Livestock slide gate with bent roller brackets and partially-perforated partial-height cladding, openable / closeable panel hangers with tethering means, and transport collapsible crash gates

Abstract

Roller brackets on livestock slide gates have bent roller supports each with a flat middle span, and angled wings joined to the flat middle span via rounded transitional corners lacking sharp edges. The slide gate is cladded over only a lower fractional portion of the gate height, and the cladding is perforated only at an upper fractional portion of its height. Panels hangers mounted externally on sidewall structures of a mobile chute / alley for auxiliary panel storage during transport are of openable / closeable character for self-secured hanging of such panels, and in the case of chutes / alleys with movable working panels, are accompanied by panel tethers tensionable by such working panels, which typically lack functional purpose in transport mode. A crash gate mountable outside the head gate of a chute exit is uniquely collapsible to a reduced footprint for space efficient transport of the chute, without removal of the crash gate therefrom.

Description

[0001] LIVESTOCK SLIDE GATE WITH BENT ROLLER BRACKETS AND PARTIALLY- PERFORATED PARTIAL-HEIGHT CLADDING, OPENABLE / CLOSEABLE PANEL HANGERS WITH TETHERING MEANS, AND TRANSPORT COLLAPSIBLE CRASH GATES

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates generally to livestock handling equipment, and more particularly to improvements and accessories for livestock alleys and chutes. BACKGROUND

[0004] As an established manufacturer of livestock handling equipment, Applicant has identified numerous shortcomings found among at least some commercially available livestock chutes and alleys.

[0005] Many livestock chutes and alleys use one or more roller-supported slide gates to control advancement of livestock animals through the chute or alley, from one section thereof to another through a control point equipped with such a slide gate. The rollers by which rolling movement of the slide gate is effected are typically supported on brackets formed of flat steel plating, a drawback of which is that subtle skewing between the slide gate and the track on which it rides risks harsh frictional edge contact of such steel plating with the track. In Applicant’s existing chute and alley products with such slide gates, the solution employed is the application of low-friction tape to the inner track-facing sides of such steel plate roller brackets to ensure smooth, low-friction rolling movement with no harsh edge contact. A more elegant solution to this problem is desirable.

[0006] Some mobile livestock chutes, such as the Tamar squeeze cattle handling trailer by LM Bateman & Co. Ltd, and the Herd Master mobile cattle handing system by GSF Livestock Systems, both out of the UK, have incorporated panel hangers on the exterior sides of the chute for storage of auxiliary corral panels thereon during road transport. To best of Applicant’s knowledge, any such commercially available panel hangers rely on use of ratchet-equipped tie down straps, both to anchor the stored panels vertically onto the hangers, and to anchor the stored panels snugly against the sides of the chute during transport. This leaves a desire and need for a more elegant and robust solution for secure stowage of the auxiliary panels on the chute exterior during transport.

[0007] It is known in the industry to sometimes equip livestock chutes with an additional external crash gate in supplement to the head gate conventionally found at the exit of a chute, perhaps most commonly employed when working bison in such chutes. During attempted capture of the livestock animal in the head gate, the crash gate, installed forwardly of the head gate in external relation to the chute, is kept closed, so that if the animal overshoots or escapes the head gate, the crash gate serves as a redundant secondary containment preventing the animal from fully departing the equipment. However, existing crash gates tend to be extremely bulky in design, projecting a notable distance from the front end of the chute. In contemplating incorporation of a crash gate into one or more of its chute products, Applicant was faced with the problem that the added longitudinal measure imparted to the chute by the addition of such a bulky external crash gate meant that a lesser number of chutes could be transported on a singular flatbed, denoting significant increase in transport expense to ship such equipment in volume with the crash gates pre-mounted thereon.

[0008] In view of this, Applicant has developed novel and inventive solutions addressing the forgoing, and other, shortcomings of the prior art, which novel and inventive solutions are the subject of the present application. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a slide gate assembly for livestock handling equipment, said slide gate assembly comprising: a slide gate for rolling travel thereof back and forth between open and closed positions respectively permitting and denying livestock travel through a control point of said livestock handling equipment; and one or more roller brackets that each rotatably support at least one respective roller thereon for use of said roller in said rolling travel of the slide gate; wherein each of said one or more roller brackets comprises a respective pair of first and second rollers supports between which said at least one respective roller is rotatably supported, and each of said first and second roller supports has a bent form composed of a respective flat middle span that faces the respective flat middle span of the other roller support, two angled wings that reside on opposing sides of said flat middle span and diverge from a plane thereof in a direction away from the other roller support, and two rounded transitional corners that respectively join the two angled wings to said flat middle span.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a livestock chute or alley comprising: a framework comprising: a first sidewall structure running in a longitudinal direction; and a second sidewall structure also running in said longitudinal direction in horizontally spaced relation from said first sidewall structure in a lateral direction of transverse relation to said longitudinal direction, whereby the sidewall structures denote opposing sides of a longitudinally traversable chute or alley interior; and at an exterior side of at least one of said sidewall structures, a set of panel hangers attached to said framework and usable for external storage of one or more auxiliary panels that, in field use, are selectively erectable outside said chute or alley interior in cooperative relation to the livestock chute or alley to aid in performance of one or more livestock handing operations involving said chute or alley; wherein each panel hanger comprises: a support member for seated receipt thereon of a respective crossrail of each of said one or more auxiliary panels for hanging support thereof by the respective cross-rail thereof; and a retaining member that is of movable relation to the support member between a loadable state permitting placement of the respective cross-rail of each of said one or more auxiliary panels atop the support member, and a retaining state blocking escape of the cross-rail from atop the support member, and which retaining member is lockable in said retaining state.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a livestock chute or alley comprising: a framework comprising: a first sidewall structure running in a longitudinal direction; and a second sidewall structure also running in said longitudinal direction in horizontally spaced relation from said first sidewall structure in a lateral direction of transverse relation to said longitudinal direction, whereby the sidewall structures denote opposing sides of a longitudinally traversable chute or alley interior; at an exterior side of at least one of said sidewall structures, a set of panel hangers attached to said framework and usable for external storage of one or more auxiliary panels that, in field use, are selectively erectable outside said chute or alley interior in cooperative relation to the livestock chute or alley to aid in performance of one or more livestock handing operations involving said chute or alley; at least one movable working panel of operatively coupled relationship to the framework for movement relative thereto in setup for, or performance of, at least one of said of one or more livestock handling operations; and at least one panel tether by which said one or more auxiliary panels is tetherable to the movable working panel when said one or more auxiliary panels is hung on the set of panel hangers, thereby enabling tensioned tethering of said a one or more auxiliary panels to the framework by tensioning of the at least one panel tether through movement of said movable working panel in a direction away from the one or more auxiliary panels hung on said set of the panel hangers.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of storing said one or more auxiliary on the livestock chute or alley recited in the preceding third aspect of the invention, said method comprising, hanging said one or more auxiliary panels on the set of panel hangers, tethering said one or more auxiliary panels to the movable working panel with said at least one panel tether, moving said movable working panel relative the framework in said direction away from the one or more auxiliary panels hung on said set of the panel hangers and thereby tensioning said at least one panel tether.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a crash gate assembly for a livestock chute, said crash gate comprising: a stationary frame of bordering relation to an opening through which livestock travel is to be obstructed by the crash gate when closed; a crash gate movably coupled to said stationary frame, and movable relative thereto between: a closed state of obstructive relation to said opening to prevent said livestock travel therethrough; an open state of non-obstructive relation to said opening to allow said livestock travel therethrough; and a transport state of positionally distinct relationship to said open and closed states, and in which said crash gate is of less protrusive relation from a plane of said opening than in said closed state.

[0014] According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a crash gate assembly for a livestock chute, said crash gate comprising: a stationary frame for bordering relation to an opening through which livestock travel is to be obstructed by the crash gate when closed; and a crash gate movably coupled or couplable to said stationary frame, and movable relative thereto between at least a closed state of obstructive relation to said opening to prevent said livestock travel therethrough, and an open state of nonobstructive relation to said opening to allow said livestock travel therethrough; wherein said stationary frame comprises a first and second subframes attachable to said livestock chute at first and second sides of an exit of the livestock chute at which a head gate is operably installed, said subframes being shaped to project forwardly outward from said exit of the livestock chute when installed thereat to support the crash gate in front of said head gate of the livestock chute.

[0015] According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided slide gate for livestock equipment, said slide gate comprising: a perimeter frame delimiting an inner rectangular area of the slide gate; a cladding occupying only a lower fraction of said inner rectangular area while leaving an upper fraction of said inner rectangular area uncovered by said cladding; wherein the cladding comprises perforations therein only at an upper partial fraction of the cladding, leaving a solid unperforated lower partial fraction of said cladding intact beneath said upper partial fraction.

[0016] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018] Figure 1 is a top rear left perspective view of an adjustable width livestock alley section featuring an inventive slide gate assembly and inventive panel hangers of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 is a top front right perspective view of the livestock alley section of Figure 1 .

[0020] Figure 3 is a top rear left perspective view of the slide gate assembly of Figure 1 in isolation from the rest of the livestock alley section.

[0021] Figure 4 is a partial top front left perspective view of the isolated slide gate assembly of Figure 3.

[0022] Figure 5 is an isolated perspective view of one of two identical roller brackets of the slide gate assembly of Figures 2 and 3.

[0023] Figure 6 is another isolated perspective view of the roller bracket of Figure 5 from another vantagepoint.

[0024] Figure 7 is cross-sectional view of the roller bracket of Figures 5 and 6 as viewed along line A - A thereof.

[0025] Figure 8 is a top rear left perspective view of one of a set of four inventive panel hangers of the livestock alley section of Figure 1 , in a closed state thereof for secured hanging storage of one or more auxiliary panels by a cooperating pair of said hangers on a common side of the alley section.

[0026] Figure 9 is another top rear left perspective view of the panel hanger of Figure 8, in an open state thereof for loading of the one more auxiliary panels onto the hanger.

[0027] Figure 10 is a front elevational view of the panel hanger of Figure 9, again in the open state thereof.

