IMPROVEMENTS IN RABBIT HUTCHES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I, MAJOR GEOROE FRANCIS MORANT of Blackerton Dulverton in the County
of Devon do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RABBIT HUTCHES to be as follows:-
"
The object of the invention is to provide at comparatively small cost a strong
and durable rabbit hutch which can readily be moved from place to place and
which has a bottom of open wire netting through which the rabbits can graze on
the turf upon which the hutch may at any time be placed. The hutch is made
rectangular say about twice as long as it is broad and with a roof of corrugated
galvanized iron sloping from one end to the other. The shell or frame of the hutch
is made from three or more flat strips of bar iron placed parallel with one another
crosswise of the bottom of the hutch. These strips are bent upwards at their ends
the bent up ends need not be quite so thick as the remainder of the bars. Two
iron bars running lengthwise of the bottom of the hutch are placed on to the top
of these cross bars (one along cach side of the bottom of the hutch) and are rivetted
to them. Wooden uprights are placed on to the top of these two side bars and are
secured by screws to the turned up ends of the cross bars. The sheet of galvanized
wire netting which is to close in the bottom of the hutch is secured to this bottom
frame.
The uprights are at their top socured to a rectangular frame either of metal or
wood and in to the top of this is secured the sheet of galvanized iron which is to
form the roof.
The back, one end, and a portion of the front are closed in with boarding as
heretofore whilst the remainder of the front and the other and are closed in with
wire network. Across one and of the interior of the hutch is also placed a slightly
aloping shelf of wood to form a dry resting place, under the shelf is a false bottom
of wood resting on the wire work bottom. A sliding upright board is provided by
which the front of the space between the shelf and floor can be closed in or
partially so.

page_text: I, MAJOR GEORGE FRANCIS MORANT of Blackerton Dulverton in the County
of Devon do hereby declare the nature of my invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN
RABBIT HUTCHES" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of the Invention is to provide at comparatively small cost a strong
and durable rabbit butch which can readily be moved from place to place and
which has a bottom of open wire netting through which the rabbits can graze on
the turf upon which the hutch may at any time be placed.
The way in which I construct the hutch is illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figure-1-is-a-longitudinal section of the hutch. Figure 2 a transverse section
looking towards the left hand end and Figure-3-a-transverse section looking
towards the right hand end.
The hutch is erected upon a rectangular iron frame A which rests on the ground
and which is covered with a sheet of galvanized iron wire network.
A plan view of this frame is shewn separately on a smaller scale at Figure 4 and
an end view at Figure 5. Each side and end is formed of a separate frame of
wood. The top bars of the frames for the front and back of the hutch are prolonged
as shewn at Figure 1 so as to form handles by which the hutch can be lifted and
readily moved from place to place. The frames for the back and two end frames
are both covered with boarding nailed on to them. About one half of the length
of the front frame is also covered with boarding whilst the remainder is covered
with network of galvanized iron wire. At the angles the four frames are secured
together by bolts and nuts as shewn in the cross section of one of the angles at
Figure 6.
The sides and ends rest upon the top of the bottom frame A and the bottom
frame is secured to them by projecting pieces which stand up from it and through
which screws are passed and screwed into the wooden frames."
The sloping roof B is composed of a rectangular wooden frame covered with a
sheet of galvanised iron and extends the whole length of the hutch-it is hinged
at C to the top of the front frame as shewn at Figures 2 and 3.
It will thus be seen that all the parts of the hutch can readily be detached one
from the other and as each part consists of a flat frame they can all be packed one
over the other for transport and then occupy but little space.
D is a shelf of wood placed across one end of the butch it rests at its ends on
wooden bars E fixed to the inside of the back and front frames this shelf forms a
dry resting place for the rabbits.
Below this shelf and close to the bottom of the hutch is a second shelf F
which similarly rests at its ends on wooden bars secured to the interior of the
front and back frames. This lower shelf forms the bottom of the nest.
The
front of the nest is closed in by a vertical board G which can slide down into
place between pairs of vertical wooden bars secured to the interior of the front
and back frames. The board has in it a hole through which the rabbits can
pass in or out of the nest. When the nest is not required the lower shelf or
bottom and front of the nest may be raised to rest on upper bars E which
allows of the rabbits grazing through the whole area of the bottom of the hutch.
At the opposite end of the hutch is a trough one side of which rests on a wooden
bar secured to the end frame whilst the opposite side rests on an angle iron cross

page_text: bar forming part of the bottom frame A. The trough can be slidden in and out of
place through a hole in the boarding with which the back frame is covered.
Above the trough is a hay rack H of galvanized iron wire net work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of rabbit hutches with the bottom formed. of a metal frame
covered with wire network and to which the sides and ends of the hutch are
secured substantially as described.
2. The construction of rabbit hutches substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the drawing annexed.