Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
"SADDLE RACK"
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to saddle racks and, more
particularly, to portable, ventilated and stackable saddle racks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Saddles provide support for a rider and protect the back of a horse,
and as such are an essential piece of equestrian equipment. Some of the
relevant
parts of a saddle are the skeleton or saddle tree, shaped to clear the horse's
backbone; the saddle flaps on -the sides; the pommel at the front edge; the
cantle at
the rear edge; and the padded panels, which run the length of the saddle under
the
tree, between the pommel and the cantle. Saddles are generally the most
expensive equipment a rider requires. They are bulky and awkward to carry and
store, but if not properly supported during storage, they may lose their shape
or
become scarred. The padding next to the horse's body is often damp from sweat,
and may mould if not properly aired. Arrangements must be made to properly
store
saddles both long-term, in a house, bam or other building; and temporarily,
during
transport or while awaiting use at a horse show, in an arena or ring, or in
the field.
Various types of saddle racks are known. Many are made of metal
pipe, including US 5,259,521 (issued Nov. 9,1993) (Shaffer et al.), CA 963878
(issued Mar. 4,1975) (Wilmoth). US 3,780,971 (issued Dec. 25, 1973) (Filipps),
EP:
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
GB 2197781 (published June 2, 1988) (Wilson), EP: GB 2097239 (published Nov.
3, 1982) (Safran) and US 3,305,101 (issued Feb. 21, 1967) (Mills) or metal
slats,
such as US 4,768,656 (issued Sep. 6,1988) (Hartley). Metal racks are strong
and
usually provide ventilation and some are relatively easy to manufacture but
they
may damage the padding and may not properly support the saddle. Many saddle
racks project horizontally from a vertical structure such as a wall, including
the racks
of US 2,953,252 (issued Sept. 20,1960) (Koontz), US D 277,989 (issued Mar. 12,
1985) (Wakat), US Pub. No. 2004/0182803 (published Sept. 23, 2004) (Lay et
al.),
CA 1075207 (issued Apr. 8,1980) (Reti), US 5,058,841 (issued Oct. 22, 1991)
(Fernbaugh et al.), and EP: FR 2739435 (published Apr. 4, 1997) (Turpin). If
properly constructed these saddle racks may provide support in permanent
locations, or sometimes during transportation, but are not readily portable to
hold
the saddle while awaiting use ringside or in the field.
Other saddle racks rest on the floor and hold saddles or other
equipment. Most of these are made of wood, such as US 5,165,553 (issued Nov.
24, 1992) (Benson), GB 2,309,890 (published August 13,1997) (Beasley et al.),
US
D 284,122 (issued Jun. 3,1986) (Kizen), and US 4,432,459 (issued Feb. 21,
1984)
(Coldren) and meant for indoor use, but cannot easily be carried with the
saddles in
place and used as a free-standing saddle-holder. Wooden racks can be heavy,
and
may damage padding. Some saddle racks, including US 2,809,755 (issued Oct. 15,
1957) (Martorello), US 6,616,152 (issued Sep. 9, 2003) (Oliver), US D 221,871
(issued Sept. 14, 1971) (Pearce), EP: FR 2603856 (published March 18,1988)
(Derenne), and US 5,791,668 (issued Aug. 11, 1998) (Lenardson) have wheels,
but
2
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
these are often more expensive, bulky, and difficult to manufacture, store and
transport. Previous saddle holders that were made of plastic such as US
6,206,207
(issued May 27, 2001) (Kelley) and US 5,361,929 (issued Nov. 8, 1994) (McLain
et
al.) were lightweight and provided support to the saddle panels but did not
allow the
padding to dry out during storage, so the saddles were vulnerable to mould.
What is desired therefore is a saddle rack which overcomes the
limitations and problems of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a saddle rack
comprising a moulded body portion curved in cross section, said body portion
being
moulded to correspond to the underside of a saddle and having oppositely
disposed
end walls, said body being formed from relatively light but hard material
formed to
provide means for supporting a saddle; and preferably legs to support said
body
portion having a keyed slide thereon, the body of said saddle 'rack being
coupled
slidably, via a key-way slot, to said keyed slide.
