Device for use in the humane slaughter of animals

摘要

A device for use in the humane slaughter of animals has a barrel and a cap arranged for limited reciprocal axial movement and urged to an inoperative position by a spring. A captive bolt is received in the barrel for reciprocal axial movement, the bolt being driven out of the barrel by a driving force provided by an explosive cartridge adapted to be received in a breech in the barrel. The cartridge is fired by striking a firing pin provided in the cap. The cartridge is mounted on a strip movable in response to a manual operation, and a registration device is provided between the strip and the cap to locate the cartridge relative to the open breech in the inoperative position. Movement of the barrel relative to the cap against the force of the spring places the cartridge in the breech and causes it to strike the firing pin to fire the cartridge and operate the captive bolt, the spring then returning the barrel and the cap to the inoperative position to open the breech and allow movement of the strip to remove the spent cartridge.