Modular tack room

A modular tack room which includes at least one wall hanger assembly and one or more hanging components. The wall hanger assembly includes an elongated vertical member which adjustably hooks over and grips the wall of a horse stall or trailer, and which has a plurality of receiving clips spaced along its length. A common mounting for a variety of hanging components includes a vertical mounting plate which fits downward within the receiving clip; two guide members, horizontally extending from the mounting plate, which are laterally separated by a space slightly greater than the width of the vertical tube to embrace the sides of the vertical member; and a lower support member positioned below the mounting plate to provide support against the vertical member. Various hanging components include: a saddle rack; a saddle rack having a bridle-harness hanger at its outer end; an arm member which extends horizontally, and, when used in pairs, provides support for a shelf; an extended arm member which, when used with a notched diagonal brace engaging the next lower receiving clip, provides a wider platform which may be used as a bunk; an arm member additionally having, at its outer end, an aperture through which a rod may be inserted, so that, used in pairs, it provides support for a horizontal rod; a multiple saddle blanket arm having a number of spaced apertures, which, when used in pairs with horizontal rods therebetween, supports multiple saddle blankets; and a bucket holder which includes a horizontal circular rim to hold a bucket for water or grain.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention involves tack room equipment and, more particularly, a 
system of tack room equipment consisting of modular components which may 
be assembled and disassembled as needed. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
When traveling to show horses, there normally is, during transport and at 
destination, insufficient space and no arrangements for the storage of 
horse-related gear such as saddles, saddle blankets, bridles, halters and 
grooming paraphernalia. Generally, this means the stacking of gear on the 
floor of a horse trailer or a stall, such procedure being incompatible 
with the normal care of fine and costly gear. 
Since both the storage space available and its configuration will vary from 
trailer to trailer and from place to place, as will the type and quantity 
of horse-related gear which is required, what is needed is a modular tack 
room, that is, a system of tack room equipment in the form of modular 
components, which may be easily assembled and disassembled in the desired 
form, as required. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a modular tack room which meets the 
aforementioned need. A system of tack room equipment is provided in the 
form of modular components which may be combined and used as desired. 
Accordingly, the modular tack room, in its preferred embodiment, is 
comprised of one or more wall hanger assemblies and one or more hanging 
components, as described subsequently. 
The preferred wall hanger assembly includes an elongated vertical member, 
in the form of a vertical tube of various lengths, which adjustably hooks 
over the wall of a horse stall or horse trailer and has a plurality of 
receiving clips spaced approximately 16-inches apart along its length. The 
means of adjustable hooking atop the stall or trailer wall includes a 
horizontal plate permanently attached to the top, and extending forward, 
of the vertical tube, to which is adjustably connected an L-shaped hanging 
member, thereby forming a clamp-type arrangement, between the L-shaped 
hanging member and the vertical tube, which grips the upper portion of the 
stall or trailer wall. The receiving clips are L-shaped members, having 
substantially the width of the vertical tube, which are attached to the 
tube at their lower ends and extend upwardly, closely parallel to the 
tube. 
A variety of hanging components may be attached to the receiving clips of 
the wall hanger assembly. Such hanging components have the following 
common means of mounting: 
a. A mounting plate of such thickness so as to fit downward between an 
upwardly extending receiving clip of the vertical tube and the vertical 
tube itself; 
b. Two guide members, horizontally extending from the mounting plate, which 
are laterally separated from each other by a space slightly greater than 
the width of the vertical tube, so that they guide the insertion of the 
mounting plate into the receiving clip space, and, once inserted, the 
guide members embrace the sides of the vertical tube so as to limit 
lateral and rotational movement of the hanging component; and 
c. A lower support member positioned below the mounting plate so as to 
contact the vertical tube and thus provide support against the rotational 
component of the levered weight of the hanging component and its load. 
Hanging components, utilizing said common mounting means, include: 
A saddle rack, which extends horizontally outwards from the mounting means, 
having at least three extending members to form a supporting framework of 
generally triangular cross section upon which a saddle may be placed for 
storage. An alternative configuration of the saddle rack may additionally 
have a bridle-harness hanger at its outer end which includes a concavely 
downward curved plate covering an upwardly-pointed hook member, whereat 
harness or bridle gear may be laid over the curved plate or within the 
hook member for storage. 
