Improvements in or relating to Kennels for Animals.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Kennels for Animals.
[, THOMAS SWERDON HURMAN of Kenwyn, Paignton South Devon Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists in forming a kennel in two compartments, in such a manner
that the weight of the dog or other animal pressing upon the floor of either of the
respective compartments will so act, as to open or shut a sliding door, fixed upon the
outside of the kennel. The object of this invention being, that the doorway to such
kennel may be automatically opened and closed as required by these means. The
dog when entering his sleeping compartment, is enabled to automatically close the
doorway.
This prevents the dog or other animal, from suffering from draught or extreme
cold.
I construct my improved kennel in an oblong shape, on plan, with a partition
(having an opening in same) across the middle of the interior.
One compartment is for day use, and the other or inside compartment, is for .
sleeping in.
The main entrance is at the end of one of the sides, but another doorway is also
placed at the end of the sleeping compartment, for use only in case of omergency, or
for cleaning out the night compartment. In other respects my improved kennel is
very similar to an ordinary dog kennel, having vertical sides, and a pent roof.
The floors of my kennel are arranged about six inches above the ground on proper
framing, fixed to the kennel, and a platform is arranged upon the same side of the
kennel as the entrance doorway.. The partition before mentioned between the two
compartments is formed with an opening to admit of the ingress and egress of
the dog.
A sliding door is fitted upon the outside of the kennel, in which the main entrance
is formed. This sliding door is capable of being moved backwards and forwards in
proper guides, by means of the mechanism hereinafter described so as to cover or
uncover the main doorway.
The entire area of the floor of each compartment is hinged upon stout hinges at
that end of the kennel opposite to the dividing partition. These hinged floors are
supported at the opposite end to the hinges upon arms connected with a shaft which
goes across the entire width of the kennel. These arms are provided with anti-
friction wheels, which touch upon the underneath side of the floor, and the arms are
fixed to this shaft which rocks backwards and forwards upon proper bearings. To
one end of this shaft is fixed a segmented ratchet which gears with a small toothed
wheel mounted on a shaft having proper bearings. Underneath the floors of the
kennel and upon the same shaft to which this small toothed wheel is fixed, a large
toothed wheel is also fitied, which is arranged to come outside the walls of the
kennel.
This latter toothed wheel projects up slightly above the outside platform and close
to the outer wall of the kennel, about the same level as the floor of the kennel, a
sliding door is now formed to move backwards and forwards along the outer face of
the side of the kennel, immediately over the large toothed wheel before referred to.
A continuous groove is formed in the bottom of this sliding door, and in it is
formed a ratchet which gear with the large toothed wheel aforementioned so that,
as this wheel revolves backwards and forwards, the sliding door is also propelled in
corresponding directions. The sliding door is also fitted at each end with anti-

page_text: friction rollers for the casy transit of the door. This door is enclosed within rebatted
framing all round, and is provided with a glass window.
Two sliding panels are arranged to fit in grooves in the framing underneath the
floor of the kennel, so as to cover up the mechanism before explained.
I propose to connect my moving floors to the fixed construction of the kennel by
means of some flexible material such as stout canvas or leather. The object of this
being to prevent draughts.
My improved automatic dog kennel acts as follows:-The sliding door being
arranged open, the animal enters the first compartment, where his weight upon the
floor maintains the mechanism to hold the door open.
When he passes through the partition into the sleeping compartment, his weight
slightly forces down the floor this depressing the arms upon the side of the shaft
nearest the sleeping compartment. This gives about 16 to of a revolution to the
shaft and segmental ratchet attached thereto. This segmental ratchet and small
toothed wheel are so arranged that the depression in the floor is the cause of this
small toothed wheel making from one to two revolutions. And so the large toothed
wheel attached to the same shaft, will make a similar number of revolutions, and thus
causes the sliding door to move backwards and forwards, through the agency of the
ratchet before mentioned. When the animal desires to leave this inner compartment,
he steps back into the day compartment, when his weight depresses this floor, and the
reverse action here explained now takes place, and the sliding door is rolled back
leaving the entrance doorway open for his exit from the kennel.
A small glass window is arranged in the sliding doorway in such a position, that,
when the doorway is shut, the glass window comes against the opening in the door-
way. This light is the means of guiding the dog to enter the day compartment from
the inner compartment.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe the several figures upon the drawings hereinto annexed, each of which
figures are marked with like letters of reference, to the like parts throughout.
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal section taken through, about the centre of my improved
kennel, and looking towards the entrance doorway.
Fig. 2, is a transverse section through the whole of my improved kennel.
Fig. 3, shows in detail to a larger scale as far as possible the mechanism by means
of which the sliding door is moved through the agency of the floors.
Fig. 4, is a perspective sketch of the exterior of my improved automatic kennel.
In fig. 1, A represents the day compartment, and B, the sleeping compartment of
the kennel, is the rocking shaft carrying the arms D upon which are mounted the
anti-friction wheels E upon which the floors rest. F, F, indicate the hinges to the
floors. G is the entrance doorway to day compartment, and H H are sliding panels
fitted in rebated grooves in the framing underneath the floors. J, is the outer door
to compartment B. K is the partition forming the two compartments having the
opening formed therein. In figure 2, L is the segmental ratchet geared to the small
toothed wheel M upon the shaft M, which also carries the large toothed wheel M².
The shaft.carrying these wheels, are mounted on the bearings N, and casing N'. Pis
the sliding door formed with the continuous groove at the bottom, and fitted with the
toothed rack P, which gears with the large wheel M. R is the platform at the side
of the kennel. S shews the floor in section.
+
In figure 3, C is the rocking shaft, L is the segmental ratchet, N the small toothed
'wheel, gearing with this segmental ratchet, and the large toothed wheel is shewn by
dotted lines and marked M2.
The toothed rack in sliding door is also shewn by dotted lines and marked P¹.
In figure 4, I have marked as many letters of reference as possible, the better to
explain my invention.
As my improvements are capable of some modifications, without departing from the
principle thereof, I do not limit myself to materials, or dimensions, or the precise form
or placement of the several parts thereof.

page_text: Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my invention, and
the manner in which it is to be performed, 1 declaro, that what I claim is,
(1) An improved kennel for animals which is so arranged that the animal auto-
matically opens and shuts the entrance doorway, by means of his weight depressing
the floors of the compartments, as hereinbefore described in this Specification and set
forth by the accompanying drawings.
(2) A dog kennel provided with hinged floors, the depression of either of which
floors is the means of moving backwards and forwards a sliding door through the
agency of the mechanism hereinbefore described in this Specification and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 23rd day of October 1889.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.