Poultry loading apparatus and method

Abstract

A method and apparatus for .[.sucking.]. loading poultry into transportable compartments, .Iadd.and for .Iaddend.protecting the poultry in loading and during transportation.

Having thus described certain forms of the invention in some detail, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for loading and carrying a plurality of poultry comprising the step of applying a sucking force to a mobile compartment having a generally air tight body, extending a hose into a first opening into one portion of such compartment to the presence of a bird, causing a vacuum through another opening removed from said first opening in said compartment, sucking said bird into said compartment through said hose, and repeating the step of sucking birds into different portions of said compartment until a selected number of birds have been sucked into said compartment. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 including the step of removing a plug to an opening in said compartment and introducing said hose into said opening. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 including the step of closing said opening in said compartment with an air permeable member, after loading said birds. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 3 wherein said air permeable member is adjustable and is adjusted to the needs of the birds in said compartment. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3 including the step of maintaining a continuous flow of air in said compartment. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 4 including the step of maintaining a circulation and temperature in said compartment conducive to the health of the birds in said compartment. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of compartments are successively loaded. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for loading and carrying a plurality of birds comprising at least one mobile compartment having a generally air tight body adapted to hold a plurality of birds; said compartment having a first opening large enough to admit the passage therethrough of selected birds, said opening further having means to receive a hose, large enough to allow passage therethrough of selected birds, and vacuum means connected to another opening in said compartment to suck birds through said hose into said first opening of said compartment. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 8 also including a closed end permeable to the passage of air. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 8 including a closure for said hose opening. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said closure includes adjustable damping means. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 8 having air circulating means. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said air circulation means is thermostatically controlled to maintain a selected temperature in said compartment conducive to the health of birds in said compartment. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said vacuum means is a stationary engine. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 8 including a plurality of juxtaposed compartments of like construction. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each compartment includes a closed end permeable to the passage of air. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each said compartment opening includes a closure having an opening large enough to admit passage of selected birds. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each compartment closure opening is adapted to receive a hose large enough to admit the passage of selected poultry through said duct. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each compartment has air circulation means. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said air circulation means is thermostatically controlled to maintain the selected temperature in said compartments conducive to the health of the birds in said compartments. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said vacuum means is a stationary engine. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said compartments are contained in a master container. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said master container includes vacuum inducing means. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said vacuum inducing means is a stationary engine. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said stationary engine and master container are unitary and mountable on a truck. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said hose receiving portions are mounted on a gate, said gate adapted to close said compartments. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said closed ends permeable to the passage of air open into a plenum chamber. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of claim 27 including a plurality of substantially air tight doors optionally openable to give access to at least a selected compartment. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 27 including a substantially air tight damper optionally openable to vent said plenum chamber. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim 8 including an air permeable crowding screen substantially along the upper portion of said compartment spaced away from the top of said compartment. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said crowding screen is optionally adjustable as to height. 
     
     
       32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said screen has selected supports at selected levels in said compartment. 
     
     
       33. The apparatus of claim 8 including a liner, said liner adapted to be extended along the length of said compartment. 
     
     
       34. The apparatus of claim 33 including a baffle adjacent an end of the liner. 
     
     
       35. The apparatus of claim 34 including means to draw said liner and baffle toward the closed permeable end of said compartment. 
     
     
       36. The apparatus of claim 10 including a viewing portion in said closure. 
     
     
       37. The apparatus of claim 36 including a light inside said compartment. 
     
     
       38. The apparatus of claim 8 including a single door for said compartment. 
     
     
       39. The apparatus of claim 15 including a single door for a plurality of said juxtaposed compartment. 
     
     
       40. The apparatus of claim 8 including a means for removing said birds from said compartment by withdrawing a liner on the base of said compartment. .Iadd. 41. Mobile apparatus for transporting poultry, comprising an enclosed container adapted to hold a plurality of birds, an opening in said container large enough to allow passage of birds therethrough, and air circulating means at an end of said container remote from said opening, said container being provided with a plurality of compartment, each of which includes conveyor means for moving the birds from said opening toward said remote end of the container..Iaddend..Iadd. 42. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 41, wherein said air circulating means creates a negative pressure differential within the container..Iaddend..Iadd. 43. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 41, wherein said conveyor means is further operative to move said birds from the remote end of said container to said opening..Iaddend..Iadd. 44. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 41, wherein said opening is closeable by air permeable means..Iaddend..Iadd. 45. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 41, wherein closure means are provided in said opening, which include adjustable damping means..Iaddend..Iadd. 46. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 41, wherein said air circulating means is thermostatically controlled to maintain a selected temperature range in said container conducive to the health of the birds..Iaddend..Iadd. 47. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 41, wherein each of said compartments has a separate adjustable opening yielding entry thereto..Iaddend. .Iadd. 48. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 41, including an air permeable crowding screen positioned along the upper portion of each of said compartments..Iaddend..Iadd. 49. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 41, wherein said conveyor means includes a liner, adapted to be extended along the length of each compartment..Iaddend..Iadd. 50. Mobile apparatus in accordance with claim 49, wherein a baffle is provided adjacent to one end of said liner..Iaddend..Iadd. 51. A method for loading and carrying a plurality of poultry in a mobile container having compartments arranged in a plurality of tiers, each compartment including individual conveyor means extending the length thereof from an open end to a remote end, comprising: depositing birds at the open end of a compartment on the associated conveyor means; moving said conveyor means toward the remote end of said compartment allowing more birds to be deposited at said open end; and ventilating said container by forced air circulation..Iaddend..Iadd. 52. A method for loading and carrying a plurality of poultry in accordance with claim 51, including introducing an air permeable screen between the top of the birds and the top of the compartment, to establish a ventilation passage..Iaddend.