US1096904A - Coop. - Google Patents

Description

G. E. & B. F. GRANT.

COOP.

APPLIGATION FILED 0019. 1912.

Patented May 19, 1914.

2 SHEETB-SHBET 1.

NNI

C. E. & B. P. GRANT. CooP.

APPLICATION FILED 0UT.9'. 1912.

1,096,904. Patented May 19, 1914J 2 SHEBTB-SHEET 2.

J6 L? (i5/ 106 Immun,

wl' by M y & Attorney.

UNTED i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. GRANT AND BERT F. GRANT, 0F MARION, INDIANA.

COOP.

T0 all whom 'it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLEs E. GRANT and BERT F. GRANT, citizens of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant, State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Coop, ot' which the following is a specification.

The present invention aims to provide a poultry coop including a plurality of internal partitions and wings adapted to be removed, wholly or in part, for the purpose of altering the number of compartments into which the coop is subdivided.

The invention aims to provide novel means for holding the partitions and the wings in place, and to provide novel means whereby the wings and the partitions may be re moved, without tearing apart or injuring the coop.

Another object of the invention is to improve generally, and to increase the utility of, devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment ol. invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing' from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-a-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. l is a fragmental side elevation of one of the wings; Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevation of the removable closure; and Fig. 6 is a fragmental top plan of the removable closure.

The coop herein disclosed comprises a bottom 1, fashioned in any desired manner. Secured to the bottom 1 are end plates 2 and abutting intermediate plates 3, the plates 3 in the present instance being` located approXimately midway between the plates 2, as will be most clearly seen in Fig. 2. EX- tended longitudinally of the coop is a primary side plate 4 and a secondary side plate 5. The side plate il, as shown in Fig. 3, extends into abutment with the bottom 1, the side plate 5 being spaced apart from the Speecation of Letters Patent.

Application tiled October 9, 1912.

Patentedltiay 19, 1914.

serial No. 724,837.

bottom, to define an opening between the side plate 5 and the bottom. The bottom 1, the end plates 2, the intermediate plates 3 and the side plates 1 and 5 constitute what ior convenience may be designated the lower frame oi the coop.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the upper edges of the intermediate plates 3 are notched as indicated at 6, the upper edges of the end plates 2 being notched in a similar manner. In these notches 6 are mounted bars 7, supporting a false bottom 8 which may be fashioned from wire netting. Pans 9 rest upon the bottom 1, below the false bottom 8, the pans 9 being adapted to receive the droppings. The pans are inserted between the secondary side plate 5 of the 'lower irame and the bottom 1, the pans abutting against the primary side plate 4.

Connected with the lower frame above described are corner posts 10 and intermediate posts 11, the intermediate posts 11 supporting an intermediate bar 12, the bar 12, the posts 11 and the intermediate plates 3 defining an intermediate frame which extends transversely of the coop. The corner posts 10 support end bars 111 and side bars 15, the bars 1-1 and 15 constituting the upper trame of the coop. The eornerposts 10, the end plates 2 and the end bars 14: constitute the end frames of the coop, and these frames are filled in with netting indicated at 16. The intermediate frame, above described, is also filled in with netting as indicated at 17. The end posts 18 connect the members 2 and 14 and posts 19 connect the members 12 and 3 of the intermediate frame.`

The adjacent, inner faces of the posts 18 and 19 are equipped with upright, spaced cleats 20, receivingl slidably the ends of partition frames 21 which are filled in with netting as indicated at 22.

At this point it will be noted that the intermediate frame comprising the members 3, 11, 12 and 19 serves to divide the coop into two compartments. Each of these compartments is subdivided by the partition iframes 21 into two other compartments, so that the coop, so lar as described, comprises tour compartments.

Intermediate its ends, the partition frames 21 are equipped with upright, spaced cleats 23, receiving slidabl y the inner ends of wings 24, the wings 24 being filled in with netting as indicated at 25. The wings 24 are provided with projecting ends 26 which fit between spaced blocks 27, one pair of the blocks 27 being secured to the side bar 15 and the other set of blocks 27 being secured to the primary side plate 4. Upon the other side of the coop, referring to F ig. 3, the blocks 27 are carried by the corresponding side bar 15 and by the secondary side plate 5.

It will be observed that when the wings 24 are mounted in place, the interior of the coop is subdivided so that the same comprises eight compartments.

Four removable side walls are provided in the present embodiment of the invention. Each of the side walls comprises an upper bar 28, a lower bar 29, and transverse, connecting slats 30. Secured to the lower bar 29 of each side wall is a locking block 31. In mounting the removable side walls in place, the upper ends of the slats 30 are in-l serted inside of the side bar 15, and the lower ends of the side walls are pushed inwardly until the ends of the bars 28 and 29 abut against the upright straps 43, connecting the members 15 and 5, and 16 and 4, adjacent the end frames of the coop and adjacent the intermediate frame of the coop. The side walls are then shoved downwardly until the lower ends of the slats 30 lock behind the members 4 and 5. It may be recalled that the ends 26 of t-he wings 24 are located between the blocks 27 and therefore, when the removable side walls are mounted in place as above described, the locking blocks 31 which are carried by the members 29 of the side walls, will engage across t-he upper edges of the lower projections 26 of the wings, thus holding the wings in place against upward movement.

