U.S. patent number RE32,547 [Application Number 06/911,882] was granted by the patent office on 1987-11-24 for animal exercising harness.
Invention is credited to Max Reed, Robert C. Reed.
United States Patent |
RE32,547 |
Reed , et al. |
November 24, 1987 |
Animal exercising harness
Abstract
An exercising device for animals, such as dogs, horses, and the
like, comprises a harness for attachment to the chest region of the
animal. First and second leg bands are attached to the rear legs of
the animal at its hocks, and an elastic cord interconnects these
first and second leg bands with the harness through a pulley
attached to the harness in the chest region of the animal. The
length and tension of the elastic cord are selected to cause
additional dynamic tension to be applied between the rear legs and
the chest of the animal when the animal is walking and running,
while at the same time permitting normal movement of the animal.
Thus, increased exercise and muscle build-up of the animal occurs
under all conditions of exercise of such animal.
Inventors: |
Reed; Robert C. (Scottsdale,
AZ), Reed; Max (Scottsdale, AZ) |
Family
ID: |
27089737 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/911,882 |
Filed: |
September 26, 1986 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
624698 |
Jun 26, 1984 |
04528944 |
Jul 16, 1985 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
119/702; 119/818;
482/124; 54/71 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K
15/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01K
27/00 (20060101); A01K 015/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;119/96,126,127,128,29
;54/71 ;128/25B ;272/94,96,116,125,135,139,140,142 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2304284 |
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Nov 1976 |
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FR |
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18341 |
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1908 |
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GB |
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Primary Examiner: Swiatek; Robert P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Ptak; Lavalle D.
Claims
We claim:
1. An exercising device for animals, including in combination:
harness means for attachment to the chest region of an animal, said
harness means comprising a body encircling portion located behind
the front legs of the animal and encircling the lower chest and
shoulder thereof, a chest strap connected to said body encircling
portion and extending over the front of the chest of the animal
below the neck region, and connecting straps extending from the top
of said body encircling portion on opposite sides of the animal to
a location near the front of said chest strap;
first and second leg bands for attachment to the rear legs of the
animal;
means for resiliently interconnecting said first and second leg
bands with the central portion of said chest strap of said harness
means to cause added tension to be applied between the rear legs
and the chest of the animal when the animal is walking and running,
while at the same time, permitting normal movement of such
animal.
2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said resilient
interconnecting means applies a predetermined spring tension
between the legs and chest of the animal when the animal is walking
and running, with removal of said tension when the animal is a
standing or relaxed position.
3. The combination according to claim 1, further including means
for attaching a leash to said harness means.
4. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said leash
attaching means is attached to the top of said harness means.
5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said first and
second leg bands are adapted to be placed on the hocks of the rear
legs of the animal.
6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said resilient
interconnecting means applies a predetermined spring tension
between the legs and chest of the animal when the animal is walking
and running, with removal of said tension when the animal is a
standing or relaxed position.
7. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said added tension
provided by said resilient interconnecting means is a predetermined
added tension.
8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said resilient
interconnecting means comprises elastic cord means.
9. The combination according to claim 8, further including pulley
means attached to the central portion of said chest strap of said
harness means, and wherein said elastic cord means comprises a
single elastic cord connected from said first leg band through said
pulley means to said second leg band.
10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said elastic cord
has the unextended length thereof selected to cause the animal to
stand with one hind leg forward of the other when no tension is
applied to said cord, so that during walking and running, said
elastic cord is stretched to apply said predetermined added
tension.
11. The combination according to claim 10, further including means
for releasably attaching said pulley means to said harness and for
releasably attaching said cord to said first and second leg
bands.
12. The combination according to claim 11 wherein said first and
second leg bands are adapted to be placed on the hocks of the rear
legs of the animal.
13. The combination according to claim 12 wherein said
predetermined tension is adjustable from a minimum amount to an
increased amount. .Iadd.
