The claimed embodiment pertains generally to racks for holding saddles and more specifically to lightweight hanging saddle racks.
A portable multipurpose saddle rack and method is disclosed.
Existing saddle racks are typically either stationary and cumbersome, or do not include a mechanism to allow for saddle to be supported while the underside of the saddle can be cleaned. Bartholomew (U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,535) presents a fairly simple saddle rack with winged supports. Mills (U.S. Pat. No. 3,305,101) illustrates a hanging rack that is portable. Fernbaugh (U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,841) adapts a simple collapsible hanging rack to also have a free-standing embodiment. Larger, free-standing models, like those of Holmberg (U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,606) and Anderson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,403,324), include mechanisms for rotation or general adaptation to be support the saddle so that the underside of the saddle can be cleaned clean. These racks, however, are impractical for competition use and do not travel easily. Further these racks do not provide portability for equestrians to enable the equestrians to quickly, and easily clean the underside of the saddle.
In one embodiment, a saddle rack is provided that includes a mounting attachment assembly, having a wall engagement assembly that engages with a vertically oriented structure, and a saddle assembly engaging portion that engages with a saddle supporting assembly. The saddle supporting assembly includes supporting wings having a first end and a second end with an axis extending from the first end to the second end. The saddle supporting assembly, when the wall engagement assembly engaging with the vertically oriented wall, engages with the saddle engaging portion such that the saddle supporting assembly a) can be supported by the saddle engaging portion with the axis extending horizontally in a first orientation, and b) can be rotated 180 degrees around the axis to be supported by the saddle engaging portion with the axis extending horizontally in a second orientation. The supporting wings in the first orientation extend upward and outward from the first end and extend upward and outward from the second end. The supporting wings in the second orientation extend downward and outward from the first end and extend downward and outward from the second end.
In another embodiment, a saddle rack is provided that includes a mounting attachment assembly, having a portable base mount with a hooking first end to enable the mounting attachment assembly to hang on the vertically oriented structure and a stabilizing second end to prevent an unhooking of the portable base mount from the vertically oriented structure. The mounting attachment assembly has a saddle engagement portion that engages with a connecting rod of a saddle supporting assembly. The connecting rod forms an aperture adjacent a connecting end of the connecting rod through which a securing pin can be inserted. The supporting assembly receiver forms a first aperture to receive the connecting rod and forms a second aperture that aligns with the aperture of the connecting rod to receive the securing pin to insert into the aperture of the connecting rod upon the first aperture receiving the connecting rod. The saddle supporting assembly includes the connecting rod connected to supporting wings both having a first end and a connected second end with an axis extending from the first end to the second end through the connecting rod. The saddle supporting assembly, upon the mounting attachment assembly engaging with the vertically oriented structure, engages with the saddle engaging portion such that the connecting rod upon insertion into first aperture a) is supported by the saddle engagement portion in a first orientation with the axis extending horizontally, and b) can be rotated 180 degrees around the axis and inserted into the first aperture so that the saddle supporting assembly is supported by the saddle engaging portion in a second orientation with the axis extending horizontally. The supporting wings in the first orientation extends upward and outward from the first end and extend upward and outward from the second end to support a saddle in an upward orientation so that the top underside of the saddle can be cleaned from above and stored. The supporting wings in the second orientation extend downward and outward from the first end and extend downward and outward from the second end to support the saddle in an upward orientation so that the topside of the saddle can be cleaned from above.
In a further embodiment, a method for cleaning and storing a saddle is disclosed. The method includes hanging with a hooking first end of a portable base mount of a mounting attachment assembly on a vertically oriented structure and preventing an unhooking of the portable base mount from the vertically oriented structure with a stabilizing second end of the portable base mount. A saddle supporting assembly receiver of the mounting attachment assembly is engaged with a connecting rod of a saddle supporting assembly. The connecting rod is inserted into a first aperture of the saddle supporting assembly receiver. A second aperture of the saddle supporting assembly receiver is aligned with the aperture of the connecting rod. The securing pin is inserted into the aperture of the connecting rod upon the first aperture receiving the connecting rod. The second aperture of the saddle supporting assembly receiver is aligned with the aperture of the connecting rod. The saddle supporting assembly includes the connecting rod connected to a plurality of supporting wings both having a first end and a second end with an axis extending from the second end to the first end through the connecting rod. Upon the mounting attachment assembly hanging on the vertically oriented structure, the saddle supporting assembly receiver engages with the connecting rod extending through the first aperture such that the saddle supporting assembly and the connecting rod upon insertion into first aperture is supported by the saddle supporting assembly receiver in a first orientation with the axis extending horizontally. The saddle supporting assembly and connecting rod are rotated 180 degrees around the axis so that the saddle supporting assembly is supported by the saddle engaging portion in a second orientation with the axis and connecting rod extending horizontally. Upon the saddle supporting assembly oriented to the first orientation, the supporting wings are oriented to extend upward and outward from the first end and to extend upward and outward from the second end. A saddle is supported in a downward orientation upon orienting the supporting wings in the first orientation so that the bottom side of the saddle can be cleaned from above and stored. Upon the saddle supporting assembly oriented to the first orientation, the supporting wings are oriented in the second orientation to extend downward and outward from the first end and to extend downward and outward from the second end. The saddle is supported in a downward orientation upon orienting the supporting wings in the second orientation so that the top side of the saddle can be cleaned from above.
