Cat scratching post and door hanging assembly

A scratching post assembly for pets comprising a generally C-shaped mounting bracket including a longitudinally extending main body portion and top and bottom flanges extending at approximately right angles from the main body portion, the top and bottom flanges each including an aperture formed therein, an elongated mounting rod including a stop element attached to one end thereof, the mounting rod extending through the flange apertures with the stop element resting upon the top flange, a series of stackable, generally cylindrically-shaped, abrasion resistant cork elements axially mounted on the mounting rod extending between the top and bottom flanges, and the mounting rod being removable for allowing interchanging or replacement of the cork elements.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to scratching posts for cats and more particularly 
to a cat scratching post including a plurality of vertically stacked, 
cylindrically-shaped cork elements which are readily interchangeable or 
replaceable after extended use. A number of embodiments are disclosed 
allowing the scratching post assembly to be mounted onto various 
supporting structures. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
It has long been observed that cats frequently exercise and sharpen their 
claws by scratching stationary objects especially articles of furniture, 
draperies and carpeting which may be damaged or destroyed by such 
activity. To deter this behavior, many cat owners have provided scratching 
posts as alternative scratching surfaces for their pets. 
Wood has often been used in the construction of scratching posts, however, 
wood is subject to splintering or slivering which may be harmful to the 
cat. As an alternative to the use of wood, many scratching posts are now 
covered with carpeting material as shown by Salerno, U.S. Pat. No. 
3,604,397; Bryson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,997,019; Goldson, U.S. Pat. No. 
2,894,487 and Helmer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,551. The cat scratcher of Helmer 
is intended to be mounted on a door, while the other scratching posts are 
floor mounted. 
While it is desirable to prevent the cat from destroying expensive 
upholstery or carpeting, pile covered scratching posts of the type 
identified above only serve to reinforce this destructive behavior. 
Another scratching post assembly is disclosed by Mullin, U.S. Pat. No. 
3,993,027 wherein the scratching post consists of a plurality of 
vertically stacked corrugated cardboard sheets. A major disadvantage of 
this device is that cardboard is easily shredded and mutilated by the 
cat's claws thereby necessitating frequent replacement thereof. 
It would therefore be desirable to provide a scratching post assembly from 
materials other than those referred to above yet which would still be 
attractive to a cat. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a 
scratching post assembly which is versatile in construction so as to be 
readily mounted upon a variety of supporting structures, for example, 
doors, walls and cages. 
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention eliminates the problems associated with the prior art 
by providing a rugged, versatile cat scratching post assembly comprising a 
generally C-shaped mounting bracket having upper and lower flanges, a 
removable mounting rod extending between the upper and lower flanges for 
supporting in stacked relationship a plurality of cylindrically-shaped 
cork elements. 
The use of cork provides several advantages over other previously used 
materials. In particular, cork is lightweight thus reducing the overall 
weight of the assembly, yet, cork is dense in nature, thus allowing it to 
be readily shaped into objects having a high degree of structural 
integrity and strength. In addition, the feel of cork has been found to be 
highly appealing to cats. Finally, cork will not splinter or form 
potentially harmful slivers as opposed to other forms of wood. 
It is therefor an object of the present invention to provide a cat 
scratching post assembly which is rugged yet lightweight. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a scratching post 
assembly which includes a plurality of interchangeable and replaceable 
cylindrically-shaped cork elements. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a scratching post 
assembly which may be readily mounted to a wall, door or cage. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a scratching 
post assembly which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
FIG. 1 
FIG. 1 shows scratching post assembly A comprising a generally C-shaped 
mounting bracket 2 having a longitudinally extending main body portion 4 
and a top flange 6 and bottom flange 8 extending at approximately right 
angles from main body portion 4. Main body portion 4 includes a pair of 
apertures 10 and 12 formed therein for receiving mounting screws (not 
shown). Bottom flange 8 is provided with an aperture 14 while top flange 6 
is provided with a corresponding aperture for receiving a mounting rod 16. 
One end of mounting rod 16 is provided with a stop element 18 which 
ultimately rests upon top flange 6 after assembly of the unit is 
completed. A series of generally cylindrically-shaped cork elements 20 
having a central axial passage are axially mounted in stacked readily 
removable relation upon mounting rod 16 which extends through the 
successive axial passages in free-sliding engagement spanning the distance 
between top flange 6 and bottom flange 8. 