14. An exercising device to be worn on a body, including in
combination:
harness means for attachment to the chest region of the body, said
harness means comprising a body encircling portion, a chest strap
connected to said body encircling portion and extending over the
front of the chest below the neck region, and connecting straps
extending from said body encircling portion over the shoulders on
opposite sides of the neck to said chest strap;
first and second leg bands for attachment to the legs; and
means for resiliently interconnecting said first and second leg
bands with said chest strap of said harness means to cause added
tension to be applied between the legs and the chest during walking
and running, while at the same time permitting normal movement.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The combination according to claim 14 wherein
said resilient interconnecting means applies a predetermined spring
tension between the legs and chest during walking and running.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The combination according to claim 14 wherein
said added tension provided by said resilient interconnecting means
is a predetermined added tension. .Iaddend.
.Iadd. The combination according to claim 16 wherein said resilient
interconnecting means comprises elastic cord means. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.18. The combination according to claim 17 further including
pulley means attached to the central portion of said chest strap of
said harness means, and wherein said elastic cord means comprises a
single elastic cord connected from said first leg band through said
pulley means to said second leg band. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. The
combination according to claim 18 wherein said predetermined
tension is adjustable from a minimum amount to an increased amount.
.Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Throughout the world, dogs are kept as pets; and on farms and
ranches, dogs are frequently trained for performing a variety of
useful work tasks. In addition, sportsmen, particularly bird
hunters, long have trained dogs to assist them in hunting by
locating and retrieving game. In addition, it is becoming
increasingly popular to breed dogs for competition in dog shows,
where the conformation and other characteristics of the dogs are
judged according to pre-established standards.
Most dogs are very active animals. To maintain them in their peak
physical condition, most require a great deal of exercise.
Unfortunately, with increasing numbers of dogs being kept in homes
or apartments in cities, the necessary exercise to keep a dog in
such peak physical condition becomes increasingly difficult to
obtain. Most city dwellers do not have room to allow their dogs to
roam over a wide territory. In fact, in most cities, "leash laws"
and other legal limitations severely restrict the movement and
freedom which dogs have. The result of this is that many dogs
presently kept as pets today, and trained for exhibit in dog shows
or for use as hunting dogs and the like, are in poor physical
condition. This frequently results in two extreme types of conduct
on the part of the dog. Some dogs become very hyperactive and it is
nearly impossible to keep them in the confined environment to which
they are subjected. As a result, they are difficult to train and
discipline. Other dogs react to reduced exercise restrictions in an
opposite manner and become very lethargic or lazy and tired. Both
of these conditions are abnormal and undesirable.
For show dogs, the lack of exercise generally is manifested in poor
physical conformation with the resultant poor placements in dog
shows in which such dogs are entered. Consequently, it is desirable
to find some way to avoid the results of insufficient exercise.
With the increased popularity of horseback-riding and the breeding
and raising of horses for competition in horse shows, a similar
situation also arises with respect to horses. Many horse owners
keep horses in locations which make it impossible to properly
exercise the horse. It is well-known that a horse required a
relatively large area in which to run if the animal is to be
maintained in peak physical condition. Unfortunately, many horses
are kept on relatively small pieces of property in or near large
cities, which precludes them from obtaining the necessary normal
exercise which they would obtain if raised in locations where they
have a relatively large area in which to roam or to be ridden.
It also has been found in the training of both dogs and horses that
it sometimes is necessary to employ some type of restraining device
in order to facilitate and implement the desired training. To this
end, a variety of training or restraining devices have been
developed in the past. In the case of horses which are subject to
kicking (particularly with their rear legs), and with respect to
hyperactive dogs or dogs which jump over fences used to confine
them, a variety of restraining devices have been developed in the
past.
One such dog-restraining harness for the purpose of absolutely
limiting the rearward movement of the dog's legs relative to the
rest of its body (to keep it from jumping out of an enclosure) is
disclosed in the patent of Flynt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,264. The
restraining harness disclosed in this patent includes loops which
extend from the collar around the dog's neck under its chest to the
back legs. The harness is inextendable and absolutely limits the
rearward movements of the dog's legs to prevent it from jumping.
