MEANS FOR EXERCISING DOGS FROM A BICYCLE

Means for exercising dogs from a bicycle.

Many people have difficulties in exercising their dogs properly by walking or running. To walk with a dog does not give the dog sufficiently exercise unless one walks for a long time. This is for many people monotonous, boring, and to run with the dog is for many people too exhausting.

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One solution may be to cycle with the dog. To bi¬ cycle is easier than running, it is varied and it gives better speed and consequently better exercise than walking or running with the dog. Bicycling 1? gives in addition a more interresting alternative since one rides easily over greater distances and gets a more varied exercise for the dog.

Tt is, however, connected with .danger or risk to 20 bicycle with a dog on a leash. The dog may suddenly stop and topple the bicycle rider or force the rider to let go of the leash. Merely a samll pull from the dog may bring the handle of the bicycly out of position if one keeps the hand with the leash on the 25^* handle. If the leash is held feely, one can give in, but loses control of the bike, loses the dog or both.

One can also tie the leash to the baggage-holder f. ex., but if the dog suddenly stops while the leash

30 is loose, a sudden, brutal tightening of the leash may cause the dog serious injuries, often of a "hanging" nature.

Finally one loses by such manipulation of the leash,

^«5 * control of the dog, since the leash also may be entwined in the pedals or wheels of the bike, or the dog may run into the street an get injured or hurt.

The present invention which concerns a means for exerciseing animals from a bicycle, keeps the dog in place on the required side of the bike. The dog is in a position where the owner can see it at all times. The rider (the owner) gets both hands and feet free to operate the bike. ©

By using the present invention an extensive line or leash which may be entwined in the bike, is eliminated. By fastening the leash above the dog, one avoides that the dog stumbles in the leash. -

The means for exercising dogs according to the present invention is fastened so low that the momentum arm from the rigid part of the means to the contact point from the bike with the ground gets a minimal effect 0 for turning, the bike over or bring the bike out of control. The resilient arm of the means provides a continuously increasing tightening impulse on the leash so that the dog learns to run in "place" and is in addition not hurt or injured or turns the bike ? over in case the dog "forgets" and makes a sudden stop.

The means according to the present invention may be regulated to give a greater or lesser degree of deflection.

In US Patent No. 4.134.364 there is disclosed a means for exercising dogs from a bike, preferably a tri¬ cycle. Such a stand as is disclosed therein has, however, several drawbacks compared to the present invention, and does not describe any resilient means to correct the dog such as the present invention. Many people want to try to bicycle with a dog, but insecurity before the dog is trained in running in 5 "place" causes them to not dare starting. The means according to the present invention makes it so easy and safe to bicycle with a dog that most people ought to be able to try.

0 Presently bicycling on the sidewalk is common. This requires, however, often free use of both hands when cycling up and down from curbs. The path of the leash by the means according to the present invention prevents the dog in running on the outside of lamp-

1S posts, trees or people and thus "capture" these in the leash or line. If this should happen all the same, for instance with a stationary object, "hanging" of the dog is prevented by the spring freeing -out from a fastening means at a certain load, or the

20 leash of the dog is equipped with a "key ring" which is a common object, so that the ring is deformed and thereby frees the dog at a certain load on the ring.

The object of the present invention is to prevent 2ST accidents among both dogs and people. The invention makes exercising dogs more fun and more easy and provides the dog with a more effective for of exercise. The invention improves in addition the health condition of the dog and is pedagogic since it teaches the dog ^^Q to walk and run in "place" in an effective and lenient way. The exercising means according to the invention is also easy to use and to adapt to the the different physique and nature of the dogs.

^ Below the invention will be described under reference to the attatched figures, where: Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of the device according to the invention in cross-section.

5 Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of the invention as depicted in fig. 1, but from another angle.

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention with an exploded view of one form og the 10 fastening means of the device.

The device accorddlng to the invention is fastened with for instance a bracket (C) to the frame of the bike, at an appropriate place out of the way of the pedals

15" and preferably av close to the ground as possible.

