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US 2009/0266308 A1Published application
Head restraint for animal control chute
AssigneeBlack Hills Agricultural Equipment Incorporated
InventorRussell W. Kerns
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AssigneeBlack Hills Agricultural Equipment Incorporated
InventorRussell W. Kerns
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides an improved head restraint that can be used in conjunction with conventional cattle chutes that are equipped with head gates. It provides the advantages of being humane by causing little or no discomfort to the cattle being restrained. Cattle being treated also tends to remain calm while being restrained utilizing the device of this invention. It offers much easier and faster means for providing care to positions on the head of the animal. Its implementation can accordingly lead to reduction in human labor requirements associated with treating a herd of cattle and generally leads to savings in medication by virtue of being able to more accurately apply eye drops, ointments, or powdered medications to the eyes of a cow having a very stabilized head as compared to loss of medication when dealing with a struggling animal that is jerking its head around during the procedure. Its use greatly reduces the risk of injury to the animal and the person administering the treatment to the animal. Head restraints of this invention offer the advantage of being capable of being affixed to existing chutes of differing sizes. This is because the improved head restraints of this invention are expandable to fit directly onto head gates of differing designs and sizes. The present invention more specifically discloses a head restraint for utilization in conjunction with a cattle chute, said head restraint being comprised of a lower neck restraint, an upper neck restraint which is mounted to the lower neck restraint, a nose restraint which is mounted to the lower neck restraint, a first cattle chute attachment adaptor, and a second cattle chute attachment adaptor, wherein the lower neck restraint is comprised of an upper tubular member and a lower tubular member, wherein the first cattle chute attachment adaptor and the second cattle chute attachment adaptor are attached to the lower neck restraint through tubular members that extend into the upper tubular member and the lower tubular member, wherein the upper neck restraint is adapted to swivel into a position forming an inverted U-shape over the top of the lower neck restraint, and wherein the nose restraint is adapted to swivel by horizontal motion into a position forming a closed U-shape with the lower neck restraint.
A head restraint for utilization in conjunction with a cattle chute, said head restraint being comprised of a lower neck restraint, an upper neck restraint which is mounted to the lower neck restraint, a nose restraint which is mounted to the lower neck restraint, a first cattle chute attachment adaptor, and a second cattle chute attachment adaptor, wherein the lower neck restraint is comprised of an upper tubular member and a lower tubular member, wherein the first cattle chute attachment adaptor and the second cattle chute attachment adaptor are attached to the lower neck restraint through tubular members that extend into the upper tubular member and the lower tubular member wherein the upper neck restraint is adapted to swivel into a position forming an inverted U-shape over the top of the lower neck restraint, and wherein the nose restraint is adapted to swivel by horizontal motion into a position forming a closed U-shape with the lower neck restraint.
A method for attaching a cattle head restraint to a cattle chute that is equipped with a head gate, wherein said cattle head restraint is comprised of a lower neck restraint, an upper neck restraint which is mounted to the lower neck restraint, a nose restraint which is mounted to the lower neck restraint, a first cattle chute attachment adaptor, a second cattle chute attachment adaptor, a first head restraint mounting bracket, and a second head restraint mounting bracket, wherein the lower neck restraint is comprised of an upper tubular member and a lower tubular member, wherein the first cattle chute attachment adaptor and the second cattle chute attachment adaptor are attached to the lower neck restraint through tubular members that extend into the upper tubular member and the lower tubular member wherein the upper neck restraint is adapted to swivel into a position forming an inverted U-shape over the top of the lower neck restraint, and wherein the nose restraint is adapted to swivel by horizontal motion into a position forming a closed U-shape with the lower neck restraint, said method including the steps of (1) attaching the first head restraint mounting bracket to a pole on one side of the head gate, (2) attaching the second head restraint mounting bracket to a second pole on the opposite side of the head gate, (3) affixing the first cattle chute attachment adaptor to the first head restraint mounting bracket with a chute attachment pin, (4) adjusting the first cattle chute attachment adaptor and the second cattle chute attachment adaptor to fit the size of the head gate, and (5) tightening at least four set screws that are adapted to hold the first cattle chute attachment adaptor and the second cattle chute attachment adaptor in the lower neck restraint.
The method as specified in claim 20 wherein the lock pin latch has a rounded forward surface that is adapted to facilitate travel over the restraint lock latch catch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.