The present invention is also directed to a saddle rack with legs
having a length such that saddles just clear the ground. Said legs may be
adapted
to prevent their removal from the body of the saddle rack once the rack is
assembled. There may preferably be handles on each end of the body of the rack
each adapted to serve as a holder for the bridle and halter. Extra storage may
be
provided by baskets or trays. The saddle rack may preferably be formed from
fiberglass or injection moulded plastic, preferably with UV protection.
Preferably,
3
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
the bodies and legs of the saddle racks are nestable for storage and display.
The
body of the saddle rack is preferably of a webbed or perforated design to
assist in
ventilating the underside of a saddle resting on the rack.
Advantages of the various embodiments of the invention over the prior
art include:
1) a webbed or perforated design so that the saddle and its padding
can breathe and dry quickly after use, preventing the moulding common to
saddles
stored on plastic saddle racks of the prior art;
2) lightweight and useable indoors or out, unlike wooden saddle racks;
3) easily carried with the saddle in place.
4) provides good support to all parts of the saddle, unlike tubular metal
racks, so that the saddle retains its shape;
5) inexpensive to manufacture, being preferably made of injection
moulded plastic;
6) inexpensive to ship and store, as the legs are not attached until the
point of use, and the parts are stackable and nestable as well as light.
This and other advantages will become more readily apparent from
the attached more detailed description of the saddle rack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
4
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present
invention, designed for an English saddle;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and back elevational views of the embodiment
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 5 and 6 are top and bottom views of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present
invention, designed for a Western saddle;
FIGS. 8 and 9 are front and back elevational views of the embodiment
of FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 7;
FIGS. 11 and 12 are top and bottom views of the embodiment of FIG.
7;
FIG 13 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG 14 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 13;
FIGS. 15 to 18 are various additional views of the embodiment of FIG.
13, with FIGS 17 and 18 providing detailed views of the leg attachment;
FIGS. 19 to 25 are various views of a fourth embodiment of the
present invention, with FIGS 22 and 23 illustrating stacking of two saddle
racks and
FIGS 24 and 25 providing detailed views of the leg attachment;
5
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
FIGS. 26 and 27 are perspective views of a fifth embodiment of the
present invention, with FIG. 27 illustrating stacking of two saddle racks;
FIGS. 28 and 29 are perspective views of a sixth embodiment of the
present invention, with FIG. 29 illustrating stacking of two saddle racks;
FIGS. 30 to 39 are various views of a seventh embodiment of the
present invention, with FIGS 36 and 37 providing detailed views of the leg
attachment and FIGS 38 and 39 illustrating stacking of two saddle racks;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference is to be had to the Figures in which identical reference
numbers identify similar components.
Referring to the Figures generally, the present invention is of a saddle
rack or holder (1) preferably constructed of a lightweight but strong plastic
injected
into a mould. The rack (1) generally comprises an upper surface or body (10)
disposed between end walls (11) and is preferably supported by legs (12).
Preferably, the upper surface or body (10) of the saddle rack (1) is of a
webbed (18)
or perforated (18o) design within a heavier framework (16), the whole curved
in
cross section and shaped to fit the underside of a saddle (not shown). More
preferably, the body (10) of the saddle rack (1) is of a shape and size such
that a
plurality of them can be nested or stacked together to fit into a box for
shipping.
6
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
The body (10) may be constructed using any appropriate material, most
desirably a
light-weight but strong plastic, and may be formed by injection moulding.
In a preferred embodiment, the body (10) is supported by detachable
legs (12), which may also nest together and be snapped into place upon
assembly
of the rack (1). Preferably, the legs (12) are sized so that the flaps of
larger saddles
will just clear the ground. More preferably, the legs (12) slidably engage
with the
body (10) of the saddle holder (1). The legs (12) may be slidably coupled to
the
body (10) through a keyed slide (13) on the leg (12), and key-way slot
mechanism
(14) on the body (10). See Figs. 17-18, 24-25 and 36-37 for three different
embodiments of the keyed slide (13) and key-way slot mechanism (14). Even more
preferably, the keyed slide 13 further comprises tabs (13t) to insert in, or
engage
with, corresponding openings (14o) in the key-way slot mechanism (14), thereby
providing additional frictional engagement between the legs (12) and body (10)
and
thereby reducing the likelihood that the legs (12) will accidentally detach
when a
rack (1) is lifted from the ground; see Figs. 17-18 and 36-37. Alternatively
the body
(10) and legs (12) are of a unitary moulded construction.
