Livestock Stanchion Locking Bar Segmentation and Early Latch Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing livestock stanchions face challenges in easy locking and releasing of animals, maintenance complexity, and increased cost due to the need for multiple support fittings and additional vertical members, which can lead to animal injury and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates forked vertical posts, a serpentine horizontal rail, and a locking bar system with releasable support yokes and end lap coupling, allowing for easy maintenance and earlier engagement of the latching mechanism, reducing the need for additional vertical members and minimizing animal strikes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rotating or sliding locking bar is used to secure the pivoting restraining stanchion, then the animal locking function is achieved, but the locking bar becomes difficult to replace and requires cutting or welding
Solution Approach 1:
The locking bar is divided into multiple sections that can be independently removed and replaced. Each section can be detached from the support fittings, allowing damaged portions to be replaced without removing the entire locking bar from the frame.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking bar sections can be completely extracted from the support fittings for replacement. The support fittings remain in the frame while the locking bar sections are removed, replaced, and reinstalled, eliminating the need for cutting or welding.
2Reliability
If multiple support fittings are used to secure the locking bar, then the locking function is reliable, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support fittings serve multiple functions: they secure the locking bar in place, provide attachment points for the locking mechanism, and enable easy removal and replacement of locking bar sections. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
3Strength
If additional vertical members are added to the frame, then the frame strength is improved, but the cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical members are merged with the horizontal rails to form integrated corner members. These combined members provide both vertical and horizontal structural support, eliminating the need for separate vertical members and reducing overall complexity.
4Device complexity
If the latching mechanism engages later in the locking process, then the locking bar can be simpler, but the animal may be injured by horn or ear strikes
Solution Approach 1:
The latching mechanism is positioned to engage early in the locking process, before the animal's head fully passes through the frame. This preliminary engagement prevents horn or ear strikes by restricting the animal's movement earlier in the locking sequence.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved livestock stanchion including a plurality of forked vertical posts fixed between a substantially horizontal base rail and a horizontal rail to form a co-planar frame having at least one livestock opening. The horizontal rail can be serpentine in form to reduce the likelihood of head, horn or ear strikes as the animal's head enters a livestock opening. A locking bar rests in at least one releaseable support yoke mounted to the frame to allow easy installation and removal of a locking bar and its appurtenances. An end lap between adjacent locking bars provides for a strong releaseable couple. An offset pivot member and an offset latch pin of a pivoting restraining stanchion provide early engagement of a latch pin to a latching mechanism such as a pair of opposing latch dogs mounted on a locking bar above the horizontal rail.