Horse race starting gate

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to starting gates and, more particularly, to starting gates used for horse races.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Horse races are typically run on an oval shaped track having a start line and a finish line. Prior to starting the race, a starting gate is positioned at the start line and the horses are placed in the stalls of the starting gate. The race is started by simultaneously opening the front doors of each individual stall, thereby releasing the horses so they can race around the track. The starting gate is moved away from the track immediately after the race has begun to prevent it from impeding the horses as they run around the track. Chamberlain teaches in U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,116 an in-motion starting gate having individual doors that are opened using hydraulic cylinders coupled to the individual doors. Georgette et al. teach in U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,026 opening the doors by using an electromagnet mounted to each individual door. The starting gates in these patents use many parts or components to open the individual doors. As those skilled in the art are aware, the greater the number of components, the greater the likelihood of at least one of the components failing. A common occurrence with some starting gates is gate failure where one of the front doors either fails, allowing a horse to “leak out” of the starting gate, or does not open, holding one horse in the stall. Along similar lines, one door may open more slowly than the others, either putting the horse and rider in that gate at a disadvantage or more often causing the race to be nullified. Because of the large sums of money wagered on individual races, unreliable starting gates negatively impact the profits of both the race track operators, the starting gate owners, and the horse owners.

Accordingly, what is needed is a safe, low cost, reliable starting gate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention satisfies the foregoing need by providing a cost efficient, reliable starting gate. In one aspect of the present invention, the starting gate comprises subassemblies that are manufactured to predetermined dimensions with controlled tolerances, wherein the subassemblies are interchangeable. In one embodiment the subassemblies include a truss module, a door release module coupled to the truss module, a stall divider module coupled to the truss module, a front door coupled to the stall divider module, and a rebound stop having a first portion coupled to the front door and a second portion coupled to the stall divider module, the first portion having first member for frictionally engaging the second portion. In another aspect, the starting gate comprises a horse stall having a first set of doors coupled to one end of the horse stall and a second set of doors coupled to the opposite end of the horse stall. A mechanism for opening the first set of stalls is coupled to the horse stall wherein the mechanism includes a roll-bar coupled to the horse stall via a plurality of bearings. The roll-bar has a first section coupled to a second section by a U-joint, wherein said roll-bar spans at most two bearings without a U-joint, a means for rotating the roll-bar coupled to the horse stall, an articulated member extending from the roll-bar; and a coupling bar coupled to the articulated member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The present invention will be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which like references designate like elements and in which:

FIG. 1

is an isometric view of a starting gate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2

is an isometric view of a truss module of the starting gate of

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 3

is a side view of a stall divider module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4

is a front view of a front door module of the starting gate of

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 5

is an isometric view of a rebound stop in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6

is a plan view of the back door module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7

is an isometric view of a door locking mechanism of the back door module of

FIG. 6

;

FIG. 8

is a plan view of a truss module having a roll-bar portion of the door release module of

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 9

is a side view of a portion of the door release module of the starting gate of

FIG. 1

, wherein the door release module is in an uncocked position;

FIG. 10

is a side view of a portion of the door release module of

FIG. 9

, wherein the door release module is in a cocked position;

FIG. 11

is a side view of a front transport module of the starting gate of

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 12

illustrates a side view of a truss for use in accordance with another embodiment of a starting gate; and

FIG. 13

illustrates a side view of a truss for use in accordance with yet another embodiment of a starting gate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Properly operating starting gates are critical to the success of each horse race. In accordance with the present invention, a starting gate is provided that is modular, reliable, safe, and cost efficient. Because the starting gate is modular, it offers savings in both its cost of manufacture and the time needed for its manufacture. Further, the modularity increases the tolerance control which results in an improvement in reliability of the starting gate and permits interchangeability of parts.

FIG. 1

is an isometric view of a starting gate

10

having a horse entering side

11

, a horse exiting side

12

, a front end

13

, a rear end

14

, and which is manufactured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Starting gate

10

is manufactured in a modular fashion and comprises a truss module

100

, a door release module

200

(not shown in FIG.

1

), a stall divider module

300

, a front door module

500

, a rear door module

600

, a front transport module

700

, and a rear transport module

800

. Door release module

200

has been omitted from

FIG. 1

to make the figure easier to understand, but is shown and described with reference to

FIGS. 8-10

.

Referring now to

FIG. 2

, an isometric view of truss module

100

in accordance with the first embodiment is shown. Truss module

100

is an overhead support structure that comprises a pair of trusses

110

and

140

coupled together by a plurality of horizontal coupling braces

171

and

172

and a plurality of X-shaped cross-braces

180

. Trusses

110

and

140

include a lower rail

111

, an upper rail

112

, angled rails

113

and

114

, end braces

117

and

118

, interior vertical braces

121

-

129

, and interior diagonal braces

131

-

138

. Although trusses

110

and

140

are preferably identical, they have been assigned different reference numbers to aid in describing truss module

100

. However, the same reference numbers have been used to identify the components of trusses

110

and

140

. Preferably upper rail

112

is shorter than lower rail

111

. Trusses

110

and

140

are configured such that for each truss, upper rail

112

is parallel to lower rail

111

and upper rail

112

is centered within the length of lower rail

111

. Interior vertical braces

121

-

129

have first and second ends, wherein the first ends of interior vertical braces

121

-

129

are welded to lower rail

111

and the second ends of interior vertical braces

121

-

129

are welded to upper rail

112

. Preferably, interior vertical braces

121

-

129

have the same length, are parallel to each other, and are perpendicular to rails

111

and

112

. It is also preferable that interior vertical braces

121

-

129

be positioned such that the distance between any two adjacent interior vertical braces be the same as the distance between any other two adjacent interior vertical braces.

