U.S. patent application number 09/799399 was filed with the patent office on 2001-07-19 for method of banding the mane of a horse and apparatus therefor.
Invention is credited to Sloan, Stewart E..
Application Number | 20010008065 09/799399 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23818886 |
Filed Date | 2001-07-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010008065 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sloan, Stewart E. |
July 19, 2001 |
Method of banding the mane of a horse and apparatus therefor
Abstract
A method of banding the mane of a horse is described as well as
the apparatus for performing the method. The method of banding the
mane of the horse is made possible by a staple gun having generally
U-shaped staples provided therein which are stapled around
individual groups of hairs. The method comprises the steps of
separating the horse's mane into individual mane groups and at
least partially encircling each mane group with a selectively
removable staple to maintain the mane groups separate from one
another.
Inventors: |
Sloan, Stewart E.; (Omaha,
NE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ZARLEY MCKEE THOMTE VOORHEES & SEASE PLC
SUITE 3200
801 GRAND AVENUE
DES MOINES
IA
50309-2721
US
|
Family ID: |
23818886 |
Appl. No.: |
09/799399 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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09799399 |
Mar 5, 2001 |
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09457987 |
Dec 9, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
54/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K 13/00 20130101;
A01K 13/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
54/1 |
International
Class: |
B68B 001/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. The method of banding the mane of a horse, comprising the steps
of: separating the horse's mane into individual mane groups; and at
least partially encircling each mane group with a selectively
removable staple to maintain the mane groups separate from one
another.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the removable staple is secured to
each of the mane groups by means of a staple gun.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein each mane group is substantially
encircled by a staple.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the staple is coated with a
non-metallic material.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a divisional application of Petitioner's earlier
application Ser. No. 09/457,987 filed Dec. 9, 1999, entitled "A
METHOD OF BANDING THE MANE OF A HORSE AND APPARATUS THEREFOR".
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a method of banding the mane of a
horse whereby a stapler apparatus is used rather than individual
rubber bands or the like.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Persons showing horses frequently band the manes of the
horse so that the mane is more aesthetically pleasing. The
conventional method of banding the mane of the horse is to separate
the mane into individual groups of hairs with a rubber band or
bands then being extended around each of those groups close to the
neck of the horse. The conventional method of utilizing rubber
bands to band the mane of a horse is extremely time-consuming and
is a laborious task.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A method of banding the mane of a horse and apparatus
therefor is disclosed to enable the mane of the horse to be more
quickly and easily banded without the use of the conventional
rubber bands. The apparatus for performing the method comprises a
mane banding staple gun having a handle portion with a body portion
extending forwardly from the upper end thereof. A staple magazine
is provided in the body portion for containing a plurality of
staples and for supplying successive staples to the forward end of
the body portion. An actuator assembly is movably mounted in the
body portion for discharging a staple from the forward end of the
body portion and for causing the staple to encircle and embrace a
portion of the horse's mane to band the same. A trigger assembly is
operatively connected to the actuator assembly for selectively
operating the same.
[0007] The method of banding the mane of a horse comprises the
steps of: (1) separating the horse's mane into individual mane
groups; and (2) at least partially encircling each mane group with
a selectively removable staple to maintain each of the mane groups
separate from one another.
[0008] It is therefore a principal object of the invention to
provide an improved method of banding the mane of a horse.
[0009] Another object of the invention is to provide a staple gun
which is used in the banding process.
[0010] Still another object of the invention is to provide a method
of banding the mane of a horse which is much less time-consuming
than the conventional rubber band method of banding the mane.
[0011] Still another object of the invention is to provide a staple
gun for banding the mane of a horse which is convenient and safe to
use.
[0012] These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in
the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is front perspective view of the staple gun which is
utilized in the method of this invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side view of the staple gun of this invention
with portions thereof cut away to more fully illustrate the
invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an end view illustrating the unfastened staple
positioned adjacent a group of mane hairs;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 except that the staple
has been closed around the group of mane hairs;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 except that a modified
form of the staple is disclosed; and
[0018] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 except that it
illustrates a modified form of the staple.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] The mane banding staple gun (stapler) of this invention is
referred to generally by the reference numeral 10. Gun 10 includes
a handle or handle grip portion 12 having a trigger 14 pivotally
connected thereto by means of pin 15 to enable the trigger to be
moved between its inactive forward position (FIG. 1) and the
rearward position illustrated in FIG. 2. Gun 10 includes a barrel
or body portion 16 which extends forwardly from the upper end of
handle 12 and which has an open forward end 18 partially closed by
a staple retaining plate 20.
