AU622731B2 - Improved horse starting gates - Google Patents

Description

.I -73 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patent Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. C'.ass S*00.* Application Number PJ 1561 Lodged 21 November 1988 Complete Specification Lodged Accepted Published Priority: Related Art tC t 4 I, 4 .4

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t 4i Name of Applicant Address of Applicant Actual Inventor Address for Service Ccnplete Specification for SO11430 1 6/1 /87 GEORGE LESLIE BROWN 42 Pacific Avenue, Werri Beach, New South Wales, Commonwealth of Australia GEORGE LESLIE BROWN F.B. RICE CO., Patent Attorneys, 28A Montague Street, BALMAIN. 2041.

the invention entitled: "IMPROVED HORSE STARTING GATES" The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- S-7 1' Z619 Cv) i LIIYZ~ bY~ -2- T This invention relates to starting gates especially suited for horse racing on a track with a "mobile start".

Although there is little difficulty in organising barrier or line starts from a standing start there has long been a desire for mobile starts in the case of trotting horses. Further, trotting horse races are often run on a handicap basis. In providing mobile starts it has been common practice to use a wide barrier attached to the back of a truck, the truck being driven at the required starting speed in front of the race field. At the time of the start the barrier is folded into the side of the a starting truck which then accelerates away from the field.

S Such a mobile starting system has problems, especially if a handicap race is to be run.

000* s 15 An alternative system which has been used in some countries, but not really accepted worldwide, includes an seeo aerial track running around inside and outside fences of the race track. The aerial track supports a rectangular perimeter extending substantially across the track in the verticle plane. The perimeter is pivotable about a horizontal axis extending across the track allowing a starting tape, being the lower side of the rectangular 1 perimeter, to be swung forwardly and upwardly about the o 0 pivoting axis at the time of the start of the race. A 25 number of the rectangular perimeter starting barriers can be 0used, each being located at the required handicapped distance 00.00. from the scratch line. Each of the starting barriers being used can then be drawn around the aerial track in the case of a mobile start.

it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved version of the latter above described type of starting mechanism.

Accordingly, in one broad form, the present invention can be said to consist in a starting barrier device comprising: -3a pair of carriers adapted to support the device on i co-operative horizontal support structures and to travel along the support structures; an approximately rectangular barrier connected at each of two opposite horizontal ends thereof to a respective one of the carriers for rotational support of the barrier about a horizontal axis; rotational bias means constantly urging the barrier into a first predetermined rotational position about said horizontal axis; and rotational means controllably moving the barrier into a second predetermined rotational position about said S horizontal axis.

00 Preferably, the support structures are a pair of 000* 15 generally parallel overhead rails located along i approximate inner and outer perimeters of an intended i course. At least one carrier may include a remote i controlled motor engaging the rail and driving the device j/ along the rail.

V 20 Preferably the barrier is horizontally, resiliently S tensioned between the carriers so as to pull the carriers one toward the other. The carriers may include wheels I• engaging edges of the rails distal of the barrier so as to frictionally grip the rails.

Preferably, the rotational bias means comprises the barrier being connected to one carrier by a pair of mutually rotatable concentric first and second members, the first member being rigid with the barrier and the second member being rigid with said one carrier, and one member having a spiral cam device and the other member having a cam follower device such that mutual axial movement of the members between first and second extreme axial positions causes a mutual one quarter rotation thereof, said members being urged towards the first extreme axial position by action of the resiliently r I I II i 1 -1 i~ 2 so 00 0 Sr

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tensioned barrier.

In one alternative form of the rotational bias means the barrier is resiliently biased towards a horizontal first rotational position by a coil spring or a linear spring and crank arm or similar spring fixed at opposite ends to the barrier and the carrier.

Preferably, the rotation means comprises a remote controlled rotation motor effecting controlled rotation of the barrier into a vertical rotational position. The rotation motor may be a linear ram connected between the carrier and a crank rigid with the first member or it may be a pulley drive and electric motor.

There may be a pair of the concentric members and a rotation means at both ends of the barrier, each pair of concentric members being connected between a respective end of the barrier and a respective one of the carriers.

Preferably the barrier includes a camera optically directed across the barrier and activated by a photoelectric beam/relay device aligned parallel with the 20 barrier.

Preferably the rail is generally tubular and of constant circular cross-section. The rail may include joins facilitating the loading and unloading of barrier devices including a length of rail section movable into and out of axial alignment with an adjacent section and being lockable into alignment therewith by an internal axially slidable bolt, external actuation of the bolt being facilitated by a handle rigid with the bolt and extending radially outwardly of the rail through a 30 longitudinal slot therein. The bolt may be spring loaded into the locking position.

Preferably the rail includes electrical power supply rails co-operative with electrical pick-ups carried by the carrier.

By way of example only, a preferred method of 1I implementing the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a device according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows detail of the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows detail of a component for use in the device of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 shows in detail a portion of a guide rail used in conjunction with the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a horse race track 1 bounded by inner and outer perimeter fences 2, proximate each perimeter S fence 2 is an aerial guide rail 3. The aerial guide rail 3 is at a height substantially above the maximum height of a horse drawn buggy and driver team. Extending between *000 15 the inner and outer aerial guide rails 3 are any number of starting barriers 4. Each starting barrier 4 is supported at its inner and outer axial ends by a carrier device The barrier itself is rectangular comprising upper and lower horizontal strands 6 and 8 and end posts 9.

•a d20 The horizontal strands 6 and 8 may be elastic rubber strands or, as shown in Fig. 2, steel wire attached to a rubber strand 27 wrapped around each end post 9.