The first end of interior vertical brace

121

is welded to lower rail

111

such that it is proximal to, but spaced apart from, the first end of lower rail

111

. The second end of interior vertical brace

121

is welded to the first end of upper rail

112

. The first end of interior vertical brace

129

is welded to lower rail

111

such that it is proximal to, but spaced apart from, the second end of lower rail

111

. The second end of interior vertical brace

129

is welded to the second end of upper rail

112

. Brace

125

is welded to the centers of rails

111

and

112

. Interior vertical braces

122

,

123

, and

124

are welded to the portions of rails

111

and

112

between vertical braces

121

and

125

, and interior vertical braces

126

,

127

, and

128

are welded to the portions of rails

111

and

112

between vertical braces

125

and

129

.

End braces

117

and

118

are welded to the first and second ends, respectively, of lower rail

111

and are substantially parallel to each other. In accordance with this embodiment, end braces

117

and

118

are shorter than interior vertical braces

121

-

129

. One end of angled rail

113

is welded to the end of upper rail

112

that is adjacent to brace

121

and the other end of angled rail

113

is welded to end brace

117

. One end of angled rail

114

is welded to the end of upper rail

112

that is adjacent to brace

129

and the other end of angled rail

114

is welded to end brace

118

. It should be understood that end braces

117

and

118

are optional features. Thus, in an alternative embodiment, one end of angled rail

113

is welded to the end of upper rail

112

that is adjacent to brace

121

and the other end of angled rail

113

is welded to lower rail

111

. Likewise, one end of angled rail

114

is welded to the end of upper rail

112

that is adjacent to brace

129

and the other end of angled rail

114

is welded to lower rail

111

. Alternatively, rails

111

and

112

can be the same length, wherein angled rails

113

and

114

are not used and end braces

118

are welded to the ends of rails

111

and

112

.

Interior diagonal braces

131

-

138

are welded between rails

111

and

112

. In particular, the first end of interior diagonal brace

131

is welded to the portion of lower rail

111

adjacent interior vertical brace

121

and the first end of interior diagonal brace

132

is welded to the portion of lower rail

111

adjacent a first side of interior vertical brace

123

. The second ends of interior diagonal braces

131

and

132

are welded to the portions of upper rail

112

adjacent interior vertical brace

122

, wherein the second ends are welded on opposite sides of interior vertical brace

122

. Thus, diagonal braces

131

and

132

, rail

111

, and interior vertical brace

122

form a triangular shaped structure comprising two right triangles sharing a common side.

The first end of interior diagonal brace

133

is welded to the portion of lower rail

111

adjacent a second side of interior vertical brace

123

and the first end of interior diagonal brace

134

is welded to the portion of lower rail

111

adjacent a first side of interior vertical brace

125

. The second ends of interior diagonal braces

133

and

134

are welded to the portions of upper rail

112

adjacent interior vertical brace

124

, wherein the second ends are welded on opposite sides of interior vertical brace

124

. Diagonal braces

133

and

134

, rails

111

, and interior vertical brace

124

form a triangular shaped structure comprising two right triangles sharing a common side.

The first end of interior diagonal brace

135

is welded to the portion of lower rail

111

adjacent a second side of interior vertical brace

125

and the first end of interior diagonal brace

136

is welded to the portion of lower rail

111

adjacent a first side of interior vertical brace

127

. The second ends of interior diagonal braces

135

and

136

are welded to the portions of upper rail

112

adjacent interior vertical brace

126

, wherein the second ends are welded on opposite sides of interior vertical brace

126

. Diagonal braces

135

and

136

, rail

111

, and interior vertical brace

126

form a triangular shaped structure comprising two right triangles sharing a common side.

The first end of interior diagonal brace

137

is welded to the portion of lower rail

111

adjacent a second side of interior vertical brace

127

and the first end of interior diagonal brace

138

is welded to the portion of lower rail

111

adjacent a first side of vertical brace

129

. The second ends of interior diagonal braces

137

and

138

are welded to the portions of upper rail

112

adjacent interior vertical brace

128

, wherein the second ends are welded on opposite sides of interior vertical brace

128

. Diagonal braces

137

and

138

, rail

111

, and interior vertical brace

128

form a triangular shaped structure comprising two right triangles sharing a common side.