[0020] As seen in FIG. 2, arm 22 is pivotally connected at its
lower end to trigger 14 within handle 12 at 24 and is pivotally
connected at its upper end to plate 26 at 28. Plate 26 is pivotally
mounted to the barrel portion 16 in the interior thereof at 30. The
upper forward end 32 of plate 26 engages a roller 33 which is
rotatably mounted on the rearward end of an elongated,
longitudinally movable arm or shaft 34 which is biased rearwardly
by means of spring assembly 36. The forward end of shaft 34 is
tapered at 38 for engagement with roller 40 which is mounted on the
upper end of a vertically movable actuator 42 which is biased
upwardly by means of spring 44. When shaft 34 is moved forwardly as
trigger 14 is depressed, the tapered portion 38 of shaft 34 engages
roller 40, thereby moving actuator 42 downwardly against the
resiliency of spring 42. When trigger 14 is released, spring 44
urges actuator 42 upwardly which in turn causes shaft 34 to be
moved rearwardly which in turn moves trigger 14 to its forward
position. In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the
lower end 46 of actuator 42 is flat while in the form of the
invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lower end 46A of actuator 42
is arcuate, as will be explained in more detail hereinafter.
[0021] A staple magazine 48 is provided in barrel portion 16 for
containing a plurality of staples 50 therein in a side-by-side
relationship in the manner of most staple guns. A spring assembly
52 is mounted in barrel portion 16 rearwardly of the staples 50 for
urging the staples 50 towards the forward end 18 of gun 10 in
conventional fashion. The magazine 48 is loaded at 54 in
conventional fashion. In the preferred embodiment, staple 50 has a
flat upper end 56, leg portions 58 and 60 which extend downwardly
and outwardly from the ends of upper end 56, and leg portions 62
and 64 which extend downwardly and inwardly from the lower ends of
leg portions 58 and 60, respectively. In an alternative embodiment
of FIGS. 5 and 6, the staple 50A seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 includes an
arcuate upper end 66, and arcuate leg portions 68 and 70 extending
downwardly from opposite ends thereof. It is preferred that staples
50 and 50A either be comprised of a rubber material or be comprised
of a metal material embedded in rubber so that injury to the horse
or horse's mane will not occur.
[0022] When staple 50 is utilized, the interior wall surfaces 72
and 74 of the forward end of the gun have inwardly and downwardly
extending shoulders 76 and 78 provided at the lower ends thereof
which are adapted to prevent the forwardmost staple 50 in magazine
48 from dropping downwardly therefrom. When actuator 42 is moved
downwardly from the position of FIG. 3 to the position of FIG. 4,
the engagement of the staple with the shoulders 76 and 78 causes
the leg portions 62 and 64 of staple 50 to be bent inwardly beneath
the group G. When staple 50A is utilized, the shoulders 76 and 78
also cause the lower ends of the staple to be deflected inwardly
beneath the group G, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Retaining plate 20
prevents the forwardmost staple 56 from being ejected from the gun
until the staple 56 has been moved downwardly from the magazine 48
by the actuator 42.
[0023] When the mane of the horse is to be banded, the mane will
normally be combed to remove all of the snarls therefrom. A comb is
then used to separate the mane to individual groups of hairs G. The
staple gun 10 is then maneuvered to the position of FIG. 3 so that
the forwardmost staple 50 or 50A in the staple magazine partially
extends around an individual group G. Trigger 14 is then depressed,
which causes actuator 42 to move downwardly from the positions of
FIGS. 3 and 5 to the positions of FIGS. 4 and 6 so that the staple
will be clamped around the group G. The process is repeated until
the entire mane has been banded.
[0024] The method of this invention and the staple gun utilized in
performing the method represent a significant advance in the mane
banding art in that the use of the time-consuming rubber band
method of banding the horse's mane has been eliminated.
[0025] Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least
all of its stated objectives.
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