US1542767A - Race-track starting gate - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1925. r154.2767

R. R. HASSETTl RACE TRACK STARTING GATE F'irled Marchk .27, 1924 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16,1925 1542,76? n R. R. HASSETT y 'RACE Tlmox sTARifING GATEy n y y y Filed March, 27, 1924 n 3 sneetsfsheei 2 L fmefa June 16, 1925. 1,542,767 R. HASSETT RACE TRACK STARTING GATE Filed March 27, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 lift.

Patented June 16, 1925. l

nmHA/Rnn; HassnTT., or LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

nnen-Tanon STARTING GATE.

Application ined Marchv 217, 1924. serial No. 702,388.

To all whom z'tmay/ concern:VV

15e it known that I, Kleinman R. Hnssri'rr,

a citizen of the United States residingJV at;

Lexington, in the Lcounty of Fayette `and tate of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Race- Track Starting `Grates; and I do hereby declare the `following to be a full, clear, andy exact description .of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to .which it appertains to make and use the same. j,

The starting ofhorsesin a; race is usually effected by means of aline which' extends across the4 track and is disposed about-breasthigh, thereby requiring some considerable The present invention provides for locating Athe 'starting `line about on a level with the headsof the yhorses so that thelift may be quickly effected toadmit of a qui-ck getaway. t

, A further purpose of the invention is the provision of a starting linel which may be rea'dilyadjusted fromone point to another Y as required, thesameV being mountedkupon a portable raine'which is adaptedjto be self-propelled. W

Other obfeclts and advantages will be apparent and suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is understood. ly f f While the drawingsillustrate anembodiment of the invention it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet different Y conditions and requirements, various changes in the form, proportion and minor detailsk of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application:

Figure 1 is a front view of a race track starting gate embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, Figure 3 is aside view ofthe device, i Figure e is a sectional view on thev line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 5 is anenlarged sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, the dotted lines showing the starting line elevated,

Figure 6 is a front View of the parts shown in Figure 5, l

kFig'gure 7 is av detail perspective view of one of the hangers for the starting line, and Figure 8 is a detail perspectiveview of one of the brackets to which the hanger is pivoted.

to in the following description and designated in the several views oi' thefdrawings by like reference characters. f

1 Thenumeral 10 designates the fence usu ally providedat the starting post and in track 11 is located at one side of the race course, with the fence 10`disposed between said course and the track 11. A truck l2 is mounted upon the track 11 and is adapted to be propelled bymeans of a motor 13 mountedthereon. Vertical posts ltV and 15 are mounted kupon opposite end portions of the truck 12 and are connected at their upper ends by longitudinal rails 16. A short upright 17 is disposed some distance from the post 14 so as to overhangothe race course and is connected to the post 14 by means of a rail 1S anda bar 19, the rail 18 terminating at the upright 17 whereas the bar 19 continues pastthe uprightr 17 and extends enti-rely across the racetrack, the free end being provided with a' wheel 20 `which is mounted upon a railv21 constituting a track at the opposite side of the krace course and supported by means of posts 22. rBraces 23 connecty the upright 17 with the post 15. The bar 19 is stout and supportsthestarting line 24 which-is connected thereto so as to swing upwardly to clear ther-acers at the start, as indicated most clearly by the dotted lines in Figure 5. y

The support for the starting line 24 coinprisesa header 25 and a plurality of hangers 26 attached to the headery 25 and provided with laterally disposed lugs 27 which are pivoted to brackets 28 attached to the bar 19. Each of the hangers 25 is provided at its upper end with a head 29. Each of the brackets 28 has a `pair of laterally disposed lugs 30 between whichl the lug 27 of a hanger is pivoted and the lower end ot' the bracket is formed with a slot 31 to rese brackets 29 to onpngte sides of the bar le. (latches 34 are pivoted `to the strip 32 and their lower ends are adapted to engage kthe header 25 of the starting line supporting frame to hold the latter in operative position. A connection 35 is pivoted to the upper ends oit the catches 34 and is providlll) ed at one end with a handle 36 which provides convenient means for operating the series of catches.

In practice, the device is arranged so that the bar 19 extends across the race track and at a height to clear the horses and their' mounts. The device is adjustable by reason of the truck l2 and the wheel 20 and track 21. When the starting line 24 is lowered, it occupies a position about in line with the heads of the horses and as a result the lifting distance is relatively small. The supporting frame for the starting line is counterweighted so that when free fror any restraining influence, it assumes the position substantially as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 5, thereby elevating the starting line so as to clear the track. starting line supporting frame is held in vertical position by means of the catches 34. and since the latter are connected by the member 35 it is readily understood that all the catches are operated simultaneously, thereby permitting the starting line to move uniformly throughout its length.

What is claimed is:

l. Means for starting a race the same omrising` a truck a frame' bracingl mounted o 3 ai thereon and having a portion overhanging the race track, a bar carried by the frame and extending completely across the race K track, a starting line supporting frame pivoted to the said bar and counterweighted to automatically swing clear of the track, and catch means mounted upon the said bar and normally holding the frame carrying the starting line in operative position.

2. In means for starting a race, a bar disposed across the race track, brackets at- The tached to said bar, hangers pivoted to the brackets, a header connecting the hangers, a starting line attached to said hangers, and catch means mounted upon the bar and nor,- mally holding the starting line in operative position.

3. In means for starting a race, a bar disposed across the rack track, brackets attached to the bar and having `their lower ends slotted, hangers pivoted to the brackets and adapted to engage the lower slotted ends thereof, a member connecting the hangers, and catch means carried by the said bar and normally holding the hangers with the starting line in operative position.

4l. Starting means for a race, the same comprising a truck, posts at opposite ends of the truck, rails connecting the posts, an upright disposed to overhang the race track, a rail and a bar connecting the uprightwith one of the before mentioned posts, the rail terminating at the upright whereas the bar extends to project across the race track, braces between the said upright and the other post mounted upon the truck, brackets attached to the bar, hangers pivoted to the brackets, a header connecting the hangers, a starting line attached to the lower ends of the hangers, catches pivoted to the bar and normally engaging the said header to hold the starting line in operative position, and means connecting the catches to effect simultaneous movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of a witness.

RICHARD R. HASSETT.

Witness:

BENNETT S. JONES.

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