A projecting arm member which extends horizontally outwards from the 
mounting means. While such arm member may be utilized by itself to hang 
gear, it is preferably employed in conjunction with another arm member 
attached to a second, spaced, wall hanger assembly, so as to provide 
support for a shelf placed on and extending therebetween. Such shelving 
may be used for storing grooming equipment and other items. Preferably, 
the arm member has, at its outer end, an upwardly extending lip to 
preclude outward sliding of the shelfs. A preferred outward length of such 
arm member is approximately 12-inches. 
An alternative, extended arm member which attaches to the wall hanger 
assembly by the described mounting means but extends outwardly 
approximately 35-inches to accommodate shelving of greater total width, so 
as to provide, in conjunction with a second extended arm member attached 
to a second, spaced, wall hanger assembly, a platform which may be used, 
for example, as a bunk or bed. The outer end of such extended arm member 
additionally may have an inwardly and downwardly directed member which 
engages a notched diagonal brace member, the diagonal brace member 
extending between the outer end of the extended arm member and engaging 
into the next lower receiving clip below, so as to provide additional 
bracing for the levered load on the extended arm member. 
An arm member additionally may have attached, proximate to its outer end, a 
horizontal aperture through which a horizontal rod ay be inserted. Using 
two spaced wall hanger assemblies and arm members with the horizontal 
aperture, the supported rod may be used to hang saddle blankets or 
personal clothing. 
A multiple saddle blanket arm which includes a bar which extends outwardly 
and downwardly from the mounting means and which has a number of spaced 
apertures formed therein. When used in conjunction with a second multiple 
saddle blanket arm attached to a second, spaced, wall hanger assembly, 
where horizontal rods have been inserted in corresponding apertures within 
the two multiple saddle blanket arms, there is formed a saddle blanket 
holder capable of supporting, for drying and storage, multiple saddle 
blankets. 
A bucket holder which includes a horizontal circular member which may be 
attached to a short horizontal extension from the mounting means. The 
bucket holder, preferably approximately 12-inches in diameter, is used to 
hold a conventional tapered bucket for water or grain for the animals. 
Such bucket holder normally would be attached to a wall hanger assembly at 
a lower receiving clip. 
As indicated above, the modular tack room is portable, composed of modular 
components, allowing easy assembly and disassembly, and utilizes, in 
conjunction with one or more wall hanger assemblies, one or more of the 
hanging components.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The modular tack room includes a system of tack room equipment in the form 
of modular components which may be easily combined and used as desired. 
Utilization of the modular tack room will normally be associated with a 
horse trailer, both inside and outside, and with a horse stall, as in a 
stable, where it is used for the storage of horse-related gear such as 
saddles, saddle blankets, bridles, halters and grooming paraphernalia. 
Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a horse trailer 12 
upon the exterior of which a modular tack room 10 has been installed. The 
modular tack room 10 is comprised of one or more wall hanger assemblies 14 
and one or more hanging components 16 which are attached to a wall hanging 
assembly 14 by the described mounting means 18. In the modular tack room 
10 illustrated in FIG. 1, two saddle racks 72, one with a saddle 74, a 
shelf 96 for equipment and horse-grooming gear, and a bucket 142 for grain 
or water are shown suspended on the exterior of the trailer 12. Similar 
modular tack room 10 installation can be made within the trailer 12, or 
upon a stall wall 20 within a stable. 
The preferred wall hanger assembly 14, as best seen in FIGS. 2 through 4, 
includes an elongated vertical member 22, preferably in the form of a 
square tube 24, which adjustably hooks over the wall 20 of a horse stall 
or horse trailer. The vertical member 22 has a plurality of receiving 
clips 26 spaced along its length, preferably approximately 16-inches 
apart. The receiving clips 26 are L-shaped members 28, of substantially 
the same width as the vertical member 22, which receiving clips 26 extend 
upwards, closely parallel to the vertical member 22. The vertical member 
22 illustrated in FIG. 2 has four receiving clips 26. Various lengths of 
vertical members 22 with corresponding numbers of receiving clips 26 may 
be used, depending on the need. Lengths of vertical member 22 varying from 
three feet with two receiving clips 26 up to seven feet with five 
receiving clips 26 have been found useful. A preferred vertical member 22 
is a square steel tube 24 with 1/16-inch walls, a width of 11/2 inches and 
a depth of 1-inch. 