Preferably, handles (20) are advantageously positioned at each end of
the body (10), so that the saddle and saddle rack (1) may be easily carried
from
place to place. The handles (20) preferably are formed as extensions of the
end
walls (11) of said body (10), curved in cross section or otherwise shaped to
provide
means for supporting a bridle and halter and keeping them off the floor or
ground;
see Figs. 1-12 and 30-39. Altematively, handles may be formed by indentations
or
recesses in the end walls (11) at each end of the body (10); see Figs. 26-29.
7
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
More preferably, baskets (22), for other equestrian equipment, are
releasably mounted across or between paired legs (12) of the saddle rack (1)
at
either end, to hold other equestrian equipment and provide additional
stability to the
legs (12); see Figs. 1-4, 7 and 30 - 34. These baskets (22) are preferably
shaped
so that, when detached from the rack (1), they may be nested or stacked
together
for ease of shipping and storage.
Stacking embodiments:
In some of the embodiments, the body (10) of the saddle rack (1) is of
a generally hollow or concave shape with the underside (15) of suitable
dimensions
and shape so as to receive the upper side of a second saddle rack (1'). In
these
embodiments a first saddle rack (1) may be stacked or nested upon the body of
a
second rack (1'). Additional racks (not shown) may likewise be added to the
stack.
See Figs. 15, 21-23, 27, 29, 35 and 38-39 for various stacking saddle
rack embodiments, with components of the second rack (1') generally being
referenced with identical reference numbers, to those used for the first rack
(1), and
then followed with the prime (') symbol; so as to easily identify similar
components
on each of the two racks (1 and 1'); e.g. the webbed area (18) on the first
rack (1)
and the webbed area (18') on the second rack (1').
Ventilated embodiments:
In some of the embodiments, the body (10) has a solid frame (16) for
strength, supporting larger webbed areas (18) designed to provide both support
and
8
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
ventilation to a saddle (not shown) placed on the saddle rack (1).
Alternatively
perforations, holes or openings (18o) may be provided in place of, or in
addition to,
the webbed areas (18), to supply ventilation or augment the ventilation
provided by
the webbed areas (18).
English and Western saddle embodiments:
Figures 1 to 6 generally illustrate an embodiment suitable to hold an
English saddle while Figures 7 to 12 generally illustrate an embodiment
suitable to
hold a Western saddle.
As seen most readily in Figures 1 and 4, it has been found
advantageous when manufacturing the saddle holder (1) for English saddles if
the
length (24) of the holder (10) is 24 inches, the height (26) is 10 3/4 inches,
and the
length (28) of the legs (12) is 22'h inches. In Figures 2, 3 and 5, it can be
seen that
the width (30) of the saddle holder (10) is advantageously 17 inches front and
back
to support an English saddle. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 6,
the
frame (16) is 3 inches wide lengthwise along the apex of the saddle holder
(32), and
1'h inches wide elsewhere, including around the edges (34) and in a lateral
support
(36) (see Figure 5).
An embodiment of the rack (1) suitable for Western saddles is
illustrated in Figures 7 and 10; with optional baskets (22) only shown in
Figure 7. It
has been found advantageous when manufacturing the saddle holder (10) for
Western saddles if the length (38) of the holder (10) is 29 inches, the height
at the
9
CA 02532601 2006-01-11
front end (40) is 103/4 inches and at the back end (42) is 9'/2 inches, and
the length
(44) of the legs (12) is 22'h inches (see also figures 8 and 9). In Figures 8,
9 and
11, it can be seen that the width (30) of the saddle holder (10) is
advantageously 17
inches at the front (46) and 19 inches at the back (48) to support a Westem
saddle.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 7 to 12, the frame (16) is 3 inches
wide
lengthwise along the apex of the saddle holder (50), and 1%2 inches wide
elsewhere,
including around the edges (52 and 54) (see Figure 11).
The specific embodiments described should be taken as illustrative of
the invention only and not as limiting its scope. Many further modifications
and
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention
relates
and the inventions should be construed in accordance with the accompanying
claims. For example, the baskets could be omitted or replaced by a tray
suspended
under the body (10) and removably coupled to the legs (12). The legs (12) may
be
bolted to the body (10) or the key slot mechanism (14) may be designed so that
once the legs (12) are engaged with the body (10) they cannot be removed.