Trusses

110

and

140

are coupled together using horizontal coupling braces and X-shaped cross-braces to form truss module

100

. Horizontal coupling braces

171

are welded between lower rails

111

of trusses

110

and

140

and a plurality of horizontal coupling braces

172

are welded between upper rails

112

of trusses

110

and

140

. More particularly, truss

110

is aligned in a spaced apart parallel relationship with truss

140

and one end of each horizontal coupling brace

171

is welded to lower rail

111

of truss

110

and each other end is welded to lower rail

111

of truss

140

. Preferably, a horizontal coupling brace

171

is associated with each set of interior vertical braces

121

-

129

, where a horizontal coupling brace

171

is welded to lower rails

111

at each location adjacent a corresponding interior vertical brace

121

-

129

. Thus, a horizontal coupling brace

171

is welded between horizontal rail

111

of truss

110

and horizontal rail

111

of truss

140

at locations adjacent interior vertical braces

121

, a horizontal coupling brace

171

is welded between horizontal rail

111

of truss

110

and horizontal rail

111

of truss

140

at locations adjacent interior vertical braces

122

, a horizontal coupling brace

171

is welded between horizontal rail

111

of truss

110

and horizontal rail

111

of truss

140

at locations adjacent interior vertical braces

123

, etc.

Likewise, a separate horizontal coupling brace

172

is welded between upper rails

112

adjacent each location having an interior vertical brace

121

-

129

. Thus, a horizontal coupling brace

172

is welded between upper rail

112

of truss

110

and upper rail

112

of truss

140

at locations adjacent interior vertical braces

121

, a horizontal coupling brace

172

is welded between upper rail

112

of truss

110

and upper rail

112

of truss

140

at locations adjacent interior vertical braces

122

, a horizontal coupling brace

172

is welded between upper rail

112

of truss

110

and upper rail

112

of truss

140

at locations adjacent interior vertical braces

123

, etc. Horizontal coupling braces

171

and

172

are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to trusses

110

and

140

.

Trusses

110

and

140

are further coupled to each other by a plurality of X-shaped cross-braces

180

. Each X-shaped cross-brace has four legs

181

,

182

,

183

, and

184

, wherein legs

181

and

182

are welded to lower rail

11

and upper rail

112

, respectively, of truss

110

, and legs

183

and

184

are welded to lower rail

111

and upper rail

112

, respectively, of truss

140

. Preferably, an X-shaped cross-brace

180

is positioned to be between interior vertical braces

121

of trusses

110

and

140

, an X-shaped cross-brace

180

is positioned to be between interior vertical braces

122

of trusses

11

0

and

140

, an X-shaped cross-brace

180

is positioned to be between interior vertical braces

123

of trusses

110

and

140

, etc. Thus, legs

181

and

182

of one X-shaped cross-brace are welded to portions of rails

111

and

112

, respectively, that are adjacent interior vertical brace

121

of truss

110

, and legs

183

and

184

are welded to portions of rails

111

and

112

, respectively, that are adjacent interior vertical brace

121

of truss

140

. Likewise, legs

181

and

182

of another X-shaped cross-brace

180

are welded to portions of rails

111

and

112

, respectively, that are adjacent interior vertical brace

122

of truss

110

, and legs

183

and

184

are welded to a portion of rails

111

and

112

, respectively, that are adjacent interior vertical brace

122

of truss

140

. Preferably, there is an X-shaped cross-brace between each corresponding interior vertical brace

121

-

129

of trusses

110

and

140

and, thus, between corresponding coupling braces

171

and

172

.

In accordance with the present invention, the dimensions of truss module

100

are maintained within very tight tolerances, e.g., the lengths and widths of trusses

110

and

140

and their individual components as well as braces

171

and

172

and X-shaped braces

180

are maintained within very tight tolerances.

Although not shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

for the sake of clarity, truss module

100

may include laterally positioned diagonal cross-braces coupling trusses

110

and

140

between braces

172

and running in the same plane as rails

112

and braces

172

. It should be understood the particular configuration of the truss structure is not a limitation of the present invention. For example, other embodiments of the starting gate may utilize different truss designs that provide the same rigid load carrying capability.

It should be noted that when stall door release module

200

, stall divider module

300

, front door module

500

, and rear door module

600

are mounted to truss module

100

, trusses

110

and

140

may sag. Thus, it may be desirable to manufacture trusses

110

and

140

with a camber or bow to compensate for the sag so that trusses

110

and

140

become straight when starting gate

10

is complete.

Now referring to

FIG. 3

, a side view of divider means or a stall divider module

300

in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Stall divider module

300

comprises a platform

301

, a front support column

302

, a back support column

303

, a caboose

335

, a front fender

307

, a rear fender

308

, and a plurality of lengthwise braces

313

. Platform

301

is shaped like a pontoon having a flat top surface

320

, beveled side surfaces

321

, a flat bottom surface

322

, a front or head end

323

, and a back or tail end

324

. Preferably platform

301

is formed from a stainless steel sheet in a press brake. Briefly referring to

FIG. 1

, diagonal stiffening braces

319

are located near the tops of each column

302

, wherein one diagonal stiffening brace is welded to one side of column

302

and to horizontal rail

111

and a second diagonal stiffening brace is welded to an adjacent column

302

and to horizontal rail

111

, thereby forming an L-shaped structure. A front support column

302

is adjacent a front side

326

and extends through platform

301

to bottom surface

322

. Front support column

302

is welded to the bottom side of top surface

320

and to bottom surface

322

. A back support column

303

is adjacent a back side

327

and extends through platform

301

. Back support column

303

is welded to the bottom side of top surface

320

and to bottom surface

322

. Front fender

307

extends from front side

326

and is preferably coplanar with top surface

320

. Lengthwise braces

313

are welded between front and back support columns

302

and

303

, respectively. Braces

313

are vertically spaced apart from each other. Alternatively, braces

313

can be welded to columns

302

and

303

such that they are angled to extend from a high point near the front of the stall to a low point near the rear of the stall. Hinges

330

and

331

are welded to front support column

302

.

