Patent Publication Number: US-8529184-B1

Title: Saddle rack lift mechanism

Description:
FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for lifting and storing horse saddles, and more specifically the invention relates to a saddle lift apparatus for maintaining the saddles in a substantially upright position while moving the saddles between a substantially horizontal position for loading and unloading and a substantially vertical position for storing. 
     BACKGROUND 
     When not in use, horse saddles are typically stored on saddle supports which generally maintain the shape of the saddles. The simplest form of saddle support which is used for the storage of saddles is a horizontal wooden beam such as a two-by-four on which the saddle is placed. However, the saddle has a tendency to easily fall from the beam. 
     Horses are frequently transported for show and/or riding purposes. Therefore, horse saddles frequently require transportation with the horses. Commonly, horse saddles are placed on the floor of a horse trailer or the like for transportation. However, the lack of a user-friendly saddle storage system increases the risk of injury to persons attempting to move and store the saddles. In addition, lack of a suitable support for the saddle during transportation may cause the saddle to lose its optimum shape over time. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a lift mechanism adapted for movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position. At least one saddle rack adapted to carry a horse saddle is combined to the lift mechanism and positively rotates with respect to the lift mechanism in rotational synchronization with the movement of the lift mechanism between the respective positions, such that the horse saddle is held in a substantially upright position throughout the lift mechanism&#39;s movement. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for carrying and storing a horse saddle. A lift mechanism is provided with attached saddle racks. Movement of the lift mechanism between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position is synchronized with a positive rotation of the saddle rack in order to hold the saddle rack in a substantially upright position as the lift mechanism moves between respective positions. 
     In yet another embodiment, there is provided a saddle rack lift apparatus 
     adapted for movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position. A plurality of adjacent saddle racks are combined to the lift mechanism. Each of the plurality of saddle racks has an axis of rotation with respect to the lift mechanism and a spine offset from the axis of rotation. The offset distance between the spine and the axis of rotation of the plurality of saddle racks is varied, such that when the lift mechanism moves from the horizontal position to the vertical position, the distance between the spines of adjacent saddle racks decreases. 
     Other aspects, features, and embodiments of the invention will become apparent upon review of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The invention, though, is pointed out with particularity by the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a saddle rack mechanism, with multiple saddle racks in a lowered, substantially horizontal position; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 1  with multiple saddle racks in a lowered, substantially horizontal position; 
         FIG. 3  is a side cut-away view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 2  illustrating a timing mechanism; 
         FIG. 4  is a frontward perspective view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 2  with multiple saddle racks in a lowered, substantially horizontal position; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 4  with multiple saddle racks in a raised, substantially vertical position; 
         FIG. 5A  is a saddle rack from  FIG. 5  with the covering removed to expose the inside of the saddle rack; 
         FIG. 6  is a rearward perspective view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 4  with multiple saddle racks in a lowered, substantially horizontal position; 
         FIG. 7  is a side cut-away view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 5  with multiple saddle racks in a raised, substantially vertical position; 
         FIG. 8  is a rear view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 6  with multiple saddle racks in a lowered, substantially horizontal position; 
         FIG. 9  is a side cut-away view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 8  illustrating the position of the hydraulic cylinder inside the elongated beam; and 
         FIG. 10  is a side cut-away view of the saddle rack mechanism of  FIG. 9  with multiple saddle racks in a raised, substantially vertical position and illustrating the position of the hydraulic cylinder inside the elongated beam. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-10  depict an exemplary embodiment of a saddle rack lift apparatus  10 . Saddle rack lift apparatus  10  is adapted to maintain horse saddles in a substantially upright position while saddle rack lift apparatus  10  moves between a substantially horizontal position for loading and unloading the horse saddles and a substantially vertical position for storing the horse saddles. 
     Saddle rack lift apparatus  10 , includes base  12  which is adapted for mounting on a surface. Such a surface can be any supportive structure capable of supporting the weight of saddle rack lift apparatus  10  and attaching it thereto, for example, a floor in a garage or other storage facility or a floor in a horse trailer or other support vehicle. Base  12  includes two sections of opposing angle iron  12   a ,  12   b  joined by square tubing  12   c ; however, one skilled in the art would recognize that base  12  can include multiple arrangements of tubing or plates, so long as it is capable of supporting saddle rack lift apparatus  10 . 