[0028] Figure 1 1 is a top rear left perspective view of the adjustable width livestock alley section of Figure 1 with a pair of auxiliary corral panels hung on one side thereof in loosely tethered relationship thereto.

[0029] Figure 12 is a rear elevation view of the adjustable width livestock alley section of Figure 11 .

[0030] Figure 13 is another rear elevational view of the adjustable width livestock alley section of Figure 12 with a movable sidewall panel thereof tilted inwardly in a manner tightening the tethered relationship of the hung auxiliary corral panels to the side of the alley section, without use of any ratchet-equipped tie down straps.

[0031] Figure 14 is a top front right perspective view of a livestock squeeze chute featuring an inventive crash gate assembly of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 15 is a top front left perspective view of the livestock squeeze chute of Figure 14.

[0033] Figure 16 is a top rear left perspective view of the crash gate assembly of Figures 14 and 15 in isolation from the rest of the livestock squeeze chute, and in a closed state thereof.

[0034] Figure 17 is a top front left perspective view of the crash gate assembly of Figure 16, again in the closed state thereof.

[0035] Figure 18 is a top front left perspective view of the crash gate assembly of Figure 17 in an open state thereof.

[0036] Figure 19 is a top front left perspective view of the crash gate assembly of Figure 18 in a collapsed transport state thereof.

[0037] Figure 20 is a top front right perspective view of the crash gate assembly of Figure 17 after a reversal of selective componentry thereof so as to reverse a direction in which the crash gate is swung open, compared to the setup shown in Figures 14 to 19.

[0038] Figure 21 A is an exploded view of a panel interconnector and an associated bolt or pin set of the crash gate assembly of Figure 17, showing a first pin / bolt layout used to hold gate panels of the crash gate in working positions for field use.

[0039] Figure 21 B is another exploded view of the same panel interconnector and associated bolt or pin set as Figure 21 A, but showing a second pin / bolt layout used to instead hold the gate panels in the transport positions shown in Figure 19.- DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate an adjustable width livestock alley section 10 as one non-limiting example of an operating environment for an inventive slide gate assembly briefly summarized above and described herein below in greater detail, though the inventive slide gate assembly may be used in any variety of livestock handling equipment for controlling flow of livestock animals therethrough any control point therealong. A structural framework 1 1 of the alley section delimits an interior space thereof, as well as an entrance thereto and an exit therefrom. In addition to forming this skeletal structure of the alley section, the framework also serves to support all functional components of both the alley section, which in the illustrated example includes movably adjustable sidewall panels of the alley section for adjustment of an effective internal width thereof, and an openable / closeable admission gate at one end of the alley section for controlled admission of livestock thereto in singulated fashion. The framework 1 1 includes a pair of longitudinal floor beams 12A, 12B lying horizontally in a longitudinal direction Lo of the alley section 10 at a ground-level floor assembly 13 of the framework 1 1 , a pair of longitudinal header beams 14A, 14B lying horizontally in parallel relation to the floor beams 12A, 12B in elevated relation thereover at a top header 15 of the framework 1 1 , and at least four, and in the illustrate example six, wall posts 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F each standing vertically upright from one of the floor beams 12A, 12B at an end or end-adjacent region thereof to perpendicularly interconnect the floor beam 12A, 12B to the matching end or end region of the respective one of the longitudinal header beams 14A, 14B.

[0041] The framework 1 1 thus delimits an interior space of generally rectangular volume. The header 15 of the framework also includes a set of two or more crossheaders 18A, 18B that span horizontally and perpendicularly between the two header beams 14, 14B at or closely adjacent the ends thereof to maintain a squareness of the header 15. At or closely adjacent each end of the alley section, the floor beams 12A, 12B are likewise perpendicularly and horizontally connected by cross-sills 20A, 20B of the floor assembly 13, the illustrated two of which are each situated at or closely adjacent a vertical plane occupied by a respective pair of the wall posts 16A & 16B or 16C & 16D, to maintain a squareness of the ground level floor assembly 13. At or near each end of the alley section 10, the two respective wall posts 16A & 16B or 16C & 16D frame two opposing upright sides of a respective rectangular opening through which entrance to, or exit from, the interior space of the alley section (or alley interior, for short) is possible, thereby enabling traversal of an animal through said alley interior from one opening to the other on a longitudinal pathway therebetween. One of these framed openings is referred to herein as an entrance opening 22, through which animals are admitted into the alley interior during use of the alley section 10, for example in controlled one-by-one (singulated) fashion via an openable / closeable entrance gate installed at this entrance opening 22, which in the illustrated example is embodied by an inventive slide gate assembly 24 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The framed opening at the opposing second end of the alley section is referred to herein as an exit opening 26 through which animals depart the alley interior once having travelled therethrough on the longitudinal pathway from the opposing entrance opening 22. The first and second ends of the alley section are thus also referred to as the rear entrance end 28 and the front exit end 30 of the alley section 10, respectively, in relation to the longitudinal travel direction in which animals move therethrough, travelling forwardly from the rear entrance end 28 of the alley section 10 toward the opposing front exit end 30 thereof. In the illustrated example featuring the slide gate assembly 24 at the rear entrance end 28 of the alley section 10, the upright wall posts of the framework comprise not only the four wall posts 16A-16D that resides nearest to the two ends of the alley section to define outermost corners of the framework, but also an additional pair of wall posts 16E, 16F that stand upright between the floor beams 12A, 12B and the header beams 14A, 14B a short distance in front of the rearmost pair of wall posts 16C, 16D. The short longitudinal gap between the rearmost wall posts 16C, 16D and the nearby second rearmost wall posts 16E, 16F defines a pocket into and out of which a slide gate of the slide gate assembly 24 is slidable horizontally back and forth. This movement of the slide gate occurs in a lateral direction LA of perpendicularly transverse relation to the longitudinal direction Lo spanned by the floor and header beams 12A, 12B, 14A, 14B, and parallel to the crossheaders and cross-sills 18A, 18B, 20A, 20B, whereby this slide gate is operable to selectively open and close the entrance opening 22 of the alley section 10.

[0042] Still referring to the non-limiting adjustable width alley section context of Figures 1 and 2, movably supported on the framework 11 , within the elevational range of the two sidewall areas delimited between the longitudinal floor and header beams 12A, 12B, 14A, 14B, are a pair of movable sidewall panels 34A, 34B of the alley section 10, each lying longitudinally of the framework 1 1. On each side the alley section, the respective floor and header beam and the respective set of wall posts of the framework 1 1 (i.e. beams and posts 12A, 14A 16A, 16C, 16E on left side of the chute, and beams and posts 12B, 14B, 16B, 16D, 16F on the right side of the chute) cooperatively denote a respective static wall structure of the alley section, and the vertical planes of the two static wall structures delimit respective boundaries of the chute interior in the lateral direction LA. Left sidewall panel 34A resides closest to the left sidewall area bound by the left sidewall structure of the alley section 10, and right sidewall panel 34B resides closest to the right sidewall area bound by the right sidewall structure of the alley section 10. The two sidewall panels 34A, 34B are laterally movable relative to their respective sidewalls to adjust an effective width of the alley interior, more specifically being movable laterally toward one another in a closing direction serving to decrease the effective width of the alley interior, and laterally away from one another in an opening direction serving to increase the effective width of the alley interior. The illustrated example is one in which the two sidewall panels 34A, 34B are each laterally movable in tilting fashion about a longitudinally oriented axis of a bottom rail 35 of the sidewall panel, the two longitudinally opposing ends of which may be rotatably pinned to a pair of angled support members 36 of the framework 11 , each of which spans obliquely from a respective one of the wall posts 16A, 16B, 16E, 16F to a connected one of the crosssills 20A, 20B. For further understanding of this particular type of tiltable adjustable sidewall panel 34A, 34B of and adjustable alley section 10, reference may be made to Applicant’s prior PCT Application WO2021 / 016698, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference, though the inventive embodiments disclosed herein are not tied to any particular type of alley construction.

[0043] In the context of the first embodiment, focussed on the inventive slide gate assembly 24, the sidewall panels 34A, 34B of the alley section 10 may be of any variety, whether both fixed (non-adjustable alley) or both movable (two-sided adjustable alley, like that illustrated), or one fixed and one movable (one-sided adjustable alley), without any impact on the design and operation of the inventive slide gate assembly 24, which also may be employed on types of livestock handling equipment other than an alley, for example on a squeeze chute where movable sidewall panels are used to create a functional livestock squeeze for cooperative function with a functional head gate installed at the exit opening 26 to hold a livestock animal stationary in a secured position with their body standing in the chute interior, with their neck reaching outwardly through the exit of the chute via a central opening of the head gate, and with their head residing outside the chute beyond the exit thereof. An example of such a squeeze chute is given herein further below in reference to other inventive embodiments disclosed herein.

[0044] The description thus far of the alley section 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is at a rather generic and conventional level of detail, for the purpose of setting forth an operating environment in which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. As mentioned above, the entrance opening 22 of the alley section 10 is openable and closeable by an inventive slide gate assembly 24 of the present invention, which in Figures 3 to 7 is shown in isolation from the rest of the alley section, and to which attention now turned. The slide gate assembly 24 includes an overhead track 38 which runs parallel to header beam 18B at a short elevation therebelow and at or closely adjacent the entrance opening 22 of the alley section 10. In the illustrated example, track 38 resides specifically in the pocket space delimited between the rearmost and second rearmost sets of wall posts 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F. The overhead track 38, typically composed of a length of rectangular or square metal tubing, is fixed in place at its two ends to the rearmost and second rearmost sets of wall posts 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F. The slide gate assembly 24 further includes a slide gate 40 that is suspended from the overhead track 38 and is rollable back and forth thereon in the lateral direction LA to enable lateral movement of the slide gate 40 between a closed position of obstructive relation to the entrance opening 22 of the alley section 10, to prevent animal entry to the alley section 10, and an open position of non-obstructive relation to the entrance opening 22, to allow animal entry to the alley section 10.