In accordance with the present invention, the dimensions of stall divider module

300

are maintained within very tight tolerances, i.e., the lengths and widths of platform

301

, front support column

302

, back support column

303

, caboose

335

, front fender

307

, rear fender

308

, hinges

330

and

331

, the plurality of lengthwise braces

313

, and the locations of hinges

330

and

331

are maintained within tight tolerances.

Briefly referring to

FIG. 1

, a front door module

500

is shown mounted to each front support column

302

. Front door module

500

comprises a set of front doors

502

and

503

, where front doors

502

and

503

are torsionally and removably mounted to front support columns

302

. When front doors

502

and

503

are in a closed configuration, they form a V-shaped structure. Now referring to

FIG. 4

, a front view of front doors

502

and

503

is shown.

FIG. 4

is drawn to include this V-shaped aspect when front doors

502

and

503

are in the closed configuration. Front door

502

is comprised of a pair of vertical rails

550

and

551

that are spaced apart from and substantially parallel to each other. Vertical rail

551

is longer than vertical rail

550

. The first end of a horizontal rail

552

is welded near a first end of vertical rail

550

and the second end of horizontal rail

552

is welded to the second end of vertical rail

551

. Horizontal rail

552

is substantially perpendicular to vertical rails

550

and

551

. The first end of a horizontal rail

553

is welded near the second end of vertical rail

550

and the second end of horizontal rail

553

is welded to a first mid-portion of vertical rail

551

. The first end of a horizontal brace

554

is welded to a first mid-portion of vertical rail

550

and the second end of horizontal brace

554

is welded to a second mid-portion of vertical rail

551

such that horizontal brace

554

is between horizontal rails

552

and

553

. A pair of horizontal braces

556

and

557

are welded to portions of vertical rails

550

and

551

between horizontal rail

552

and horizontal brace

554

. Horizontal braces

556

and

557

are spaced apart from and substantially parallel to each other and substantially parallel to horizontal rails

552

and

554

. A plurality of spaced apart vertical braces

558

are welded between horizontal rails

552

and

553

. Vertical braces

558

are substantially parallel to each other and to vertical rails

550

and

551

.

A quadrilateral frame

560

having a top side

561

, a bottom side

562

, a mounting side

563

, and a latching side

564

is welded between vertical supports

550

and

551

in the region between horizontal brace

554

and horizontal rail

553

. Frame

560

is welded or tacked in position such that top side

561

abuts horizontal brace

554

, bottom side

562

abuts horizontal rail

553

, mounting side

563

abuts vertical support

550

, and latching side

564

abuts vertical support

551

. Further, a pair of spaced apart horizontally oriented braces

566

and

567

are welded between mounting and latching sides

563

and

564

, respectively.

A first end of a vertical rail

571

is welded to a first end of a horizontal rail

572

and the second end of vertical rail

571

is welded to a first end of a horizontal rail

573

. The second end of horizontal rail

572

is welded to a third mid-portion of vertical rail

551

and the second end of horizontal rail

573

is welded to the second end of vertical rail

551

. Vertical rail

571

is positioned to be substantially parallel to vertical rails

550

and

551

and substantially perpendicular to horizontal rails

572

and

573

. A vertical brace

575

is welded between horizontal rails

553

and

572

and is spaced apart from but proximal to vertical rail

551

. It should be noted that horizontal rails

553

and

572

and vertical brace

575

cooperate to form a C-shaped or “sideways” U-shaped structure which allows door

502

to rotate over front fender

307

without touching it.

A quadrilateral frame

580

having a top side

581

, a bottom side

582

, a mounting side

583

, and a latching side

584

is welded between vertical rails

551

and

571

in the region between horizontal rail

572

and horizontal rail

573

. Frame

580

is welded or tacked in position such that top side

581

abuts horizontal rail

572

, bottom side

582

is spaced apart from horizontal rail

573

, mounting side

583

abuts vertical support

571

, and latching side

584

abuts vertical support

551

. Further, a horizontally oriented brace

585

is welded between mounting and latching sides

583

and

584

, respectively.

