Abstract: A tilt-shelf cart system includes spaced, parallel uprights mounted atop a wheeled base with merchandise receiving shelves pivotally mounted between the uprights for limited pivotal movement between forwardly and rearwardly inclined positions. The pivot axes of the shelves are positoned so that the shelves, when fully loaded with merchandise, normally pivot toward their rearwardly inclined positions. The shelves are secured in either of the forwardly or rearwardly inclined positions by a latch mechanism which includes laterally extending latch pins which engage selected edges of a latch plate. The pins are withdrawn by a drawbar mechanism which requires both operator hands to operate. The two-handled drawbar is pivotally connected to a connecting link which, in turn, is pivotally connected to a rotatably mounted plate to cause limited rotation of the plate in response to movement of the connecting link.

Abstract: Multi-tiered cage assemblies are paired in spaced end-to-end relationship within a brood house. The floors of the cage assemblies are sequentially movable between the paired assemblies. During an initial sequence of such movement, newborn chicks are placed on the floors as they pass through the space separating the cage assemblies, and continued floor movement carries the chicks into the cage assemblies. The tiers are vertically spaced from one another by a distance limited to that sufficient to provide headroom for a chick approximately three weeks of age. During the period the chicks are maintained in the cage assemblies, feed and water are continuously supplied to the chicks. When the floors are sequentially returned to the cage assemblies from which they previously had been moved, the chicks are dropped onto conveying means which carry the chicks to a motor vehicle for transport to a finishing house where grow-out is completed.

Abstract: A storage chamber means is shown having a chute for communicating between the outside and the storage area wherein the chute is designed to cooperate with an entrance aperture in a wall to permit articles to be fed into the storage chamber through the chute, yet the chute substantially seals the entrance to the chamber against removal of articles from the chamber once they have been delivered into the storage area through the aperture. The chute is also designed to be collapsed into a compact panel and hinged into out of the way position for covering the entrance aperture and locked in place from the inside of the chamber to close the aperture against unauthorized opening whereby to provide a secure storage facility having a maximum of storage space in this mode of use which space is unencumbered with a chute structure.