Abstract:
An improved cinch for use with animals comprising a heat and pressure molded animal engaging strap having spaced apart lands with curved outer edges projecting from a base and grooves between the lands, a buckle strap, and a fastener to hold the buckle strap in place against the animal engaging strap.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,892, issued Sep. 7, 1999 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to cinches that pass beneath the belly of an animal such as a horse, mule, llama, etc. to secure a riding saddle or pack frame on the animal. 
     Riding saddles for people and pack frames to carry loads have long been secured to animals using cinches that extend from the saddle or frame beneath the belly of the animal and that are then pulled tight to secure the saddle or frame in place on the animal. The cinch must be pulled sufficiently tight that when a person sits on the saddle or a load is tied to the frame the saddle or frame will not slip, turn on the animal and discharge the rider or load during movement of the animal. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,232 discloses a cinch that provides greater comfort, as compared to the usual leather or canvas strap cinches previously used, for an animal on which the cinch is secured. It has been found, however, that the cinch of U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,892 has sewn seams and connected edges that will chafe an animal. Further, the manner in which the cinch of the aforesaid patent is constructed makes the cinch more expensive to construct than is desired. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Principal objects of the present invention are to provide an improved cinch that will be more comfortable to an animal on which the cinch is used and to provide a method of making such a cinch that significantly reduces the production cost of such a cinch. 
     FEATURES OF THE INVENTION 
     Principal features of the invention include a method of construction of a cinch that includes heat stamping an elongate animal engaging strap from a suitable foam material such that a durable, smooth skin is formed on one animal contact surface of the animal engaging strap and flexure grooves separating curved edge lands are formed between adjacent grooves on the contact surface. Flanges are molded at opposite sides of the elongate animal engaging strap and securement means are sewn or otherwise secured to the flanges to hold a buckle strap in place against the other face of the animal engaging strap. The securement means is folded over the seam formed by connection of the securement means to the flanges of the animal engagement strap so that no exposed seam is presented to engage and chafe an animal with which the cinch is used. Opposite ends of the animal engaging straps are formed to accommodate buckles at opposite ends of the buckle strap. 
     The securement means may comprise overlapping flaps to extend over the buckle strap and to be secured together along their lengths. In another embodiment, the securement means may comprise an elastic sleeve into which the buckle strap is inserted. 
     Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the following detailed description and drawings, disclosing what is presently contemplated as being the best mode of the invention. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the animal engagement strap and attached securement means of the cinch of the invention; 
     FIG. 2, an enlarged vertical section, taken on the line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3, a vertical section, taken on the line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4, a bottom plan view of the animal engagement strap and attached securement means; 
     FIG. 5, the animal engagement strap as shown in FIG. 4, but with the buckle strap positioned thereon; 
     FIG. 6, a view like that of FIG. 5, but with the securement means holding the buckle strap in place to form the cinch of the invention; 
     FIG. 7, a top plan view of the cinch of the invention; 
     FIG. 8, an enlarged vertical section, taken on the line  8 — 8  of FIG. 7 
     FIG. 9, a vertical section taken on the line  9 — 9  of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 10 a view like that of FIG. 6, but with another embodiment of securement means: 
     FIG. 11, a vertical section taken on the line  11 — 11  of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12, a vertical section taken on the line  12 — 12  of FIG. 10, and 
     FIG. 13, a view like that of FIG. 12, but turned inside out. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings: 
     In the illustrated preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1-9 the improved cinch is shown generally at  20 , FIG.  6 . The improved cinch includes an animal engagement strap  22  formed from a pressure molded, somewhat resilient piece of a suitable strong plastic material having spaced apart lands and grooves  24  and  26 , respectively, on a top face thereof. Each of the lands  24  projects from a base  28  and the grooves  26  are the spaces formed between adjacent lands. The lands extend transversely across the animal engagement strap and the outermost edges  30  and  32  of each land are curved or angled so that when the animal engagement strap is placed beneath the belly of an animal and curved to fit the animal the outermost edges of the lands will remain separated or will engage one another without pinching the animal hide between lands. It has been found that if the plastic material is subjected to a hot molding process wherein the mold used has adjacent projections to compress the plastic between lands the pressure of the mold and the applied heat will permanently deform the plastic and will form a tough skin on the surface of the plastic to which the pressure and heat is applied. When the animal engaging strap is positioned beneath the belly of an animal and is curved against the animal the grooves  26  will allow air to the belly of the animal and perspiration to be carried away from the animal. 
