Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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Means for exercisincJ dog.s from a bi~ e.
Many people have dif:Elculties in exercising -their
clogs properly by walking or running. To wa:Lk with
a dog does not give the dog sufficiently exercise
unless one walks for a long time. This is for many
people monotonous, boring, and to run with the dog
is for many people too exhausting.
One solution may be to cycle with the dog. To bi-
cycle is easier than running, it is varied and it
gives better speed and consequently better exercise
than walking or running with the dog. Bicycling
gives in addition a more interresting alternative
since one`rides easily over greater distances and
gets a more varied exercise for the dog.
It is, however, connected with danger or risk to
bicycle with a dog on a leash. The dog may suddenly
stop and topple the bicycle rider or force the rider
to let go of the leash. Merely a samll pull from the
dog may bring the handle of the bicycly out of
position if one keeps the hand with the leash on the
handle. If the leash is held feely, one can give in,
but loses control oE the bike, loses the dog or both.
One can also -tie the leash to the baggage-holder f.
ex., but if the dog suddenly stops while the leash
is loose, a sudden, brutal -tightening of -the leash
may cause the dog serious injuries, often of a
"hanging" nature.
Finally one loses by such manipula-tion of the leash,
control oE -the dog, since the leash also may be
entwined in the pedals or wheels of the bike, or the
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dog may run into the street an get injurecl or hurt.
The present invention which concerns a means Eor
exerciseing animals from a bicycle, keeps the dog
in place on the required side of the bi]ce. The dog
is in a position where the owner can see it at all
times. The rider (the owner) gets both hands and
feet free to operate -the bike.
By using the present invention an ex-tensive line or
leash which may be entwined in the bike, is eliminated.
By fastening the leash above the dog, one avoides
that the dog stumbles in the leash.
The means for exercising dogs according -to the present
invention is fastened so low that the momentum arm
from the rigid part of the means -to the contact point
from the bike with the ground gets a minimal effect
for turning the bike over or bring the bike out of
con-trol. The resilient arm of the means provides
a continuously increasing tightening impulse on the
leash so that the dog learns to run in "place" and
is in addi-tion not hurt or injured or turns the bike
over in case the dog "forgets" and makes a sudden
stop.
The means according to the present invention may be
regulated to give a greater or lesser degree of
deflection.
In US Patent No. 4.13~.36~ there is disclosed a means
for exercising dogs from a bike, preferably a tri-
cycle. Such a s-tand as is disclosed therein has,
however, several drawbacks compared to the present
invention, and does not describe any resilient means
to correct the dog such as,the present invention.
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Many people want to try to bicycle with a dog, but insecurity
before the dog is trained in running in "place" causes them to
not dare starting. The means according to the present
invention makes it so easy and safe to b.icycle with a dog that
most people ought to be able to try.
Presently bicycling on the sidewalk is common. This requires,
however, often free use of both hands when bicycling up and
down from curbs. The pa-th of the leash by the means according
to the present invention prevents the dog in running on the
outside of lamp-posts, trees or people and thus "capture"
these in the leash or line. If this should happen all the
same, for instance with a stationary object, "hanging" of the
dog is prevented by the spring freeing out from a fastening
means at a certain load, or the leash of the dog is equipped
with a "key ring" which is a common object, so that the ring
is deformed and thereby frees the dog at a certain load on the
rlng .
The object of the present invention is to prevent accidents
among both dogs and people. The invention makes exercising
dogs more fun and more easy and provides the dog with a more
effective form of exercise. The invention improves in
addition the health condition of the dog and is pedagogic
since it teaches the dog to walk and run in "place" in an
effective and lenient way. The exercising means according to
the invention is also easy to use and to adapt to the
different physique and nature of the doys.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is
provided apparatus for exercising a dog from a moving vehicle
comprising: (a) bracket means adapted to be attached to the
vehicle; (b) first bar means mounted to the bracket means and
extendiny outward away from the vehicle; (c) second bar means;
(d) resilient means connected at one end to the first bar
means and at an opposed end to the second bar means end; and
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~e) attachment means connected to the second bar means and
adapted to have releasably attached thereto a leash of the
dog, wherein when a force is exerted by the leash on the dog
sufficient to cause injury, said leash is adapted to be
disengaged from the attachment means thereby disengaging the
dog from the apparatus, and wherein when a force is exerted by
the leash on the dog said resilient means is adapted to move
in the direction of the force being applied to the dog to
thereby at least reduce the force conveyed to the dog.