The end bars 14 of t-he upper frame are connected by fixed slats 32. As indicated at 32a, the inner slats 32 of the series are spaced apart, along the longitudinal center of the coop and directly above the partition frames 21. In the upper edges of the intermediate bar 12 and of the end bars 14 there are notches 33 alined vertically with the space 32a which exists between certain of the fixed slats 32. Extended longitudinally of the end bars 14 and of the intermediate bar 12 are keepers 34, bridging the notches 33, the ends of the keepers being secured to the members 14 and 12.

The invention further includes a removable closure plate 35 which is adapted to fit in the notches 33, below the keepers 34. The closure plate 35, along one side and at its ends is notched to define shoulders 36. When the closure plate 35 is thrust transversely in the notches 33, the shoulders 36 will engage with the inner faces of the end bars 14 and prevent the closure 35 from sliding endwise, the closure 35 being removable, however, by

sliding the same transversely, so the shoulders 36 no longer engage with the end bars 14.

Resilientv means is provided for maintaining the shoulders 36 engaged with the end bars 14. This resilient means, in the form shown, consists of an arched spring 37 secured at one end, as indicated at 38, to one edge of the closure 35, the spring 37 having in its other end', a longitudinal slot 39 slidably received by a headed securing element 40 which is inserted into the edge of the closure 35. As will be understood readily when Fig. 1 is noted, the crown of the spring 37 abuts against one of the shoulders of the notch 33, and pushes the closure 35 transversely so that the shoulders 36 engage with the end bars 14, as hereinbefore described.

The invention may include a plurality of feed troughs 41, provided with hooks 42, the hooks 42 engaging with the lower bars 29 of the removable side walls, or with any other suitable and accessible portion of the coop.

It is to be observed that the coop, constructed as above described, comprises eight compartments. It is possible, however, by removing the partition frames 21 and the wings 24 to reduce the number of compartments in the coop, until the same comprises two compartments only. At this-point it may be stated that the coop may be fashioned in any desired length, the partitions 21 being increased in length, and the number of the wings 24 being increased.

In order to vreduce the number of compartments within the coop, the removable closure plate 35 is first thrust transversely, to disengage the shoulders l36 from the end bars 14, the closure plate then being withdrawn longitudinally from beneath the keepers 34. This operation will remove the closure plate 35 from above the partition frames 21. The partition fra-me 21 may then be drawn upwardly through the opening 32a. Thereupon the end 26 of the wings 24 may be disengaged from between the blocks 27, the removable side walls having first been displaced, so that the locking blocks 31 no longer extend across the lower projections 26 of the wings.

The foregoing operation presupposes that it has been desired to remove a partition frame 21 and both of the wings 24 which are assembled therewith. It is within the scope of the invention to remove but one of the wings 24, and in carrying out this operation, one side wall is iirst removed, to disengage the locking block 31 from the projection 26 of the wing 24 which is to be removed. Thereupon the wing 24 may be lifted so that its projections 26 lie above the blocks 27. The wing may then be swung toone side, the inner end. of the wing being disengaged from between the cleats 23 of the partition frame 21. When the wing 24'lies in approximate parallelism with the frame 2l, the wing may be lifted upwardly through the opening 32a.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A coop comprising a frame; to sections spaced apart and secured to the ame; a closure movably held upon the frame between the sections; a partition located below the closure and adapted to be removed only when the closure is removed; means upon the frame for receiving the ends of the partition slidably; a wing interengaged at one end with the partition for sliding movement; a side wall engaged at its ends with the frame and adapted to be lifted and lowered to disengage its ends from the frame; and interengaging elements upon the side wall and upon the other end ofi the wing for holding the Wing depressed.

2. A coop having an openin and comprising a removable closure `for t e opening; a longitudinal partition located below the closure; a transverse wing; a removable side Wall; means upon the coop for slidably receiving the ends of the partition; means upon the side wall and upon the partition for slidably receiving the ends of the wing; the upper edge of the wing being spaced from the closure to permit the wing to be lifted, thereby to free the wing from the side Wall and to permit the wing to be swung into approximate parallelism with the partition and to be removed through the opening after the closure has been removed.

3. A coop comprising end members and an intermediate frame having openings; a rigid closure mounted to move transversely and longitudinally in the openings; a spring bearing against the intermediate frame and against the closure; the closure having shoulders coaeting with the end members under the action of the spring to prevent longitudinal movement of the closure.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto aiixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. GRANT. BERT F. GRANT. Witnesses:

J. H. DE Por, D. M. MURPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

Images