     The molded animal engagement strap  22  is elongate and has flared peripheral edges  34  and  36  extending along opposite sides thereof, adjacent to the ends of the lands  24  and grooves  26 . Flat areas  38  and  40  are molded at opposite ends of the animal engagement strap and an edging band  42  is sewn around the peripheral edges of each flat area. 
     Securement flaps  46  and  48  are respectively sewn to the peripheral edges  34  and  36 , which form extensions of the base  28 . The flaps  46  and  48  are sewn to peripheral edges  34  and  36  of the base  28  on the top face of the base and are turned back with the edges  34  and  36  to extend across the bottom of the base  28  of the animal engagement strap  22 . The edging band  42  and turned back securement flaps  46  and  48  provide smooth edges that will prevent some chafing of an animal on which the improved cinch is used. 
     A buckle strap, shown generally at  50 , is made of a suitably strong material such as woven nylon. Buckle strap  50  includes an elongate backing strap  52  turned back to form loops in the opposite ends  54  and  56 . A reinforcement strap  60  is sewn to backing strap  52  and pads  58  and  62 , at opposite ends of the buckle strap are sewn to the backing strap and extend beyond the ends of the backing strap. 
     Buckles  64  and  66  are respectively held in place by the loops at ends  58  and  62  with buckle tongues  68  and  70  extending through the loops and the buckles resting on the pads  58  and  62 . A strap  72  extends transversely across the backing strap intermediate the length of the backing strap and has loops  74  and  76  at opposite ends thereof to hold rings  78  and  80  in place. Strap  72  is sewn to the backing strap and is additionally held in place by an overlay strap  82  that is sewn to both the backing strap  50  and the transversely extending strap  72 . 
     Cinch  20  is assembled by positioning buckle strap  50  against the bottom of the base  28  of the animal engaging strap  22  and with the pads  56  and  58  against the flat areas  38  and  40 . The flaps  46  and  48  are then folded over the buckle strap  50 , pulling the peripheral edges  32  and  34  over the edges of the buckle strap and with the rings  78  and  80  extending through notches  84  and  86  in the peripheral edges and slots  89  and  90  formed in the flaps  48  and  46  respectively. The flaps  46  and  48  are pulled tightly together and are secured by a conventional loop and hook fastener  92 , with hooks  94  on one flap and loops  96  on the other. Such a fastener is well known under the brand name “VELCRO”. 
     Cinch  20  is used by positioning it to extend beneath the belly of an animal and wityh the lands  24  against the animal and with the buckles  64  and  66  attached to saddle straps (not shown) and, if desired, the rings  78  and  80  attached to other riggings (not shown) placed on the animal. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 10-13 the cinch is shown generally at  100 . Cinch  100  comprises an animal engaging strap  102  formed in the manner of previously described animal engagement strap  22 , but with a sheet of material  104  stretched between and sewn to top surfaces of each of the peripheral edges  106  and  108  of the animal engaging strap  102 . The sheet of material extends over the lands and grooves  24  and  26  of the animal engagement strap  102  until the animal engagement strap  102  is pulled through the sleeve  110  formed by the animal engagement strap  102  and the sheet of material  104 , as shown by arrow A. After the animal engagement strap is pulled through the sleeve a buckle strap, which is constructed in the same manner as the buckle strap  50 , previously described, is inserted into the sleeve  110  such that the peripheral edges  106  and  108  are turned back over the edges of the buckle strap and the rings  78  and  80  project through slots provided therefore through the sheet of material  104 . 
     The cinch  100  is used in the same manner as cinch  20 , previously described. 
     Although preferred embodiments of my invention have been herein disclosed, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter I regard as my invention.