Animal recovery support system
AssigneeCornell University
InventorsLuis Campoy, Andy Ruina, Jason Cortell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A land-based ungulate recovery support and stabilization system includes at least one fall control unit mounted in a recovery space and coupled to a harness via at least one rope. The at least one fall control unit provides means for applying brake force(s) to a land-based hoofed animal, such as a horse, fitted in the harness to manage motion of the animal. By managing motion, an uncontrolled fall, a stagger, and other jerking motions can be avoided to prevent injury.
Claims17
A land-based ungulate recovery support and stabilization system, the system comprising:
- a harness configured to be fitted on an animal, and
- a fall control unit mounted in the recovery space and coupled to the harness via a rope, the fall control unit configured to provide means for applying a brake force to the harness through the rope to keep a downward fall velocity or acceleration of the harness within a preset limit during a recovery so that an uncontrolled fall and potential injury to the animal is avoided wherein the fall control unit includes a rope management assembly with a drum mounted for rotation about a drum axis about which the rope is wound, a motor coupled to the drum to drive rotation of the drum to wind the rope around the drum, and a brake system configured to selectively arrest rotation of the drum, and
- wherein the rope management assembly includes a rope winder configured to direct the rope during winding into a single layer along the drum in order to minimize give in the rope that might be developed from multiple layers of rope sliding relative to one another during the uncontrolled fall, and
- wherein the rope winder includes a threaded rod mounted for rotation about a rod axis parallel to and spaced apart from the drum axis, a line guide through which the rope is directed prior to contact with the drum during winding, and a drive nut fixed to the line guide and engaged with threads of the threaded rod so as to be moved with the line guide along the rod axis during rotation of the threaded rod.
A fall control unit for use in a land-based ungulate recovery space, the unit comprising:
- a rope management assembly with a drum mounted for rotation about a drum axis about which a rope is wound,
- a motor coupled to the drum to drive rotation of the drum to wind the rope around the drum,
- a brake system configured to selectively arrest rotation of the drum, and
- a controller coupled to the brake system and configured to direct the brake system to arrest rotation of the drum in response to receipt of a parameter associated with a velocity or acceleration of a land-based ungulate coupled to the rope that exceeds a preset limit wherein the rope management assembly includes a rope winder configured to direct the rope during winding into a single layer along the drum in order to minimize give in the rope that might be developed from multiple layers of rope sliding relative to one another during an uncontrolled fall, and
- wherein the rope winder includes a threaded rod mounted for rotation about a rod axis parallel to and spaced apart from the drum axis, a line guide through which the rope is directed prior to contact with the drum during winding, and a drive nut fixed to the line guide and engaged with threads of the threaded rod so as to be moved with the line guide along the rod axis during rotation of the threaded rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.