A horizontal member 30, preferably in the form of a 41/2.times.1.times.1/4 
inch steel horizontal plate 32, is permanently attached, as by welding, to 
the top 34 of the vertical member 22 and extends forward therefrom. One or 
more connecting apertures 36 are formed in the forward extending portion 
38 of the horizontal member 30. An L-shaped member 40, having a horizontal 
leg 42 and a vertical leg 44 is adjustably attached by its horizontal leg 
42 against the horizontal member 30 atop the vertical member 22, utilizing 
an elongated slot 46 formed in the horizontal leg 42 and two bolts 48 and 
wing-nuts 50, as illustrated. With the vertical leg 44 of the L-shaped 
member 40 extending downwards parallel to the back 52 of the vertical 
member 22, a clamp-type arrangement is formed between the L-shaped member 
40 and the back 52 of the vertical member 22 so as to grip the upper 
portion 54 of the wall 20 and allow the vertical member 22, with receiving 
clips 26, to hang therefrom. The connection between the horizontal member 
30 atop the vertical member 22 and the horizontal leg 42 of the L-shaped 
member 40 is longitudinally adjustable, such adjustment permitting 
variation of the space 56 between the vertical leg 44 and the vertical 
member 22 itself, so as to allow a close clamping of the wall hanger 
assembly 14 to the wall 20. The preferred L-shaped member 40 is 
constructed of 174 -inch steel of 11/2-inch width and has a 21/2-inch 
vertical leg 44 and an 8-inch horizontal leg 42, which, with a 5-inch 
adjusting slot 46, allows the clamping space 56 to vary from 0 to 
31/4-inches. 
A variety of hanging components 16, having individual capabilities for the 
storage of horse-related gear, may be designed to be suspended from one or 
more wall hanging assemblies 14. These hanging components 16 are described 
below. Common to each hanging component 16 of this invention, for 
suspension from a wall hanger assembly 14, are mounting means 18 which 
include: a vertical mounting plate 58 of less thickness than the space 60 
between the receiving clip 26 and the front of the vertical member 22, so 
as to fit downward between the upwardly extending receiving clip 22 and 
the front 62 of the vertical tube 22; two guide members 64, attached to 
and extending horizontally from the vertical mounting plate 58, which are 
laterally separated from each other by a space slightly greater than the 
width of the vertical member 22, so that with the vertical mounting plate 
58 inserted into the receiving clip 26 space 60, the guide members 64 
embrace the sides 66 of the vertical member 22, so as to limit lateral 
movement and rotation of the hanging component 16; and a lower support 
member 68, horizontally positioned below the engagement of the vertical 
mounting plate 58 and the receiving clip 26, and formed to contact the 
front 62 of the vertical member 22 and thus provide support against the 
levered weight of the hanging component 16 and an load thereon. 
One form of such mounting means 18 is illustrated, separate from any 
specific hanging component 16, in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. The actual shape of 
the vertical mounting plate 58 and the framework 70 supporting the lower 
support member 68 may vary in their application to different shaped 
hanging components 16. Guide members 64 which are 5/16-inch wide by 154 
-inch wide and 154 -inch deep, oriented vertically, have been found to 
work well. The two guide members 64, when used with a 11/2-inch wide 
vertical member 22, preferably are horizontally separated by approximately 
1 9/16-inches. 
Various hanging components 16, utilizing the mounting means 18 above 
described, have been designed for specific uses in conjunction with the 
modular tack room 10. 
Illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 is a saddle rack 72 upon which a saddle 
74 (see FIG. 1) may be placed for storage. The saddle rack 72 extends 
horizontally outwards from the mounting means 18, having three extending 
members 76 of approximately 22-inches in length, connected with an end 
piece 78, to form a slightly tapering supporting framework 80 of generally 
triangular cross section upon which a saddle 74 may rest. 
An alternative configuration 82 of the saddle rack 72 additionally 
includes, at its outer end 84, a bridle-harness hanger 86. The 
bridle-harness hanger 86 is attached to a vertical hanger plate 88 which, 
in turn, is attached to the outer end piece 78 of the framework 80, and 
includes a concavely downward curved plate 90 above and covering an 
upwardly pointed hook member 92, so that bridle or harness gear (not 
shown) may be laid over the curved plate 90 or within the hook member 92 
for storage. The saddle rack 72 with bridle-harness hanger 86 is 
illustrated as 82 at FIGS. 11 through 15. 
An arm member 94 which projects outwards from the mounting means 18 is 
shown at FIGS. 16 and 17. While such arm member 94 may be used by itself 
to hang gear, it is preferably used in conjunction with a second arm 
member 94 attached to a second, spaced, wall hanger assembly 14, as seen 
in FIG. 19, so as to support a shelf 96 placed across the two arm members 
94. Preferably, in order to preclude the shelf 96 from sliding outwards, 
off the end 98 of the arm member 94, an upwardly extending lip 100 of 
approximately 174 -inch in height is formed at the outer end 98 of the arm 
member 94. Such a supported shelf 96 may be used for storing grooming 
equipment and other items. A preferred outward length of such arm member 
94 is approximately 12-inches, with the arm member 94 formed of 11/2-inch 
by 3/4-inch square steel tubing. 