[0045] The slide gate 40 has a perimeter frame composed of two vertically upright frame posts 42A, 42B, a bottom rail 44 spanning horizontally therebetween at bottom ends thereof, and a top rail 46 likewise spanning horizontally between the frame posts 42A, 42B at notably space elevation above bottom rail and nearer to a top end of the slide gate 40. These four perimeter frame components 42A, 42B, 44, 46 thus delimit therebetween an inner rectangular area of the slide gate 40, of which an entirety or partial fraction of this rectangular area may be covered by one or more cladding panels, of which there is a singular cladding panel 48 occupying only a lower fraction of the overall rectangular area in the illustrated example, thus providing cladded kick protection over this lower fraction of the slide gate 40. The cladding panel preferably spans at least fifty percent, but preferably no more than eighty percent, of the overall height of the inner rectangular area, for example spanning between sixty and seventy five percent thereof in some embodiments, between sixty and seventy percent in some embodiments, and approximately sixty five percent thereof in the illustrated embodiment. The rectangular inner area framed by the perimeter frame of the slide gate occupies roughly seventy five percent of the overall height of the slide gate, from which the preferred proportions of the cladding panel relative to the overall height of the entire gate panel can be extrapolated.

[0046] The illustrated cladding panel 48 is of a corrugated form characterized by horizontal bend lines 50 at spaced intervals over the height of the panel 48, particularly four bend lines arranged in two pairs, of which the two bend lines of each pair are closer to one another than the distance from one pair of the bends lines to the other pair. Except at the area between the two bend lines of each pair, the cladding panel 48 is vertically oriented. At the area between the two bends lines 50 of each pair, the cladding panel 48 instead occupies an inclined plane whose inclination slopes either forwardly or rearwardly of the alley’s longitudinal direction Lo, with this forward or rearward inclination being reversed from one pair of bend lines to the next, thus imparting the corrugated form to the panel 48. In the illustrated example with two pairs of such bend lines, the panel is subdivided into three vertically planar sections 52A, 52B, 52C, among which each adjacent pair of vertically planar sections 52A-52B, 52B-52C is separated by a respective one of the inclined sections 54A, 54B bound between a respective pair of the bend lines 50. Of the three vertically planar sections 50A, 50B, 50C, the uppermost vertically planar section 50A is a perforated section characterized by perforated openings 56 therein distributed across a substantial full width thereof, for example rectangular openings 56 laid out in a rectangular array, though the particular shape and layout pattern of the openings 56 may vary. Having such openings 56 only in an upper partial fraction of the cladding panel provides a sightline for animals to see through at an elevation roughly comparable to that at which the typical animal’s head is anticipated to be, where such visibility into the alley section 10 is more enticing to draw the animal toward the alley interior, for entrance thereto once the slide gate 40 is opened, versus an unperforated, fully opaque cladding panel. Such partial perforation of a partial-height cladding panel specifically at an upper partial region of the cladding panel, with an unperformed lower partial region left solidly intact therebeneath, may be employed regardless of whether the cladding panel is corrugated, and whether the perforations 56 are specifically limited to only one of the vertically planar sections of such corrugated panel. In the illustrated example, where only one of three vertical sections of approximately equal elevational height to one another is perforated, the perforated upper partial fraction constitutes no more than a third of the overall height of the cladding panel. In other embodiments, the perforated upper partial fraction may be larger or smaller, but preferably doesn’t exceed a maximum of fifty percent of the overall height of the cladding panel.

[0047] A remaining upper fraction of the rectangular area bound by the perimeter frame components 42A, 42B, 44, 46 is not cladded in the illustrated example, but nor is it entirety open, and is instead of a skeletal form having at least one intermediary cross-bar 58 spanning perpendicularly between the frame posts 42A, 42B at an intermediate elevation between the top rail 46 of the slide gate’s perimeter frame and the top end of the lower cladding panel 48, which in the illustrated example is affixed to and held fast by another cross-bar 60 of parallel relation to, but lower elevation than, said intermediary cross-bar 58. The top rail 46 of the slide gate’s perimeter frame overshoots one of the frame posts 42B thereof, but not the other frame post 42A thereof, at which the top rail 46 instead terminates. Above the top rail 46 of the perimeter frame of the slide gate, the slide gate 40 further includes a guide rail 62 of parallel relation to both the top rail 46 of the slide gate’s perimeter frame and the overhead track 38 from which the slide gate 40 is suspended. The guide rail 62 resides at intermediate and spaced elevation between the perimeter frame top rail 46 and the overhead track 38, and caps off the top end of the taller frame post 42A of the slide gate’s perimeter frame, of which the shorter frame post 42B thereof is instead capped off by top rail 46 of the perimeter frame. Top rail 46 and guide rail 62 both overhang the shorter frame post 42B by the same lateral distance, and at terminal ends of such overhang, are attached together by a handle bracket 64 by which an operator handle 66 is carried in a position hanging downwardly therefrom at a lateral distance out from the nearest frame post 42B of the slide gate 40. Supported at the far end of the overhanging part of the slide gate 40, this operator handle 66 resides at a location that remains outside the alley section 10 at all times throughout the full operation range of slide gate movement, including the closed position thereof.

[0048] At the opposing side of the slide gate 40 across from the overhanging support of the aforementioned operating handle 66, an additional operating handle 68 may be provided, and as shown, may be pivotally coupled to the taller frame post 42A by a pivot pin passing longitudinally therethrough, may be longer than operating handle 66, and may have an arcuate bow-shaped, by which in a gravitationally hanging position of this additional operating handle 68, the lateral apex of its arcuate bow shape protrudes outward from the pocket in which the slide gate 40 resides when closed, enabling manual grasping of this handle, upward manual pivoting thereof to a raised position, in which the greater length of this handle 68 enables pushed opening of the gate from this side of the gate panel, as an alternative to operation of the slide gate 40 from the other side uses the overhangingly supported first handle 66.

[0049] The rolling support of the slide gate 40 is effected via a set of rollers 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D rotatably supported on a pair of roller brackets 72A, 72B, of which one is a gate-mounted roller bracket 72A attached to the slide gate 40 and the other is a track-mounted roller bracket 72B that is instead attached to the overhead track 38. At minimum, gate-mounted roller bracket 72A rotatably carries an uppermost one of the rollers 70A that rides atop the overhead track 38, and track-mounted roller bracket 72B rotatably carries a lowermost one of the rollers 70D atop which the guide rail 62 of the slide gate 40 rides. By way of this, the slide gate 40 is both supported in suspended relation from the overhead track 38, and is rollable back and forth therelong in the lateral direction LA of the alley section 10 between open and closed positions opening and closing the entrance opening 22 of the alley section 10 (in the illustrated example), or similarly opening or closing any other control point of a chute or alleyway where such sliding gate 40 is alternatively installed. To prevent the slide gate 40 from being bumped upwardly out its proper rolling relationship to the overhead track 38, each roller bracket 72A, 72B of the illustrated embodiment rotatably carries not one, but two rollers. Gatemounted roller bracket 72A rotatably carries an under-track roller 70B in a position of a lower elevation than both the topmost roller 70B and the guide track 38 in abutting or closely adjacent relationship to the underside of the overhead track 38, while trackmounted roller bracket 72B rotatably carries an over-rail roller 70C in a position of higher elevation than both the bottommost roller 70D and the guide rail 62 in abutting or closely adjacent relationship to the topside of the guide rail 62.

[0050] Such bracket supported placement of four rollers 70A-70D in cooperative relationship to an overhead track 38 mounted to the framework 1 1 and a top guide rail 62 of the slide gate for rollingly suspended support of the slide gate 40 is not itself of deviation from the prior art, but the design of the roller brackets 72A, 72B is a novel and inventive deviation from all prior art known to Applicant, where each roller bracket of the prior art comprises two flat metal plates that are welded to opposing sides of the overhead track 38 or guide rail 62, and between which the respective pair of rollers 70A-70B, 70C-70D are rotatably supported on roller axles 74. Each roller bracket 72A, 72B of present invention similarly features two roller supports 76 welded or otherwise attached to the opposing front and rear sides of the overhead track 38 or guide rail 62, but instead of flat plates, the roller supports 76 each have a bent form of channel-like profile in horizontal cross-section, which bent channel-like profile has a flat middle span 78 for flush abutment against the respective front or rear side of the overhead track 38 or guide rail 62, and two angled wings 80 that reside on opposing sides of said flat middle span 78 and diverge from a plane thereof in a shared direction away from the overhead track 38 or guide rail 62 to which the roller support 76 is affixed.

[0051] The flat middle spans 78 of the two roller supports 76 thus face toward one another across the overhead track 38 or guide rail 62, while the angled wings 80 of each roller support extend opposingly away from the other roller support. In the illustrated example, the two wings 80 are not parallel to one another, nor perpendicular to the flat middle span 78, and instead are of divergent angulation to one another moving away from the plane of the flat middle span 78. With the two wings 80 flaring outward in such divergent relation to one another, the channel-like profile of each roller support 76 thus widens away from the plane of its flat middle span 78, which enables easier tool access during installation of the roller axles 74 in penetrating relation through the aligned, parallel middle spans 78 of the two roller supports 76 of each roller bracket 72A, 72B. Though beneficial for such reason, the rollers support need not necessarily have a flared shape with divergency between its angled wings 80.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the two wings 80 are created by forming of two bend lines in an originally flat metal plate, for example an initially flat laser-cut form (FLF) of generally rectangular shape, preferably with round corners. Each FLF is longer than it is wide, and the greater length dimension equates to a height of the roller support 76, which preferably exceeds the summed heights of the overhead track 38, the guide rail 62, and one and a half times the shared diameter of the rollers (in the illustrated instance where all four rollers are the same size). This way, affixation of the of the roller supports 76 of the gate-mounted roller bracket 72A to the guide rail 62 of the slide gate 40, with the bottom ends of the roller supports 76 at roughly flush elevation to the underside of the guide rail 62, renders the installed height of the gate-mounted roller bracket 72A tall enough to span fully across the vertical gap between the guide rail 62 and the overhead track 38, and upwardly beyond the topside of the overhead track 38 to rotatably carry the uppermost roller 70A thereatop. Similarly, affixation of the of the roller supports 76 of track-mounted roller bracket 72B to the overhead track 38 with the top ends of the roller supports 76 at roughly flush elevation to the topside of the overhead track 38 renders the installed hanging distance of the track-mounted roller bracket 72B long enough to span fully across the vertical gap between the guide rail 62 and the overhead track 38, and downwardly beyond the underside of the guide rail 62 to rotatably carry the lowermost roller 70D therebeneath.