A pivot bar or latch arm

531

is pivotally mounted to horizontal brace

557

and a pivot bar or latch arm

532

is pivotally mounted to horizontal brace

567

. Pivot bars

531

and

532

have a hooked end and a coupling end. The hooked ends each pivot bar have a hook that is designed to mate with latches on door

503

. The coupling end of pivot bar

531

has two holes wherein one hole is for coupling with a gating arm, e.g., one of gating arms

211

shown in

FIG. 8

, via a coupling bar

586

and the other hole is for coupling to pivot bar

532

. The coupling end of pivot bar

532

also has a hole for coupling with pivot bar

531

via coupling bar

587

. By way of example, hook

533

is welded to the portion of vertical rail

551

of door

503

adjacent to horizontal rail

557

and hook

534

is welded to the portion of vertical rail

551

of door

503

. It should be understood that the coupling ends of pivot bars

531

and

532

may be angled to further aid in opening door

502

. Preferably, turnbuckle adjusters

589

are attached to the end of coupling bar coupled to pivot bar

531

and to both ends of coupling bar

587

. Turnbuckle adjusters

589

can be adjusted so that the same angular rotation of roll-bar

210

(

FIGS. 8-10

) disengages pivot bars

531

and

532

from hooks

533

and

534

, thereby assuring that all of the front doors open simultaneously.

Front door

503

is similar in construction to front door

502

and is therefore comprised of vertical rails

550

,

551

,

571

, and

572

; horizontal rails

552

,

553

,

554

, and

573

; horizontal braces

554

,

556

, and

557

; vertical braces

558

and

575

; quadrilateral frames

560

and

580

; rebound stops

538

(described hereinafter); and torsion springs

546

and

547

. It should be noted that horizontal rails

553

and

572

and vertical brace

575

cooperate to form a C-shaped or “sideways” U-shaped structure which allows door

503

to rotate over fender

307

without touching it.

It should be understood that pivot bars are not mounted to front door

503

. Rather, latches

533

and

534

are mounted to vertical rail

551

of front door

503

wherein latches

533

and

534

are designed to cooperate with the respective hooks on pivot arms

531

and

532

to hold doors

502

and

503

closed. It should be further understood that to simplify the description, only a single set of front doors is described; however, the description applies to each set of front doors of starting gate

10

. Although front doors

502

and

503

have been described as having two sets of pivot bars and hooks, this is not a limitation of the present invention. For example, there can be one pivot bar and hook or more than two sets of pivot bars and hooks. Pivot bars and hooks are also referred to as gating arms and latches, respectively.

Similar to truss module

100

and stall divider module

300

, the dimensions of each component of front door module

500

are held to within very tight tolerances.

Still referring to

FIG. 4

, torsion springs

546

and

547

are mounted to the ends of vertical rails

550

. The tops of torsion springs

546

and

547

are coupled to upper hinge plates

330

that are fastened to front support column

302

. The bottoms of torsion springs

546

and

547

are coupled to the ends of vertical rails

550

and

551

, respectively, via an adjustable collar

590

. It should be understood that torsion springs

546

and

547

have rotational moments and they are mounted to vertical rail

551

to apply a force on door

502

to move it to be in the open position. In other words, spring

546

rotates door

502

in the opposite direction that spring

547

rotates door

503

. Torsion springs

546

and

547

are calibrated to apply the same torque to each door, thereby assuring that when doors

502

and

503

are released at the same time, they open at the same speed.

Rebound stops

538

for front doors

502

and

503

are mounted to the front doors and to the front fenders. Briefly referring to

FIG. 5

, an isometric view of a rebound stop

538

is shown. Rebounds stops

538

are comprised of a first or male portion

540

and a second or female portion

541

. Male portion

540

is mounted to bottom side

562

(shown in

FIG. 4

) of quadrilateral frame

560

of door

502

and female portion

541

is mounted to front fender

307

. By way of example, male portion

540

is an L-shaped bracket having a vertical section

537

mounted to doors

502

and

503

and a horizontal section

539

(see

FIG. 4

) that has a knife edge, wherein horizontal section

539

is substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity. Male portion

540

can be adjusted in the vertical direction using bolts

536

that are inserted into slots (not shown) that are in male portion

540

. Female portion

541

is comprised of a plate

542

adjustably coupled or mounted to a coupling plate

543

by a set of spring loaded bolts

544

. Coupling plate

543

has a front angle plate

549

. The distance between adjustable plate

542

and coupling plate

543

can be adjusted by placing one or more additional spacers

545

on coupling plate

543

. A rubber pad

535

is mounted to front angle plate

549

. Rubber pad

535

dampens the impact of the opening door and quiets the door from ringing. The amount of friction on the brake can be adjusted using the spring loaded bolts

544

. When front doors

502

and

503

open, knife edge portion

539

of male portion

540

frictionally slides between adjustable plate

542

and coupling plate

543

(or, if present, the additional spacer

545

) to prevent front doors

502

and

503

from bouncing back into the horse and rider as they leave the stall at the start of a race. Hence, rebound stop

538

is also referred to as a friction stop. An advantage of configuring rebound stops to be like rebound stop

538

is that each one can be individually adjusted quickly and easily using slots (not shown) and bolts

536

and spring loaded bolts

544

. Making the rebound stop adjustable allows the front doors to be easily replaceable in the event one or both of the doors becomes damaged.

