Abstract:
A halter for coupling a lead to the head of an animal, including a first stranded metallic cable and a second stranded metallic cable. Both cables may be automotive cables already provided with ferrules to discourage unraveling of cable strands. Loops for interconnecting the two cables are established for example by crimp fittings. Screw lug clamps enable adjustment of the effective dimensions of the halter. The halter is secured from coming apart by attachment of a lead thereto, using a snap hook for example.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Utility Application Ser. No. 62/349,233, filed Jun. 13, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein with this reference. This application is also a Continuation-in-Part Application of U.S. Design Patent Application Ser. No. 29565193, filed May 18, 2016. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a halter for controlling an animal. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Training animals, especially for exposition, such as calves requires that a calf be lead around on a lead. A lead is connected to the calf by a halter, which typically encircles the head of the calf. The halter should not be objectionably uncomfortable to the animal, but should be capable of furthering control over the animal by a human handler. 
         [0004]    Typically, traditional halters are comprised of leather, grass, or rope. Regardless of the configuration of traditional halters, halters are designed to allow the handlers to apply a downward pressure to the poll of the head, the neck, and/or the bridge of the nose. These traditional halters only provide this downward pressure which sends only a “stop” message to the animal Traditional halters do not provide efficient directional messages. Also, since the straps of the halters are generally made of flat strips of leather, grass, rope, or woven nylon, the applied downward force is generally a diffuse pressure applied across a fairly broad contact surface area at the poll or the nose. Often such a diffuse applied pressure is insufficient to control a more head-strong animal. As a result, the handler feels he or she must apply more and more pressure, until a maximum amount of pressure is being applied or the handler reverts to a hard jerking motion on the animal&#39;s head to control it. However, such extreme pressure or motions rarely delivers an understandable message to the animal The result is often a frustrated animal and trainer. 
         [0005]    The nature of the halter influences the response of the calf to handling. A halter that encircles the head with little slack will persuade even obstinate animals of the degree of control imparted by the halter. 
         [0006]    While a variety of animal halters have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the present inventor has made or used an invention as described herein. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The disclosed concepts provide a successful design for strong yet yielding halters for farm animals. The novel halter may be made with two metallic stranded cables having crimped fittings to establish loops and connection points. The length of the cables is adjustable, so that the resultant halter fits differently sized animal physiologies. Screw lug clamps are used to selectively increase and decrease the amount of cable actively utilized in the halter to achieve necessary size adjustments. 
         [0008]    It is an object to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
         [0009]    This and other objects will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the disclosed concepts will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic plan view of a halter for coupling a lead to the head of an animal, according to at least one aspect of the disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic front elevational view of the halter of  FIG. 1  partially installed over the head of the animal, with the head of the animal and the lead now illustrated; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but shows a completed installation, with the lead attached; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic plan view of constituent cables making up the halter of claim  1 , redrawn from  FIG. 1  to reflect a configuration which the halter would take on once installed as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective detail view of a clamp usable with the halter of  FIG. 1 , drawn to greater scale; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is an end detail view of a different clamp usable with the halter of  FIG. 1 , drawn to greater scale. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0018]    Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , according to at least one aspect of the disclosure, there is shown a halter  100  for coupling a lead  10  to the head  12  of an animal (not shown in its entirety). Halter  100  may comprise a first stranded metallic cable  102  including a neck section  106 , a nose section  108 , an intermediate loop  110  between neck section  106  and nose section  108 , a first terminal loop  112  at one end of the nose section  108 , the intermediate loop  110  at the other end of nose section  108 , and a first free end section  114  terminating at a first free end  116 . Halter  100  may also comprise a second stranded metallic cable  104  including at one end, a second free end section  118  terminating at a second free end  120 , a chin section  122 , and a second terminal loop  124  at an opposed second end of second stranded metallic cable  104 , and at least one releasable clamp  126  joining first free end section  114  of first stranded metallic cable  102  to chin section  122  of second stranded metallic cable  104 . As will be appreciated from  FIG. 2 , neck section  106  is that portion of first stranded metallic cable  102  which after installation on the animal extends around the neck and behind the head of the animal. Similarly, nose section  108  is that portion of first stranded metallic cable  102  which after installation on the animal extends over the top of the nose of the animal Chin section  122  is that portion of second stranded metallic cable  104  which after installation on the animal extends beneath the chin of the animal, and will be joined to first stranded metallic cable  102  at intermediate loop  110 . 
         [0019]    Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the times to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to, e.g., a “second” item does not either require or preclude the existence of, e.g., a “first” or lower-numbered item, and/or, e.g., a “third” +or higher-numbered item. 
         [0020]    Referring particularly to  FIG. 1 , in halter  100 , chin section  122  of second stranded metallic cable  104  has been passed though first terminal loop  112  of nose section  108  of first stranded metallic cable  102 . Second terminal loop  124  of second stranded metallic cable  104  has been passed through intermediate loop  110  of first stranded metallic cable  102 . Although  FIG. 1  does not show completion of the passing of chin section  122  through first terminal loop  112 , this operation is indicated by an arrow  128 . Similarly, passing of second terminal loop  124  through intermediate loop  110  is indicated by arrow  130 . Second terminal loop  124  is prevented from spontaneously withdrawing from intermediate loop  110  by connecting snap hook  14  of lead  10  to second terminal loop  124  after the latter has been inserted through intermediate loop  110 . 
