GB2236718A - A conveyance for the transport of livestock - Google Patents

Abstract

The conveyance which is particularly for the transport of injured horses, comprises a wheeled trailer 10, the rear part of which is open to the ground and to the rear, and an animal carrier 19 which is separable from the trailer and which can be received in the open rear part of the trailer. A winch 28 and cables 32, 34 are provided in the trailer 10 for attachment to the carrier 19 to lower and raise into and out of contact with the ground when it lies within the rear part of the trailer, and removable support beams 38, 39 are provided to support the carrier on the trailer when it has been raised from the ground. In use an injured horse is put on the carrier 19 when it is separate from the trailer, whereafter the trailer 10 is backed over the carrier, which is then raised and secured within the trailer for transport. <IMAGE>

Description

"A Convevance for the Transport of Livestock" The invention relates to a conveyance for the transport of livestock, and particularly, but not exclusively, for the transport of horses which may be injured.

Conventional horse boxes for the transport of horses by road normally comprise a simple covered trailer having a ramp which may be folded down or otherwise positioned so that the horse may walk up the ramp to enter the rear of the trailer. In circumstances where a horse has been injured, however, it may be impossible for the horse to walk up an inclined ramp into a conventional horse box. Even if the injuries to the horse do not make this physically impossible, a horse which has been injured may be difficult to control and it may be impossible to coax it up a ramp and into an enclosed horse box following the trauma of injury.

The present invention therefore sets out to provide an improved form of conveyance, particularly for horses, to facilitate the transfer into the conveyance of a horse which has been injured and/or otherwise subjected to trauma.

According to the invention there is provided a conveyance for the transport of livestock comprising a main body carried on ground-engaging wheels, an animal carrier which is separable from the main body, means for lowering and raising the carrier into and out of contact with the ground when the main body and carrier are in a predetermined relative disposition to one another, and disengageable means for supporting the carrier on the main body when the carrier is raised out of contact with the ground.

The carrier may then be of such a form that, when the carrier is separated from the main body of the conveyance, an injured horse may be readily moved on to the carrier. For example, when separated from the main body the carrier will be resting on the ground so that it will not be necessary for the horse to mount a ramp.

Also the carrier can be a comparatively open structure, and it is usually easier to coax a recalcitrant horse on to a fairly open carrier than it is to coax it into an enclosed horse box. Once the horse is on the carrier, the carrier is brought into the required disposition relative to the main body, usually by manoeuvreing the main body, whereafter the carrier, with the horse, is raised from the ground and supported on the main body for subsequent transport.

The means for lowering and raising the carrier are preferably provided on the main body, and may comprise a winch mechanism mounted on the main body and operable to wind up and unwind lifting cables, means being provided for detachably connecting the lifting cables to the carrier.

The disengageable means for supporting the carrier on the main bcdy may comprise displaceable support members which can be carried on the main body and which are movable into and out of supporting positions where they underlie parts of the carrier to support the carrier on the main body when the carrier has been raised out of contact with the ground.

Each said support member may comprise an elongate support beam which, in said supporting position, extends across and below the carrier and is supported at its ends in brackets on the main body.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention at least a part of the main body is generally tunnelshaped, having spaced upright side portions straddled and connected by a roof portion, the carrier being disposed between said side portions, and beneath the roof portion, when the carrier and main body are in said predetermined relative disposition to one another.

Preferably the main body includes a retaining device which is movable to extend across one end of the tunnel-shaped part of the main body when the carrier is located therein and has been raised from the ground.

The carrier is preferably of substantially the same width as the spacing between said side portions of the tunnel-shaped main body, whereby said side portions serve as guides for the carrier during the raising and lowering thereof.

At least one of said side portions may include a walkway to provide side access to the carrier when the carrier is located within the main body.

The carrier may be generally channel-shaped, comprising a base platform along each side of which extends an upright side structure. The carrier preferably includes means closing off its ends, at least one of said means being displaceable to provide access for an animal on to the base platform.

In the case where the means for raising and lowering the carrier comprise a winch mechanism mounted on the main body and operable to wind up and unwind lifting cables, each side structure of the carrier may include means for detachably connecting the lifting cables to the side structure.

