Demountable Livestock Alley Stop With Deflectable Triangular Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional alley stops in livestock processing alleys are prone to causing injuries and excessive noise, and require adjustments for different animal heights, leading to stalled movement and increased stress in livestock.
Innovation Solution
A demountable alley stop with a deflectable triangular arm component that extends into the alley, biased by a spring to return and prevent backward movement, reducing noise and injury risk by using padding and resilient materials for contact points, and allowing for adjustable engagement with side members to accommodate various animal sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional alley stops with arms are installed to prevent livestock from backing up, then backward movement is prevented, but significant clattering and clanging noises are produced as arms move back and forth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by installing rubber bumpers on the alley stop arms before they contact the livestock or structural members. These rubber bumpers cushion the impact and eliminate the metal-on-metal clattering and clanging noises that occur with conventional hard-sided alley stops, while still maintaining the one-way gating function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining metal structural components with rubber cushioning materials. The alley stop arms maintain their metal construction for strength and functionality, while rubber bumpers are attached to contact surfaces to reduce noise and prevent injury, creating a hybrid structure that addresses both functional and noise reduction requirements.
2Reliability
If over-the-back stops are positioned to prevent backing up, then backward movement is restricted, but adjustments are needed for livestock having different heights to pass thereunder
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the alley stop arms movable rather than fixed. The arms are positioned to extend into the alley at an angle and are free to move laterally as livestock pass. This dynamic positioning allows the stops to adapt to livestock of varying heights without requiring manual adjustment, as the arms naturally clear different heights while maintaining their backward-prevention function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the alley stop system into multiple adjustable components. The arms can be independently positioned and angled, allowing customization for different livestock types and sizes. This segmentation enables the system to accommodate various animal heights by adjusting individual arm positions rather than requiring complete repositioning of a fixed structure.
3Reliability
If side-of-alley stops with arms extending perpendicularly into the alley are installed, then backward movement is prevented, but the arms may injure the legs or chests of moving livestock when they bounce back into the alley
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by attaching rubber bumpers to the alley stop arms before they can contact livestock. These cushioning elements are positioned at the forward ends of the arms, preventing direct contact between hard metal surfaces and animal bodies. This cushioning eliminates the injury risk from arms bouncing back into the alley while maintaining the structural integrity and one-way gating function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the contact surface from hard metal to soft rubber material. By modifying the material property of the arm surfaces that contact livestock, the system maintains its mechanical strength and gating function while fundamentally changing the interaction characteristics to prevent injury from impact and bouncing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents livestock from backing up while minimizing noise and injury risk, reducing processing time and labor costs by allowing smooth forward movement with reduced visual distraction and stress on animals.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing spring returns the triangular arm component back to its resting position that protrudes the backstop arm component into the process alley
Implementation Method 2
a biasing spring returns the triangular arm component back to its resting position
Data Source
AI summary
A demountable alley stop for preventing livestock from backing up in process alleys, includes a deflectable triangular arm component hingedly engaged with an alley stop framework wherein the resting position of the triangular arm component extends into the process alley. The triangular arm component comprises a rearward-facing deflection arm component engaged at its distal end to the distal end of a forward-facing backstop arm component. The proximal ends of the deflection arm component and the backstop arm component are engaged with a bracing arm component. The juncture of the deflection arm component and the backstop arm component is provided with a resilient pliable hose for contacting process alley side rails when the triangular arm component is deflected out of the process alley. The alley stop framework is provided with a resilient hose to stop the bracing arm component when the triangular arm component returns to its resting position.