A powered saddle rack can be mounted in a trailer tack room. A mounting rod rotates from a storage to a load/unload position. A working frame assembly further rotates to the load/unload position. Once in the load/unload position, a rack raising rod is lifted or lowered, thereby raising or lowering several saddle racks up and down. A portable version doesn't rotate.

CROSS REFERENCE APPLICATIONS

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to providing a stand of reachable saddle racks to accommodate easy loading, wherein the stand of saddle racks can be raised/lowered on a pole for convenience of storage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Horse trailers can carry a tack room for transporting four or more saddles.FIG. 1(prior art) shows a horse trailer1having a tack room doorway2. A rear wall3has four permanently mounted saddle racks4,5,6,7. The horseman has to physically lift a saddle up onto racks5,6,7wherein rack4is about at waist height.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,267 (1966) to Schweigert discloses a tack room ceiling mounted saddle rack that provides the rack to slide outside the tack room door at about waist height for loading two saddles. No lifting of a saddle to a higher storage position is suggested in this nor any known prior art reference.

Below follows a brief description of the related art.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,755 (1957) to Martorello discloses a single saddle stationary rack bolted to a closet floor.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,267 (1966) to Schwiegert discloses two saddle racks mounted from a closet ceiling bracket, wherein the rack slides out of the trailer for loading.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,909 (1972) to Cherry discloses a ceiling mounted bracket which supports a slidable saddle rack.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,078 (1994) to Paton discloses a hard truck and saddle stand combination.

U.S. Pat No. Des. 255,611 (1980) to Love discloses a hand truck and rack combo.

What is needed in the art is a mechanism to allow easy loading of a plurality of saddles onto a stand of racks, wherein the stand of racks are then lifted up to a storage position, and then lowered when unloading is needed.

The present invention provides a motorized four or more saddle rack that allows loading four saddles at a convenient height. The stand of saddle racks after loading is raised up. The stand of saddle racks can also pivot 180° for storage in the tack room of a trailer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a mounting pole inside the doorway of a trailer tack room.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a pivotable rack lifting mechanism mounted to the mounting pole.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide the rack lifting mechanism with an array of saddle racks that move lower for loading and higher for storage. These saddle racks can hold saddles and/or harnesses.

The multi-saddle rack lift is mounted in the tack room of a trailer. A support post is secured between the floor and the ceiling. A frame is pivotally mounted to the support post. The frame has a motor that lifts a stand of saddle racks up and down in about one foot of travel. When the stand is down four or more saddle racks protrude from the tack room door for loading/unloading. For storage the motor raises the stand, and the user pivots the frame 90° into the tack room and pivots the stand 90° on the frame. Thus, the saddles are stored against the tack room wall at about a 180° orientation from the loading/unloading position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1B(prior art) shows a horse trailer1having a tack room doorway2. A rear wall3has four permanently mounted saddle racks4,5,6,7. The horseman has to physically lift a saddle up onto racks5,6,7wherein rack4is about at waist height.

Referring next toFIGS. 2,3,4,5,6a saddle lift10is mounted to the floor15of trailer tack room1. Bolts or screws14secure the anchor plate13to floor15. Collar16of anchor plate13receives the lower end of mounting rod11. Collar16of ceiling anchor plate12receives the upper end of mounting rod11. The collar16of anchor plate13has a flange50upon which flange51rotates. Locking pin52is pushed into holes (not shown) in flange50to lock the mounting rod11at a desired rotational angle for loading/unloading or storage.

Mounting collars17,170rotate on welded to mounting rod11. They support frame brackets18,180respectively. Vertical support beam181stabilizes the brackets18,180which, in turn, support the weight of frame assembly190and any saddles loaded thereon.

Bracket180has a collar191and flange192. Flange193rotates on top of flange192to a desired rotational angle. Flange193is fastened to bottom199of working frame190.

Bracket18has a collar194to receive a rod195which is fastened to the top196of the rectangular working frame190. Working frame190consists of top196, sides197,198and bottom199.

The rack raising rod35is secured to the distal ends of upper and lower lift arms33,34via U brackets36, and bolts32and cotter pins320.

Each saddle rack80,81,82,83is secured to the rack raising rod35with a collar37and a bolt32and cotter pin320. Spaced between the saddle racks remains a constant in the raising and lowering operation. Space d1is large enough to accommodate a saddle S.

InFIG. 2the reel93ofFIG. 7is wound all the way up, putting the rack raising rod35in the raised position (for storage).

InFIG. 4the reel93is completely unwound, putting the rack raising rod35in the lowered position (for loading/unloading saddles). For safety a crossbar300has an anchor301to secure chain302thereto, lower lift arm34has anchor303to secure a distal end of chain302. Controller350controls motor94ofFIG. 7.

In operation the user loads a saddle S as shown inFIG. 4. Next he operates the motor914to move the rack raising rod35to the upper (storage) position shown inFIG. 2. Next he rotates the working frame190into the tack room as shown inFIG. 10, arrow999and labels LOAD, TRANSITION, STORAGE. Next he rotates the mounting rod11back into the tack room as shown inFIG. 10, arrow1000. This completes the operations for the storage mode labeled STORAGE.

FIG. 2shows how the rack raising rod35can be lowered in direction1001.

InFIGS. 11,12a rubber cushion1100protects the upper lift arm33and the rack raising rod35.

FIG. 13shows a portable lift1309. Anchor1310is fastened to floor15. A square mounting rod1311is placed into the collar1312of anchor1310. A working frame1315has a top1316, sides1317,1318and a bottom1319. The top1316has a ceiling bracket1320with a locking pin1321to fit into a mounting hole in the ceiling. Motor94is controlled by controller350to lift the lift bracket89in the same manner as shown inFIG. 2.

