Collapsible Saddle Rack

Abstract

A portable and collapsible saddle rack apparatus having a frame with a member for attaching and detaching the saddle rack to a fence board, stall door, or the like. The frame has saddle supporting member hinged thereto and a supporting brace member also hinged to the frame and shaped in a manner to engage the saddle support member for locking it in place for supporting the saddle and which may be disengaged for collapsing the saddle rack. The brace member extends through the saddle support member with a portion protruding thereabove for holding the saddle on the saddle support member and for hanging bridle.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to saddle racks for supporting saddles when the saddles are not being used and especially to a saddle rack which is both collapsible and portable, which may be easily removed and transported between locations such as horse shows.

In the past it has been common to have saddle racks located in stables for hanging saddles on when the saddles are not being used, which racks may include means for hanging the saddles to the side of a wall, or a special wooden rack for placing the saddle on. It has also been common practice to hang saddles over fence rails, or the like, in between use thereof and it is common to leave the saddles lying on the ground during horse shows, or the like, between shows or when changing between horses.

There have been several prior art suggestions for providing improved saddle racks. These include U. S. Pat. No. 2,952,366, for PORTABLE RACK, which has a saddle supporting member hinged to a frame and includes a support brace for holding the saddle support member which folds to allow the saddle rack to collapse. The rack frame is adapted to be connected to a specially designed supporting bracket and the bracket must be permanently attached with nails or screws, or the like, to the supporting wall. A similar type saddle rack is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,745, except that this rack does not require a frame portion but does have a saddle supporting member and a supporting brace for holding the saddle supporting member in position. This brace folds to allow the saddle rack to collapse but is permanently attached to the supporting wall. Finally, U. S. Pat. No. 3,305,101 teaches a portable saddle rack which does not collapse but which has a supporting hook for engaging a fence rail, or the like, and which may be easily removed from the rail for transportation between locations.

The present invention is directed to a portable saddle rack which is not only collapsible and quickly disconnectable from a supporting surface for movement between locations, but which is inexpensive to manufacture, light yet sturdy, and collapses to a flatter position than the above prior art saddle racks. The saddle rack, advantageously, has a saddle support adapted to hold an English type saddle upside down for airing out and drying sweat therein since English saddles normally have the leather of the saddle in direct contact with the horse in contrast to other saddles which might have a blanket, or the like, between the leather of the saddle and the horse.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to collapsible saddle racks and especially to collapsible saddle racks which may be quickly attached and removed from walls, fence boards or similar supporting surfaces. The saddle rack has a frame member which has an attaching member attached thereto for hooking the frame to a fence board in one position but which may be rotated to expose a keyhole for engaging a lag screw, nail, or the like. A saddle support member is hinged to the frame and is supported by a brace member which is also hinged to the frame at a different point and which engages the saddle support member for locking the saddle support member into position but may be disengaged for collapsing the saddle support member and the brace member flat against the frame. The engaging support bracket extends above the saddle support member when engaged therewith for blocking the saddle from sliding off the support member and thereby avoiding having a curved saddle support member while providing an extension for hanging a bridle. The locking is accomplished by the brace member being a curved member having a narrowed bight for passing through the bight of a curved saddle support member, thereby having the weight of the saddle support member pushing down on the shoulders of the narrowing of the bight of the brace support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a study of the written description and the drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a saddle rack in accordance with the present invention; having a saddle thereon;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the saddle rack in accordance with FIG. 1 without the saddle; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a saddle rack in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 in a collapsed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention deals with a saddle rack 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 connected to a supporting surface 11 which may be a fence board, or the like, and having a saddle 12 being supported by the rack 10. The saddle rack has a main frame 13 which may be of aluminum bar stock, or the like, as illustrated, and may be U-shaped with a bracket 14 closing the U. The frame 13 has a hook-shaped member 15 attached thereto by a rivit 16 but could be attached by bolting, welding or any means desired, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The hook member easily slips over the supporting surface 11, as shown in FIG. 1, with the remainder of the frame 13 engaging the support 11 to hold the frame in place. The hook member 15, however, may be rotated on the frame 13 for engaging a nail or lag screw in a supporting wall, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. The saddle support member 17 is curved into a generally U-shape and has a pair of pins 18 for hinging members 17 to the frame 13 and has a narrowed bight portion 20. A saddle support member supporting brace 21 is also a generally curved or U-shaped design being pinned at 22 to the frame 13 for rotation on the pins 22. This bracket has a substantially narrowed bight portion 23 providing a pair of shoulders 24 thereon and is adapted to engage the saddle supporting member 17 by having the narrowed portion 23 slide through the narrowed portion 20 of the support 17 for engaging the shoulders 24 against the saddle support member 17 for holding the saddle support means in a generally horizontal position or perpendicular to the frame 13. It also provides for the narrowed portion 23 of the support brace 21 to protrude above the saddle support member 17 and thereby prevent the saddle placed thereon from sliding off the saddle support and for supporting a bridle, or the like, as more clearly illustrated in FIG. 1. Saddle rack 10 also has a protruding bracket 25 having a keyhold 26 therein and which is attached to the hook 15 and which may be rotated 90.degree. as shown in FIG. 1 for collapsing to a flatter position or for attaching the saddle rack to a nail or lag screw on a supporting surface. To collapse the saddle rack requires lifting the saddle support member 17 in an upward direction along with a brace support 21 to pull the narrowed portion 20 of the support 17 over the narrowed portion 23 of the support 21 so that the members 17 and 21 are disengaged from each other. The members 17 and 21 may then be pivoted on their hinge pins 18 and 22 respectively to fold back against the frame 13, as illustrated more clearly in FIG. 3.

