US 12,268,183 B2
Free access sow gestation stall gate assembly
Jacob Wheatley, Elkhart, IN (US); and Christopher Elvidge, Albion, IN (US)
Assigned to CTB, Inc., Milford, IN (US)
Filed by CTB, Inc., Milford, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/892,502.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/236,016, filed on Aug. 23, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0059604 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. A01K 1/00 (2006.01); A01K 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC A01K 1/0017 (2013.01) [A01K 1/0218 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gestation stall gate assembly comprising:
a gate support including a sleeve;
a gate coupled to the gate support in a way that enables the gate to pivot around a pivot axis between an inwardly open gate position, a closed gate position, and an outwardly open gate position; and
a gate control assembly configured to:
allow the gate to pivot from the closed gate position to the inwardly open gate position when a sow pushes against the gate to pivot the gate toward the inwardly open gate position;
prevent the gate from pivoting from the closed gate position to the inwardly open gate position for a second time until the gate is pivoted from the closed gate position to the outwardly open gate position;
and allow the gate to pivot from the closed gate position to the outwardly open gate position when the sow pushes against the gate to pivot the gate toward the outwardly open gate position,
wherein the gate control assembly includes:
a locking bar slidably mounted in the sleeve of the gate support;
a control rod coupled to the gate support and rotatable about a central longitudinal axis of the control rod,
a line that couples the locking bar to the control rod to limit downward movement of the locking bar;
a first coupling coupled to the control rod and configured to couple the line to the control rod;
a control arm coupled to the control rod and moveable to rotate the control rod about the central longitudinal axis thereof; and
an arm bracket through which the control arm extends, the arm bracket having a plurality of recesses for receiving and retaining the control arm in one of a plurality of positions to adjust a height of the first coupling, wherein the plurality of recesses include a middle position recess, an upper position recess, and a lower position recess, the middle position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at a middle height, the upper position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at an upper height that is higher than the middle height, the lower position recess corresponding to the first coupling being positioned at a lower height that is lower than the middle height.