[0053] To form the two wings 80, the FLF is bent, preferably obliquely, at two lengthwise bend lines each running in parallel adjacency to a respective one of the FLF’s two longitudinal edges a short distance inward therefrom. The resulting bends each impart a rounded transitional corner 82 that joins the flat middle span 78 to the outer respective wing 80, which transitional corner 82, best shown in Figure 7, is of convexly rounded character at the outside of the corner that faces the overhead track 38 or guide rail 62 on which the roller support is mounted. This way, each bent roller support 76 lacks any sharp corner edges at the inner side thereof that faces the opposing roller support 76 of the same roller bracket 72A, 72B, thus avoiding any harsh frictional edge-to surface contact of either roller support 76 of the gate-mounted roller bracket 72A with the overhead track 38 along which the gate-mounted roller bracket 72A slides during rolling movement of the slide gate 40, and likewise avoiding any such harsh frictional edge-to surface contact of either roller support 76 of track-mounted roller bracket 72B with the guide rail 62 that slides past the track-mounted roller bracket 72B during such rolling movement of the slide gate 40. The bent roller supports 76 with angled wings 80 and round transitional corners 82 thus avoid the need to apply low friction tape to the roller supports 76 to avoid harsh edge-to-surface interface between the roller supports 76 and the overhead track 38 and guide rail 62. While the roller supports 76 of the illustrated embodiment are described being bent FLFs, it will be appreciated that similarly bent roller supports may be produced by bending of metal plating that is cut by means other than laser, and that a similar channel-like profile with transitional corners 82 of externally rounded profile may be produced by means other than bending of initially flat metal plating, and thus such alternative fabrication possibilities are within the scope of the present invention, to similar beneficial effect in the final product.

[0054] Having described the inventive slide gate assembly 24 embodied in the livestock alley section 10 of Figures 1 and 2, attention is now turned to a set of inventive panels hangers 90A, 90B, 90C, 90D also embodied thereon. The panel hangers 90A- 90D are arranged to two cooperative pairs, a left pair of panel hangers 90A, 90B installed on the header beam 14A of the left sidewall structure at an exterior side thereof, and a right pair of panel hangers 90C, 90D installed on the header beam 14B of the right sidewall structure at an exterior side thereof. Each panel hanger 90A-90D cantilevers laterally outward from the exterior side of the respective header beam 14A, 14B such that on either cooperating pair 90A-90B, 90C-90D of panel hangers, a respective set of one or more auxiliary corral panels 92 can be stored externally alongside the respective wall structure in hanging relation from the cooperative pair of panel hangers, particularly during road transport of the alley section 10. In field use of the alley section, the stored auxiliary corral panels can be removed from the panel hangers 90A-90D and erected in cooperating relationship to the alley section 10 to form one or more corral pens usable therewith to perform any variety of livestock handling operations involving routing of livestock animals through the alley section 10.

[0055] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, which shows one of the four typically identical panel hangers 90A-90D, the shown panel hanger 90B, of which redundant description of the other identical panel hangers 90A, 90C, 90D is omitted in favour of brevity, is of a two part construction, featuring a stationary support member 94 for the hanging support of the one or more auxiliary corral panels 92 thereon, and a movable retaining member 96 of pivotable relationship to the support member 94 between a position of closed engagement with the stationary support member 94 (Figure 8), and an open position withdrawn from such closed engagement (Figure 9). In the closed position, the retaining member 96 cooperates with the support member 94 to form a closed loop around a cross-rail 98 of each auxiliary corral panel 92 hung on the stationary support member 94, thus providing positive capture of each such hung auxiliary corral panel 92. The open position instead creates an open gap space 100 between the two members 94, 96 through which the cross-rail 98 of each such corral panel 92 is loadable onto, and unloadable from, the stationary support member 94.

[0056] Though it may take other forms in other embodiments, the stationary support member 94 of the illustrated embodiment is composed of a singular steel plate and a short length of round steel bar. The steel plate is formed with a singular bend 100 therein of ninety degrees that divides the plate into a uniplanar mounting flange 102 occupying a vertical plane for flush placement against, and bolted or otherwise secured attachment to, the exterior side of the respective header beam 14A, and a uniplanar support arm 104 occupying another vertical plane of perpendicular relationship to that of the mounting flange 102 so as to project laterally outward from the mounting flange 102 and the exterior side of the respective header beam 14A. The support arm 104 is generally L-shaped, with an upright leg 104A residing adjacent the mounting flange 102 and header beam 14A, and a lateral leg 104B jutting laterally outward from the upright leg 104A. The upright leg 104 has a pivot aperture therein near a top end thereof for pivotally coupling of the retaining member 96 to the support member 94 by a pivot pin 1 18 engaged through this this pivot aperture that resides in close, but spaced, adjacency to the exterior side of the header beam 14A.

[0057] An upper edge of the lateral leg 104B of the support arm 104 has a recessed edge segment 106 that slightly undercuts the upright leg 104A at a top inner corner of the support arm 104 where the vertical and lateral legs 104A, 104B meet one another. This recessed edge segment 106 stops short of a terminal outer end of the lateral leg 104B however, where the lateral leg 104B is characterized by a heightened end tab 108 that terminates the recessed upper edge segment 106 at an outer end thereof. A round steel bar 1 10 is welded to the support arm 104 in a position occupying the recessed upper edge segment 106 thereof, with an inner end of this bar 1 10 tucked into the undercut top inner corner of the support arm 104, and has an opposing outer end that is capped off by the heightened end tab 108 of the support arm 104. A topside of this round bar 1 10 creates a convexly rounded support surface atop which the crossrail 98 of any hung auxiliary corral panel 92 rests when hung on the support member 94. The lateral leg 104B of the support arm 104 features a first lock pin hole 1 12A therein near the terminal end of the support arm situated distally opposite the mounting flange 102 and the header beam 14A. This lock pin holes 1 12A is used for pinned locking of the retaining member 96 in closed engagement with the support member 94 via a cooperating second lock pin hole 112B in the retaining member 96. At a different location positioned discretely of the first lock pin hole 1 12A, for example closer to the mounting flange 102 and header beam 14A and near the undercut top inner corner, the support arm 104 also features a third lock pin hole 1 12C. Here, a lock pin 1 14 useable to lock the retaining member 96 in its closed engagement with the support member 94 can instead be stored when the retaining member 96 is in its open position that enables loading of the support member 94, as shown in Figure 9.

[0058] The retaining member 96 is embodied in the illustrated example by an L- shaped steel plate having a proximal leg 96A pivotally coupled to the upright leg 104A of the support arm 104 by the aforementioned pivot pint 118, which is engaged through the pivot pin aperture of the support arm 104 via an elongated pivot slot 120 in the proximal leg 96A. The L-shaped retaining member 96 also has a distal leg that diverges from the proximal leg 96A at an outer end thereof furthest from the pivot slot 120. The second lock pin hole 1 12B resides in the distal leg 96B of the L-shaped retaining member 96 near a terminal end thereof furthest from the proximal leg 96A. In the closed state of the panel hanger 90B, the proximal leg 96A of the retaining member 96 radiates laterally outward from the pivot pin 1 18 in a generally horizontal orientation lying generally parallel to the lateral leg 104B of the support arm 104 at a spaced elevation thereabove, and the distal leg 96B of the retaining member 96 spans downward from the outer end of the proximal leg 96A in a generally vertical orientation lying generally perpendicular of the lateral leg 104B of the support arm 104 at the upwardly tabbed terminal end thereof. This position of the retaining member 96 aligns the second lock pin hole 1 12B thereof with the first lock pin hole 1 12A of the support member 96, though which aligned lock pin holes 1 12A, 1 12B the two members 94, 96 are lockable together by insertion of the lock pin 1 14 to lock the panel hanger 90B in its closed state.

[0059] In the closed state of each hanger bracket 90A-90D, the pivot pin 1 18 occupies a proximal end of the pivot slot 120, which refers to the end of the slot 120 furthest from the distal leg 96B of the retaining member 96. To open each hanger bracket 90A-90D, the lock pin 1 14 is removed from first and second lock pin holes 112A, 1 12B, and preferably relocated to the third lock pin hole 1 12C for safe storage therein for loss prevention purposes, and the retaining member 96 is pivotally raised about the axis of pivot pin 1 18 in order to open up the gap space 100 that permits loading and unloading of one or more auxiliary corral panels 92 onto and off of the support arm 104.

[0060] Taking advantage of the pivot slot 120, the retaining member 96 is movable, once lifted into its raised position, into a self-holding position in which pivotal lowering of the retaining member 96 back toward its lowered position of closed engagement with the support arm is prevented. Once pivotally lifted to a sufficient elevation, the retaining member 96 is slidably displaceable, relative to the pivot pin 118, in a downward direction that serves to relocate the pivot pin 1 18 to the distal end of the pivot slot 120, meaning the end thereof nearest to the distal leg 96B of the retaining member. This downward sliding of the retaining member 96 in its pivotally raised position extends the proximal leg 96A of the retaining member at a declining angle from the pivot pin 1 18 toward, and into contact with, the exterior side of the header beam 14A, as best shown in Figure 10. In this state, the radial distance from the axis of pivot pin 1 18 to the proximal end of the proximal leg 96A of retaining member 96 exceeds the radial distance form the axis of the pivot pin 1 18 to the exterior side of the header beam 1 14A. The result is that downward pivoting of the distal leg 96B of the retaining member 96 about the pivot pint 1 18 axis is blocked by the contact of the proximal leg 96A with the header beam 14A. The result is that the retaining member 96 will self-hold this position, thus holding the panel hanger open, until a user later pulls upwardly on the retaining member 96 to shift the pivot pin 1 18 back to the proximal end of the pivot slot 120, removing the interference between the retaining member 96 and the header beam 14A, whereupon the retaining member will once again be free to pivot downwardly about pivot pin 1 18 into its closed position.