*ego*: In the case of mobile starts at least one of the carrier devices 5 is driven along the aerial guide rail 3 by its own motor. At the actual race start the barrier 4 S" is rotated about the axis 7 from the prestart vertical position to a horizontal position so as to simultaneously signal to all drivers the start of the race.

Fig. 2 shows the connection between the barrier 4 and carrier 5. The transverse section 9 of the barrier 4 is rigidly connected to an outer sleeve 13 while an inner sleeve 12 is rigidly connected to the carrier 5. The barrier 4 includes a lower twin horizontal strand 8, an upper single horizontal strand 6 and a single central strand 7 aligned with the rotational axis of the barrier.

.*6 000 0 0 0 0 0: 0 0*00 00000 0 b 0* 000 o so 0 a0 0 *0 00 .0@0.

0 0 *000 0 -6- All of the horizontal strands 6, 7 and 8 are resiliently tensioned by rubber strands 27. Of course, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper and lower horizontal strands 6 and 8 may be, a single loop of rubber strand.

The support device 5 is screwed to the barrier 4 by a pivoting mechanism comprising two concentric sleeves, inner sleeve 12 rigid with the carrier 5 and onto sleeve 13 rigid with the barrier 4. The sleeves are telescopically and rotatably slidable. A pin 15 is rigidly attached to -he inner sleeve 12 and passes through the outer sleeve 13, through a slotted spiral cam 16. The pin 15 and slot 16 restrain the relative movement of the two sleeves such that a relative turning force or telescopic force results in a screw type movement.

The tension in the elastic strands 27 tends to slide the sleeves 12 and 13 apart. The spiral cam groove 16 and pin 15 will cause a relative rotation of the sleeves 12 and 13 if they are allowed to slide axially under this tension. In the prestart vertical position of the 20 barrier 4 this turning/axial movement tendency is counteracted by a fluid driven ram 14 and torque arm 14a.

At the start the fluid pressure in the ram 14 is released and the tension in the elastic strands 27 is allowed to pull the sleeves 12 and 13 apart, to the extent allowed by 25 the length of the slot 16, and the pin 15 acting on the cam slot 16 simultaneously rotates the sleeve 13 and hence the barrier 4. The ram 14 is also used to turn the barrier 4 back into the prestart vertical position. The holding force in the prestart position can be effected by a suitably positioned electromagnet.

Fig. 3 shows the detail of the carrier 5 which is generally encased within a box section 20 and includes two driven pressure rollers 21. The pressure rollers 21 are driven by a remote controlled electric motor 22. The pressure rollers 21 are shaped so as to partially envelop a circularly cross-sectioned guide rail 23. Attached along the inside length of the circular sectioned rail 23 is an angle rail 24. Two idler rollers 25 engage a free edge of the angle rail 24 so as to ensure smooth stable movement of the carrier 5 along the rail 23/24. The rail 23/24 is supported by spaced apart vertical posts 26 about the outer and inner perimeters of the track.

Fig. 4 shows a portion of the overhead rail 3 adapted for loading the carrier 5 on and off the rail 3. Section 3a of the rail can be swung into and out of alignment with section 3b so as to allow loading on and off of the carrier when out of alignment and clear passage of the carriage past the join when in alignment. The sections 3a and 3b are locked into alignment by pin 28 which is held 15 in its locking position by the spring 30, pin 28 and spring 30 being slidable within the hollow rail section 3a. Handle 29 extends externally of the rail section 3a so as to allow release of the pin 28.

Furthermore, the invention provides devices capable 20 of performing diverse tasks, such as walking aids or animal exercising devices.

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Claims (7)

1. 2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said support structures are a pair of generally parallel overhead rails see4 located along approximate inner and outer perimeters of an intended course and each of said pair of carriers is supported for movement along a respective one of said rails.
2. 3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of the carriers may include a remote controlled motive engine engaging the respective rail for controlled movement of the device along said rail. 4
3. 4. A device as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the barrier is horizontally resiliently fee. tensioned and in tensile connection with said carriers so as to urge said carriers one toward the other. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein said carriers include wheels engaging edges of respective said support structures on sides of the support structures distal of the barrier so as to frictionally grip the structures.
4. 6. A device a£ defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein said rotational bias means comprises the barrier being connected to at least one carrier by at :j i *o C OS 4c 0n q e -9- least one respective pair of mutually rotatable concentric first and second members, the first member being rigid with the barrier and the second member being rigid with said one carrier, and one member having a cam device and the other member having a co-operative cam follower device such that mutual axial movement between first and second extreme axial positions of the members causes a mutual quarter turn rotation thereof, said members being urged towards the first extreme axial position.
5. 7. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein the rotation means comprises a remotely controllable rotation motor effecting controlled rotation of the carrier in a direction causing mutual axial movement of the members to the second extreme axial position.
6. 8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein the rotation motor is a linear motor acting between the carrier and a crank being rigid with the first member so as to controllably apply a torque to the first member relative to the second member whereby their mutual rotation and the action of the cam device and cam follower device controllably causes and maintains mutual movement of the concentric members into the second extreme position and rotation of the barrier into the second predetermined orientation and whereby ceased action of the linear motor, whether by control or device failure, results in rotation of the barrier into said first predetermined orientation.
7. 9. A starting device as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier is substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 3. A starting device substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings. DATED this i5thday of November 1989 GEORGE LESLIE BROWN Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F.B. RICE CO.