Referring to

FIG. 6

, a plan view of a back door module

600

having back doors

602

and

603

removably mounted to cabooses

335

in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Similar to front doors

502

and

503

, when back doors

602

and

603

are in a closed configuration they form a V-shaped structure.

FIG. 6

is drawn to include this V-shaped aspect when back doors

602

and

603

are in the closed configuration. What is shown in

FIG. 6

are back doors

602

and

603

, back support columns

303

, cabooses

335

, and rear fenders

308

. Back door module

600

is built in a modular fashion, i.e., each door is built prior to mounting to back support columns

303

. Back support columns

303

are shown in

FIG. 6

for the sake of clarity. In other words, back support columns

303

are not part of back door module

600

. Back door

602

is comprised of a pair of substantially vertical rails

650

and

651

that are spaced apart from and substantially parallel to each other, wherein rail

650

is shorter than rail

651

. Back door

602

further includes a pair of substantially equal length horizontal rails

652

and

653

that are spaced apart from and substantially parallel to each other. The first end of horizontal rail

652

is welded to the first end of vertical rail

650

and the second end of horizontal rail

652

is welded near the first end of vertical rail

651

. Horizontal rail

652

is substantially perpendicular to vertical rails

650

and

651

. The first end of horizontal rail

653

is welded to the first end of vertical rail

661

and the second end of horizontal rail

653

is welded to the second end of vertical rail

651

. The first end of a horizontal brace

654

is welded to an end of vertical rail

650

and the second end of horizontal brace

654

is welded to a mid-portion of vertical rail

651

. The first end of a diagonal brace

656

is welded near the first end of horizontal rail

652

and the second end of diagonal brace

656

is welded near a central portion of horizontal brace

654

. The first end of a diagonal brace

657

is welded near the second end of horizontal rail

652

and the second end of diagonal brace

657

is welded near the central portion of horizontal brace

654

. The first end of a diagonal brace

658

is welded near the second end of horizontal rail

653

and the second end of diagonal brace

658

is welded to a central portion of horizontal brace

654

. The first end of a vertical brace

659

is welded near the central portion of horizontal brace

654

and the second end of vertical brace

659

is welded near the central portion of horizontal rail

653

. The first end of a horizontal brace

660

is welded to second end of vertical rail

661

and the second end of horizontal brace

660

is welded to vertical brace

659

. It should be noted that horizontal rail

660

, horizontal brace

654

, and vertical brace

659

cooperate to form a C-shaped or “sideways” U-shaped structure which allows doors

602

and

603

to rotate over rear fender

308

without touching it. An advantage of this structure is that it allows removal of doors

602

and

603

without cutting rear fender

308

.

Back door structure

600

includes a door latching mechanism

670

that comprises a lever

671

coupled to a locking plate

672

via a coupling bar

673

. Although coupling bar

673

is shown as a piece of metal, this is not a limitation of the present invention. For example, coupling bar

673

can be comprised of several lengths of chain to apply an up-pressure. Lever

671

has a handle end, a coupling end, and a centrally located fastening portion. The fastening portion is for pivotally fastening lever

671

to diagonal brace

656

and the coupling end is for pivotally coupling the coupling end to a first end of coupling bar

673

. The handle end is for latching and unlatching the door, i.e., moving the handle in the upward direction latches the door and moving the handle in the downward direction unlatches the door. Locking plate

672

is a rectangularly shaped plate having one side pivotally mounted to diagonal brace

658

and an opposite side pivotally mounted to the second end of coupling bar

673

. Locking plate

672

cooperates with a plate locking mechanism

676

to latch doors

602

and

603

. Briefly referring to

FIG. 7

, plate locking mechanism

676

is preferably comprised of two triangularly shaped metal plates

677

and

678

welded to rear fender

308

. The hypotenuses of metal plates

677

and

678

are sufficiently spaced apart to allow the locking plate

672

to fit into a groove or slot

679

that is between metal plates

677

and

678

. In operation, lever

671

lifts locking plate

672

from groove

679

and the doors

602

and

603

are rotated open. Locking plate

672

cannot fall into groove

679

because it rides over metal plate

677

. Doors

602

and

603

are rotated back into the closed position and locking plate

672

is pulled down into groove

679

by a spring

680

(

FIG. 6

) coupled between locking plate

672

and horizontal brace

660

. Thus, metal plate

678

functions as a stop or brake when lever

671

is actuated.

Similar to truss module

100

, stall divider module

300

, and front door module

500

, the dimensions of each component of back door module

600

are held to within very tight tolerances. It should be appreciated that front and back door modules serve as gating means for starting gate

10

.

Referring to

FIGS. 8-10

together, door release module

200

is shown coupled to truss module

100

. As taught with reference to

FIG. 1

, door release module

200

comprises roll-bar

210

having gating arms

211

, bearing mounting plates

217

, bearings

221

, a door latch actuator

230

, a rotation bar

240

having a magnetic release plate

243

coupled thereto, a backward rotation stop

260

, a swivel plate

270

, and a spring mechanism

280

. It should be understood that roll-bar

210

is an articulated member whose number of members or gating arms is preferably equal to the number of stalls. Hence, for a six stall starting gate there are six gating arms, for an eight stall starting gate there are eight arms, for a ten stall starting gate there are ten arms, for a twelve stall starting gate there are twelve arms, etc.

