Hay Net Holder with Zigzag Mounting Brackets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Filling hay nets for livestock, such as horses, typically requires two hands and a second person, making the process inefficient and requiring additional assistance.
Innovation Solution
A livestock feeding device with two horizontal rods and mounting brackets that allow the hay net to be opened with one hand, enabling single-handed loading by allowing one rod to be removed from the brackets and held while the other hand loads the hay, with the rods and brackets designed to securely hold the net open without needing to be affixed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If two hands are used to hold open the top of the hay net, then the hay net can be filled efficiently, but a second person is required which reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables the hay net to hold itself open through the rod mechanism that engages with the net's opening, eliminating the need for manual holding by a second person. The system serves itself by using the net's own structure in conjunction with the rod to maintain the open state during filling.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod acts as an intermediary mechanism between the hay net and the filling process. It mediates by physically engaging with the net's opening structure to hold it open, allowing one person to fill the net efficiently without requiring direct manual holding.
2Ease of operation
If a second person is used to hold the hay net open, then the filling process is simplified, but device complexity increases due to requiring additional personnel coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The human element of holding the net open is extracted from the system and replaced with a mechanical rod mechanism. This removes the complexity of coordinating between two people and replaces it with a simple mechanical device that autonomously maintains the net's open state.
3Reliability
If rods are affixed to the vertical surface, then the hay net is held more securely, but the device becomes more complex and difficult to install
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed - it can be inserted and removed from the net's opening as needed. This dynamic approach provides secure holding when required while avoiding the permanent installation complexity of affixed mounting structures. The rod engages with the net's existing structure temporarily rather than requiring permanent attachment points.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are devices and methods for livestock feeding and care. The livestock feeding devices include two horizontal bars adapted to be strung through a hay net, and further include at least two mounting brackets which each include a zigzag channel. One horizontal bar is fixed in place on the mounting brackets, and the other horizontal bar moves in and out of the zigzag channels of the mounting brackets.