     An elongated beam  14 , which may be made of rectangular tubing, is pivotally combined to base  12  by driving arm  16 . Elongated beam  14  has proximate and distal ends  14   a ,  14   b , respectively. One end of driving arm  16  is attached to proximate end  14   a  of elongated beam  14  and the other end of driving arm  16  is pivotally combined to base  12  by pivot pin  13 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  5 , driving arm  16  elevates beam  14  above base  12  to a vertical storage position ( FIG. 5 ) and holds elongated beam  14  horizontal off the ground or mounting surface to provide easy access to saddles resting on saddle rack  18 . 
     A plurality of saddle racks  18  are spaced apart along the length of elongated beam  14 . Saddle racks  18  are each configured to support and carry a horse saddle, and therefore have a profile configured to mate with the underside of a horse saddle. Referring to  FIG. 5A , saddle racks  18  include opposing end-plates  18   a ,  18   b  that have matching profiles similar to the underside of each end of a horse saddle. A cover  18   c  of stretchable fabric is stretched across end-plates  18   a ,  18   b  and secured at each end. This creates a mounting surface that forms to the profile of a saddle. After time, stretchable fabric cover  18   c  over each saddle rack  18  will conform to the profile of a corresponding horse saddle. Since no two saddles  18  are identical, a uniquely formed saddle rack  18  prevents the horse saddle&#39;s spine from warping. Moreover, each horse saddle is more stable when it is mounted on a uniquely formed saddle rack  18 . 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each saddle rack  18  is pivotally combined to elongated beam  14  by a shaft  21 . Each saddle rack  18  is affixed to a respective shaft  21  so that as shaft  21  turns, the saddle rack  18  will pivot and rotate with respect to elongated beam  14 . Each shaft  21  is attached to a cam  20  and cam  20  is pivotally combined to timing bar  22 . The plurality of saddle racks  18  rotate about corresponding axes of rotation B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4  about which corresponding shafts  21  rotate. The saddle racks  18  are joined together by timing bar  22  for synchronized rotation about their respective axes B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4 . 
     Timing bar  22  extends within elongated beam  14  to connect each cam  20  at pivot points E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , and E 4 . Timing bar  22  is connected at its proximate end to master cam  20   b . Master cam  20   b  is also pivotally combined to the end of follower arm  24 , which in turn is pivotally connected at its other end to base  12 . Since all cams  20  are combined to base  12  through follower arm  24 , when follower arm  24  pivots about base  12 , saddle racks  18  pivot about their respective axes B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4 . The aforesaid arrangement synchronizes the rotation of saddle racks  18  about their respective axes B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4  with the movement of saddle rack lift apparatus  10  between the substantially horizontal and the substantially vertical position. 
       FIG. 3  depicts a parallelogram type four-bar mechanism formed by follower arm  24 , driving arm  16 , base  12  and master cam  20   b . Driving arm  16  pivots about base  12  at pivot point A, master cam  20   b  rotates about axis or pivot point B 1 , one end of follower arm  24  pivots about master cam  20   b  at pivot point C, and the other end of follower arm  24  pivots about base  12  at pivot point D. A line segment represented by the distance between pivot point A and pivot point D remains horizontal and parallel to a line segment represented by the distance between pivot point B 1  and pivot point C. A line segment represented by the distance between pivot point A and pivot point B 1  is equal in length and parallel to a line segment represented by the distance between pivot point C and pivot point D. The resulting line segments form a parallelogram. As such, the line segments formed by opposing parallel driving arm  16  and follower arm  24  remain parallel and pivot about their respective pivot points, A and D, respectively, at the same angular velocity. Accordingly, saddle racks  18  rotate about corresponding axes of rotation B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4  at the same angular velocity as elongated beam moves between its substantially horizontal and substantially vertical position. Unlike prior art saddle rack lift apparatus that rely solely on gravity to keep the horse saddles upright, saddle rack lift apparatus  10  uses the described parallelogram linkage to synchronize the rotation of saddle racks  18  with movement of elongated beam  14 , thereby positively forcing saddle racks  18  to remain parallel with the ground. 