Roll-bar

210

is comprised of two pipes

225

and

226

connected by a U-joint

227

. Preferably, pipes

225

and

226

are cylindrically shaped. Roll-bar

210

is coupled to interior vertical braces

121

-

129

via bearings

221

mounted to bearing mounting plates

217

. Preferably, roll-bar

210

is designed such that it does not span more than two bearings without a U-joint and it does not span more than two stalls without a bearing. An advantage of building roll-bar

210

in sections connected by U-joints and mounting them to truss

110

using bearings located at predetermined locations is that it provides flexibility to the roll-bar when truss module

100

bends under the weight of the stalls. In other words, as trusses

110

and

140

bend, the U-joints cooperate with the bearings to provide flexibility to the roll-bar thereby preventing it from binding. Roll-bar

210

also includes gating arms

211

extending therefrom.

Referring now to

FIG. 9

, a side view of door release mechanism

200

in an uncocked position is shown. When in an uncocked position, front doors

502

and

503

are open and the roll bar is not held by door latch actuator

230

. By way of example, door latch actuator

230

includes a magnet. Preferably, magnet

230

is an electrically energized rare earth magnet that is coupled to the portion of upper rail

112

between interior braces

124

and

125

. It should be understood that the location of magnet

230

is not a limitation of the present invention. Rotation bar

240

is coupled to roll-bar

210

and is preferably a tapered quadrilateral structure having a coupling end

241

and a mounting end

242

, where coupling end

241

is wider than mounting end

242

and is coupled to roll-bar

210

. It should be noted that the tapered aspects of rotation bar

240

are more clearly illustrated with reference to FIG.

8

. Magnetic release plate

243

is capable of being attracted by magnet

230

and is attached or mounted to mounting end

242

. An advantage of configuring and mounting rotation bar

240

as shown and described with reference to

FIGS. 8-10

is that the moment arm of the magnet is increased, thereby increasing the rotational force applied to roll-bar

210

when it is being cocked. In other words, the configuration of the present invention makes cocking the door release mechanism easier.

Door release module

200

also has a rotation stop

260

having a coupling end

261

and a contact pad

262

. Contact pad

262

contacts stopping or rotation stop pad

263

when magnet

230

has been de-energized to prevent roll-bar

210

from over-rotating and becoming damaged. Optionally, rotation stop

260

is coupled to roll-bar

210

via a swivel plate

270

. In accordance with the first embodiment, door release module

200

comprises a magnet

230

and rotation stop

260

. Alternatively, door latch actuator

230

comprises a solenoid (not shown).

Further, door release module

200

includes a spring mechanism

280

having a spring

281

coupled to a clamp

282

via a cable

283

. Clamp

282

is mounted to diagonal cross brace

142

. Spring mechanism

280

pulls arm

211

up when magnet

230

is de-energized thereby opening the individual doors. To cock roll-bar

210

, a pipe is inserted into swivel plate

270

and roll-bar

210

is rotated until magnet

230

holds (or until the latch engages when a solenoid is used instead of a magnet). It should be understood that there can be a spring mechanism associated with each gating arm

211

; however, the number of spring mechanisms is determined by the difficulty of roll-bar

210

opening front doors

502

and

503

, i.e., each gating arm has a provision for a spring mechanism but each gating arm may not have a spring mechanism.

Gating arm

211

is coupled to coupling bar

586

by means of a chain

212

. Alternatively, a cable or similar flexible fastener could be used to couple gating arm

211

to coupling bar

586

. An advantage of using chain

212

is that it provides flexibility when gating arm

211

is moved. It should be noted that coupling bar

586

is shown and described with reference to FIG.

4

.

Referring now to

FIG. 10

, a side view of front door release module

200

in a cocked position is shown. When in a cocked position, front doors

502

and

503

are shut and the roll bar is held by door latch actuator

230

, e.g., a magnet or a solenoid. In this configuration, magnet

230

is energized, mounting plate

243

is attracted by magnet

230

, and front doors

502

and

503

are opened.

Similar to truss module

100

, stall divider module

300

, front door module

500

, and back door module

600

, the dimensions of each component of door release module

200

are held to within very tight tolerances.

Referring again to FIG.

1

and in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, towing module

700

comprises an axle assembly

710

having a set of wheels

712

mounted thereto. Axle assembly

710

is welded to a towing platform

714

. One end of a support column

716

is welded to an end of truss

110

and an opposing end of support column

716

is welded to towing platform

714

. One end of another support column

716

is welded to an end of truss

140

and an opposing end of support column

716

is welded to towing platform

714

. A set of braces

718

are welded between support columns

716

and towing platform

714

.

Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 11

together, another embodiment of a towing module

700

is illustrated, wherein axle assembly

710

and towing platform

714

are replaced by a fifth wheel transport module

750

, i.e., fifth wheel transport module

750

for coupling to towing end

13

.

