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Title: Animal facility equipment
Claims: That which is claimed is: 1. In an animal facility comprising an alleyway, a movable assembly for clearing said alleyway, and power train means for effecting automatic movement of said assembly along said alleyway, the improvement characterized by the feature that said facility additionally includes means for emergency reversal of the direction of travel of said assembly at any point in its movement along said alleyway, said emergency reversal means comprising i. a stress balance means in said power train means, said stress balance means being in a substantially balanced condition during normal movement of said assembly but being responsively shifted into an increasingly unbalanced condition commensurate with any interference with said normal movement as caused by an object obstructing said normal movement, ii. primary sensing means for delecting a predetermined unbalanced condition of said stress balance means, and iii. actuating means responsive to said primary sensing means for actuating a reversal of the direction of travel of said assembly. 2. In an animal facility according to claim 1, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises a scraper for scraping dung from said alleyway. 3. In an animal facility according to claim 2, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises an electrode means, and wherein said facility additionally includes subordinate sensing means for detecting obstruction to said normal movement of said assembly prior to the sensing by said primary sensing means, and responsive electrical means actuated in response to said subordinate sensing means for sending a jolting charge of electrical energy to said electrode means prior to any emergency reversal of the direction of travel of said assembly. 4. In an animal facility according to claim 1, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises an electrode, wherein facility includes means for charging said electrode. 5. In an animal facility according to claim 1, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises an electrode means, and wherein said facility additionally includes subordinate sensing means for detecting obstruction to said normal movement of said assembly prior to the sensing by said primary sensing means, and responsive electrical means actuated in response to said subordinate sensing means for sending a jolting charge of electrical energy to said electrode means prior to any emergency reversal of the direction of travel of said assembly. 6. In an animal facility according to claim 5, the feature wherein said electrode means is normally uncharged during said normal movement of said assembly. 7. In an animal facility of claim 5, the feature wherein said electrode means is normally in a substantially continuously charged condition during said normal movement of said assembly, said substantially continuously charged condition being less than that of said jolting charge effected by said responsive electrical means. 8. In an animal facility according to claim 1, the feature wherein said stress balance means comprises an action member and means for biasing the same in said substantially balanced condition. 9. In an animal facility according to claim 8, the feature wherein said action member carries a marker adapted to be sensed by said primary sensing means when said action member reaches a said predetermined unbalanced condition. 10. In an animal facility according to claim 8, the feature wherein said power train means comprises a cable, and wherein any said interference with said normal movement of said assembly is carried to said action member through said cable. 11. In an animal facility according to claim 1, the feature wherein said power train means comprises a substantially endless cable attached to opposite sides of said movable assembly for pulling said assembly in either direction along said alleyway, and drive means for drawing said cable in either said direction, and wherein said stress balance means is interposed and acted upon by a part of each stretch of said cable intermediate said drive means and said movable assembly. 12. In an animal facility according to claim 11, the feature wherein said stress balance means comprises a base member, means for mounting said base member against movement, an elongated action member, means for mounting said action member to permit shiftable movement of it, opposing biasing stress members, each said stress member extending from a fixed position attached to said base member to a fixed position attached to said movable action member, the biasing stress of said stress members being substantially equal and opposite, whereby said stress members bias said action member in said substantially balanced condition, and cable entraining means at each end of said action member over which said cable is entrained. 13. In the animal facility of claim 12, the feature wherein said base member is elongated and in substantially parallel relationship to said action member, and wherein said shiftable movement of said action member is substantially longitudinal, whereby said action member during its said shiftable movement maintains said parallel relationship. 14. In the animal facility of claim 12, the feature wherein a part of one stretch of said cable intermediate said drive means and said assembly is entrained over one said cable entraining means and a part of the other stretch of said cable intermediate drive means and said assembly is entrained over the other said cable entraining means, cable guides at each side of each said part of said cable entrained over a said cable entraining means, said cable guides being located to cause said cable to form an outward loop in its transit over each said cable entraining means, whereby any said interference with said normal movement of said assembly effectively causes increased stress in and a shortening of said loop of said stretch of cable pulling said assembly and an unbalancing movement of said action member with concomitant increase of said loop of said other stretch of cable and a differential in the biasing stress of one said stress member as compared to the other, and wherein a marker on said action member is adapted to be sensed by said primary sensing means when said action member reaches a said predetermined unbalanced condition. 15. In an animal facility comprising a movable assembly and power train means for effecting automatic movement of said assembly along a direction of travel, the improvement characterized by the feature that said facility additionally includes means for emergency reversal of the direction of travel of said assembly, said emergency reversal means comprising i. a stress balance means in said power train means, said stress balance means comprising an action member and means for biaing the same in a substantially balanced condition during normal movement of said assembly, said action member being responsively shifted into an increasingly unbalanced condition commensurate with any interference with said normal movement, ii. primary sensing means for detecting a predetermined unbalanced condition for said action member, and iii. actuating means responsive to said primary sensing means for actuating a reversal of the direction of travel of said assembly. 16. In an animal facility according to claim 15, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises a brush member. 17. In an animal facility according to claim 15, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises a scraper. 18. In an animal facility according to claim 15, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises an electrode means. 19. In an animal facility according to claim 18, the feature wherein said facility additionally includes subordinate sensing means for detecting obstruction to said normal movement of said assembly prior to the sensing by said primary sensing means, and responsive electrical means actuated in response to said subordinate sensing means for sending a jolting charge of electrical energy to said electrode means prior to any emergency reversal of the direction of travel of said assembly. 20. In a animal facility according to claim 15, the feature wherein said action member carries a marker adapted to be sensed by said primary sensing means when said action member reaches a said predetermined unbalanced condition. 21. In an animal facility according to claim 15, the feature wherein said power train means comprises a cable, and wherein any said interference with said normal movement of said assembly is carried to said action member through said cable. 22. In an animal facility according to claim 21, the feature wherein said stress balance means additionally comprises an elongated base member, means for mounting said base member against movement, said action member being elongated and aligned in substantially parallel relationship to said elongated base member, means for mounting said action member to permit said shiftable movement of it, and cable entraining means at each end of said elongated action member over which said cable is entrained. 23. In an animal facility according to claim 15, the feature wherein said power train means comprises a substantially endless attached to opposite sides of said movable assembly, and drive means for drawing said cable in either direction, and wherein said action member is interposed and acted upon by a part of each stretch of said cable intermediate said drive means and said movable assembly. 24. In an animal facility according to claim 23, the feature wherein opposite sides of said action member are each equipped with a cable entraining means, said facility being additionally characterized by the fact that a part of one stretch of said cable intermediate said drive means and said assembly is entrained over one said cable entraining means and a part of the other stretch of said cable intermediate said drive means and said assembly is entrained over the other said cable entraining means. 25. In an animal facility according to claim 24, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises a brush member. 26. In an animal facility according to claim 24, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises a scraper. 27. In an animal facility according to claim 24, the feature wherein said movable assembly comprises an electrode means. 28. In an animal facility according to claim 27, the feature wherein said facility additionally includes subordinate sensing means for detecting obstruction to said normal movement of said assembly prior to the sensing by said primary sensing means, and responsive electrical means actuated in response to said subordinate sensing means for sending a jolting charge of electrical energy to said electrode means prior to any emergency reversal of the direction of travel of said assembly. Other info: Inventors: Laurenz, Frank R. (Eagle Butte, SD, US) Application Number: 560601 Filing Date: 1975-03-21 Publication_date: 1976-06-01 Assignee: Primary Class(es): 119/451 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Chamblee, Hugh R. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Baker; Robert C. |
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