GB2039705A

GB2039705A - Animal lead

Info

Publication number: GB2039705A
Application number: GB7902089A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-01-19
Filing date: 1979-01-19
Publication date: 1980-08-20
Also published as: GB2039705B

Abstract

To extend the utility of a lead for a domestic animal, such as a dog, by facilitating its being anchored to a stationary object, such as a post or drainpipe, the lead (which may comprise a strap 10 as shown, or a chain) has at one end the usual hook or clasp 15 for connecting to an animal's collar or harness. At the other end is a secondary hook or clasp 22, and complementary to the latter is an eye or ring 25 which is secured at a spacing from said other end. The secondary hook 22 can be engaged with the eye or ring 25 to provide a conventional hand loop for the lead; or the said other end of the lead can be taken around a fixed object such as a post, and then engaged with the eye or ring 25 to anchor the lead. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATIQN Animal lead This invention concerns animal leads.

Animal leads, for example for dogs and like domestic animals, are generally constructed to comprise a strap or chain having, at one end, a clasp or hook for attachment to an animal's collar or harness and, at the other end, a permanent loop for the user to put his fingers through, thereby to achieve a secure and reliable hold on the lead.

These leads, of traditional construction, are generally of adequate utility for leading dogs and/or other domestic animals when walking.

However, such leads generally are lacking in utility when it is desired to tether the animals involved, for example in the case of a dog, when the person walking the dog requires to secure the dog temporarily whilst he goes into a shop or other establishment.

An object of this invention is to provide a lead construction by which this difficulty is obviated, the lead being capable of being used both in the traditional manner with a loop at one end for the user's hand and as a secure tether.

With this object in view, the present invention provides an animal lead comprising a strap or chain having, at one end, a clasp or hook for attachment to an animal's collar or harness, characterised by the provision, at or adjacent the other end, a secondary clasp or hook and, spaced from said other end, a ring or eye for engagement therewith of the secondary clasp or hook to form, on said strap, a loop which can be used as a hand hold or which can be formed about a fixed object to tether the lead.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the lead of the invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the use of the lead of Fig. 1 as a tether by securing it to a metal ring secured to a wall: and Fig. 3 is a view comparable with Fig. 2, but illustrating the use of the lead as a tether by securing it to a post or gutter pipe.

As shown in the drawings, the illustrated preferred embodiment of the lead of the invention comprises a relatively narrow strap 10 having, at one end, a turned-back portion 11 which is secured to the adjacent section of the narrow strap 10 by means of rivets 12 and which provides a relatively small loop 1 3 into which is secured a respective ring 14 of a hook or clasp 1 5 which can be used in conventional manner for hooking the lead to a collar or harness (not shown) of a domestic animal such as a dog.The illustrated hook or clasp 1 5 is of the kind comprising a spring-loaded with drawable plunger 1 6 normally blocking the entry to its hook portion 1 7 so that it cannot unintentionally be unhooked, but of course other constructions, such as one incorporating a deflectable leaf spring in the place of the plunger 16, may be employed as desired.

At its other end, the strap 10 similarly has a respective turned-back portion 1 8 secured by rivets 19, to form a secondary small loop 20 serving to connect permanently to the strap 10 a respective ring 21 of a secondary hook or clasp 22 which is of substantially similar construction to the hook or clasp 1 5 and, as with the latter, may be of any suitable alternative form.

At a location spaced away from the said secondary loop 20, a short strap length 23 is secured to the strap 10 by rivets 24 so as to fasten, to the strap 10, a ring or eye 25.

The mode of use of the lead will readily be apparent from the foregoing description.

Firstly, for conventional or traditional use of the lead, the secondary hook or clasp 22 is simply engaged with the ring or eye 25 so as to form that section of the strap 10 extending from the ring or eye 25 to the hook or clasp 22 into a loop constituting a hand hold for the lead, the hook or clasp 1 5, of course, being fastened to the animal's collar or harness in the usual way, as has already been described.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate two alternative ways of using the lead alternatively as a tether. In the arrangement of Fig. 2, the secondary hook or clasp 22 has been disengaged from the ring or eye 25 and has been engaged with a hoop or ring 26 fastened by a staple 27 to a wall or other surface 28. Of course, the hook or clasp 22 can be hooked directly onto any suitable fixed object, such as metal paling, wrought ironwork or the like as may be desired.

Fig. 3 illustrates how the lead can be used in a 'location where no fixed object, sufficiently slender for the hook or clasp 22 to be engaged therewith, is available at a location where the animal is required to be tethered. In this event, the end section of the strap 10, between the ring or eye 25 and the hook or clasp 25, after release of the latter, is taken around any convenient stationary object which in the illustrated case is a post or gutter pipe 29 but which, of course, can be any relatively stout object, such as a tree, gatepost, lamppost, or the like, and is then engaged again with the ring or eye 25. The lead is thereby quickly, conveniently and reliably tethered to the fixed object 29 in such a way as not to be unintentionally detachable therefrom.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. Thus, in the illustrated case the shapes and materials of the components of the described embodiment can be varied as may b'e desired. Furthermore, instead of comprising the strap 10, the lead may be composed principally of a chain. Other variations are possible.