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference number in different figures indicates similar or identical items.
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The mounting attachment assembly 102 includes a portable base mount 108 with a hooking first end 110 to enable the mounting attachment assembly 102 to hang on the vertically oriented structure 302. The wall engagement assembly 104 also includes a stabilizing second end 112 to prevent unhooking of the portable base mount 108 from the vertically oriented structure 302.
The saddle supporting assembly 106 includes a connecting rod 114 extending along an axis 116 with a connecting end 118 and an adjoining end 120. The assembly also includes a left supporting wing 122 and right supporting wing 124 (also referred to herein as a “saddle engaging portion”) connected to the connecting rod 114. The tubular shaped connecting rod 114 is coupled at the connecting end 118 with a supporting assembly receiver 126 portion of base mount 108. Supporting wings 122 and 124 each have a first end 130 and a second end 132 with the axis 116 extending along the connecting rod 114 from the first end 130 to a point 135 adjacent the second end 132. Supporting wings 122-124 may be tubular shaped rods that extend between first end 130 and 132 as described herein. Referring to
The connecting rod 114 is coupled adjacent its connecting end 118 with first ends 130 of the left and right supporting wings 122-124. The connecting rod 114 is coupled with the second ends 134 of the supporting wings 122-124 adjacent the adjoining end 120.
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In one implementation the connecting rod 114 forms an aperture 136 adjacent the connecting end 118 through which a securing pin 138 can be inserted. The saddle supporting assembly receiver 126 forms a first aperture 140 on a side of the receiver 126 opposing the vertical wall 302 to receive the connecting rod 114. Supporting assembly receiver 126 forms a second aperture 142 on adjacent sides to receive the securing pin 138 when the first aperture 140 receives the connecting rod 114.
The supporting wings 122-124 in the first orientation extend downward and outward from the first end 132 and extend downward and outward from the second end 134. When mounting assembly 102 hangs on vertical wall 302, the elevation of the second end 134 is below the first end 132.
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Saddle rack 100 may be used to clean and store a saddle 302 by hanging with the hooking first end 110 of the portable base mount 108 of the mounting attachment assembly 102 on the vertically oriented structure 302. The unhooking of the portable base mount 108 from the vertically oriented structure 302 may be prevented with a stabilizing second end 112 of the portable base mount 108.
The saddle supporting assembly receiver 126 of the mounting attachment assembly 102 engages with a connecting rod 114 of the saddle supporting assembly 106 by inserting the connecting rod 114 into a first aperture 140 of the saddle supporting assembly receiver 126, aligning the second aperture 142 of the saddle supporting assembly receiver 126 with the aperture of the connecting rod 114, and inserting the securing pin 138 into the aperture 136 of the connecting rod 114 and second aperture 142 upon the first aperture 140 receiving the connecting rod 114 and the second aperture 142 of the saddle supporting assembly receiver aligning with the aperture 136 of the connecting rod.
The saddle supporting assembly 106 includes the connecting rod 114 connected to both supporting wings 122-124. Upon the mounting attachment assembly 102 hanging on the vertically oriented structure 302, the saddle supporting assembly receiver 126 is engaged with the connecting rod 114 extending through the first aperture 140 such that the saddle supporting assembly 106 and the connecting rod 114 upon insertion into first aperture 140 is supported by the saddle supporting assembly receiver 126 in the first orientation with the axis 116 extending horizontally (slightly elevated at the connecting end 118 with respect to adjoining end 120).
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The saddle supporting assembly 106 and connecting rod 114 can then be rotated 180 degrees (151) around the axis 116. Referring to
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While the above detailed description has shown, described and identified several novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the described embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the foregoing discussion but should be defined by the appended claims.