Animal handling and processing facility
OwnerElizabeth L. Gealyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly of gates and pens, or other enclosures, for assembling, sorting, holding, and guiding animals to and from one or more processing stations. A plurality of perimeter gates define and enclose a sorting area having a second set of gates which divide the sorting area into separate sections. A number of holding pens, or other enclosures, adjoin the sorting area such that access to the sorting area from each holding pen is provided by a perimeter gate. Animals are guided from a holding pen, through the sorting area, then through a crowding area, then through a lead-up alley which exits back into the sorting area, one section of which is thus used for redirecting processed animals while another section is being used for incoming animals.
Claims5
An animal handling facility comprising:
- a first plurality of gates defining at least a portion of the perimeter of a generally circular sorting area;
- a second plurality of gates hinged on a single post centrally located in said sorting area, dividing said sorting area into separate sections;
- a plurality of enclosures adjoining said sorting area, such that each of said enclosures is separated from the sorting area by one of said perimeter gates;
- means for guiding an animal from said sorting area into one or more processing stations;
- and
- means for guiding said animal from said station or stations back into a different section of said sorting area, such that re-sorting of processed animals may be achieved without interrupting the passage of incoming animals.
An animal handling facility comprising:
- a first plurality of gates defining at least a portion of the perimeter of a sorting area;
- a second plurality of gates dividing said sorting area into separate sections;
- a plurality of enclosures adjoining said sorting area, such that each of said enclosures is separated from the sorting area by one of said perimeter gates;
- means for guiding an animal from said sorting area into one or more processing stations;
- means for guiding said animal from said station or stations back into a different section of said sorting area, such that re-sorting of processed animals may be achieved without interrupting the passage of incoming animals;
- and
- further including a sorting valley that connects with a perimeter gate of the sorting area and extends along the outer perimeter of the holding pens that adjoin the sorting area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.