Abstract: A snagless bladed fishing lure is provided in which the blade oscillates side-to-side during retrieval and pitches forward to protect the hook from snagging upon encountering an obstacle. The blade includes a line keeper and a hook receiver and carries a weight, the hook receiver being located between the line keeper and the weight.

Abstract: A removable corral assembly for use in a livestock trailer which includes a plurality of interlocking livestock panels. The panels are in a substantial U-shape so when they are installed in the livestock trailer a left aisle and right aisle are formed with a middle or center aisle which is segregated. The worker stands in the center aisle and is protected from livestock being worked in the left and right aisles. A catch gate or squeeze chute may be associated with the corral assembly and positioned near the rear opening of the trailer in either the left or right aisle. Rollers, wheels or similar mechanisms are fastened to the panel assembly so that the corral can easily be rolled in to and out of a livestock trailer. Varying panel sizes may be used to adjust the overall dimensions of the corral assembly for installation in trailers having varying sizes.

Abstract: A breather cap assembly is provided which is configured to be connected to a stand-tube used in a watering system. When the watering system is in normal operation, the breather cap assembly is configured to allow for air to flow between the outside the assembly and the stand-tube. The breather cap assembly also provides for structure which acts as a baffle to minimize the introduction of foreign material from outside the breather cap assembly into the stand-tube. When the watering system is in flushing operation, the breather cap assembly is configured to seal off the stand-tube in order to minimize the possibility of water leaving the stand-tube. The breather cap assembly further also provides for structure which acts as a baffle to collect and retain a majority of any water that does leave the stand-tube during a flushing operation.

Abstract: Oral care devices (including cleaning devices and delivery devices), oral care compositions, and related methods for using such devices and compositions are disclosed herein. A cleaning device may include a plurality of bristles and a plurality of tongue scrapers. A delivery device may include a delivery surface that is configured to retain an oral care composition. The oral care composition may include an incentivizing agent to entice an animal to lick the disclosed cleaning and/or delivery devices and may be in the form of a foam, liquid spray, gel or paste. The oral care composition may be dispensed onto a surface of a cleaning and/or delivery device. The device and composition may then be presented to an animal. The animal may lick the surface of the device. The licking action of the animal in licking the oral care device may clean the oral cavity and/or deliver an oral care composition.

Abstract: A method and system that controls pet access to various different locations and/or objects. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an automated system whereby pets wearing an ID tag are allowed access to various locations and/or objects, such as food contained within a feeder dish for example, while a sensor system, responding to the presence of other animals or people, causes the device to close preventing unauthorized access thereto. The feeder further includes one or more sensors using ultrasonic, infrared technology or both in combination for the identification of both tagged and non-tagged animals or children. Further embodiments employ the system to control access to litter boxes, pet toys, pet watering systems, pet gate access, pet containment systems or pet doors.

Abstract: A method for cultivating one or more plants in an apparatus which has at least one first chamber and at least one second chamber which are separated from one another by a first partition wall, wherein the first partition wall has one or more communication openings which connect the inner space of the first chamber to the inner space of the second chamber, wherein the method includes the step that the plant and/or the first partition wall are displaced so that an area of the plant which was initially located in the second chamber is located in the first chamber after the displacement of the plant and/or of the first partition wall, and/or wherein the method includes the step that the plant is offset relative to the apparatus such that a region of the plant which was initially not located in the second chamber is located in the second chamber after the displacement of the plant relative to the apparatus.

Abstract: A horseshoe with splaying and flexibility features has a U shaped compliant metallic unitary body having left and right wings and a central integral toe area which forms a compliant leaf-spring disposed proximate to or as part of the toe area. The leaf-spring may be crescent shaped and resiliently deforms exerting pressure sideways thus causing splaying of the wings. The leaf-spring may have a groove on either side to assist farrier-preparation during horseshoe sizing. The leaf-spring forms a cavity in use, which is optionally filled with a resilient material, e.g., silicone, to prevent accumulation of dirt/debris in the cavity. Optional contiguous serrations on the left and right wings provide relative vertical flexibility of the left and right wings. The splaying and flexibility enhance horse-hoof comfort and hoof-structure regeneration. The horseshoe may be cast/forged, blanked, or welded or produced by mechanical joining. Preferably, the horseshoe comprises hardened spring steel.

Abstract: A fishing lure has a body and a hook. The hook has a shank that extends from the body, a bend and a point. The hook is lying in a hook plane. A brush guard has bristles that extend from the head to a blocking position in front of the hook point. The bristles are spread apart to either side of the hook plane. An elastomeric band around the lure body retains the bristles in a spread apart configuration. The spread apart bristles create a laterally wider brush guard so as to prevent snagging of the hook point no matter what the orientation of the lure in the water might be.

Abstract: An insect pest-controlling apparatus (1) includes a light-reflecting attraction unit (4) that reflects sunlight and a trap (6) to trap insects attracted to light reflected by the light-reflecting attraction unit (4). The light-reflecting attraction unit (4) is a reflector whose reflectance of 220 to 390 nm light wavelength components is 5% or less. Because the light-reflecting attraction unit (4) reflects almost no ultraviolet rays, the contrast of ultraviolet rays is increased in the space compared with sunlight by the insect pest-controlling apparatus (1) and diurnal agricultural insect pests are strongly attracted to the light-reflecting attraction unit (4). Accordingly, diurnal agricultural insect pests can be attracted and trapped in large quantities in the daytime.