[0061] Figure 1 1 shows a pair of auxiliary corral panels 92 hung on the left pair of panel hangers 90A, 90B of the livestock alley section 10 from Figures 1 and 2. A top cross-rail 98 of each of these two auxiliary corral panels 92 resides in seated contact atop the round bars 110 of the support arms 104 of the two panel hangers 90A, 90B, and the retaining members 96 of the two panel hangers 90A, 90B are closed down over the top rails 98 of the two hung auxiliary corral panels 92, and are locked in such closed states by respective lock pins 1 14, whereby the top rails 98 of the two auxiliary corral panels 92 are fully captured by the two closed panel hangers 90A, 90B. This way, the panel hangers themselves positively anchor the hung auxiliary corral panels 92 to the framework 1 1 of the alley section 10 to prevent any falling of the auxiliary corral panels 92 from off the support members 94 of the hangers during rough travel, without need for conventional reliance on ratchet-equipped tie-down straps for such securement purposes.

[0062] In the illustrated embodiment, where the panel hangers 90A-90D are embodied on an adjustable width alley section 10 with movable sidewall panels 34A, 34B, one or both of these sidewall panels 34A, 34B, which in a known manner are of purposefully movable coupled relationship to the static framework 1 1 of the alley section 10 to control a working characteristic of the alley section 10 during use thereof in field mode, are now uniquely put to a further secondary use in the transport mode of the alley section. Specifically, one or both movable sidewall panels 34A, 34B are uniquely employed to achieved tensioned securement of hung auxiliary corral panels 92 on one or both sides of the alley section 10 in snugly stowed relation against the respective sidewall structure(s) of the alley section to prevent or limit vibration, bouncing or clanging of such hung auxiliary corral panels during transport of the alley section 10. For such purpose, Figure 1 1 illustrates closure of a tether chain 121 in a closed loop around parts of the two hung auxiliary corral panels 92 (e.g. around a T-shaped juncture between a mid upright 122 and mid cross-rail 124 of each auxiliary corral panel 92 at a roughly mid-length and mid-height region thereof) and around a neighbouring part of the nearest movable sidewall panel 34A of the alley section 10 (e.g. around a corresponding horizontal cross-rail 128 on a skeletal upper half of the sidewall panel 34 A).

[0063] Figures 1 1 and 12 show the movable sidewall panel 34A in an initial nontilted and locked position thereof, in which the skeletal upper half of the sidewall panel 34A to which the hung auxiliary corral panels 90 are tethered is in a vertical plane of occupying, or close and parallel, relationship to the respective sidewall area of the alley sidewall area bound between the floor beam 12A and header beam 14A of the sidewall structure from which the loaded panel hangers 90A, 90B project. Occupation of such non-tilted positions by both sidewall panels 34A, 34B would denote default positions thereof corresponding to a full effective width of the alley interior. The auxiliary corral panels 92 are loaded onto the panel hangers 90A, 90B with the adjacent movable sidewall panel 34A locked in this initial non-tilted full-alley-width position, and the tether chain 1 10 (or other tether of a different type) is engaged in a closed loop around the hung auxiliary corral panels 92 and this closely adjacent, non-tilted movable wall panel 34A.

[0064] Then, turning to Figure 13, the movable sidewall panel 34A is unlocked from its initial position, which in the illustrated embodiment is achieved by longitudinal retraction of two spring-biased lock pins 126 at opposite ends of the movable sidewall panel 34 at the top ends of upright end posts thereof (see Figures 1 & 2), thereby retracting such lock pins 126 out a respective aligned pair of lock holes 128 in the two cross-headers 18A, 18B of the framework 1 1 of the alley section 10, and the unlocked sidewall panel 34A then tilted laterally inward from its initial position, thus tilting the unlocked sidewall panel 34A away from the hung auxiliary corral panels 92. The sidewall panel 34A is then locked once again, this time in a now inwardly tilted position, by reengagement of the lock pins 126 into a different aligned pair of the lock holes 128 closer to a longitudinal midplane of the alley interior. This inward movement of the moveable sidewall panel 34A to a more laterally inward position pulls laterally inward on the closed-loop tether chain 121 , thereby tensioning this tether chain 121 more tightly around the hung auxiliary panels 92 and the now-tilted sidewall panel 34, whereby this tensioning of the tether chain 121 pulls the hung auxiliary panels 92 more snugly up against the sidewall structure of the framework, to prevent or limit movement of the hung auxiliary corral panels 92 during transport. Another set of one or more auxiliary corral panels can be hung on the other pair of panel hangers 90CC, 90D on the other side of the alley section 10, and likewise tethered to the other movable sidewall panel 34B adjacent thereto by another tether chain 121 or the like for tensioned securement of this second set of one or more auxiliary corral panels by similar unlocking, inward tilting, and re-locking of that other movable sidewall panel 34B.

[0065] It will be appreciated that tiltable sidewall panels of a width-adjustable alley section of the type shown in the drawings are just one non-limiting example a situation where a piece of livestock equipment can make such use of one or more purposefully movable working panels thereof that are each movably coupled to the framework for movement relative thereto into positions of differently spaced relation to the neighbouring sidewall structure to adjust operating characteristics or perform useful functions during field use of the equipment, and can therefore likewise be put to similar beneficial use in transport for the purpose tensioning a tethered securement of externally hung auxiliary corral panels against the exterior of the adjacent sidewall structure of the equipment.

[0066] One other example of working panels usable for such purpose would be squeeze panels of squeeze chute, whether of tilting, swinging, or linearly displaced character in their lateral motion relative to the sidewall structures, just as the type of sidewall movement in an adjustable alley may vary from tilted type of the illustrated example. Another example of a movable working panel is a swingable gate of a foldable / collapsible force tub of a mobile livestock tub-alley or tub-alley-chute combination, where a force tub swing gate normally latched in parallel relation to the sidewall structure for transport could be equipped with an additional or alternative latchable position swung slightly inward from such parallel relation to the sidewall structure. This way, chained other otherwise tethered securement of the hung auxiliary corral panel(s) to such force tub swing gate at a distance from its hingedly supported end could be used to similar effect to the above described inward tilting, swinging or displacement of a movable sidewall panel of an adjustable width alley or squeeze chute. While the illustrated example is a double-sided adjustable alley setup where the sidewall panels on both sides of the alley interior are movable, and has the benefit of enabling tensioned securement of auxiliary corral panels to both sidewall structures using movement of two movable sidewall panels, each of which is respectively tethered to the auxiliary corral panel(s) hung on the nearest sidewall, it will be appreciated that tensioned securement of one or more hung auxiliary corral panels on only one side of an alley or chute could be implemented on one-sided adjustable alleys or chutes with a movable sidewall panel on only one side.

[0067] Turning now to Figures 14 to 19, shown therein is an inventive crash gate assembly 150, which is shown in isolation in Figures 16 to 19, and shown installed on a livestock squeeze chute 10’ in Figures 14 to 15. The framework of the squeeze chute 10’ is similar to that of the alley section 10 of the earlier figures, with two longitudinal floor beams 12A, 12B, two overlying longitudinal header beams 14A, 14A, and six wall posts 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F, among which four wall posts 16A-16D define outer corners of the framework and a remaining second rearmost two wall posts 16E, 16F cooperate with the rearmost two wall posts 16C, 16D to define the pocket for the slide gate assembly 24 of operable relation to the entrance opening 22 delimited between the rearmost two posts 16E, 16F at the rear entrance end 28 of the chute 10’, which resides oppositely of the front entrance opening 26 delimited between the frontmost two wall posts 16A, 16B at the longitudinally opposing front exit end 30 of the chute 10’, all of which is consistent with the framework of the earlier livestock alley section 10.

[0068] Features of the squeeze chute 10’ that differentiate it from the alley section context of the earlier embodiments include presence of a head-gate 32 installed at the front exit end 30 of the chute 10’, and substitution of two laterally movable squeeze panels 34A’, 34B’ for the laterally movable sidewall panels 34A, 34B. The squeeze panels 34A’, 34B’ differ from the sidewall panels 34A, 34B in terms of their construction, their support on the framework and the manner in which they are movable laterally inwardly and outwardly relative to the sidewall structures of the framework adjacent to which the squeeze panels respectively reside. Generally speaking, the functional result of movement of the squeeze panels is similar, serving to adjust the effective width of the chute interior, but in this context particularly to enable constriction of a squeeze space between the two squeeze panels behind the head gate so that a livestock animal can be held firmly in a substantially stationary stance, with the animal’s neck held between two gate panels of the head gate 32, the trailing body of the animal held firmly between the two squeeze panels 34A’, 34B’ inside the chute 10’, all with the head of the animal outside front exit end 30 of the chute 10’, as is well known in the art, and thus not described in further detail. The front cross-header 18A’ in this chute context supports an overhead track of the head gate 32 on which two gate panels thereof are rollable back and forth laterally toward one another to achieve a closed state of the head gate, and laterally away from one another to achieve an open state of the head gate 32, as is also well known in the art, and thus not described in further detail.

[0069] This embodiment concerns novel design of the crash gate assembly 150 that is installed at the front entrance end 30 of the chute 10’ in external relation to the chute’s head gate 32. The crash gate assembly 150 serves to prevent a livestock animal from charging fully through the chute 10’ and escaping the front exit opening 26 thereof during attempted capture of the animal via closure of the head gate 32. For clear illustration unobstructed by the notably crowded componentry of the chute 10’, the crash gate assembly 150 is shown in isolation in Figures 16 to 19, to which reference is now made to the describe the componentry of the inventive crash gate assembly 150, and the operability thereof.