The main body of the conveyance may be in the form of a trailer.

The following is a more detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a horse conveyance in accordance with the invention, showing the carrier separated from the main body of the conveyance, Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the main body of the conveyance, showing the means for raising and lowering the carrier, Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the conveyance, showing the carrier in position in the main body, and Figure 4 is a rear end view of the conveyance, again showing the carrier within the main body.

Referring to the drawings: The main body 10 of the conveyance comprises a covered trailer having a pair of ground-engaging wheels 11 at each side.

As best seen in Figure 3, the trailer has a generally U-shaped base frame 12 the forward end of which includes a conventional triangular towing frame 13. The trailer is closed at the front, as indicated at 14, and the rear part is generally tunnel-shaped and comprises side portions 15, 16 and a roof portion 17.

The inwardly facing sides of the portions 15 and 16 are defined by rectangular frames 17, 18 respectively, comprising metal box section beams welded together. The space between the side frames 17 and 18 is open to the ground and to the rear of the trailer, as best seen in Figure 1.

For use with the trailer there is provided an animal carrier 19 comprising a rectangular base platform 20 along opposite sides of which extend spaced parallel upright side walls 21 ' and 22. A removable guard rail 23 can be placed in brackets to extend across the front opening between the side walls 21 and 22, and a door 24 is hinged to the rear upright edge of the side wall 21 to enable the rear of the carrier to be closed.

Metal loops 25 are mounted adjacent the four corners of the carrier on the upper edges of the side walls 21 and 22.

A kick board 26 can also be fastened between the forward ends of the side walls 21 and 22 as indicated at 26.

In use of the conveyance, the carrier is separated from the trailer, as shown in Figure 1, and the horse is coaxed on to the platform 20 of the carrier, between the side walls 21 and 22. It is usually comparatively easy to get the horse on to the carrier since the platform 20 is resting on the ground and the top of the carrier is open so that the horse does not feel enclosed. Also, operators can have access through both ends of the carrier so as to both push and pull the horse on to the platform.

When the horse is safely installed in the carrier the kick board 26 and bar 23 are fitted across the front of the carrier and the door 24 is closed at the rear.

The trailer is then backed towards the carrier, either by being pushed manually or by use of a vehicle, until the tunnel-shaped portion at the rear of the trailer passes over the carrier. The overall width of the carrier, between the outer surfaces of the side walls 21 and 22, is such that it is a close fit between the frames 17 and 18 within the trailer, as best seen in Figures 3 and 4. The length of the carrier is such that it is fully received within the tunnel-shaped rear portion of the trailer, as best seen in Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, there is mounted on the forward transverse portion 27 of the base of the trailer an electric winch 28. Cables from the winch run over pulleys 30 mounted on a cross bar 31 and pass up the forward ends of the side frames 17 and 18. On each side frame one cable 32 passes over a first pulley wheel 33 so as to hang downwardly at the forward end of the carrier. A further cable 34 passes over a second pulley, concentric with the pulley 33, extends along the upper edge of each side frame, passes over a rear pulley 35 and hangs downwardly over the rear end of the carrier. Releasable hooks 36 and 37, which are padded, are connected to the lower ends of the cables 32 and 34 respectively and may be connected to the loops 25 on the forward and rear ends of the side walls of the carrier.

When the trailer has been reversed over the carrier as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the cables have been connected to the loops 25 on the carrier, the winch 28 is operated to wind in the cables and raise the carrier from the ground to the position shown in full line in Figure 4. During the raising of the carrier its side walls 21, 22 bear fairly closely against the side frames 17 and 18 within the trailer and this serves to guide and steady the carrier as it is raised.

When the carrier has been raised to the position shown in Figure 4, support beams 38 and 39 are slid transversely through brackets 40 on the underside of the base frame of the vehicle to support the weight of the carrier. Pins, not shown, are passed through the beams 38 and 39 to locate them in the brackets 40.

The carrier is restrained against forward movement within the trailer by the cross bar 31, and to prevent rearward movement of the carrier a rear cross bar 41, which is hinged to one side of the base of the trailer, is swung across the opening at the rear of the trailer and secured by a pin to the opposite side of the base.