Abstract: An animal handling system (AMS), useful for positioning an immobilized animal in a predefined configuration, including: a proximal portion, held outside a medical device, comprises at least one inner shaft, and at least one outer shaft, the at least one outer shaft telescopically maneuverable along the at least one inner shaft to provide a telescopic mechanism of variable (proximal-) length, the proximal portion; and a distal portion comprising a configurable encapsulatable life support system (ELSS), the ELSS is rotatable and/or linearly reciprocatable along the main longitudinal axis of the shafts by means of the maneuverable telescopic mechanism of the proximal portion. The proximal portion further comprising indicia indicating the linear displacement and rotation of the ELSS of the distal portion, such that the ELSS is accurately and reversibly configured within the medical device to optimized animal analyses.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus that may be utilized with an aquarium having features and functionality enabling a person to easily access the opening of the aquarium for various purposes such as cleaning and maintenance. According to one embodiment of the invention, the lighting apparatus comprises a plurality of panels; a joint that joins at least two adjacent panels together; and a lighting element disposed on the aquarium lighting apparatus such that the lighting element illuminates a side common to all of the panels. For some embodiments, features of the present invention allow the lighting apparatus to illuminate the aquarium, while limiting the evaporation of water from the aquarium.

Abstract: A fishing line guide to be attached to a fishing rod includes a frame that includes a fixing part to be fixed to an exterior surface of the fishing rod, a holding part which holds a ring-shaped guide ring through which a fishing line is to pass, and a connecting part connecting the fixing portion to the holding part. The frame includes a fiber reinforced synthetic resin including a fiber bundle including a plurality of reinforced fibers extending in an extending direction of a part forming the holding part and the connecting part.

Abstract: A beehive includes a column of stacked boxes which open onto each other at their tops and bottoms, with the column bearing a cap at its top and a floor at its bottom. The boxes have access ports for ingress and egress of bees, and the column is suspended above the ground on a support post which bears a pivot such that the column can be tipped from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation for easy maintenance. Bars, frames, and/or screens may be hung within and atop the boxes to promote desired comb-building behaviors, with bees tending to build comb downwardly from higher boxes into lower boxes. At desired times, upper boxes bearing honey may be removed from the column and lower boxes bearing brood may be rotated to the top of the column so that the bees continuously propagate down the column.

Abstract: A self-contained, cart-mounted extermination device having an internal combustion engine which produces an exhaust gas containing an asphyxiant is disclosed. The disclosed device provides an effective and humane means to eradicate subterranean pests which is portable, rugged, compact and simple to use and maneuver.

Abstract: A decoy with a counterweight suspended from a central keel attached along the centerline of the decoy behind the decoy's center-of-gravity. When a wave swells beneath the decoy creating a force which would tend to cause a side-to-side rocking motion of the decoy, the counterweight absorbs a portion of the sway-inducing force, resisting the tendency of the decoy to rock. This provides a more natural bobbing of the decoy producing a believable rise and fall of the decoy's head and body portion.

Abstract: A turkey decoy for receiving and supporting a real or artificial turkey tail fan is disclosed herein. The turkey decoy can be configured in a stake-supported configuration where the turkey tail fan is supported on a stake and remotely movable by a hunter operating the turkey decoy. Alternatively, the turkey decoy can be configured in a clamp-supported configuration where the turkey tail fan is supported on a clamp that a hunter can hold or attach to a variety of structures in the hunting environment.

Abstract: An indoor livestock confinement system including a plurality of hollow plastic panels. One of the hollow plastic panels defines a U-shaped door frame. The door frame is open at the top and includes an attachment for a door at one edge. The door frame includes a reinforcement inside the panel that extends across a bottom threshold and sides of the door frame.

Abstract: Various embodiments related to a tree guard. One embodiment provides a modular tree guard assembly. Various other embodiments disclosed include one or more of the following: a multi-purpose top rail unit facilitating flexible installation of various side panel units and top rail accessories; modular side panel units including decorative units and urine guard units; corner and other post units; and various adjustable foot units. In one embodiment, a sign holder unit of the tree guard assembly is provided with different tamper proof bolts than are other elements of the assembly such that control over signage on the tree guard may be effectively given to a different entity than an entity with control over assembly of the rest of the tree guard unit. Various other embodiments related to tree guards are disclosed.

Abstract: An arrangement and a method for indicating an undesired detachment of a milking member from an animal in a milking stall. The arrangement includes a removing device adapted to detach the milking member from the animal and move the detached milking member to a parking position when the milking process has been completed, and a supervision device adapted to supervise when the milking member has been detached from the animal before the milking process has been completed. When the milking member has been detached from the animal before the milking process has been completed, the removing device is adapted to move the undesirably detached milking member to an indicating position located at a distance from the parking position.

Abstract: The helix-shaped, dog chew that has a helicoidally shaped configuration that is similar to an auger (or Archimedes' screw). The chew is fabricated from an extruded or die-cast, pliable material with the consistency of a firm rubber. The material is edible and non-harmful to animals. The helicoidally shaped configuration allows the chew to make contact with the inner and outer surfaces of the teeth to promote thorough cleaning thereof, and to also massage the gums, thereby greatly reducing the incidence of disease and bleeding.