toward the longitudinal axis when the arcuate sections pivot about the catch pivot ring inner lip to the closed position.

A stunning rod moveable along a longitudinal axis in a pneumatic animal stunner for stunning an animal comprising:

• an elongated cylindrical body;
• a forward end of the body for receiving a nose piece to contact the animal during stunning;
• and
• a rearward end of the body having an outwardly extending piston for sliding in the stunner, and an opening within the rearward end having an inwardly extending peripheral lip for contacting a catch to hold the stunning rod, the opening having a wall at a forward end thereof for contacting a catch piston to move the catch into position to contact the stunning rod peripheral lip and hold the stunning rod.