[0070] The crash gate assembly 150 features a frame 152 mountable to the front entrance end 30 of the chute 10’ to occupy a stationary position thereon, and a crash gate 154 installed on the frame 152 in movably coupled relationship thereto to enable movement of the crash gate 154 among a number of different states: namely open and closed states allowing and preventing forward animal travel through the exit opening 26, as one would expect of a conventional crash grate, but also enabling movement of the crash gate 154 into a collapsed transport state of distinctly different position from each of said open and closed states, with the particular aim of reducing the combined longitudinal footprint of the chute and installed crash gate for more space efficient transport, without necessitating full removal of the crash gate from the chute to achieve such reduced transport footprint. Of these various states of the novel crash gate assembly 150, Figures 14 to 17 show the closed state, Figure 18 shows the open state, and Figure 19 shows the collapsed transport state achievable by the unique design of the novel crash gate assembly 150.

[0071] The frame 152 of the illustrated embodiment is composed of two subframes 156A, 156B, each of which is mountable to the front exit end 30 of the chute 130 on a respective side of the exit opening 26 in a position jutting forwardly therefrom past the headgate 32. Each subframe 156A, 156B features a horizontal upper attachment bar 158, a horizontal lower attachment bar 160, and an upright front end post 162 spanning vertically and perpendicularly between the upper and lower attachment bars 158, 160. The upper and lower attachment bars 158, 160 are used to mount the subframe 156A, 156B to the chute at the front entrance thereof. In the illustrated example, the upper attachment bar 158 has a mounting flange 164 thereon for flush placement against, and bolted or other attachment to, a front face of the front cross-header 18A of the chute framework, which cross-header 18A denotes an upper boundary of the chute’s exit opening 26. The upper attachment bar 158 of each subframe 156A, 156B attaches to the front cross-header 18A at or near the attachment thereof to a respective one of the header beams 14A, 14B and / or a respective one of the two frontmost wall posts 16A, 16B that bound the two sides of the exit opening 26. The top attachment bar 158 of each subframe 156A, 156B thus mounts the subframe to the front exit end 30 of the chute 10’ at a location closely adjacent a respective upper corner of the framing around the chute’s exit opening 26.

[0072] In the illustrated example, the lower attachment bar 160 of each subframe 156A, 156B instead has bolt holes penetrating laterally therethrough for bolted fastening of the lower attachment bar 160 to a respective guide bracket 168 of the head gate 32. Each such guide bracket 168 resides just in front of the respective frontmost wall post 16A, 16B of the chute framework and atop a forwardly protruding end segment of the respective floor beam 12A, 12B, and defines a guide channel through which a respective one of the gate panels of the head gate 32 moves laterally back and forth during opening and closing of the head gate 32. In other embodiments, the lower attachment bar 160 may instead have a mounting plate 164 like that of the upper attachment bar 158 for placement thereof against a front face of the respective wall post 16A, 16B or a front face of the front cross-sill 20A to achieve similar mounted attachment to the front exit end 30 of the chute at a location just below the head gate 32 at a respective bottom corner of the framing around the chute’s exit opening 26. The lengths of the upper and lower attachment bars 158, 160 of the two subframes 156A, 156B exceed a depth of the head gate 32 in the longitudinal direction of the chute 10’.

[0073] Accordingly, with the upper and lower attachment bars 158, 160 of the two subframes 156A, 156A mounted to the front exit end of the chute 10’ above and below the head gate 32 and proximate the four corners of the framed exit opening 26, the front end posts 162 of the two subframes 156A, 156B are forwardly offset from the framed front exit opening 26 by a distance exceeding the depth of the head gate 32, such that the two front end posts 162 reside in a common vertical plane spaced forwardly from the head gate 32. The two gate panels of the head gate 32 can each move laterally back and forth in their normal fashion through an open space bound vertically between the upper and lower attachment bars 158, 160 of the respective crash gate subframe 156A, 156B and bound horizontally (longitudinally) between the respective frontmost wall posts 16A, 16B of the chute framework and the upright end post 162 of the respective crash gate subframe 156A, 156B. To prevent an animal from potentially inserting their head or leg through this open space, each subframe 156A, 156B of the illustrated embodiment further includes an upright blocker bar 170 held in rearwardly cantilevered relation from the front end post 162 by a pair of elevationally spaced blocker bar brackets 172. Such brackets 172 hold the blocker bar 170 in parallel and rearwardly offset relation to the front end post 162 by a distance of lesser reach therefrom than the upper and lower attachment bars 158, such that the blocker bar 170 stands upright at a location roughly midway between the head gate 32 and the front end post 162 of the catch gate subframe 156A, 156B. This blocker bar 170 forms a partial obstruction of a front region of the open space between the upright front end post 162 of the installed crash gate subframe 156A, 156B and the head gate 32, to prevent any animal-attempted insertion of their head or leg through such otherwise open space of the subframe 156A, 156B.

[0074] Turning away from the crash gate frame 152, the crash gate 154 itself is composed of two gate panels 174A, 174B, which in the illustrated example are each of skeletal form composed of a vertically upright proximal end bar 176, horizontal top and bottom rails 178, 180 projecting perpendicularly from the proximal end bar 176 in a same direction near top and bottom ends thereof respectively, a vertically upright distal end bar 182 spanning perpendicularly between the top and bottom rails 178, 180 near distal ends thereof of furthest relation to proximal end bar 176, and a set of one or more upright intermediate bars 184 (two in the illustrated example) at spaced intervals between the proximal and distal end bars 176, 182. Right gate panel 174B has its proximal end bar 176 pivotally hinged to the end post 162 of the right subframe 156B for swinging movement relative thereto about a vertically upright hinge axis AH. About this upright hinge axis AH, the entirety of the assembled crash gate 154 is swingable into and out of the closed position of Figures 16 and 17, in which the crash gate 154 spans fully across the crash gate frame from left subframe 156B to right subframe 156B, thereby obstructing a framed crash gate opening 186 (Figure 18) delimited between the two subframes 156A, 156B, and thus likewise obstructively spanning fully across the exit opening 26 of the chute 10’ on which the crash gate assembly is installed 150. This closed position of the crash gate 154 thus blocks animals from fully escaping the crashgate equipped chute 10’ should they manage to pass through the head gate 32 during attempted capture of the animal thereby. From such closed position, the assembled crash gate 154 is swingable about the hinge axis AH into the outswung open position of Figure 18, in which the crash gate 154 is fully offset to one side of the framed crash gate opening 186 and is therefore of non-obstructive relation to both the crash gate opening 186 and the exit opening 26 of the chute 10’.

[0075] For latched securement of the crash gate 154 in the closed position thereof, the proximal end bar 176 of the left gate panel 174A has a latch bolt 188 mounted thereon for engagement with a corresponding latch catch 190 found on the end post 162 of the left subframe 156A. This latch bolt 188 is preferably biased into latching engagement with the latch catch 190 in the closed position of the crash gate 154. In the illustrated example, the latch bolt 188 is vertically oriented and mounted to the proximal end bar 176 near the bottom end thereof, and is biased, at least by gravity and optionally also by a spring that imparts supplemental biasing force, into a latching position projecting downwardly beyond the bottom end of the proximal end bar 176. In the illustrated example, the latch catch 190 on the end post 162 of the left subframe 156A is a bent latch plate that is mounted to the front side of the end post 162. At a far end of the latch plate furthest from the end post 162, the latch catch 190 is characterized by an inclined ramp 190A that slopes upwardly toward the end post 162. At a plateaued segment 190B of the latch catch 190, which spans between the ramp 190A and an upturned mounting segment 190C of the latch plate that is mounted flush to a front side of the end post 162, the latch plate has a latch hole 192 penetrating vertically therethrough. During closure of the crash gate 154, the downwardly-biased latched bolt 188 rides up the ramp 190A, being lifted thereby against the gravitational / spring bias, and on reaching the plateaued segment 190B, is biased back downward, and is thereby engaged in the latch hole 192 to achieve automatic self-locking of the crash gate 154 in its closed position. To enable manual opening of the crash gate 154 once an animal is positively caught in the head gate 32, a manual release lever 194 is mounted higher up on the proximal end bar 176 in elevated relation to the latch bolt 188, and is manually liftable to raise the latch bolt 188 out its position of biased engagement in the latch hole 192 of the latch catch 190, via a link 196 that connects the release lever 194 to the latch bolt 188.

[0076] In Figures 14 through 18, the catch gate assembly 150 is shown in a working state for field use, in which the two gate panels 174A, 174B are attached together in positions of convergent relation to one another. In the closed position of the catch gate 154, the left gate panel 174A projects forwardly and laterally inward (rightward) from the left subframe 156A, and the right gate panel 174B projects forwardly and laterally inward (leftward) from the right subframe 156A, so that the distal end bars 182 of the two gate panels 174A, 174B reside closely adjacent to one another and to a longitudinal midplane of the chute across which the two gate panels 174A, 174B reside symmetrically of one another at obliquely angled, forwardly convergent orientations to the longitudinal midplane. The two gate panels 174A, 174B are held together in such convergent relationship to one another in the working state by a top panel interconnector 198 attached to the top bars 178 of the two gate panels 174A, 174B and a bottom panel interconnector 200 likewise attached to the bottom bars 180 of the two gate panels 174A, 174B. The two panel interconnectors 198, 200 are identical in the illustrated embodiment, each being composed of a flat steel plate having a set of six coupling apertures 202A-202F therein, of which four of these coupling apertures 202A-202D are used in the working state of the catch gate assembly 150. Through one adjacent pair of coupling apertures 202A, 202B, each panel interconnector 198, 200 is bolted or pinned to the top or bottom bar 178, 180 of gate panel 174A using bolts or pins 204A, 204B, and through another adjacent pair of coupling apertures 202B, 202C, each panel interconnector 198, 200 is bolted to the top or bottom bar 178, 180 of the other gate panel 174B using bolts or pins 204C, 204D.