FIG. 11

is a side view of a fifth wheel assembly

750

coupled to towing end

13

. Fifth wheel assembly

750

comprises a towing coupler

751

having a coupling side

752

and a top side

753

. Diagonal braces

754

are connected from top side

753

to a vertical support

758

. It should be understood that because

FIG. 11

is a side view, only a single diagonal brace

754

and a single vertical support

758

are shown. An upper coupler

756

having a kingpin

757

is mounted to coupling side

752

. Upper coupler

756

and kingpin

757

are adapted to mate with a lower coupler (not shown) that is typically mounted to a towing vehicle such as, for example, a truck. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a pair of retractable vertical supports

759

is coupled to fifth wheel assembly

750

. Retractable vertical supports

759

allow for uncoupling the towing vehicle from starting gate

10

as well as provide a means for leveling starting gate

10

. Further, an optional towing dolly (not shown) may be mounted to fifth wheel assembly

750

, wherein the towing dolly cooperates with upper coupler

756

for towing starting gate

10

. Because fifth wheel assembly

750

is manufactured in a modular fashion, it is important to ensure that it will properly mate with the other parts of starting gate

10

. Thus, fifth wheel assembly

750

is manufactured using a wheel fixture (not shown) that emulates a tow dolly or other towing vehicle.

Referring again to

FIG. 1

, wheel module

800

comprises an axle assembly

810

, wherein a set of wheels

812

are mounted to an axle

813

. Axle assembly

810

is welded to a platform

814

. One end of a first support column

818

is welded to an end of truss

110

and an opposing end of support column

818

is welded to platform

814

. One end of a second support column

818

is welded to an end of truss

140

and an opposing end of support column

818

is welded to towing platform

814

. For the sake of completeness,

FIG. 1

illustrates boxes

820

mounted to platform

814

, which can be used for storing tools, batteries, spare parts, and other components useful for operating and maintaining starting gate

10

.

Similar to truss module

100

, door release module

200

, stall divider module

300

, front door module

500

, and back door module

600

, the dimensions of each component of transport modules

700

and

800

are held to within very tight tolerances.

FIGS. 12 and 13

are included to further illustrate the modularity and the flexibility of starting gates of the present invention.

FIG. 12

illustrates a side view of a truss

180

and

FIG. 13

illustrates a side view of a truss

190

for use in a six stall starting gate configuration and a twelve stall starting gate configuration, respectively. The configurations of trusses

180

and

190

are similar to those of the eight stall truss, i.e., trusses

110

and

140

, described with reference to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, except they are of a length suitable for the desired number of stalls. Starting gates are typically manufactured to have three to six stalls for schooling or training gates and up to twenty stalls for racing gates. It should be understood that the number of stalls of starting gate

10

is not a limitation of the present invention, i.e., starting gate

10

can have more or fewer than ten starting gates.

Padding is added to starting gate

10

. Padding is particularly important to have on the insides of the stall including the inside of the front door, the inside of the rear door, the walls of the stall, the support columns and the bottom surfaces of the trusses. Padding helps to protect the horse, the jockey, and any ground men from injury should an accident occur.

By now it should be appreciated that a starting gate has been provided. In accordance with the present invention, the starting gate comprises a door release module, a stall divider module, a front gate module, a rear gate module, a towing module, and a wheel module coupled to a truss module. Each module is manufactured to be within very tight specifications and these specifications can be maintained when the modules are assembled into the final starting gate structure. The components of the starting gates can be painted after they've been assembled as modules rather than after the starting gate has been manufactured. The paint can be further protected by using plastic washers and plastic tape in areas where friction may cause the paint to wear, e.g., in the pivot arm region. The present invention also enables interchangeability between the towing module and the wheel module as well as interchangeability between different starting gates. This feature gives horse track owners flexibility in the direction they can move the starting gate from the track. Further, the present invention allows towing the starting gate at highway speeds. Another aspect of interchangeability is that the front and back doors are removable and can be easily replaced in the event that one becomes damaged without damaging the starting gate. For example, back doors of the present invention can be quickly replaced by another back door by removing the damaged door and replacing it with an undamaged door (unlike previous starting gates which required cutting the starting gate to remove the back door). Because of the tight tolerances and the uniformity of each starting gate, they have a distinctive look that provides an advertising advantage.

Although certain preferred embodiments and methods have been disclosed herein, it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Number	Name	Date	Kind
2273493	McMillan	Feb 1942	A
2808026	Georgette et al.	Oct 1957	A
2868168	Dunn	Jan 1959	A
2955570	Purcell	Oct 1960	A
3604399	Mills	Sep 1971	A
3703883	Mills	Nov 1972	A
4070988	Smith	Jan 1978	A
4102307	Cusick et al.	Jul 1978	A
4130087	Dunn	Dec 1978	A
4311116	Chamberlain	Jan 1982	A
4498666	McCallum	Feb 1985	A
20010013319	Craig	Aug 2001	A1

Horse race starting gate

Information

Patent Number

Date Filed

Date Issued

Inventors

Original Assignees

Examiners

Agents

CPC

US Classifications

Field of Search

US

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

US Referenced Citations (12)