The bar (L, ) projecting outwards from the bike, may, in the embodiment as depicted in fig. 1 and 2, be adjusted by help of an adjustment joint (I) in a plane ^■perpendicular to the length axis of the bike to regulate

20 the incline of the- vertical bar (L») thereby deciding the running distance of the dog from the bike. The bar (L ) is fastened to the other bar (L,) through a resilient means (B) such as a spring, and a fastening device (III) . The incline of the bar (L„) paralell to

25 the length axis of the bike, may be adjusted by help og an adjustment device (II) such as a joint. The length of the rods L and L_ is adjusted to the frame size of the bike, and the resiliency/strength of the spring B is adjusted to the size of the dog that is

^Λ" to be exercised. The spring B is thus in one embodiment of the device, to be adjustable or removable to be able to be adjusted to the needs and preferances of the user and to be easy to replace in case of damage.

^* The device may in one embodiment according to the invention, be supplied with a safety device III which frees the spring B from the bar L. at a certain load. Another safety device may consist of a key-ring fatened to the end 1 or 3 of the leash 2. Such a ring is deformed at a certian load, and may thus free the dog and prevent "hanging" of the animal.

In another embodiment of the device accoring to the invention, the adjustment joints I and II may be replaced by a single, adjustable joint, possible of a ball type, to combine the workings of the joints I and II. Such a joint (not shown in the figures) may be placed on the bar L, .

In another embodiment of the stand according to the invention, as depicted in fig. 3, the means comprises as in the first embodiment a fastening bracket C. The rod part L. has, however, in this alternate embodiment a S-like shape where the total rod part is rigid. In this embodiment the =Jafety-device III is, however, removed, while the resilient part B and bar L„ in this embodiment may be made of one single part. The rod L_ is in .its distal partformed as f.ex. a ring to receive a carabine-hook from the leash of the dcg. In the embodiment as depicted in fig. 3, such a fastening leash comprises a first carabine-hook 1 for fastening in the ring part of the rod L-. The carabine-hook 1 may be fastened to a rubber band or other elastic device 2, and this band is equipped at its distal part with another fastening device, inter alia a carabine-hook 3, to secure the collar of the dog.

To ease the demounting of the means according to the invention, the rod part L, may in the part wich is most distant from the resilient part B be equipped with a bore or hole 4 to receive a stop-splint 5. A corresponding hole 6 is drilled in a fastening bolt 7, and the size of the fastening bolt 7 is adapted to fit securely in the pipe part L . The fastening bracket C is in its turn equipped with screw- or bolt holes (9) to receive fastening bolts or screws (not shown) . The fastening bracket C may also be 5 equipped with f.ex. a rubberlining to protect the frame of the bike (not shown) .

The means according to the invention may be made of any convenient material such as galvanized steel or $ artificial material to be easy to mount and to not contribute significnatly to the weight of the bike. It should also be easy to repair in case of damage.

A preferred fastening arrangement for the stand S' according to the invention comprises a support prop which may be fastened in one end of teh fastening bolt 7 by means of f.ex. an eye screw which fits the form of the fastening bolt 7, in which case the bolt may be given an oblong shape, and which in its hindmost end 0 comprises a w-shaped fastening bracket for securing to the bike's frame on the two back-wheel forks which descend to the back wheel from the seat. Such a fstening prop will prevent in a better way that the stand according to the invention is twisted about the bike's 5^* frame at a load. Such a prop is, however, no condition for the use of the stand according to the invention.

As previously mentioned the stand according to the invention may be equipped with security devices for 0 freeing the dog from the bike. Such a safety device may consist of a key ring or any other means which is capable of freeing the dog instantly. Such a device may be placed Between the ring part of the stand part L„ and the carabine-hook 1, or between the collar of ά the dog and carabine hook 3, or at both places. This will prevent the dog from being "hanged" in case the animal shold run on the "wrong" side of an obstacle, or that the leash should become entwined in an object by the roadside. Such a safety device should free the dog at a certain load, and shold be instaneous. By placing such a device at both carabine hooks 1 and 3, both the rider and the animal is secure, since both the bike will be freed in case the leash should become stuck in a stationary object such as f.ex. a tree and thereby prevent that the rider loses control of the bike, and the dog vill be freed an thereby prevent the previously mentioned "hanging".