US 12,268,183 B2Granted

Free access sow gestation stall gate assembly

AssigneeCTB, Inc.

InventorsJacob Wheatley, Christopher Elvidge

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Abstract

A gestation stall gate assembly includes a gate support, a gate pivotably coupled to the gate support, and a gate control assembly. The gate is pivotable between an inwardly open position, a closed position, and an outwardly open position. The gate control assembly is configured to (i) allow the gate to pivot from the closed position to the inwardly open position when a sow pushes against the gate to pivot the gate toward the inwardly open position, (ii) prevent the gate from pivoting from the closed position to the inwardly open position for a second time until the gate is pivoted from the closed position to the outwardly open position, and (iii) allow the gate to pivot from the closed position to the outwardly open position when the sow pushes against the gate to pivot the gate toward the outwardly open position.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A gestation stall gate assembly comprising:

a gate support including a sleeve;
a gate coupled to the gate support in a way that enables the gate to pivot around a pivot axis between an inwardly open gate position, a closed gate position, and an outwardly open gate position;
and
a gate control assembly configured to:
allow the gate to pivot from the closed gate position to the inwardly open gate position when a sow pushes against the gate to pivot the gate toward the inwardly open gate position;
prevent the gate from pivoting from the closed gate position to the inwardly open gate position for a second time until the gate is pivoted from the closed gate position to the outwardly open gate position;
and allow the gate to pivot from the closed gate position to the outwardly open gate position when the sow pushes against the gate to pivot the gate toward the outwardly open gate position,
wherein the gate control assembly includes:
a locking bar slidably mounted in the sleeve of the gate support;
a control rod coupled to the gate support and rotatable about a central longitudinal axis of the control rod,
a line that couples the locking bar to the control rod to limit downward movement of the locking bar;
a first coupling coupled to the control rod and configured to couple the line to the control rod;
a control arm coupled to the control rod and moveable to rotate the control rod about the central longitudinal axis thereof;
and
an arm bracket through which the control arm extends, the arm bracket having a plurality of recesses for receiving and retaining the control arm in one of a plurality of positions to adjust a height of the first coupling, wherein the plurality of recesses include a middle position recess, an upper position recess, and a lower position recess, the middle position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at a middle height, the upper position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at an upper height that is higher than the middle height, the lower position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at a lower height that is lower than the middle height.

12 more elements

A gestation stall gate assembly comprising:

a gate support including a sleeve;
a gate coupled to the gate support in a way that enables the gate to pivot around a pivot axis between an inwardly open gate position, a closed gate position, and an outwardly open gate position;
and
a gate control assembly configured to:
allow the gate to pivot from the closed gate position to the inwardly open gate position when a sow pushes against the gate to pivot the gate toward the inwardly open gate position;
prevent the gate from pivoting from the closed gate position to the inwardly open gate position for a second time until the gate is pivoted from the closed gate position to the outwardly open gate position;
and
allow the gate to pivot from the closed gate position to the outwardly open gate position when the sow pushes against the gate to pivot the gate toward the outwardly open gate position,
wherein the gate control assembly includes:
a locking bar slidably mounted in the sleeve of the gate support;
a control rod coupled to the gate support and rotatable about a central longitudinal axis of the control rod;
a line that couples the locking bar to the control rod to limit downward movement of the locking bar;
a first coupling coupled to the control rod and configured to couple the line to the control rod;
a control arm coupled to the control rod and moveable to rotate the control rod about the central longitudinal axis thereof;
an arm bracket through which the control arm extends, the arm bracket having a plurality of recesses for receiving and retaining the control arm in one of a plurality of positions to adjust a height of the first coupling;
and
a non-rotating control bracket fixed to the gate support and having a non-rotating recess extending therethrough,
wherein the plurality of recesses include a middle position recess, an upper position recess, and a lower position recess, the middle position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at a middle height, the upper position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at an upper height that is higher than the middle height, the lower position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at a lower height that is lower than the middle height, and
when the control arm is positioned in the lower position recess and the gate returns to the closed gate position from the inwardly open gate position, the line permits a lower end of the locking bar to move downwardly through the rotating recess of the rotating control bracket and into the non-rotating recess of the non-rotating control bracket.