1. An animal lead comprising a strap or chain ,having, at one end, a clasp or hook for attachment to an animai's collar or harness, characterised by

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATIQN Animal lead This invention concerns animal leads. Animal leads, for example for dogs and like domestic animals, are generally constructed to comprise a strap or chain having, at one end, a clasp or hook for attachment to an animal's collar or harness and, at the other end, a permanent loop for the user to put his fingers through, thereby to achieve a secure and reliable hold on the lead. These leads, of traditional construction, are generally of adequate utility for leading dogs and/or other domestic animals when walking. However, such leads generally are lacking in utility when it is desired to tether the animals involved, for example in the case of a dog, when the person walking the dog requires to secure the dog temporarily whilst he goes into a shop or other establishment. An object of this invention is to provide a lead construction by which this difficulty is obviated, the lead being capable of being used both in the traditional manner with a loop at one end for the user's hand and as a secure tether. With this object in view, the present invention provides an animal lead comprising a strap or chain having, at one end, a clasp or hook for attachment to an animal's collar or harness, characterised by the provision, at or adjacent the other end, a secondary clasp or hook and, spaced from said other end, a ring or eye for engagement therewith of the secondary clasp or hook to form, on said strap, a loop which can be used as a hand hold or which can be formed about a fixed object to tether the lead. The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the lead of the invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the use of the lead of Fig. 1 as a tether by securing it to a metal ring secured to a wall: and Fig. 3 is a view comparable with Fig. 2, but illustrating the use of the lead as a tether by securing it to a post or gutter pipe. As shown in the drawings, the illustrated preferred embodiment of the lead of the invention comprises a relatively narrow strap 10 having, at one end, a turned-back portion 11 which is secured to the adjacent section of the narrow strap 10 by means of rivets 12 and which provides a relatively small loop 1 3 into which is secured a respective ring 14 of a hook or clasp 1 5 which can be used in conventional manner for hooking the lead to a collar or harness (not shown) of a domestic animal such as a dog.The illustrated hook or clasp 1 5 is of the kind comprising a spring-loaded with drawable plunger 1 6 normally blocking the entry to its hook portion 1 7 so that it cannot unintentionally be unhooked, but of course other constructions, such as one incorporating a deflectable leaf spring in the place of the plunger 16, may be employed as desired. At its other end, the strap 10 similarly has a respective turned-back portion 1 8 secured by rivets 19, to form a secondary small loop 20 serving to connect permanently to the strap 10 a respective ring 21 of a secondary hook or clasp 22 which is of substantially similar construction to the hook or clasp 1 5 and, as with the latter, may be of any suitable alternative form. At a location spaced away from the said secondary loop 20, a short strap length 23 is secured to the strap 10 by rivets 24 so as to fasten, to the strap 10, a ring or eye 25. The mode of use of the lead will readily be apparent from the foregoing description. Firstly, for conventional or traditional use of the lead, the secondary hook or clasp 22 is simply engaged with the ring or eye 25 so as to form that section of the strap 10 extending from the ring or eye 25 to the hook or clasp 22 into a loop constituting a hand hold for the lead, the hook or clasp 1 5, of course, being fastened to the animal's collar or harness in the usual way, as has already been described. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate two alternative ways of using the lead alternatively as a tether. In the arrangement of Fig. 2, the secondary hook or clasp 22 has been disengaged from the ring or eye 25 and has been engaged with a hoop or ring 26 fastened by a staple 27 to a wall or other surface 28. Of course, the hook or clasp 22 can be hooked directly onto any suitable fixed object, such as metal paling, wrought ironwork or the like as may be desired. Fig. 3 illustrates how the lead can be used in a 'location where no fixed object, sufficiently slender for the hook or clasp 22 to be engaged therewith, is available at a location where the animal is required to be tethered. In this event, the end section of the strap 10, between the ring or eye 25 and the hook or clasp 25, after release of the latter, is taken around any convenient stationary object which in the illustrated case is a post or gutter pipe 29 but which, of course, can be any relatively stout object, such as a tree, gatepost, lamppost, or the like, and is then engaged again with the ring or eye 25. The lead is thereby quickly, conveniently and reliably tethered to the fixed object 29 in such a way as not to be unintentionally detachable therefrom. The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. Thus, in the illustrated case the shapes and materials of the components of the described embodiment can be varied as may b'e desired. Furthermore, instead of comprising the strap 10, the lead may be composed principally of a chain. Other variations are possible. CLAIMS

1. An animal lead comprising a strap or chain ,having, at one end, a clasp or hook for attachment to an animai's collar or harness, characterised by the provision, at or adjacent the other end, a secondary clasp or hook and, spaced from said other end, a ring or eye for engagement therewith of the secondary clasp or hook to form, on said strap or chain, a loop which can be used as a hand hold or which can be formed about a fixed object to tether the lead.

2. An animal lead as claimed in claim 1 comprising a strap and wherein the ring or eye is fastened to the strap by a short strap length secured to the strap by rivets.

3. An animal lead as claimed in claim 1 or2 wherein each clasp is retained at its respective end of the strap by being located on a respective loop at the corresponding end.

3. An animal lead as claimed in claim 1 or 2 each hook or clasp is retained at its respective end of the strap or chain by being located on a respective loop at the corresponding end.

4. An animal lead substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 22.1.80 Superseded claims 1-3 New or amended claims:

1. An animal lead comprising a one piece strap having, at one end, a clasp for attachment to an animal's collar or harness, characterised by the provision, at or adjacent the other end, a secondary clasp and, at a fixed spacing from said other end, a ring for engagement therewith of the secondary clasp, to form, on said strap, a loop which can be used as a hand hold or which can be formed about a fixed object to tether the lead.

2. An animal lead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ring is fastened to the strap by a short strap length secured to the strap by rivets.