In use, scratching post assembly A would be vertically mounted on a wall at 
a height chosen so as to allow the assembly to be readily accessible to 
the pet. Mounting of the assembly would be achieved through the use of 
screws cooperating with apertures 10 and 12 so that the rear surface of 
main body portion 4 would be anchored flush against the wall surface. 
After an extended period of use, some of the cork elements may be 
subjected to greater wear than others and may need to be replaced or 
relocated on mounting rod 16. Removal may be easily achieved by simply 
raising mounting rod 16 and sliding elements 20 from the free end thereof. 
FIGS. 2 and 3 
In FIGS. 2 and 3, the scratching post assembly is shown as being mounted in 
the interior of a pet cage constructed from cage bars 22. Securement to 
bars 22 is achieved by the use of annular wedging disks 24, 26, 28 and 30. 
Disks 24, and 26 are mounted upon bolt 32 extending through opening 10 in 
main body portion 4 of the mounting bracket. The head of bolt 32 is spaced 
from main body portion 4 by means of washer 34. Disks 24 and 26 include 
opposed planar faces which engage bars 22 positioned therebetween. A 
second washer 36 is mounted on bolt 32 adjacent to annular disk 26. 
Clamping pressure is applied by tightening locking nut 38 so that it abuts 
against washer 36. 
Annular disks 28 and 30 provide a similar bar clamping function adding 
additional stability to the mounting of the scratching post assembly. Bolt 
40, washer 42, washer 44 and locking nut 46 are arranged in the same 
manner as their corresponding counterparts as previously described. 
The bar mounting arrangement allows the scratching post assembly to be 
supported within almost any type of cage without causing damage thereto. 
The cage mounting assembly is especially useful whenever a cat is confined 
to a cage over an extended period of time. Breeders, pet shop owners and 
veterinarians may benefit greatly from this arrangement. 
Since the scratching post assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3 is secured to the side 
of the cage as opposed to the cage bottom, it does not take up walking 
space and is not prone to soiling. 
FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 
FIG. 4 shows a door mounting arrangement for the scratching post assembly. 
This embodiment includes a door knob engaging mounting bracket 48 which is 
pivotally secured to the rear of main body portion 4 by means of a bolt 
and locking nut arrangement generally indicated by numeral 50. Bracket 48 
includes a generally pear-shaped opening 52 for receiving door knob 54. An 
extension bracket 56 is pivotally secured to the rear of main body portion 
4 by means of bolt and locking nut arrangement 58. A door bottom engaging 
bracket 60 is attached to extension bracket 56 by bolt and nut arrangement 
62. Bracket 60 includes a longitudinally extending slot 64 allowing height 
adjustment to occur. Bracket 60 further includes a generally J-shaped base 
portion 66 for engaging door bottom 68. While not shown, each bolt and nut 
combination 50, 58 and 62 may include a rubber grommet covering the bolt 
head in order to prevent marring of the door finish. 
The door mounting assembly is especially advantageous in that it may be 
used in motels or other places where permanent installation is not 
practical. The assembly is easily installed in seconds, requires no tools 
and converts any door to a sturdy base for the scratching post. In 
addition, installation of the door mounting assembly does not cause any 
damage to the supporting structure since no mounting screws are required. 
FIG. 5 shows the door mounting assembly of FIG. 4 folded up for travelling 
or storage purposes. It may be seen that when the door mounting assembly 
is folded up, it assumes a compact form which allows it to be easily 
fitted into a suitcase or cat carrier. 
FIG. 6 shows an alternative arrangement of the door mounting assembly 
components. In this instance, door bottom engaging bracket 60 is attached 
directly to main body portion 4. In addition, mounting bracket 48 is 
pivotally attached to extension bracket 56 which in turn is pivotally 
connected to main body portion 4. With this arrangement, the height of the 
scratching post will be more suitable for smaller cats or kittens. The 
interchanging of the parts still allows the assembly to be folded up into 
a compact form for travelling. 
Each of the brackets 4, 48, 56 and 60 are preferably constructed of 
durable, lightweight, acrylic plastic. The scratching post assembly is 
unique and versatile in that it allows for a variety of different mounting 
arrangements. 
While this invention has been described in connection with different 
embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further 
modifications, and this application is intended to cover any variations, 
uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the 
principals of the inventions and including such departures from the 
present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art 
to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential 
features hereinbefore set forth and followed in the scope of the invention 
or the limits of the appended claims.