[0077] In the working state of the catch gate assembly 150, the catch gate 154 when closed, thus has a forwardly convergent and forwardly protruding relationship to the frame 152 to which the catch gate 154 is hinged and latched. This forwardly protrusive character of the closed catch gate 154, being a notable contributor to the combined longitudinal measure of the chute 10’ and the installed catch gate assembly 150, is undesirable during road transport of the chute, where it is desirable to minimize longitudinal footprint of the equipment. The laterally outswung open position of the catch gate 154 is also unsuitable for transport, as the open catch gate 154 dramatically increases the lateral measure of the equipment. To overcome this, and to enable transport of the totality of the equipment 10’, 150 in a space efficient manner without requiring full detachment of the catch gate assembly 150 from the chute 10’, the two gate panels 174A, 174B are reconfigurable from their protrusive converging working positions shown in Figures 14 through 18 to the transport positions shown in Figure 19, where the two gate panels 174A, 174B instead lie more laterally of the chute 10’, and thus in more parallel relation to one another and to the framed openings 186, 26 of the catch gate assembly 150 and chute 10’ than in their working positions, all while remaining coupled to the subframe 156B via the hinged coupling of gate panel 174B thereto.

[0078] To switch the gate panels 174A, 174B of the catch gate 154 from their working positions to their transport positions, singular bolt or pin 204A, being one of the two bolts or pins 204A, 204B of each panel interconnector that is used for fastened connection thereof to latch-equipped gate panel 174A in the working state of the catch gate assembly 150, is removed from each of the two panel interconnectors 198, 200, whereupon the other remaining bolt or pin 204B of these two bolts or pins effectively becomes a pivot point about which latch-equipped gate panel 174A can now pivot relative to both the hinged gate panel 174B and the two panel interconnectors 198, 200 that remain statically held thereon by the other two bolts or pins 204B, 204C of each panel interconnector. With latch-equipped gate panel 174A unlatched from the respective subframe 156A, latch-equipped gate panel 174A is pivoted relative to the hinged gate panel 174B into a more parallel relationship thereto, in which one coupling hole 202E of the previously unused two 202E, 202F coupling holes in each panel interconnector 198, 200 now aligns with a coupling aperture in the top or bottom rail 178, 180 of latch-equipped gate panel 174A, which coupling aperture was previously occupied by now-removed bolt or pin 204A. The removed bolt or pin 204A of each panel interconnector 198, 200 is re-engaged in this same coupling aperture in the top or bottom rail 178, 180 of the latch-equipped gate panel 174A, but this time through the previously unused coupling hole 202E of the panel interconnector 198, 200. Re-engagement of removed bolt or pin 204A to the gate panel 174A through this different coupling hole 202E serves as a locking point that defeats the pivotability between the two gate panels. That is, engagement of two bolts 204A, 204B to a singular gate panel 174A locks that gate panel against pivotal movement about either bolt, whereas removal of either bolt enables use of the other bolt as a pivot point by which the gate panel can be pivoted relative to the panel interconnector and the other gate panel 174B. This coupling hole 202E used only in the transport state resides at the same radial distance from coupling hole 202B as the coupling hole 202A that’s used only in the working state, but at an angular distance therefrom around the coupling hole 202B that matches the angular difference between the working and transport positions of the latch-equipped gate panel 174A. Technically, only one of the two coupling holes 202E, 202F of each panel interconnector 198, 200 that go unused in the working state of the catch gate assembly 150 is needed, but two are included in the illustrated embodiment in the interest of a fully symmetric design of each panel interconnector, whereby each panel interconnector is installable in either of two possible orientations with no detriment on the functionality thereof.

[0079] With both panel interconnectors 198, 200 now each refastened to the latch-equipped gate panel 174A at two points, latch-equipped gate panel 174A is no longer pivotably adjustable in its relative orientation to the hinged gate panel 174B, and is instead held fast in its transport position of more parallel relationship to the hinged gate panel 174B than it previously occupied in its working position. With the two gate panels 174A, 176B so held in this more parallel relationship to another, hinged gate panel 174B is swung about its hinge axis AH into its transport position, which lies laterally of the chute 10’ in generally parallel relation to the plane of the framed opening 186 of the catch gate assembly 150, and thus generally parallel also to the adjacent exit opening 26 of the chute 10’, and resides just in front of the end posts 162 of the two subframes 156A, 156B of the catch gate assembly 150. This placement of the hinged gate panel 174B places the attached latch-equipped gate panel 174A behind the hinged gate panel 174B and inside the framed opening 186 of the catch gate assembly 150 between the two subframes 156A, 156B thereof. With the catch gate 154 folded up into this collapsed transport state lying more laterally of the chute 10’ in less protrusive relation from the front exit end 30 thereof, the assembled equipment can be transported in a more longitudinally compact footprint than that occupied in the working state of the catch gate assembly 150. Ratchet straps, pinned retention of the hinged gate panel 174B in its transport position, or other securement of the collapsed catch gate 154 to the frame 152 of the catch gate assembly, or to the framework or locked closed head gate 32 of the chute, may be used to prevent forwardly outward swinging of the two catch gate panels 174A, 174B from their transport positions during transport of the equipment.

[0080] The catch gate 154 can be reversed from the right-handed hinge setup shown in Figures 14 to 19 to a left-handed hinge setup shown in Figure 20, without substitution of any parts, and without necessitating removal of either subframe 156A, 156B from the chute 10’. To do so, formerly right gate panel 174B is uncoupled from top and bottom hinge lugs 206A, 206B on the end post 162 of right subframe 156B, and those hinge lugs 206A, 206B are unbolted from the right subframe 156B. Latch catch 190 is likewise unbolted from the end post 162 of the left subframe 156A, is moved over to the right subframe 156B, and is bolted thereto at a predefined mounting point thereon at which the bottom hinge lug 206B was previously mounted. Likewise, bottom hinge lug 206B is reinstalled at a matching predefined mounting point of the left subframe 156A where the latch catch 190 was previously mounted. Concurrently, the top hinge lug 206A is likewise reinstalled on the end post 162 of the left subframe 156A at a predefined mounting site thereon of matching relation to that on the right subframe 156B from which the top hinge lug 206A was previously removed. Both gate panels 174A, 174B are uncoupled from the panel interconnectors 198A, 198B by removal of the respective bolt / pin sets 204A-204D therefrom, and formerly right gate panel 174B is moved over to left subframe 156A and hingedly coupled thereto through the top and bottom hinge lugs 206A, 206B already moved to the left subframe 156A. The latch release lever 194 on the formerly left gate panel 174A is unbolted from the proximal end bar 176 and connecting link 196 thereof, flipped 180-degrees, and then recoupled to those same components 176, 196 from which it was removed, thereby reversing the direction in which the release lever’s handle 194A projects from the plane of this formerly left gate panel 174A. This way, the release lever handle 194A will now properly project forwardly from this formerly left gate panel 174A when relocated to the right subframe 156B and reoriented in a latchable relation thereto, which is of mirrored relation to this formerly left latch-equipped gate panel’s originally latchable relation to the left subframe 156A. Before or after this reversal of the release lever 194, the formerly left latch-equipped gate panel 174A is recoupled to the formerly right (now left) panel 174B, now hinged to the left subframe 156A, using the previously removed panel interconnectors 198, 200 and the two respective bolt / pin sets 204A-204D thereof.

[0081] Since various modifications can be made in the inventio, n as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

CLAIMS:1 . A slide gate assembly for livestock handling equipment, said slide gate assembly comprising: a slide gate for rolling travel thereof back and forth between open and closed positions respectively permitting and denying livestock travel through a control point of said livestock handling equipment; and one or more roller brackets that each rotatably support at least one respective roller thereon for use of said roller in said rolling travel of the slide gate; wherein each of said one or more roller brackets comprises a respective pair of first and second rollers supports between which said at least one respective roller is rotatably supported, and each of said first and second roller supports has a bent form composed of a respective flat middle span that faces the respective flat middle span of the other roller support, two angled wings that reside on opposing sides of said flat middle span and diverge from a plane thereof in a direction away from the other roller support, and two rounded transitional corners that respectively join the two angled wings to said flat middle span.

2. The slide gate assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more roller brackets comprises a gate-mounted roller bracket whose respective pair of first and second roller supports are attached to the slide gate.

3. The slide gate assembly of claim 1 or 2 further comprising a track along which said rolling travel of the slide gate occurs, and said one or more roller brackets comprises a track-mounted roller bracket whose respective pair of first and second rollers supports are attached to said track.

4. The slide gate assembly of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the two angled wings of each roller support are of divergent relation to one another in saiddirection in which said two angled wings diverge from the plane of the flat middle span.

5. A livestock chute or alley comprising: a framework comprising: a first sidewall structure running in a longitudinal direction; and a second sidewall structure also running in said longitudinal direction in horizontally spaced relation from said first sidewall structure in a lateral direction of transverse relation to said longitudinal direction, whereby the sidewall structures denote opposing sides of a longitudinally traversable chute or alley interior; and at an exterior side of at least one of said sidewall structures, a set of panel hangers attached to said framework and usable for external storage of one or more auxiliary panels that, in field use, are selectively erectable outside said chute or alley interior in cooperative relation to the livestock chute or alley to aid in performance of one or more livestock handing operations involving said chute or alley; wherein each panel hanger comprises: a support member for seated receipt thereon of a respective crossrail of each of said one or more auxiliary panels for hanging support thereof by the respective cross-rail thereof; and a retaining member that is of movable relation to the support member between a loadable state permitting placement of the respective cross-rail of each of said one or more auxiliary panels atop the support member, and a retaining state blocking escape of the cross-rail from atop the support member, and which retaining member is lockable in said retaining state.

6. The livestock chute or alley of claim 5 wherein the support member is characterized by a convexly rounded support surface for seated receipt of therespective cross-rail atop said convexly rounded support surface.

7. The livestock chute or alley of claim 6 wherein said support member comprises a flat metal plate presenting a cantilevered support arm, and a round bar fitted to said cantilevered support arm at an upper edge segment thereof to provide said convexly rounded support surface.

8. The livestock chute or alley of any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein said retaining member is pivotably coupled to the support member.

