# US 11,299,083 B2 · Stowable ramp system for livestock transport, and related methods of use > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,083 B2 - Document ID: US11299083B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/578,279 - Filed: 2019-09-20 - Published: 2021-03-25 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-20 - Assignees: Opend Range Ltd. - Applicants: Opend Range Ltd. - Inventors: Douglas Green; Norman Noordof - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299083B2 ## CPC - B60P 1/431: {the ramp being stored under the loading floor when not in use} - A01K 1/0035: {Transportable or mobile animal shelters} - B60P 1/433: {the loading floor or a part thereof being movable to form the ramp} - B60P 1/435: {the ramp being attached to or making part of the side- or tailboards of the vehicle} - B60P 3/04: for transporting animals {(railway wagons adapted for carrying animals B61D3/163)} - B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00) - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract An apparatus has: a livestock transport having a floor, walls, ground engaging members, and an access door opening; a ramp; and side panels that are pivotally connected to the walls of the livestock transport, in which the ramp and the side panels are configured to move between: a deployed position where the ramp extends from the access door opening and the side panels cooperate with the ramp to form a livestock loading chute; and a transport position where the ramp is stowed and the side panels are swung about to lie against the walls of the livestock transport. A kit has the ramp and side panels of the apparatus. A method of using the apparatus involves moving the ramp and side panels between the deployed position and the transport position to load, unload, and transport, respectively, livestock. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a livestock transport having a floor, walls, ground engaging members, and an access door opening; a ramp; and side panels that are pivotally connected to the walls of the livestock transport, in which the ramp and the side panels are configured to move between: a deployed position where the ramp extends from the access door opening and the side panels cooperate with the ramp to form a livestock loading chute; and a transport position where the ramp is stowed and the side panels are swung about to lie against the walls of the livestock transport; in which each side panel comprises: a first part that is pivotally connected to a respective wall of the walls to swing into and out of the transport position; and a second part that is pivotally connected to the first part to pitch up and down, relative to the first part, out of and into, respectively, the deployed position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which at least one of the side panels is configured to lie against a side wall of the walls of the livestock transport when in the transport position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which at least one of the side panels is configured to lie against a rear wall of the walls of the livestock transport when in the transport position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which at least one of the side panels is configured to fold back over itself to lie against the walls when in the transport position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the access door opening is located in a rear wall of the walls of the livestock transport. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the side panels are structured to lock to the walls of the livestock transport when in the transport position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the side panels are structured to lock to the ramp when in the deployed position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the ramp is configured to pitch down to engage a ground surface when in the deployed position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 in which the livestock transport defines a track along which the ramp slides to stow the ramp within the livestock transport in the transport position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 in which: the ramp comprises rollers or wheels that move the ramp along the track; and the rollers or wheels are mounted on a carriage assembly that is pivotally connected to a trailer end of the ramp opposite a ground engaging end of the ramp. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first parts each have opposed panels that are spaced to receive a portion of the second part in order to guide the second part into and out of the deployed position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first parts are connected to pivot relative to the walls about a vertical axis and the second parts are connected to pivot relative to the first parts about a horizontal axis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first part and the second part are structured to lock and unlock to each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which a door is mounted to slide up and down relative to the livestock transport to open and close the access door opening. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the side panels are configured to: connect to the ramp when in the deployed position; and disconnect from the ramp when in the transport position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which the ramp is mounted to extend from and retract into the livestock transport between the transport position and the deployed position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 in which: the access door opening is located at a corner of the livestock transport adjacent adjoining walls; and at least one of the side panels is pivotally connected to a corner of the livestock transport between adjacent walls of the livestock transport. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method of using the apparatus of claim 1 comprising moving the ramp and side panels between the deployed position and the transport position to load, unload, and transport, respectively, livestock. ### Claim 19 An apparatus comprising: a livestock transport having a floor, walls, ground engaging members, and an access door opening; a ramp; and side panels that are pivotally connected to the walls of the livestock transport, in which the ramp and the side panels are configured to pivot to move between: a deployed position where the ramp extends from the access door opening and the side panels cooperate with the ramp to form a livestock loading chute; and a transport position where the ramp is stowed and the side panels are swung about to lie against the walls of the livestock transport; in which at least one of the side panels is configured to lie against a side wall of the walls of the livestock transport when in the transport position, and in which at least one of the side panels is configured to lie against a rear wall of the walls of the livestock transport when in the transport position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 in which the access door opening is located in the rear wall of the walls of the livestock transport.