Cart Patents (Class 54/39.1)
  • Patent number: 8429883
    Abstract: A lifting girdle apparatus for enhancing the performance of a harness racing horse includes a lifting girdle affixed to a harness and sulky at two points on each side of the horse with a clip that attaches to the harness, behind approximately the front quarter of the horse, and with a securing strap that runs vertically towards and around the shaft of the sulky. The securing strap is preferably made to be adjustable, for example by constructing the securing strap as a belt and utilizing a belt buckle. The ability to adjust the distance between the attachment clips and the lifting girdle allows for a trainer to configure the lifting girdle device apparatus for different sized horses for producing an optimum setting for horses of almost any size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Inventors: Allan Alkes, Eric Koenig
  • Publication number: 20090211207
    Abstract: A horse-drawn carriage 50 comprises a wheeled chassis 58, a boom 40 for drawing the carriage and a linkage mechanism 46, 51-56 which connects the boom 40 to the chassis 58. The boom has a seat 45 for a rider. The linkage mechanism 46, 51-56 permits movement between the chassis 58 and the boom 40 and includes a shock absorber 55 which acts between the chassis 58 and the boom 40. The linkage mechanism can permit rotational movement of the chassis with respect to the boom 40. A harness arrangement comprises a hitch 12 for coupling to the boom, the hitch being mounted to the harness such that the hitch can move in a direction substantially aligned with, or parallel to, the horse's back with tensioning means 34, 35 restricting movement of the hitch. The harness arrangement can reduce jolting to both the horse and the rider, resulting in a smoother drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventor: James A. Kelly
  • Patent number: 7487980
    Abstract: A sulky shaft connector device includes a swivel ball joint arrangement whereby the sulky shaft is allowed relative damped vertical movement with respect to the harness. A sulky shaft connector member, removably connected to the sulky shaft, forming part of the device also provides for quick and releasable engagement between the sulky shaft and the sulky shaft connector device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Inventors: Ron Goddard, Larry Lessard, Marc-André Octeau, Eric St-Amant
  • Patent number: 6698168
    Abstract: The tree of a harness saddle band is formed of an elongated, narrow, thin, strip of resilient plastic material bent into an inverted U-shape having a central bight portion and integral depending leg portions. The bight portion is stiffened to resist bending or flexing of the bight portion. The depending leg portions are resiliently flexible relative to the bight portion for independently bending laterally towards an away from each other and for independently bending longitudinally forwardly and rearwardly of the horse. The junctions between the leg portions and the bight portion are provided with raised ribs which are decreasingly tapered in the direction from the bight portion towards the free ends of the leg portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Inventor: Al G. Terwilliger