Another dog harness employing a similar principle (but for both the
front and back legs) is disclosed in the patent to Moyle, U.S. Pat.
No. 3,534,727. Once again, inextendable straps are connected to a
harness and around all four legs of the dog to limit the movement
of the dog's legs. This is for the purpose of fettering the dog to
keep it from running fast or to prevent it from jumping over fences
and the like. Since the devices of both of these patents restrain
normal movement of the dogs, they are not helpful in exercising the
dog to build muscle tone or strength, and in addition, are
uncomfortable to the dog. While they may serve the limited purpose
of a very narrow specific training function (that is, preventing
jumping), they are of no overall general value in the exercising
and developing of the dogs on which they are used.
Training harnesses or movement-restricting harnesses of the general
type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,264 Flynt also have been
developed for use in training or restraining horses. Six patents
which disclose somewhat similar devices for this purpose are the
patents to Forsyte, U.S. Pat. No. 730,360; Weathers U.S. Pat. No.
580,965; Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 216,705; Moose, U.S. Pat. No.
369,294; Fales, U.S. Pat. No. 382,869; and Whitten, U.S. Pat. No.
389,683. All of these patents are similar. All of them use an
inextendable restraining rope or strap extending from the hock on
one hind leg through a ring or pulley to the hock on the other hind
leg of the horse. The ring or pulley is connected to a harness over
the middle of the horse (similar to a girth), or to a collar around
the neck of the horse.
The devices are used to prevent the horses from kicking to the rear
or to prevent unwanted movement of the legs of the horse. None of
these devices, however, are effective for building muscle tone or
for exercising the horse on which they are used.
It is desirable to provide an exercising harness .[.for animals,
such as dogs and horses,.]. which may be comfortably worn .[.by the
animal.]. and which is capable of exercising .[.the animal.]. to
build muscle tone in confined spaces or in relatively short periods
of time. Such a device also must be such that it is easy to
install, simple in construction, nor harmful .[.to the dog or horse
in any way,.]. and it must permit normal .[.let and body.].
movement .[.of the animal being exercised.]..
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an
improved harness.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved
exercising harness .[.for animals.]..
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved
exercising harness which is particularly useful with dogs.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an exercising
harness for animals which permits normal movement of the animal's
legs, while at the same time, creating forces which improve the
muscle tone and strength of the animal.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a dynamic
tension exercising device for animals, such as dogs and horses.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide an
exercising harness for animals, such as dogs, which produces
dynamic tension between the rear legs of the animal and the chest
region of the animal to effect muscle build-up and exercising of
the animal in a limited length of time and in limited space.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, an
exercising device .[.for animals.]. includes a harness for
attachment to the chest region .[.of the animal.].. First and
second leg bands are attached to the .[.rear.]. legs .[.of the
animal.].. The first and second leg bands then are attached with
the harness by means of resilient interconnections which cause
added tension to be applied between the .[.rear.]. legs and the
chest .[.of the animal.]. when .[.the animal is.]. walking and
running in an otherwise normal manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention in place on a
dog;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
and
FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show alternative details of a portion of the
device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference now should be made to the drawings in which the same
reference numbers are used in the different figures to designate
the same or similar components. The drawings illustrate an
exercising harness for exercising a dog (as shown in FIG. 1) or a
horse, by employing the principles of dynamic tension. This
exercising device is capable of producing substantial muscle
build-up and exercising of the animal on which it is used in a
limited length of time and in limited space.
