AU654428B2 - Retracting tether - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patent Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

654428 Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Names(s) of Applicant(s): u s ROSS MAXNELL JOHNSON Actual Inventor(s): ROSS MAXWELL JOHNSON Our Address for service is: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street MELBOURNE, Australia 3000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: RETRACTING TETHER The following statement is a the best method of performing full description of this invention, including it known to applicant(s): 0804N RETRACTING TETHER This invention relates to restraints for animals and the like, in particular to a retracting tether device having an adjustable length. The device according to the invention is especially suitable for tethering animals to fixtures and it will be convenient to describe the invention by reference to this particular application, however it is to be understood that the device may also be used as a hand held leash or may have other useful applications.

Most animal tethers and restraints on the market today are of the chain/leash variety where one end is secured to the animal and the other to a fixture. The movement of the animal can result in these tethers becoming snagged around obstacles or 0 tangled around the animal itself. Strangulation and hanging are a common cause of injury and death to tethered animals because of these types of restraints. There are also a number of retracting leashes available which take the form of a recoiling spool of cord mounted inside a plastic casing, the free end of the cord being attached to the animal by means of a fastening device and the plastic housing being held by the owner. These devices generally have a button which allows the owner to set the length of the leash. Activation of the button results in a clamping of the cord passing through the housing thereby preventing further cord from being wound from the spool.

A disadvantage of these devices is that once the button is pressed and the length of the leash has been fixed, the leash is no longer retractable. This can result in the leash becoming slack as the distance between the animal and the owner decreases. Also if the owner does not press the restraining button the animal is free to pull the cord to its full length.

This places great stress on the recoiling spring and, if this is repeated too often, can lead to irreparable damage to the device.

These disadvantages make known retracting leashes undesirable for tethering an animal to a fixture since if the 39 maximum length is fixed, the leash is not retractable, or if the WDN 2 maximum length is not fixed, the animal is free to pull the cord to its full length placing stress on the recoil spring.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least alleviate the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide a retracting tether device having an adjustable maximum length which remains retractable even when the maximum length is set.

Accordingly the invention provides a retracting tether connectable between a fixture and an animal, said tether comprising: a support, a recoiling spool of cord rotatably mounted on said support to feed and retract with the animals movements, thereby maintaining tension between said animal and said fixture, and stop means actuable to prevent cord feeding from the pool when a predetermined maximum distance between said fixture and said animal is reached, said stop means being aafustable to vary said predetermined maximum distance, wherein said recoiling spool remains retractable after actuation of said stop means.

In a preferred embodiment the predetermined maximum distance is set by adjusting the stop means into a position over the cord on the spool whereby rotation of the spool is prevented by abutment of the cord against the stop memyer. Preferably the spool has a cylindrical core and/or flanges on either side of the core.

In another embodiment the stop means comprises an elongate portion adjustable into a position over the cord on the spool in an orientation substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the spool, whereby rotation of the spool is prevented by abutment of the cord against the elongate portion of the stop reffe. Preferably the elongate portion is connected to a sliding arm, the sliding arm being pivotably connected to a plate which is rotatable relative to the spool, the elongate portion being adjustable by rotation of the plate.

3 It is also preferred that the plate includes a protruding adjustment member to allow a user to rotate the plate and thereby adjust the elongate portion of the stop means into and out of position over the cord.

In another arrangement the stop means comprises a second spool rotatable about the recoiling spool and including an aperture allowing the cord to pass therethrough, and a locking member for preventing rotation of the second spool relative to the recoiling spool, whereby rotation of the recoiling spool is prevented by abutment of the cord against the second spool.

The support may be any suitable housing which is preferably made of a weatherproof material such as plastic, 5 stainless steel etc. Preferably the housing includes a cylindrical cavity, for accommodating the recoiling spool. It is also preferred that the housing includes a pin around which the recoiling spool rotates. In this arrangement the spool can be connected to the pin via a recoiling spring to provide the recoiling mechanism for the spool. The strength of the recoil of the spool, ie. the strength of the recoil spring, depends on S the size and strength of animal to be tethered. It is also envisaged that the strength of the recoil could be made adjustable by allowing the tension in the recoil spring to be increased or decreased ie. by rotating the spring independently of the spool.

