Chute safety system and method of use

A chute safety system for selectively enclosing a bovine in a calf shoot by selectively closing a rear gate assembly behind said bovine, wherein:

• said chute safety system comprises an entryway at a rear portion, a first side enclosure, a second side enclosure and a front gate assembly at a front portion, a trigger foot plate assembly and said rear gate assembly;
• said chute safety system can comprise a bovine enclosure defined by a space between said rear gate assembly, said first side enclosure, said second side enclosure, and said front gate assembly;
• said rear gate assembly comprises a rear gate crossbar having a crossbar distal end and a crossbar proximate end, a crossbar hinge and a crossbar rotational axis;
• said crossbar proximate end is nearer to said crossbar hinge than said crossbar distal end;
• said trigger foot plate assembly comprises a floor portion configured to transition from an untriggered configuration to a triggered configuration as an animal weight force is pressed on said floor portion;
• said chute safety system is configured for
• receiving said bovine into said bovine enclosure through said entryway,
• triggering said trigger foot plate assembly by pressing said floor portion of said trigger foot plate assembly with said animal weight force of said bovine on said floor portion,
• releasing said rear gate assembly from an open configuration,
• rotating said rear gate crossbar down as said bovine continues onto said floor portion,
• dropping said rear gate crossbar down from said open configuration to a closed configuration as said bovine steps on said floor portion, and
• releasing said rear gate crossbar from said floor portion to protect said bovine when said bovine is under a portion of said rear gate crossbar;
• a transfer rod comprises a first rod end and a second rod end;
• said first rod end is rotationally attached to said floor portion at a distal end;
• said second rod end is rotationally attached to a portion of a trigger force transfer assembly;
• as said bovine steps onto said floor portion, said distal end of said floor portion is configured for rotating down to said triggered configuration;
• as said bovine leaves said chute safety system, said trigger foot plate assembly
• Said chute safety system further comprises a rotational force transfer assembly comprising a spool portion having an axel, a counterweight assembly;
• said spool portion rotationally attached to a portion of said chute safety system and is configured to rotate about a spool axis at said axel;
• said trigger force transfer assembly is configured for
• receiving said animal weight force from said transfer rod as said floor portion transitions to said triggered configuration,
• pulling a portion of said spool portion, and
• rotating said spool portion around said spool axis;
• said counterweight assembly comprises a first segment, a second segment and a hinge assembly;
• said first segment is configured to rotate relative to said second segment around said hinge assembly around a counterweight axis;
• said first segment comprises a sleeve channel having a spool side, a distal side and a proximate side;
• a portion of said distal side is configured to attach to said hinge assembly;
• said distal side comprises a distal side length and said proximate side comprises a proximate side length;
• said rear gate assembly comprises a sleeve pin;
• said sleeve pin is configured to extend out from a portion of a first side of said rear gate assembly at said crossbar proximate end;
• said sleeve pin and said sleeve channel are configured to selectively interlock with one another and move relative to one another in a common rotational plane;
• said sleeve pin is configured to interact with said sleeve channel to allow said rear gate crossbar to disengage from said rotational force transfer assembly when obstacle is below said rear gate crossbar;
• as said rotational force transfer assembly transitions from a reset state and an engaged state, a portion of said sleeve channel is configured to press against said sleeve pin, causing said rear gate crossbar to rotate from said open configuration to said closed configuration;
• and
• said chute safety system is further configured such that if upward pressure is applied to said rear gate crossbar, then said sleeve channel is configured to stop pressing on said sleeve pin and allow said rear gate crossbar to swing freely apart from said sleeve channel as said bovine enters into said entryway and presses down on said floor portion.