Patent ID: 7584719

Claim:
An animal restraint, comprising: a first upright plate and a second upright plate, each having a planar inner surface and a planar outer surface; a plurality of bars, each having a first end mounted to the planar inner surface of the first plate and a second end mounted to the planar inner surface of the second plate, each of the plurality of bars spaced in relation to the other bars such that the bars form an enclosure dimensioned to closely receive an animal, the enclosure having an opening for accommodating at least one gate bar; at least one gate bar having a first end that slidably contacts the planar inner surface of the first plate, and a second end that slidably contacts the planar inner surface of the second plate, the gate bar being slidable along a defined path between a closed position, in which the gate bar blocks the opening in the enclosure, and an open position, in which the gate bar is clear of the opening; wherein the first end of the gate bar is slidably mounted into a first guide slot in the first plate and the second end of the gate bar is slidably mounted into a second guide slot in the second plate, each of the first and second guide slots having an outer end defining the open position of the gate bar and an inner end defining the closed position of the gate bar and each of the first and second guide slots is downwardly sloped from its outer end towards its inner end in a substantially radial direction relative to the enclosure.