In another arrangment the support comprises a bracket having a shaft around which the recoiling spool rotates. As with the housing arrangement described above the spool can be connected to the shaft via a recoil spring.

Preferably the support also comprises an attachment member to enable the support to be attached to ian animal or a fixture. Suitable attachment members include hooks, fasteners, D-rings, carabiners etc. The term "cord" as used herein refers to any flexible elongate material suitable for use as a leash or tether. Suitable materials include string, woven cord, wire, 39 chain, cable, fabric strips etc. The cord is preferably made of

WDN

4 a weatherproof material or has a weatherproof coating.

It will be convenient to further describe the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate two preferred embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention are possible, and consequently the particularity of the accompanying drawings is not to be understood as superceeding the generality of the preceding description of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a variable length retracting tether according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the tether shown in figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the recoiling spool with the housing removed.

2 Figure 4 is a cross sectional view along line IV-IV of figure 3.

Figure 5 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the invention.

The housing 1 of the variable length retracting tether a.o.

shown in figures 1 to 4 is divided into two parts, a top portion la and a bottom portion lb. The bottom portion lb has an S upstanding centrally located pin 2 having a slit 3. A spool 4 is located over the pin 2 to which it is connected by means of a recoiling spring 5. The recoiling spring 5 is located in a cylindrical recess 6 in the spool 4 and is connected to the spool through a slit (not shown) in the inner surface of the recess 6. The other end of the recoiling spring 5 is connected to the pin 2 by means of slit 3.

The upper and lower portions la and lb of the housing 1 have circular stabilizing ribs 7a, 7b and 7c to guide rotation 39 of the spool 4.

WDN 5 A length of cord 8, approximately 6 metres in length, is connected to core 9 and wrapped around spool 4. The upper and lower portions la and lb of the housing 1 are molded with grooves 10a and 10b in corresponding corners of the portions to provide an aperture 10 in the assembled housing 1. The free end of the cord 8 passes through aperture 10 and is connected to a fastening device 11 via a short length of strengthened cable 12.

A flat circular &ik 13 lies in a counter recess 14 in the upper rim of recess 6. A locating lug 15 in the counter recess 14 protrudes into a cut out portion 16 of the disk 13 to limit rotation of the disk 13 in the counter recess. A leaf spring 17 located in the cut out portion 16 to hold the disk in position.

•gee Two sliding arms 18 and 19 are pivotably connected to the *o disk by rivets 20 and 21. The sliding arms are inset into recesses 22 and 23 in the surface of the disk 13. An arm 24 is pivotably connected to sliding arm 18 by leaf spring 29. The sliding arms 18 and 19 lie in grooves 25 and 26 located in the upper surface of the spool 4.

When the maximum distance of the retracting tether has not been set, ie when the device is turned off, arm 24 is supported in groove 25. The disk 13 is held in the "off" position by the interaction between locating lug 15 and leaf spring 17. To turn the device to the "on" position the disk is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction by rotating knob 27.

Rotation of the button pushes the connection between arm 24 and sliding arm 18 past the outer edge 28 of groove 25. This allows arm 24 to flex under the influence of the leaf spring 29, as shown in figures 3 and 4.

To operate the device fastener 11 is secured to a fixed position and the cord is fed to the required distance ensuring the radius is obstacle free. The device is then turned on by rotating knob 27 in an anti-clockwise direction. This causes arm 24 to flex into a position over the cord thereby preventing 39 further rotation of the spool by abutment of the cord against WDN 6 the arm. The device is then secured to the animal's collar by carabiner The retracting tether will then feed and retract with the animal's movements and should remain tangle free. The device can be disengaged by feeding the cord to its set length then turning the knob 27 clockwise to the off position.

Another way of operating the device is to connect fastener 11 to the animal's collar and connect carabiner 30 to a fixture. The device may also hand held by the animal's owner instead of being attached to a fixture and thereby act as an effective leash.

In a second embodiment as shown in figure 5 the housing is divided into two semi-cylindrical portions 31a and 31b. The assembled device includes an upstanding central pin 32 having a slot 33. An inner spool 34 is rotatably mounted on central pin 32, being connected to the pin by recoiling spring 35 connected between slot 33 and slot 36 on the inner surface of the inner spool 34. Rotation of the inner spool is faciliated by a pair of ball bearing races 37a and 37b.