Finally a main door 42, which is hinged to one side of the trailer at the rear, is swung across to close off the rear of the trailer.

Before the door 42 is closed, access to the interior of the side portions 15 and 16 of the trailer is possible since these portions are open to the rear as may be seen from Figures 1 and 4. An operative may thus pass into and along these side portions of the conveyance to tend to the horse which is in the carrier.

When the conveyance reaches its destination the procedure is reversed: the supporting beams 38 and 39 are removed and the winch 28 is operated to lower the carrier to the ground, whereafter the carrier is detached from the cables and the trailer is moved forwardly away from the carrier so that the horse can be removed from it.

It will be appreciated that the specific details of the construction described are by way of example only and various modifications may be made to the structure without departing from the scope of the invention. For example other means, such as hydraulic or pneumatic means, may be employed for raising and lower the carrier when it is in position within the main body of the trailer. Also, other means may be employed for supporting the carrier in its raised position within the main body. For example, instead of the carrier being supported on the removable cross-beams 38 and 39, the side walls of the carrier might be secured to the side frames 17 and 18 respectively by some form of removable retainer.

Although it is convenient for the raising and lowering means to be provided on the trailer or other vehicle, the invention does not exclude arrangements where such means are provided on the carrier, for example in the form of integral lifting jacks, or arrangements where the lifting means comprises a separate apparatus, such as a removable jacking device.

Although the main body of the conveyance is preferably in the form of a trailer, as described, the invention includes within its scope arrangements where the conveyance is a self-powered vehicle.

Claims (14)

1. A conveyance for the transport of livestock comprising a main body carried on ground-engaging wheels, an animal carrier which is separable from the main body, means for lowering and raising the carrier into and out of contact with the ground when the main body and carrier are in a predetermined relative disposition to one another, and disengageable means for supporting the carrier on the main body when the carrier is raised out of contact with the ground.

2. A conveyance according to Claim 1, wherein the means for lowering and raising the carrier are provided on the main body.

3. A conveyance according to Claim 2, wherein said means for lowering and raising the carrier comprise a winch mechanism mounted on the main body and operable to wind up and unwind lifting cables, means being provided for detachably connecting the lifting cables to the carrier.

4. A conveyance according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said disengageable means for supporting the carrier on the main body comprise displaceable support members which can be carried on the main body and which are movable into and out of supporting positions where they underlie parts of the carrier to support the carrier on the main body when the carrier has been raised out of contact with the ground.

5. A conveyance according to Claim 4, wherein each said support member comprises an elongate support beam which, in said supporting position, extends across and below the carrier and is supported at its ends in brackets on the main body.

6. A conveyance according to any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a part of the main body is generally tunnel-shaped, having spaced upright side portions straddled and connected by a roof portion, the carrier being disposed between said side portions, and beneath the roof portions, when the carrier and main body are in said predetermined relative disposition to one another.

7. A conveyance according to Claim 6, wherein the main body includes a retaining device which is movable to extend across one end of the tunnel-shaped part of the main body when the carrier is located therein and has been raised from the ground.

8. A conveyance according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein the carrier is of substantially the same width as the spacing between said side portions of the tunnelshaped main body, whereby said side portions serve as guides for the carrier during the raising and lowering thereof.

9. A conveyance according to any of Claims 6 to 8, wherein at least one of said side portions includes a walkway to provide side access to the carrier when the carrier is located within the main body.

10. A conveyance according to any of Claims 1 to 9, wherein said carrier is generally channel-shaped and comprises a base platform along each side of which extends an upright side structure.

11. A conveyance according to Claim 10, wherein said carrier includes means closing off the ends of said channel-shaped carrier, at least one of said means being displaceable to provide access for an animal on to the base platform.

12. A conveyance according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, and in which the means for raising and lowering the carrier comprise a winch mechanism mounted on the main body and operable to wind up and unwind lifting cables, wherein each side structure of the carrier includes means for detachably connecting the lifting cables to the side structure.

13. A conveyance according to any of the preceding claims where the main body of the conveyance is in the form of a trailer.

14. A conveyance for livestock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.