16 more elements

A gestation stall gate assembly comprising:

a gate support including a sleeve;
a gate coupled to the gate support in a way that enables the gate to pivot around a pivot axis between an inwardly open gate position, a closed gate position, and an outwardly open gate position;
and
a gate control assembly configured to:
allow the gate to pivot from the closed pate position to the inwardly open gate position when a sow pushes against the gate to pivot the pate toward the inwardly open pate position;
prevent the gate from pivoting from the closed gate position to the inwardly open gate position for a second time until the gate is pivoted from the closed gate position to the outwardly open gate position;
and
allow the gate to pivot from the closed gate position to the outwardly open gate position when the sow pushes against the gate to pivot the pate toward the outwardly open gate position,
wherein the gate includes a lower section and an upper section that is rotatable with the lower section and moveable between a closed section position and an open section position while the lower section of the gate remains in the closed gate position, and
wherein the gate control assembly includes:
a locking bar slidably mounted in the sleeve of the gate support;
a control rod coupled to the gate support and rotatable about a central longitudinal axis of the control rod;
a line that couples the locking bar to the coupling of the control rod to limit downward movement of the locking bar;
a coupling coupled to the control rod and configured to couple the line to the control rod;
a control arm coupled to the control rod and moveable to rotate the control rod about the central longitudinal axis thereof;
and
an arm bracket through which the control arm extends, the arm bracket having a plurality of recesses for receiving and retaining the control arm in one of a plurality of positions to adjust a height of the coupling,
wherein the plurality of recesses include a middle position recess, an upper position recess, and a lower position recess, the middle position recess corresponding to the coupling being positioned at a middle height, the upper position recess corresponding to the coupling being positioned at an upper height that is higher than the middle height, the lower position recess corresponding to the coupling being positioned at a lower height that is lower than the middle height.

15 more elements

A gestation stall gate assembly comprising:

a gate support including a sleeve;
a gate coupled to the gate support and pivotable between an inwardly open gate position, an outwardly open gate position, and a closed gate position;
a locking bar having an upper end, a lower end, and a latching surface positioned between the upper and lower ends;
a latch pivotably coupled to the gate support and biased into engagement with the latching surface of the locking bar to stop downward movement of the locking bar through the sleeve;
and
a rotating control bracket coupled to the gate for rotation therewith, the rotating control bracket having a bar reset cam surface and an unlatching surface,
wherein as the gate pivots toward the inwardly open gate position, the unlatching surface of the rotating control bracket is engageable with the latch to disengage the latch from the locking bar, and
wherein as the gate pivots toward the outwardly open gate position, the lower end of the locking bar is engageable with the bar reset cam surface and slidable along the bar reset cam surface to raise the latching surface of the locking bar to a latching height at which the latch is engageable with the latching surface to stop downward movement of the locking bar through the sleeve;
a control rod coupled to the gate support and rotatable about a central longitudinal axis of the control rod,
a line that couples the locking bar to the control rod to limit downward movement of the locking bar;
a coupling coupled to the control rod and configured to couple the line to the control rod;
a spring included in the line, the spring allowing temporary extension of the length of the line;
a control arm coupled to the control rod and moveable to rotate the control rod about the central longitudinal axis thereof;
and
an arm bracket coupled to the gate support, the arm bracket having a plurality of recesses for receiving and retaining the control arm in one of a plurality of positions to adjust the height of the coupling,
wherein the plurality of recesses include a middle position recess, an upper position recess, and a lower position recess, the middle position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at a middle height, the upper position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at an upper height that is higher than the middle height, the lower position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at a lower height that is lower than the middle height.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.