US2185547A - Dog toy - Google Patents

Description

J. FOWLER Jan. 2, 1940.

DOG TOY Filed July 14, 1938 I Patented Jan. 2, 1940 U bl i i iii habitat 1 Claim.

My invention relates to amusement devices or toys of that type designed to be used as playthings by dogs and other small animals, and commonly known as dog toys.

Dog toys of various shapes and designs are commonly made of rubber, and although other materials are sometimes used rubber of substantial quality. prevails to a considerable extent for the reason that as the dog or puppy is inclined to bite or chew the toy material of this kind will not injure his teeth. However, toys of this character which are made of rubber, or impregnated fiber or cloth, are more easily destroyed than those which are made of harder or more durable substances, and as the dog is inclined to swallow pieces of the material torn from the toy rubberand like materials have a deleterious effect on the dog. Furthermore, dog toys made of some of the materials now in use serve to attract and amuse grown dogs for only a comparatively short while, which has suggested the idea of impregnating certain materials, of which the toy is made, with substances appealing to the sense of taste, but such impregnated materials lack the required durability, and in other respects are not altogether desirable.

For the purpose of providing a harmless toy which will be attractive to a dog or other small animal, which will be durable in use, and which will appeal to the animals sense of taste in practically the same manner as a natural bone, my invention contemplates a construction in which the outer portion or casing of the toy is of thoroughly dried rawhide from which the hair has been removed, whereby said outer casing or cover will provide a natural beef odor and flavor to maintain the dogs interest in the toy as well as withstand the rough treatment to which toys of this character are subjected.

My invention further contemplates a particular construction of toy by which the several parts constituting the same are secured together in such a manner as to protect them from becoming separated by the dog gripping the toy in hismouth or chewing on it to obtain the flavor from the rawhide.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a' view illustrating the carrying out of my invention, in which the dog toy is in the form of a bone.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the toy illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing a modification in the construction of the toy, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views illustrating a modification in the shape of the toy.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views of the drawing.

In carrying out my invention the toy in each -6 instance is made up of a core of suitable ma-- terial enclosed by a casing or cover of rawhide from which the hair has been removed and which has been thoroughly dried to provide a comparatively hard surface while maintaining 10 its natural odor and flavor.

As illustrated in Fig. l the toy is constructed to simulate a conventional form of animal bone with a rubber core it covered by rawhide, it, and although this covering of rawhide may be 16 in a single piece stitched together at its meeting edges I prefer to make it of two pieces brought together around the sides of the core with the contiguous edges, lit, it, connected by stitches iii. The connected edges project laterally from 2 the body portion of the simulated bone to increase its attractiveness and provide portions on which the dog or puppy may grip his teeth in carrying the toy, and in order to protect the stitches from being torn or broken by the dog's teeth when, he is engaged in chewing on or gnawing the simulated bone said stitches are located close against the body with the latter projecting slightly over the stitches. The rubber core will provide a certain amount of resiliency or give to the teeth oi" the dog, and consequently the rubber core may be made or" hard or soft rubber according to the amount of resiliency desired in the construction of the article. However, instead of a rubber core it may be made of any other substance or material, as for instance made up of several laminations of leather, as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the two-piece rawhide cover is also designated by the numeral ll, while the leather strips are designated by the numeral it. Otherwise the construction is the same as with a rubber core.

Although the several piecesof material constituting the simulated. animal bone will be firmly secured together by the stitches around the edges of the rawhide cover the durability of the article will be materially increased by the addition of a line of stitches, ll, at the longitudinal center of the toy, Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing, as they will augment the other stitches 5 to more securely hold the several pieces together. Furthermore, by first stitching the pieces together at their longitudinal center the sewing of the stitches around the edges of the two-piece cover can be more easily accomplished, 5

and thus facilitate the manufacture of the toy. This manner of securing the several pieces together is especially desirable when the toy made of any particular design is comparatively flat, as for instance in the shape of a bone, it being understood however that I reserve the right to make the article in various shapes or attractive designs. It is also contemplated to make the core of one or more thicknesses of leather, or other material, and in stitching the several pieces or laminations together at the center said stitches are terminated a short distance from each end of the article.

As a further modification the dog toy may be made up in the form of a ball, illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, in which the core or inside material I5 is preferably made of rubber. In this instance, also, the rawhide cover II of the ball is made in two sections with the surrounding contiguous edges, 45, IE, connected by stitches l3 passing through said edges close to the body of the ball, but in order that the edges l6, IE will not project beyond the contour of the ball, so that it may roll freely over the floor or ground on which the dog is playing with the toy, they are slightly inset, as shown in the drawing. This arrangement not only provides for free movement of the ball but also protects the stitches from being torn or broken by the slightly protruding portions of the body of the ball above and below the contiguous edges of the two pieces of rawhide, as in the case of the design of toy simulating a natural animal bone.

The application of my invention in making up a dog toy in the form of a ball is merely another example of the scope to which the invention may be put, and consequently I do not restrict my invention as to the design of the toy nor to the number of thicknesses of material forming the core over which the rawhide cover is secured.

The rawhide cover of untanned and ufioil'ed beef hide provides a substance that is easily digested by the dog in the event particles are detached while the dog is chewing on the toy, and juice produced by admixture with the saliva from the dog's mouth will be relished to such an extent that the dog will maintain continued interest in the toy. The thoroughly dried rawhide cover and filling of rawhide sewed together, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, will last a considerable length of time and the line of stitches along the. I

longitudinal center will hold the parts together while being chewed by the dog, and in use with a rubber core only the cover will be softened by the saliva from the dogs mouth. Any objection to the use of rubber as the core for the rawhide cover may be overcome by the use of laminated leather, hereinbefore referred to, or the toy may be made up entirely of several thicknesses of raw- -a bone, a filling of like material and contour but smaller in size to form a core, a line of stitches around the margin of the toy to secure the two cover pieces closely together around the core, and a line of stitches at the longitudinal center extending through the cover pieces and core and terminating at each end a short distance from the marginal stitches, forming a dog toy having the natural qualities appealingto the smell and taste of a dog and other domestic animals.

JOHN FQWLER.

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