The top surface 38 of the inner spool 36 and the upper 5 ball bearing race 37a includes a pair of diametrically opposed Sslots 39a and 39b. An outer spool 40 is located around inner spool 34. This outer spool inlcudes a plurality of teeth 41 on its inner surface and upper and lower ball bearing races 42a and 42b.

The device includes a pair of locking bars 43a and 43b having upstanding pins 44a and 44b which are inserted into holes and 45b in cap 46 which is located above recoil spring 35 in the central recess of inner spool 34. The cap is screwed to the top of pin 32 by screw 47 which passes through knob 48 attached to cap 46. In the assembled unit it is only knob 48 which protrudes from the housing.

39 A length of cable 49, approximately 5 metres in length, WDN 7 is connected at one end to spool 34 with the remainder of the cord being wrapped around the inner spool. The free end of the cord passes through aperture 50 in outer spool 40 and passes outside the housing through hole 51.

In the "off" position the outer ends of the locking bars 43a and 43b rest solely in grooves 39a and 39b in the inner spool. This allows the full length of the cable to extend and retract from the inner spool.

To operate the device fastener 52, which is connected to the free end of cable 49, is secured to a fixed position and the cable fed to the required distance ensuriny an obstacle free radius. The device is then turned on by rotating knob 48.

Rotation of the knob causes the locking bars 43a and 43b to move along grooves 39a and 39b and into engagement with teeth 41 located on the inner surface of outer spool 40. This effectively stops independent rotation of inner spool 34 and S allows the cable to retract around outer spool 28 This will allow the device to feed and retract around the S outer spool with the animal's movements and remain tangle free Q if the radius is free of obstacles. The device can be disengaged by feeding the cord to its maximum length and turning knob 48 to the off position allowing the cable to fully retract around inner spool 34.

Finally it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications or additions may be introduced into the variable length retracting tether of the present invention previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention. It is also to be understood that known retracting leashes could be modified by inclusion of adjustable stop means as hereinbefore described and that such modified leashes are also included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

39 WDN 8

Claims (7)

1. A variable length retracting tether connectable between a fixture and an animal, said tether comprising: a support, a recoiling spool of cord rotatably mounted on said support to feed and retract with the animals movements thereby maintaining tension between said animal and said fixture, and stop means actuable to prevent cord feeding from the spool when a predetermined maximum distance between said fixture and said animal is reached, said stop means being adjustable to vary said predetermined maximum distance, wherein said recoiling spool remains retractable after actuation of the stop means.

2. A variable length retracting tether according to claim 1 wherein said stop means is adjustable into a position over the cord on the spool whereby rotation of the spool is prevented by abutment of the cord against the stop membe-x.

3. A variable length retracting tether according to claiml or 2 wherein said stop means comprises an elongate portion adjustable into a position over the cord on the spool in an orientation substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of 25 the spool, whereby rotation of the spool is prevented by abutment of the cord against the elongate portion of the stop 'adjustable by rotation of said plate.

5. A variable length retracting tether according to claim 4 4. A variable length retracting tether according to claim 3 wherein said elongate portion is connected to a sliding arm, allowing finger rotation of the plate. /9 A variable length retracting tether according to claim 3 0D 9 a wherein said stop means comprises a second spool rotatable about said recoiling spool and including an aperture allowing the cord to pass therethrough, and a locking member for preventing rotation of the second spool relative to the recoiling spool, whereby rotation of the recoiling spool is prevented by abutment of the cord against the second spool.

7. A variable length retracting tether according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said support includes a pin around which said recoiling spool rotates.

8. A variable length retracting tether according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 4.

9. A variable length retracting tether according to claim 6 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 2i DATED: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: M^ ROSS MAXWELL JOHNSON 2131N 3 39 WDN 10 ABSTRACT The invention relates to a retracting tether device having an adjustable length which is suitable for tethoring animals to fixtures. The device comprises: a support, a recoiling spool of cord rotatably mounted on said support to feed and retract with the animals movements thereby maintaining tension between said animal and said fixture, and stop means actuable to prevent cord feeding from the spool when a predetermined maximum distance between said fixture and said animal is reached, said stop means being adjustable to vary said predetermined maximum distance, wherein said recoiling spool remains retractable after actuation of the stop means. 9 o 39 39 WDN