     Illustrated in  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ,  6 , and  8 - 10  a hydraulic cylinder  26  is provided to automate movement of saddle rack lift apparatus  10 . Although the instant disclosure is discussed in terms of a hydraulic cylinder  26 , any type of cylinder  26  may be used to automate movement of saddle rack lift apparatus  10 , such as electric or pneumatic cylinders. Hydraulic cylinder  26  is pivotally combined inside elongated beam  14  and base  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8-10 , hydraulic cylinder  26  is positioned within elongated beam  14  to prevent hydraulic cylinder&#39;s  26  moving piston  28  from getting tangled in the horse saddles or exposing them to hydraulic fluid. Hydraulic cylinder  26  is pivotally attached inside elongated beam  14  at an anchor  30  and its piston  28  is pivotally combined with upright member  32  at a pivot point  29 . A triangular plane formed by line segments extending between pivot point  29  and anchor  30 , pivot point  29  and pivot point A, and anchor  30  and pivot point A exerts a moment of force to rotate elongated beam  14  about pivot point A to raise and lower elongated beam  14 . 
     To move saddle rack lift apparatus  10  between the storage and access positions, hydraulic cylinder  26  is actuated. When saddle rack lift apparatus  10  is in the horizontal access position, piston  28  is extended. To move saddle rack lift apparatus  10  to the vertical storage position, piston  28  retracts into cylinder  26 . Piston  28  is pivotally combined to upright member  32  which in turn is fixed to base  12 . Because piston  28  pivots about upright member  32  at pivot point  29 , axial movement of piston  28  is converted to rotational movement of elongate beam  14 . 
     Saddle rack lift apparatus  10  also provides more space between saddle racks  18  when saddle rack lift apparatus  10  is in the horizontal access position than when saddle rack lift apparatus  10  is in the vertical storage position. Referring to  FIG. 1 , each saddle rack  18  has a spine  34  which is offset from its corresponding rotational axis B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4 . Rotational axes B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4  are substantially equidistant apart. When elongated beam  14  is in the horizontal access position, the offset for corresponding saddle racks  18  is oriented on the side of the pivot away from the center of the elongated beam  14 . Accordingly, when saddle rack lift apparatus  10  is horizontal, the distance between corresponding spines  34  is greater that the distance between corresponding rotational axes B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4 . As elongated beam  14  moves toward the vertical storage position, the distance between spines  34  of corresponding saddle racks  18  decrease, such that when elongated beam  14  is substantially vertical, spines  18  of saddle racks  18  are spaced approximately the same distance from each other as their respective axes B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4 . The offset between spines  34  and corresponding axes B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 4  allows each horse saddle to have maximum spacing when saddle rack lift apparatus  10  is in the lowered, horizontal access position to make loading and unloading horse saddles easier, while providing a compact storage position for the horse saddles when saddle rack lift apparatus  10  is in the raised, vertical storage position. 
     Saddle rack lift apparatus  10  also has several features to protect the horse saddle by providing air flow to remove moisture content from it after its been used. As previously stated, cover  18   c  is made of a stretchable fabric that is porous to allow moisture to escape from the underside of the horse saddle. Also, a saddle curtain hanging on saddle curtain rod  36  is provided on each saddle rack  18 . Saddle curtain is a stretchable piece of fabric that hangs off saddle curtain rod  36 . In the lowered, substantially horizontal position, the saddle curtain hangs down from saddle curtain rod  36 . As saddle rack lift apparatus  10  is raised toward the substantially vertical position, the saddle curtain begins to lay over an adjacent lower horse saddle to cover it and prevent adjacent horse saddle stirrups from lying on it or directly rubbing against it. 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by appended claims and their equivalents. The invention can be better understood by reference to the following claims. For purpose of claim interpretation, the transitional phrases “including” and “having” are intended to be synonymous with the transitional phrase “comprising.”