Noncontact animal diverter system
AssigneeTargan, Inc.
InventorZebulon Wayne Rouse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for diverting an object includes air nozzles, a device for positioning a chick on a moving platform, and sensors for determining characteristics of the chick on the moving platform. When the chick is identified as moving down the moving platform, the system determines which path in the processing system the chick should be sorted to. Then air nozzles are configured to divert the chick to the determined path. In this regard, chicks moving through the system are identified, and then air nozzles are activated to blow the chicks to a desired path.
Claims20
A system of diverting animals, the system comprising:
- a series of lanes through with the animals are configured to be moved via at least one conveyer in a first direction;
- at least one air diverter for each of the series of lanes, wherein a first air diverter of the at least one air diverter is associated with a first lane of the series of lanes and is configured to blow air on a first animal with a force to move the first animal horizontally to a first location in a second direction different from the first direction;
- and
- a processor configured to detect the first animal traveling on a first conveyer at a position upstream of the first air diverter and to determine a timing for activating the first air diverter.
A method of diverting animals, the method comprising:
- moving, via at least one conveyer, animals through a series of lanes in a first direction;
- detecting, via a processor, a first animal traveling on a first conveyer at a position upstream of a first air diverter,
- determining, via the processor, a timing for activating the first air diverter of the at least one air diverter, wherein the first air diverter is associated with a first lane of the series of lanes;
- and
- blowing air on the first animal with a force to move the first animal horizontally to a first location in a second direction different from the first direction.
A system of diverting one or more chicks, the system comprising:
- a first diverter that is associated with a first lane, wherein the first lane is configured to move the first chick through the first lane in a first direction, and wherein the first diverter is configured to blow air on a first chick with a force to move the first chick horizontally to a first location in a second direction,
- a second diverter associated with the first lane and is configured to blow air on the first chick with a force to move the first chick horizontally to a second location in a third direction;
- and
- a processor configured to detect the first chick traveling on a first conveyer at a position upstream of the first and second diverters and to determine whether to activate the first diverter or the second diverter and to determine a timing for activating the first diverter or the second diverter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.