Animal Urging Assembly With Single-Actuator Guided Head Lifting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal handling apparatuses, such as cattle crushes, face challenges in maintaining an animal's head in a raised position efficiently and smoothly, often requiring multiple movement providers which can lead to operational complexity and maintenance issues.
Innovation Solution
An animal urging assembly that uses a single movement provider, such as a hydraulic cylinder, to pivotally and vertically move an engagement member from a downward to a transverse position, utilizing a guideway and guide members to achieve this motion, reducing the need for multiple components and simplifying operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple movement providers are used to move the engagement member vertically and pivotally, then the animal's head can be maintained in a raised position, but the operational complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines vertical movement and pivotal movement functions into a single movement provider (hydraulic cylinder or electric actuator). The engagement member is designed with a guideway and guide members that convert the linear motion from one movement provider into both vertical displacement and pivotal rotation, eliminating the need for separate actuators for each motion type.
Solution Approach 2:
The guideway and guide members act as intermediary mechanical elements between the single movement provider and the engagement member. These intermediaries transform the simple linear motion from the actuator into the complex combined motion (vertical + pivotal) required for the engagement member, reducing system complexity while maintaining functionality.
2Measurement precision
If multiple movement providers are used to control the engagement member, then precise positioning can be achieved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple control functions into a single operator interface. One movement provider controls both vertical position and pivotal angle of the engagement member through the guideway mechanism, reducing the number of controls the operator must manage while maintaining precise positioning capability through the mechanical guidance system.
Solution Approach 2:
The guideway and guide members create a self-guiding mechanism that automatically ensures precise positioning of the engagement member during movement. The mechanical constraints of the guideway system inherently control the motion path, reducing the need for complex electronic controls or multiple actuators to achieve accurate positioning.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An animal urging assembly and an animal handling apparatus comprising the animal urging assembly. The assembly including an engagement member (34) selectively engageable with an animal, the assembly being configured to selectively move the engagement member between an out of use position wherein the engagement member extends at least generally downwardly, to an in use position which is above the out of use position, and with the engagement member extending at least generally transversely, the assembly being configured such that as it moves the engagement member upwardly from the out of use position to the in use position, the engagement member is automatically pivotally moved from extending generally downwardly to extending at least generally transversely.