9. The livestock chute or alley of claim 8 wherein said retaining member is pivotally coupled to the retaining member through a slot, by way of which the retaining member is both pivotable and slidable relative to the support member.

10. The livestock chute or alley of claim 9 wherein the retaining member is pivotable upwardly from the retaining state, when unlocked therefrom, to a pivotally raised position achieving the loadable state, and from said pivotally raised position, is slidably lowerable to a self-held position in which pivotal lowering of the retaining member back to the retaining state is prevented absent a user-slid lifting of the retaining member, thereby maintaining the loadable state until said user-slid lifting.1 1 . The livestock chute or alley of any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein the retaining member placeable in a held position in the loadable state thereof to prevent movement of the retaining member to the retaining position, absent user-release of the retaining member from the held position.

12. The livestock chute or alley of any one of claims 5 to 1 1 wherein each panel hanger further comprises a lock pin for locking the retaining member to the support member in the retaining state of said retaining member.

13. The livestock chute or alley of claim 12 wherein the supporting and retaining members of each panel hanger comprise an alignable pair of lock pin holestherein that align in the retaining state of the retaining member, and each panel hanger comprises a third lock pin hole of discretely positioned relation from each of said alignable pair of lock holes therein for storage of the lock pin at a different location during loading of the panel hanger.

14. The livestock chute or alley of any one of claims 5 to 13 further comprising: at least one movable working panel of operatively coupled relationship to the framework for movement relative thereto in setup for, or performance of, at least one of said of one or more livestock handling operations; and at least one panel tether by which said one or more auxiliary panels is tetherable to the movable working panel when said one or more auxiliary panels is hung on the set of panel hangers, thereby enabling tensioned tethering of said one or more auxiliary panels to the framework by tensioning of the at least one panel tether through movement of said movable working panel in a direction away from the one or more auxiliary panels hung on said set of the panel hangers..

15. A livestock chute or alley comprising: a framework comprising: a first sidewall structure running in a longitudinal direction; and a second sidewall structure also running in said longitudinal direction in horizontally spaced relation from said first sidewall structure in a lateral direction of transverse relation to said longitudinal direction, whereby the sidewall structures denote opposing sides of a longitudinally traversable chute or alley interior; at an exterior side of at least one of said sidewall structures, a set of panel hangers attached to said framework and usable for external storage of one or more auxiliary panels that, in field use, are selectively erectable outside said chute or alleyinterior in cooperative relation to the livestock chute or alley to aid in performance of one or more livestock handing operations involving said chute or alley; at least one movable working panel of operatively coupled relationship to the framework for movement relative thereto in setup for, or performance of, at least one of said of one or more livestock handling operations; and at least one panel tether by which said at least one of said one or more auxiliary panels is tetherable to the movable working panel when said at least one of said one or more auxiliary panels is hung on the set of panel hangers, thereby enabling tensioned tethering of said at least one of said one or more auxiliary panels to the framework by tensioning of the at least one panel tether through movement of said movable working panel in a direction away from the one or more auxiliary panels hung on said set of the panel hangers.

16. The livestock chute or alley of claim 14 or 15 wherein said movable working panel is one of two sidewall panels of the chute or alley that are of respective occupancy or adjacency to the sidewall structures of the framework and thereby substantially close off the respective sides of the longitudinally traversable chute or alley interior, and said movable working panel is movable back and forth in the lateral direction to adjust an effective width of said longitudinally traversable chute or alley interior.

17. The livestock chute or alley of claim 16 wherein both of said two sidewall panels of the chute or alley are movable back and forth in the lateral direction to adjust the effective width of said longitudinally traversable chute or alley interior, said first and second sidewall structures have respective first and second sets of panel hangers attached thereto, and the at least one panel tether comprises two panel tethers, each securable to and tensionable by a respective one of the two sidewallpanels of the chute or alley to enable tensioned securement of respective first and second sets of one or more auxiliary panels on the first and second sets of panel hangers.

18. A method of storing said one or more auxiliary panels on the livestock chute or alley of any one of claims claim 14 to 17 comprising, hanging said one or more auxiliary panels on the set of panel hangers, tethering said one or more auxiliary panels to the movable working panel with said at least one panel tether, moving said movable working panel relative the framework in said direction away from the one or more auxiliary panels hung on said set of the panel hangers and thereby tensioning said at least one panel tether.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising locking said movable working panel in place to maintain said at least one panel tether in tension.

20. A crash gate assembly for a livestock chute, said crash gate comprising: a stationary frame of bordering relation to an opening through which livestock travel is to be obstructed by the crash gate when closed; a crash gate movably coupled to said stationary frame, and movable relative thereto between: a closed state of obstructive relation to said opening to prevent said livestock travel therethrough; an open state of non-obstructive relation to said opening to allow said livestock travel therethrough; and a transport state of positionally distinct relationship to said open and closed states, and in which said crash gate is of less protrusive relation from a plane of said opening than in said closed state.

21. The crash gate assembly of claim 20 wherein said crash gate comprises first and second gate panels, of which said first gate panel has a hinged connection to said stationary frame at a first side of said opening, and the second gate panel has a latchable connection connectable to said frame at an opposing second side of said opening.

22. The crash gate assembly of claim 20 wherein said crash gate comprises first and second gate panels, of which said first and second gate panels are positionable in respective working positions operable to cooperatively define the closed state of said crash gate, and are also positionable in respective transport positions defining the transport state of the crash gate.

23. The crash gate assembly of claim 22 wherein said first gate panel has a hinged connection to said stationary frame at a first side of said opening, and the second gate panel has a latchable connection connectable to said frame at an opposing second side of said opening, swinging of said first and second gate panels together about said hinged connection of the first gate panel is operable to move the crash gate between the open and closed states thereof, and latching of said latched connection of the second gate panel to the stationary frame is operable to lock the crash gate in the closed state thereof.

24. The crash gate assembly of claim 22 or 23 wherein the first and second gate panels, in the working positions thereof, converge toward one another away from said opening.

25. The crash gate assembly of any one of claims 22 to 24 wherein the first and second gate panels, in the transport positions thereof, lie alongside one another in more parallel relation to one another, and to said opening, than in said working positions.

26. The crash gate assembly of any one of claims 22 to 25 further comprising at least one panel interconnector by which said first and second gate panels are holdable together in at least said working positions thereof.

27. The crash gate assembly of claim 26 wherein said at least one panel interconnector comprises upper and lower panel interconnectors for respectively interconnecting the first and second gate panels at respective upper and lower elevations thereon.

28. The crash gate assembly of claim 26 or 27 wherein said at least one panel interconnector is arranged to also interconnect said first and second gate panels in the transport positions thereof.

29. The crash gate assembly of any one of claims 26 to 28 wherein said at least one panel interconnector comprises a pivot point about which the second gate panel is pivotal relative to the first gate panel in transition of said gate panels from the working positions thereof to the transport positions thereof.

30. The crash gate assembly of claim 29 wherein said at least one panel interconnector further comprises at least one locking point where the second gate panel is locked in static relation to the first gate panel to prevent pivotal movement therebetween about said pivot point.31 . The crash gate assembly of any one of claims 20 to 30 wherein said stationary frame comprises a first and second subframes attachable to said livestock chute at first and second sides of an exit of the livestock chute at which a head gate is operably installed, said subframes being shaped to project forwardly outward from said exit of the livestock chute when installed thereat to support the crash gate in front of said head gate of the livestock chute in non-interfering relationship to operation of the head gate.

32. The crash gate assembly of claim 31 wherein each subframe comprises at least one attachment bar configured for attachment to said livestock chute adjacent the exit thereof to hold said attachment bar in forwardly cantilevered relation to said exit of said livestock chute, and an upright end post standing upright at a distal end of said at least one attachment bar.

33. The crash gate assembly of claim 32 wherein said at least one attachment bar comprises upper and lower attachment bars for respective attachment to said livestock chute at different upper and lower elevations thereon.

34. The crash gate assembly of any one of claims 31 to 33 wherein each subframe comprises a blocker installed in a space that is at least partially bound by the subframe outside the head gate.

35. A crash gate assembly for a livestock chute, said crash gate comprising: a stationary frame for bordering relation to an opening through which livestock travel is to be obstructed by the crash gate when closed; and a crash gate movably coupled or couplable to said stationary frame, and movable relative thereto between at least a closed state of obstructive relation to said opening to prevent said livestock travel therethrough, and an open state of nonobstructive relation to said opening to allow said livestock travel therethrough; wherein said stationary frame comprises a first and second subframes attachable to said livestock chute at first and second sides of an exit of the livestock chute at which a head gate is operably installed, said subframes being shaped to project forwardly outward from said exit of the livestock chute when installed thereat to support the crash gate in front of said head gate of the livestock chute in non-interfering relationship to operation of the head gate.

36. The crash gate assembly of claim 35 wherein each subframe comprises at least one attachment bar configured for attachment to said livestock chute adjacent the exit thereof to hold said attachment bar in forwardly cantilevered relation to said exit of said livestock chute, and an upright end post standing upright at a distal end of said at least one attachment bar.

37. The crash gate assembly of claim 36 wherein said at least one attachment bar comprises upper and lower attachment bars for respective attachment to said exit of said livestock chute at different upper and lower elevations thereon.

38. The crash gate assembly of any one of claims 35 to 37 wherein each subframe comprises a blocker installed in a space that is at least partially bound by the subframe outside the head gate.

39. The crash gate assembly of any one of claims 20 to 38 where the crash gate is reversibly mountable to the stationary frame for hinged coupling thereto at either one of two sides thereof to enable opening of the crash gate in either one of two possible opening directions.

40. A slide gate for livestock equipment, said slide gate comprising: a perimeter frame delimiting an inner rectangular area of the slide gate; cladding occupying only a lower fraction of said inner rectangular area while leaving an upper fraction of said inner rectangular area uncovered by said cladding; wherein the cladding comprises perforations therein only at an upper partial fraction of the cladding, leaving a solid unperforated lower partial fraction of said cladding intact beneath said upper partial fraction.

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