In FIG. 1, a dog 10 is shown with an exercising harness in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention on the dog
10 in position ready for exercise. The device comprises a harness
12 including a body-encircling strap 14, having male 15 and female
16 portions of an adjustable Velcro.TM. fastener on it to
accommodate dogs of different girth. This fastener is shown most
clearly in FIG. 2. The body-encircling strap 14 is made to be
placed around the body or torso of the dog 10 immediately behind
its front legs. A chest-encircling strap 17 then is connected to
opposite sides of the strap 14 to extend forwardly around the chest
of the dog 10. This strap further is held in place and secured to
the body-encircling strap 14 by a pair of shoulder straps 20 and
21. These straps extend from a central location on the top of the
body-encirclng strap 14 where they cross over one another to
terminate on opposite sides of the chest strap 17. A downwardly
depending pulley strap 23 is attached to the center of the chest
strap 17 to overlie the lower front of the chest region of the dog
10, as shown most clearly in FIG. 1. A loop 24 for attachine a
leash is secured to the top of the body-encircling strap 14, so
that a conventional leash 27 may be attached for controlling the
dog in a normal manner.
The harness which has been described thus far is, to this point, a
typical dog harness which can be used in a normal manner for
exercising the dog. If, however, improved muscle build-up and
extensive exercise in a relatively short period of time is desired,
the remaining components shown in the drawing are employed. These
additional components include a spring clip attached swivel pulley
29 which is connected to the lower end of the strap 23 and hangs
downwardly from that end to a location just below the front chest
region of the dog between its front legs. Once again, this is shown
most clearly in FIG. 1. A pair of hock-encircling straps 30 and 31
are attached to opposite ends of an elastic cord 33 which passes
over the pulley 29 (as shown most clearly in FIG. 2). The straps 31
are removably attached to the hocks on the rear legs of the dog (or
horse) in the manner shown in FIG. 1.
The attachment of the straps 30 and 31 may be accomplished in a
number of different ways, some of which are shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and
5. For example, in the arrangement illustrated in detail in FIG. 3,
the elastic cord 33 may be removably attached to one side of the
hock-encircling straps 30 and 31, as shown in FIG. 2, by means of a
spring clip 35 attached to a ring 37 which passes through an eyelet
in one end of the corresponding strap 30 and 31. Prior to attaching
the clip 35 to the ring, however, the strap 30 or 31 is placed over
the dog's hock with the opening 38 located as shown in FIG. 1. The
ring 37 then is pulled through the slot 36 in the other end of the
strap 30 or 31. When the clips 35 have tension applied to them by
the cord 33, the straps are held snugly in place on the dog's
hocks.
The length of the elastic cord 33, which passes from one strap 30
through the pulley 29 to the other strap 31, is selected to be such
that in its relaxed or lowest tension state, the dog must stand
with one rear leg forward of the other (as shown in FIG. 1) if no
tension or only minimum tension is to be exerted through the
elastic cord 33 between the rear legs of the dog and its chest.
When the dog is walked, with the device in place as described
above, the elastic cord 33 is stretched from a point of minimum
tension to a point of maximum tension as the dog's stride changes,
creating a dynamic tension or pull between the back legs of the dog
and its chest.
Practically all of the muscles of the dog are exercised during the
course of a simple walk with the device attached. The cord 33
alternately stretches and retracts (as indicated by the arrows in
FIG. 1) to produce the tension which builds up the dog's strength.
The result is a muscular toning and building-up of the back legs,
back muscles, withers, chest, front legs, and the forecrest or
region between the front legs of the dog.
To facilitate installation and removal of the exercising portion of
the device shown in the drawings, a spring clip is used to attach
the pulley 29, and a variety of removable fasteners may be used in
conjunction with the straps 30 and 31 to attach the cord 33 to the
rear legs of the dog. One of these variations has been described in
conjunction with FIG. 3. Another variation of this attachment is
shown in FIG. 4. Here, a standard spring-loaded clip is passed
through the ring 37. The other end of the clip is secured to the
cord 33 in any suitable manner, such as by attaching it directly to
the loop or ring in the end of the clip 40.
For a given dog with a given tension or cord 33, the length of the
cord may be adjusted initially and permanently attached to the
straps 30 and 31 by means of the clips 35 or 40. Normally, however,
it is desirable to be able to adjust the length of the cord 33.