It should of course be clear that this rack can be flattened even more by having the hook member 15 rotate on the pin 16 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It should also be noted that the saddle support member 17 is sized and shaped to receive an English saddle upside down for cleaning and airing the underside thereof.

The present saddle rack is easy to construct and to manufacture but is reliable and sturdy and adapted to collapse to a flatter position than prior art saddle racks, and may be used for cleaning saddles thereon. It should be clear that saddle rack can be made of any material desired, but it is contemplated that the saddle support member 17 and the supporting brace 21 will be formed of aluminum tubing flattened at the ends for the pins 18 and 22 to engage, and the frame 13 can be easily formed of aluminum or of steel bar stock, as can the reinforcing bracket 14, and hook 15 and bracket 25. Accordingly this invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed herein. These are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

I claim:

1. A collapsible saddle rack comprising in combination:

a. a frame;

b. attaching means for attaching and detaching said saddle rack to and from a support, said attaching means being connected to said frame;

c. a saddle support member hinged to said frame for movement thereon;

d. a support brace member hinged to said frame for movement thereon and having a saddle support member engaging portion for locking said saddle support member in position for supporting a saddle, and being disengagable from said saddle support member for collapsing said saddle rack by the folding of said saddle support member and supporting brace towards said frame when disengaged from each other, said supporting brace member extending through and above said saddle support member; and

e. said saddle support member being a curved member pinned to said frame, and said supporting brace being a curved member pinned to and pivoting on said frame and having narrowed bight for engaging a larger curved portion of said saddle support member, thereby holding said saddle support members on the shoulders formed by the narrowing of the bight of the support brace.

2. The saddle rack in accordance with claim 1 in which said attaching means has a hooking means rotatably attached to said frame for hooking over a fence board, or the like, in one position and having a keyhole means for attaching said saddle rack to a protruding member on a supporting surface in a second position.

3. The saddle rack in accordance with claim 1 in which said saddle support member and said supporting brace are curved aluminum tubing shaped to accept an English saddle upside down whereby said underside of said saddle can be cleaned and aired.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said attaching means has a generally U-shaped bracket which acts as a hook when placed over a fence board and has one side with opening therein for connection to said protruding member when said bracket is rotated approximately 90 degrees to aline said opening therein with said protruding member.