Device for use in the humane slaughter of animals

1. A device for use in humane slaughter of animals comprising:

a barrel and a cap arranged for limited reciprocal axial movement;

wherein the cap comprises a cylinder closed at a rear end and has a cap bore in which the barrel is movable;

first resilient urging means providing a force urging the barrel and the cap to an inoperative position;

a captive bolt received in the barrel for reciprocal axial movement;

wherein the barrel has a breech which is open in the inoperative position and the cap has a firing pin;

an explosive cartridge received in the breech and fired by striking the firing pin to provide a driving force;

wherein the bolt is driven out of the barrel by the driving force;

wherein the cartridge is mounted on a strip moved in response to a manual operation;

registration means provided between the strip and the cap to locate the cartridge relative to the breech in the inoperative position;

wherein movement of the barrel relative to the cap against a force of the resilient urging means places the cartridge in the breech and causes the cartridge to strike the firing pin to fire the cartridge and operate the captive bolt; and

wherein the resilient urging means returns the barrel and the cap to the inoperative position to open the breech and allows movement of the strip to remove the cartridge that has been fired.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the strip mounts more than one cartridge, to provide a cartridge magazine.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the closed rear end of the cap has a recess opening into the cap bore to accommodate the firing pin and a through slot in which the strip is inserted, to allow the cartridge to protrude into the cap bore and be received in the breech.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 , in which opposed apertures in a wall of the cap bore are provided at each end of the through slot to allow passage of the cartridges into and out of the cap bore.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the closed rear end of the cap mounts a handle for the device.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the registration means comprises at least one detent mounted in the cap, and a corresponding recess on the strip.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , in which the at least one detent is urged towards the strip by a second resilient urging means, and engages automatically in the corresponding recess as the strip is moved through the device.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7 , in which

the at least one detent has a part-spherical end for engagement with the recess in the strip;

each recess has a corresponding part-spherical or frusto-conical profile; and

the at least one detent comprises a ball mounted in an axial bore in the cap, urged towards the barrel by a compression spring comprising the second resilient urging means.

9. The device as claimed in claim 6 , in which there are two detents mounted in the cap, one on each side of the breech.

10. The device as claimed in claim 6 , in which the at least one detent has a part-spherical end for engagement with the recess in the strip, and each recess has a corresponding part-spherical or frusto-conical profile.

11. The device as claimed in claim 6 , in which the corresponding recess is provided on only one lateral side of the strip, and each recess is a circular or part-circular aperture, with a frusto-conical profile.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which

the cap is formed in two parts including

a rearward part having the closed rear end and a rearward part of the cap bore; and

a forward part of hollow cylindrical outline defining intermediate and forward parts of the cap bore;

wherein the cap bore is stepped, with the rearward and forward parts being of substantially the same diameter and the intermediate part being of a greater diameter.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12 , in which the first resilient urging means is accommodated in the intermediate part of the cap bore, and engages a step formed between the rearward and forward cap parts.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the barrel is formed from three components including

a rearward component containing the breech;

an intermediate component; and

a forward stop component.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14 , in which

the cap is formed in two parts including

a rearward part having the closed rear end and a rearward part of the cap bore, and

a forward part of hollow cylindrical outline defining intermediate and forward parts of the cap bore;

wherein the cap bore is stepped, with the rearward and forward parts being of substantially the same diameter and the intermediate part being of a greater diameter; and

the intermediate component of the barrel has an annulus disposed in the intermediate part of the cap bore;

wherein the annulus has a rear shoulder with which the first resilient urging means engages and a forward shoulder configured to engage with a step between the intermediate and forward cap bore parts.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1 , in which

the barrel has a stepped bore in which the captive bolt is reciprocable;

the device includes return means for returning the captive bolt after firing; and

the captive bolt and return means are received in the barrel bore.