Rack raising rod3535is chosen to be smaller than rod35so as to support only three saddle racks80,81,82.

In operation the only moving parts are associated with rod3535.

Referring next toFIGS. 14,15,16,19, a hydraulic saddle lift1000mounts inside the doorway2of the horse trailer1. Bolts or screws14secure the anchor plate13to floor15. Collar16of anchor plate13receives the lower end of mounting rod11. Collar16of ceiling anchor plate12receives the upper end of mounting rod11. Collar16of ceiling anchor plate12receives the upper end of mounting rod11. The collar16of anchor plate13has a flange50upon which flange51rotates. Locking pin520is pushed into holes (not shown) in flange50to lock the mounting rod11at a desired rotational angle for loading/unloading or storage.

Mounting collars17,170rotate on rod11. They support frame brackets18,180respectively. Vertical support beam181stabilizes the brackets18,180which, in turn, support the weight of frame assembly1900and any saddles loaded thereon.

Bracket180has a collar191and flange192. Flange193rotates on top of flange192to a desired rotational angle. Flange193is fastened to the bottom of support wall1400. The top of support wall1400has a rod1401which is received by collar1402to enable the rotation of support wall1400to a desired rotational angle.

Four collars1500each have a support rod1410to support a saddle rack800,810,820,830. The knobs1411have a bolt1900which threads through the collar1500into a selected hole1412, thereby providing a chosen distance d2between the saddle racks800-830.

The support rod1407is powered up and down by means of a clamp1420to which a connecting arm1421is attached. A fastener1424attaches to the connecting arm1421via pin1422which provides a pivot joint. A cage1423attaches to fastener1424, and the cage supports a hydraulic cylinder1425. An upper fastener1424pivots around anchor1901via pin1422. Stopper1510provides a cushion between upper arm1405and support wall1400. A saddle S can be placed on each saddle rack800,810,820,830.

InFIG. 14the rod1407is powered to the up position, and the working frame1900is rotated outbound adjacent to the doorway2. The support wall1400is also rotated outbound to face the doorway2. The rod1407can now be lowered to accept saddles S.

InFIG. 17the hydraulic piston arm1700is powered to a transition position where arms1405are perpendicular to support wall1400. Control lines1701,1702conduct hydraulic fluid in a known manner to hydraulic cylinder1425.

InFIG. 18the piston arm15is at its fully extended position moving arms1405downward, and support rod1407is at its lowest position. This is the load/unload position.

InFIGS. 20,21the battery2000and power wires2003to the hydraulic system2100can be seen. The hand controller2001and its wires2002to the controller2005for the pump2006are shown. Hydraulic reservoir2007holds the hydraulic fluid sent to control lines1701,1702. InFIG. 20the support wall1400has been manually rotated counter-clockwise 180° so as to face away from doorway2. The pin520has been released, and the working frame1900is rotated counter-clockwise to put the saddle racks800-830in the storage position against the wall of the tack room.

Referring last toFIGS. 22,23,24a portable rack lift2400has the same support wall1400as the system1000ofFIG. 19and the same hydraulic components and raising and lowering components ofFIG. 19. The support wall1400does not rotate. Instead a lower anchor1460is received by a slot1461in the floor15.

The support wall1400is lifted into frame members2261until gap G is minimized, and locking pin2263is inserted into hole2262in the ceiling C. Then anchor1460is lowered into slot1461. The spring2265via stud2267pushes the locking pin2263into the hole2262. The bracket2266is mounted to the anchor2260which is received by frame2261. Handle2264allows the user to release the locking pin2263and remove the support wall1400.

Referring next toFIGS. 25-28a slotted base saddle rack is numbered2500. InFIG. 25the anchor plate13has a support collar2501which supports a slotted flange2502. Multiple slots2503receive locking pin2511to lock bracket180at a desired angle. The bracket180is supported by a collar2506which fits into hole2550. Collar2506joins flange2507and upper beam2508. A cylindrical busing2504and plastic (preferably Nylon®) bushing2505provide a lubrication free pivot for the bracket180.

The locking pin2511is supported by a bracket2509having a spring2510which forces pin2511down into a slot2503.

InFIG. 26a support collar2601supports a slotted flange2502. Cylindrical bushing2504and plastic busing2505provide a lubrication free pivot for collar2506and flange2507which support the support wall1400.

FIG. 27shows the embodiment2500assembled with all other parts removed which are the same as those shown in the embodiment shown inFIG. 14.

FIG. 28shows the rear of support wall1400and the locking pin2511which locks into slots2503to secure the support wall1400at a desired rotational angle.

Referring next toFIGS. 29,30,31,32,33a saddle rack lift3500is shown. The pivot assembly3550consists of a ceiling anchor12which has pivot shaft1100connected to it. A collar3201pivots around pivot shaft1100. The collar3201supports a bracket18which is stabilized by buttress3200. Collars1402,2601support the pivotable post2901which in turn supports the hydraulic cylinder1425. A floor mounted hydraulic system2100supplies hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinder1425via lines1701,1702.

The floor anchor13supports a stationary post2501around which collar2508pivots. Locking pin2511associated with the collar3203provides locking the pivot assembly3550at a desired angle. Dual locking pins2511associated with collar2601provide locking the post2901at a desired angle. L shaped brackets4141support the locking pins2511.

Referring next toFIG. 34a portable saddle rack lift5000floor and ceiling receiving blocks5001, upon which guides5002can be mounted and removed. Post2901cannot pivot.