Livestock Chute Reconfiguration With Robust Head Gate Track
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing livestock handling equipment is limited to either parallel-squeeze or V-squeeze configurations, lacking flexibility and robustness, and conventional head gates are prone to structural damage from impact forces, with prior neck extenders obstructing light-admitting designs.
Innovation Solution
A livestock chute with reconfigurable squeeze panels that can transition between parallel-squeeze and V-squeeze configurations, featuring uncladded skeletal head gates with light-admitting openings and a neck extender that minimizes obstruction, and a robust head gate design with a neck extender that urges the animal forwardly and upwardly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a livestock chute is designed with heavy duty construction to withstand significant impact forces, then structural integrity and reliable operability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The head gate employs different steel gauges in different locations: 14 gauge steel for the gate panels and 12 gauge steel for the horizontal and vertical members. This local quality approach provides enhanced structural integrity where needed (horizontal and vertical members that experience impact forces) while avoiding unnecessary material usage in less critical areas (gate panels), thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity/cost.
2Ease of manufacture
If squeeze panels are designed in fixed parallel-squeeze or V-squeeze configurations, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability and versatility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The squeeze panels are designed with adjustable configurations - they can be positioned in parallel planes for parallel-squeeze operation or angled relative to each other for V-squeeze operation. This dynamic adjustability allows a single chute design to serve multiple functions, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and adaptability by providing versatility through configuration changes rather than requiring multiple fixed designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The head gate and squeeze panel assembly is designed to perform multiple functions: it can operate in both parallel-squeeze and V-squeeze modes, and the neck extender can be positioned in different configurations. This multi-functionality allows a single device to replace what would traditionally require separate specialized equipment, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and adaptability.
3Strength
If traditional solid head gate panels are used, then structural strength is improved, but light admissibility and animal motivation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The head gate panels are constructed with openings or perforations that allow light to pass through while maintaining structural strength. This porous construction enables light admissibility to motivate animals forward without sacrificing the structural strength needed for reliable operation, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A livestock squeeze chute is operable in parallel-squeeze, V-squeeze and inverted-V squeeze configurations, and has a head gate with a novel guide track construction for robust rolling support of the gate panels, and a neck extender having uniquely positioned actuators that pull the neck extender upwardly into its working position. The squeeze panels are supported in suspended and hinged fashion from a set of movable supports that are displaceable laterally back and forth along a set of overhead support tracks. A pair of upper actuators are operable to move the hinged-equipped supports, and thereby relocate the tops of the squeeze panels, while a set of lower actuators are operable to relocate the bottom ends of the squeeze panels. The head gate's guide track uses two L-shaped bars and a cooperating U-channel to define a pair of enclosed channels in which roller carriages of the two gate panels are respectively received.