As seen in FIGS. 23 through 25, an alternative, extended arm member 102 
also attaches to the wall hanger assembly 14 by the mounting means 18 but 
extends outwardly approximately 35 inches to accommodate, in conjunction 
with a second extended arm member 102 attached to a second, spaced, wall 
hanger assembly 14, shelving 104 of greater total width. Such wider 
shelving 104 may be conveniently formed of three 111/2-inch boards 106. 
The extended arm members 102 with shelving 104 thus will accommodate more 
gear, and also are adaptable as a platform which may serve as an 
`off-the-ground` bed or bunk for a person tending the horses. The extended 
arm member 102 additionally has attached, at its outer end 108, an 
inwardly and downwardly directed member 110 which engages a diagonal brace 
member 112. The diagonal brace member 112 preferably has notched ends 114, 
one of which will embrace the outer end 108 of the extended arm member 
102, so as to provide lateral stability to the brace member 112 so that it 
will not fall from its engagement therewith. The other notched end 114 of 
the diagonal brace member 112 engages into the next lower receiving clip 
26 below, thereby providing additional bracing for a heavier levered load 
on the extended arm member 102. The diagonal brace member 112 may be made 
of 174 by 2-inch wide steel, with the notches 116 having a width of 1 
9/16inches so as to securely engage with the preferred 11/2-inch width of 
the receiving clip 26 and the extended arm member 102. 
Viewing FIGS. 18 and 19, it is seen that an arm member 94 can be further 
modified by adding, at its outer end 98, a member 118 having a horizontal 
aperture 120, through which a horizontal rod 122 may be inserted. Thus, by 
using two spaced wall hanger assemblies 14 and arm members 94 with the 
horizontal aperture 120, a rod 122 may be supported which is useful in 
hanging saddle blankets 124 see FIG. 22) and personal clothing. 
Preferably, the horizontal aperture 120 is mounted on a vertical plate 126 
extending several inches below the outer end 98 of the arm member 94, so 
as to provide clearance between the rod 122 and a shelf 96 placed on top 
of the arm members 94. An 11/16-inch diameter aperture 120 may be formed 
to receive a 5/8-inch diameter steel rod 122. A five-foot long steel rod 
122 is preferred for ease of handling and storage. While the aperture 
member 118 for rod support is illustrated in FIG. 19 with the shorter arm 
member 94, it also is applicable to the longer, extended arm member 102. 
Illustrated at FIGS. 20 through 22, is a multiple saddle blanket arm 128 
which includes a bar 130 which extends outwardly and downwardly from the 
mounting means 18 and which has a number of spaced apertures 132 formed 
therein. When used in conjunction with a second multiple saddle blanket 
arm 128 attached to a second, spaced, wall hanger assembly 14, where 
horizontal rods 122 have been inserted in corresponding apertures 132 
between the two multiple saddle blanket arms 128, there is formed a saddle 
blanket holder 134 capable of supporting, for drying and storage, multiple 
saddle blankets 124. A preferred configuration, as illustrated, utilizes a 
bar 130 of approximately 15-inches in length, at a downward angle of about 
30 to 35-degrees from the horizontal, with four 11/16-inch diameter 
apertures 132 centered approximately 31/2-inches apart. The preferred 
steel rods 122 are again five-feet in length. Such arrangement provides 
adequate spacing for drying and ventilation of multiple saddle blankets 
124. 
Finally, illustrated at FIGS. 26 through 28 is a bucket holder 136 which 
includes a horizontal circular rim member 138 which may be attached to a 
short horizontal extension 140, about four-inches in length from the 
mounting means 18. The bucket holder 136, preferably approximately 
12-inches in diameter, is used to hold a conventional tapered bucket 142 
for water or grain for the animals. Such bucket holder 136, with bucket 
142, normally would be attached to a wall hanger assembly 14 at a lower 
receiving clip 26, as seen in FIG. 1. 
It is thought that the modular tack room of the present invention and its 
many attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing 
description and that it will be apparent that various changes may be made 
in form, construction and arrangement of the parts thereof without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of 
its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore stated being merely 
exemplary embodiment thereof.