GB2265659A - Tethering hook - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention comprises a labyrinthine hook or spring-clip adapted for secure fastening to a suitable structure such as a wall, fence or post (preferably securely attached to a small plaque or board for advertising material) and to a method of restraining a leashed animal, preferably a dog, outside commercial premises, which method comprises affixing an animal by its leash to a labyrinthine hook and/or spring clip adapted for secure fastening to a wall. <IMAGE>

Description

Animal Restraining Device This invention relates to an animal restraining device and to a method of ensuring the safe placing of animals, particularly dogs, outside commercial establishments where only guide dogs for the blind are allowed to enter.

The vast majority of commercial establishments such as banks, shops and the like, either positively bar dogs (apart from guide dogs) from entering their premises or discourage their entering. Furthermore few provide any form of hitching post or other means of safely restraining a dog whilst its owner enters the premises. Some provide a simple hook from which, if a leash is simply placed over the hook, may easily escape by jumping. Others provide bars to which an owner ties a leash.

Unless the owner is skilled in tying knots and the leash is very long this can b dangerous.

Dog owner are therefore faced with trying to find a suitable projection, lamp post or pillar to which the dogs may be tied by their leashes. Some dog owners even resort to relying on a dog's obedience training to make it wait outside premises entirely unrestrained. Very few, if any, dogs are sufficiently well trained to ignore all distractions, especially cats or other dogs, and are likely to leave the position where they have been placed and run into traffic and cause accidents.

The present invention provides a simple safe and effective device which is readily attached to a wall or fence for parking dogs together with advertising space as an incentive to their use.

The invention comprises a labyrinthine hoo or spring-clip or a combination of both adapted for secure fastening to a suitable structure such as a wall pence or post and to a method of restraining a leashed animal preferably a dog, outside commercial premises, which method comprises affixing an animal by its leash to a labvFinthlne hook/sprinq clip adapted for secure fastening to a wall.

In a preferred embodiment the labyrinthine hooW/spring clip 15 securely attached to a small plaque or board which in turn is secures.

fixed to a wall, the size of plaque or board being sufficient to accommodate advertising material.

The preferred form of labyrinthine hook is one in which end of the hook has been doubled back on itself to form an inverted "U" but the hook may be of any shape which would enable a person to thread an animal leash over but which is su++iciently complex in form that the leash cannot be readily detached by movement of the animal.

There now follows by way of example and illustration, with particular reference to the drawings a description of typical embodiments of the invention.

Figure. 1 is a plan vie of typical form of the invention Figure 2 is a section of one side Figure oA is perspective view of an advertising board in accordance with the invention with spring clip 7 in the recess 6 Figure a is a section along the plane A Figure 4 is a section alonq the plane B - B' Figure 5 is a section of a typical hook with a spring clip as used in the present invention Figure 6 is a section of an alternative hook in which the labyrinth takes the form o. a hook in which its end is bent into an inverted "U" Figure 7 is a section of a labyrinthine hoot::: as illustrated in Figure 6 combined with a spring clip.

The device consists of an advertising board 1 with chamfered edges la and fixing holes at ,Z, 4 and 5. A recess 6 is provided on the board to allow a spring clip 7 to be inset flush with the face of the board.

The spring clip is provided with fixing holes 8 and 9, with corresponding holes 10 and 11 in the recess.

The board is attached by ordinary screws and fiing devices to a wall and the spring clip is attached to the board and the wall by means of very secure fixing devices such as RAWLBOLTS (Trade Mark). The board is covered with an advertisement which hides the fixing screws in the board and in operation a dog owner simply places the looped end of a leash over the spring clip by pressing down. Since it is necessary to press down again on the clip to remove the leash, no amount of movement by a dog will dislodge the leash from the clip.

The number of devices outside any commercial premises will be determined by the size of the premises. Generally such devices should be sufficiently far apart to ensure that two dogs cannot fight ie the length of two leads plus the length of two large dogs. Outside larger premises a long advertising board with two or more device thus spaced may be used.

Claims (1)

1. Claims

   1 A device for restraining animals for deployment outside commercial premises characterised in that it comprises an advertising board and a hook for the ready insertion of an animal leash and adapted to prevent the removal nf the leash by movement of the animal.

   2 4 device as claimed in claim 1 in which the hook. is in the form of a spring clip.

   4 Q device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the hook is labvrintl7ine.

   4 Q device as claimed in claim 1 substantiallty as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

   5 A method of restraining an animal using a device as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4.