U.S. Industries, Inc.

W A Nijhof

An improved poultry broiler cage comprising a plurality of stacked cage tiers. Each cage tier in turn comprises an elongated confinement area and a poultry-supporting floor movable longitudinally with respect to the confinement area between an operative position and an inverted, lower, inoperative position whereby poultry can be loaded and unloaded into and out of the confinement areas. Each floor is selectively responsive to a driven axle and comprises rails (preferably low friction) secured to opposite sides of the confinement area, a tension pulling member (preferably a chain) rides and is movable longitudinally along each rail. A plurality of spaced support bars extend between and are secured to the pulling members and a flexible floor material extends between the pulling members and preferably are supported in trampoline-like fasion on the support bars. The floor material comprises an open-weave fabric including a plurality of ribs defining a plurality of relatively wider apertures through which droppings can easily pass. Each cage tier includes an access door pivotal about a horizontal axis located between upper and lower portions of the door. The pivot axis is located below the inoperative position of the floor immediately above the door so that when the door is opened to a horizontal position, the upper floor can be moved into and out of its inoperative position, and when the door is closed, poultry cannot escape over the door. The broiler cage further comprises a single motor-driven shaft and a unique clutch for selectively driving each floor with the same motor. Such clutch means includes separate driven members for each floor, such driven members being freely rotatable with respect to its associated axle on which one of the respective floors are mounted. A special clutch member is provided for locking the freely rotatable members to its associated axle for selectively coupling the driven member and its associated axle in fixed angular relationship to selectively move only one of the floors at a time.

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Hattem, Netherlands

W A Nijhof