Below the invention will be described under reference to the
attached figures, where:
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Fig. l shows one embodimen-t o. the device according
to the inven-tion in cross-section.
Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of the invention as
depicted in fig. l, but Erom another angle.
Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention
with an exploded view of one form og the
fastening means of the device.
The device according to the invention is fastened with
for instance a bracket (C) to the frame of the bike,
at an appropriate place out of the way of the pedals
and preferably av close to the ground as possible.
The bar (Ll) projecting outwards from the bike, may,
in the embodiment as depicted in fig. l and 2, be
adjusted by help of an adjustment joint (I) in a plane
perpendicular to the length axis of the bike to regulate
the incline of the vertical bar (L2) thereby deciding
-the running distance of the dog from the bike. The
bar (L2) is fastened to the other bar (Ll) through a
resilient means (B) such as a spring, and a fastening
device (III). The incline of the bar (L2) paralell to
the length axis of the bike, may be adjusted by help
og an adjustment device (II) such as a joint. The
length of the rods Ll and L2 is adjusted to the frame
size of the bike, and the resiliency/strength of the
spring B is adjusted to the size of the dog that is
to be exercised. The spring B is thus in one embodiment
of the device, to be adjustable or removable to be
able to be adjusted -to the needs and preferances of
the user and to be easy to replace in case of damage.
The device may in one embodiment according to the
invention, be supplied with a safety device III which
frees the spring B from the bar Ll at a certain load.
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Another safety device may consist of a key~rirlg
fatened to the end l or 3 of ~he leash 2. Such a
ring is deformed at a certian load, and may thus
free the do~ and preven-t "hanging" of -the animal.
In another embodimen-t of the device accoring to -the
invention, the adjustment joints I and II may be
replaced by a single, adjustable joint, possible of
a ball type, to combine the workings of the joints
I and II. Such a joint (not shown in the figures)
may be placed on the bar Ll.
In another embodiment of the stand according to the
invention, as depicted in fig. 3, the means comprises
as in the first embodiment a Eastening bracket C.
The rod part Ll has, however, in this alternate
embodiment a S-like shape where the total rod part
is rigid. In this embodiment the safety-device III
is, however, removed, while the resilient part B and
bar L2 in this embodiment may be made of one single
part. The rod L2 is in its distal par-tformed as f.ex.
a ring -to receive a carabine-hook from the leash of
the dog. In the embodiment as depic-ted in fig. 3,
such a fastening leash comprises a first carabine-hook
l for fas-tening in the ring part of the rod L2. The
carabine-hook l may be fastened to a rubber band or
other elastic device 2, and this band is equipped at
its distal part with another fastening device, inter
alia a carabine-hook 3, to secure the collar of the
dog.
To ease the demoun-ting of the means according to the
invention, the rod part Ll may in the part wich is
most distant from the resilient part B be equipped
with a bore or hole 4 to receive a stop-splint 5.
A corresponding hole 6 is drilled in a fastening
bolt 7, and the size of the fas-tening bolt 7 is
adapted to fit securely in the pipe part Ll. The
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fastening bracket C is .in its -turn equipped with screw-
or bolt holes (9) -to receive fas-tenlng bolts or ~crews
(not shown). The fastening bracket C may also be
equipped with f~ex. a rubberlining to protec-t the
frame of the bike (not shown).
The means according to the invention may be made of
any convenient material such as galvanized s-teel or
artificial material to be easy to mount and to not
contribute significnatly to the weight of the bike.
It should also be easy to repair in case of damage.