This permits the device to be used on different dogs and also
permits an increase or decrease in the amount of tension to be used
for a given dog. For example, when exercising of the dog first
commences, a relatively light tension is desirable. As the dog's
strength and muscle tone improves, however, it may be desirable to
increase the amount of tension produced by the cord 33 to thereby
continuously build up the strength of the dog by a series of
stages. The ultimate tension which is applied by the cord 33 in
such an exercise program would be far too great for the same dog
before it entered into the exercise program provided by the
device.
To permit this adjustability of the length of the cord 33, a number
of different techniques may be used. One of these is illustrated in
FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, an open spring clip 45 is shown connected to the
ring 37 of the hock strap 30 in the same manner as the clip 40 of
FIG. 4. A rubber or neoprene sleeve 46, in the form of an elongated
open-ended cylinder, is placed over a loop in the end of the cord
33, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5. In the dotted line
position, the sleeve 46 is illustrated in the "unlocked" position
of operation. In this position, the open loop in the cord 33 is
passed through the opening in the clip 45 to be located in the
position illustrated in FIG. 5. The length of the cord 33 then is
adjusted by feeding or pulling the end of the cord 33 passing
through the pulley 29 into or out of the sleeve 46, while
oppositely pulling or feeding the free end of the cord 33 also
simultaneously through the sleeve 46. When the desired length is
achieved, the sleeve 46 is slid into the solid line position shown
in FIG. 5, where it produces a tight frictional engagement between
the clip 45 and the bight or enlarged loop in the end of the cord
33 to securely hold the cord 33 in place. At the same time, the
opening in the clip 45 is closed or sealed by the sleeve 46. There
are other techniques which may be used to accomplish this
adjustability. What is important, however, is not the manner of
making the adjustment but the capability of making such an
adjustment. It is apparent that for a cord 33 of a given
elasticity, the pull or tension which is exerted by the animal
increases in direct proportion to decreases in the total length of
the cord 33, which extends between the two hock straps 30 and 31
through the pulley 39.
By use of any of the connecting devices for the hock straps 30 and
31 and the spring clip attached pulley 29, it is apparent that the
exercising device portion of the exercising harness quickly and
easily may be attached to the dog and the harness portion for
exercising, and just as quickly and easily, may be removed when the
exercising function no longer is desired. When the spring clip
holding the pulley 29 is operate to release the pulley, and the
hock straps 30 and 31 are removed, the remainder of the harness may
be used in conjunction with the leash 27 in a conventional
manner.
The result which is attained by the exercising device which has
been described is akin to that which would be accomplished by
attaching a heavy weight by means of a rope to the lower end of the
strap 23 and then causing the dog to walk or run forward while
dragging the weight. That, of course, is impractical.
Another advantage of the exercising device which has been described
is that when the dog wishes to rest, it readily may do so by lying
down in the normal manner. When this is done, there is no tension
on any portion of the cord 33. The dog also may rest (without
tension) or by standing as illustrated in FIG. 1, with one leg
slightly forward of the other. Thus, it is possible for the dog to
reach points of absolute rest without tension, without
necessitating removal of the cord 33 from its attachment to the
exercising device.
The device, as illustrated in the drawing and as described above,
is to be considered as illustrative only of the invention. Various
changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art.
For example, fasteners other than the Velcro fastener 15 and 16
shown in FIG. 2 may be used for the chest-encircling strap. Also,
as mentioned previously, a variety of different techniques may be
used to adjust the length of the cord 33. The adjustability may be
accomplished at one or both of the hock straps 30 and 31. The
particular construction of the harness portion of the device which
is illustrated in FIG. 1 also may be varied. It is important,
however, for the chest-encircling strap 17 or its equivalent to
pass over the chest region of the dog and to be held in place when
tension is exerted downwardly on it when the device is in use.
* * * * *