         [0021]    As best appreciated from  FIG. 3 , first stranded metallic cable  102  may be one of a one eighth of an inch diameter, seven strand, nineteen wire per strand automotive cable or a three thirty-seconds of an inch diameter, seven strand, nineteen wire per strand automotive cable. Second stranded metallic cable  104  may be one of a one eighth of an inch diameter, seven strand, nineteen wire per strand automotive cable and a three thirty-seconds of an inch diameter, seven strand, nineteen wire per strand automotive cable. Automotive cable of three thirty-seconds of an inch diameter will draw more sharply into the skin of an animal than will cable of one eighth of an inch diameter. This can be exploited to bring an unruly animal into compliance when walking or otherwise handling the animal. Tightness of halter  100  is another factor which may be used to control an animal Tightness, as well as fit to the physiology of an individual animal, is controlled by adjusting the lengths of first and second free end sections  114  and  118 , and tightening releasable clamps  126  appropriately. 
         [0022]    As seen in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5 , releasable clamp  126  may be a split or two part screw-vice mechanism whereby one or more screws  127  are passed through a rectangular body  129  that includes one or more smooth bores (not shown) and a base  131 . Releasable clamp  126  may comprise body  129 , base  131  separable from body  129  and including a threaded hole  133 , and screw(s)  127  passing through body  129  and threadably engageable with threaded hole  133  of base  131 . Screw(s)  127  is (are) operable to draw base  131  against body  129  when screw(s)  127  is (are) tightened in threaded hole  133 . Releasable clamp  126  has at least one throughbore  144  configured and dimensioned to receive first stranded metallic cable  102  and second stranded metallic cable  104  therethrough. 
         [0023]    Base  131  includes a threaded bore  133  for each screw  127 . Of course, rectangular body may have a smooth walled bore (not shown) for passing through each screw  127 . Base  131  is separable from rectangular body  129 . The metallic cables  114  and  118  are threaded through the clamp  126  and the screw(s)  127  is (are) tightened, such that the cables  114  and  118  are pinched between the rectangular body  129  and the base  131 , thereby preventing cables  114 ,  118  from moving within the releasable clamp  126 . Once adjusted so that first and second free end sections  118  are of desired length, the screw of releasable clamp  126  may be secured in place using a viscous adhesive type substance such as a product of the Loctite brand of Henkel Corp., Westlake, Ohio 44145. 
         [0024]    Releasable clamp  126  has been described above as a split or two-piece device. In an alternative shown in  FIG. 6 , another exemplary releasable clamp  126  may comprise a body  142 , a throughbore  144  configured and dimensioned to receive first stranded metallic cable  102  and second stranded metallic cable  104  therethrough, at least one threaded hole  146  in body  142  intersecting throughbore  144 , and a threaded setscrew  148  for each threaded hole  146 . Threaded setscrew  148  is matingly compatible with an associated threaded hole  146 . Only one threaded hole  146  is visible in  FIG. 6  as the other threaded hole  146  is occupied by a second threaded setscrew  148 . Two setscrews  148  may be provided to more stably pin first and second stranded metallic cables  102 ,  104  in throughbore  144  in a selected adjustment of a size of neck section  106 , nose section  108 , and chin section  122  of halter  100 . The selected adjustment results in first and second free end sections  114 ,  118  being of a characteristic exposed length relative to  126 . If not stably pinned in place, first and second stranded metallic cables  102 ,  104  could squirm or otherwise escape secure clamping, and halter  100  could inadvertently lose its adjustment and be unsuitable for use. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  shows halter  100  in a configuration it would assume when installed on an animal as shown in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 4 , halter  100  is shown isolated from its associated animal and from lead  10 . 
         [0026]    Throughbore  144  may have a trough  150  extending therealong, to seat and stabilize first or second stranded metallic cable  102  or  104 . Trough  150  may be generally circular as shown, or alternatively, may be wide enough to receive two stranded metallic cables  102 ,  104  side-by-side in close cooperation with throughbore  144 . 
         [0027]    Body  142  may include a window  152  extending to throughbore  144 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , releasable clamp  126  is a first releasable clamp, and halter  100  may comprise a second releasable clamp  126  joining first free end section  118  of first stranded metallic cable  102  to chin section  122  of second stranded metallic cable  104 . 
         [0029]    In one embodiment of halter  100 , first stranded metallic cable  102  may further comprise a first crimped fitting  132  securing intermediate loop  110  at a fixed length, and a second crimped fitting  134  securing first terminal loop  112  at a fixed length. Second stranded metallic cable  104  may further comprise a third crimped fitting  136  securing second terminal loop  124  at a fixed length. 
         [0030]    Free end  116  of first stranded metallic cable  102  may terminate in a ferrule  138  preventing strands of first stranded metallic cable  102  from unraveling. Free end  120  of second stranded metallic cable  104  may terminate in a ferrule  140  preventing strands of second stranded metallic cable  104  from unraveling. An advantage of using automotive cables to fabricate halter  100  is that they typically include ferrules  138 ,  140 , and will last longer than cables not reinforced by ferrules  138 ,  140 . 
         [0031]    It will be seen by examining  FIG. 1  that two automotive cables provide most of the basic materials from which halter  100  is fabricated. The only additional materials are first, second, and third crimped fittings  132 ,  134 ,  136 , and releasable clamps  126 . 
         [0032]    Novel halter  100 , although described in terms of use with calves, may be used with other animals, such as sheep and goats. Halter  100  is intended for walking the animal, such as in display venues, but not for breaking purposes. 
         [0033]    While the disclosed concepts have been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred implementation, it is to be understood that the disclosed concepts are not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but are intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible. 
         [0034]    It should be understood that the various examples of the apparatus(es) disclosed herein may include any of the components, features, and functionalities of any of the other examples of the apparatus(es) disclosed herein in any feasible combination, and all of such possibilities are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Many modifications of examples set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. 
         [0035]    Therefore, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to the specific examples presented and that modifications and other examples are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing description and the associated drawings describe examples of the present disclosure in the context of certain illustrative combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims.