US1146217A - Collapsible poultry-coop. - Google Patents

Description

J. M. VAUGHAN. COLLAESIBLE POULTRY COOP. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 3. 1912.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- J. M VAUGHAN. COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY COOP. APPLICATION FILED nor. 3. I912.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

cowmnm PLANDGRAPH c0. \vAsmNu'roN. D. c.

JAMES M. vAueHAN, OIEVOWENSBORO, KnnrUcnY.

cbtmsism oomer-door;

Stratification of Letters Patent.

rammed Ju1y13, 1915.

Application filed October 3, 1912. Serial No. 723,792.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES M. ,VAUGHAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Poultry-Coops, of which the following is a specification. v t

This invention relates to poultry coops and aims to provide as a substitute for the ordinary wooden coop, one which-may be used fromseason to season and will be entirely sanitary and affordthe fowls' therein ample protection from rodentsand from the elements, v I a Another aim of the invention is to provide a knock-down coop which may be conveniently stored away when not in use and which may be at any time thoroughly cleaned. 7 7 3 Another object of the invention is to provide a knock-down sheet metal coop devoi of hinges and other connecting elements of a like nature which would be liable to rust or become broken and incidentally the invention aims to provide means for holding the sections of the coop in asse mbled relation, which means will be-substantial andso constructed as to permit of the coop being-setup or knocked down in a short space of time conveniently, and without the use of tools of anycharacter,whatsoever.

Still another aim'of the invention is to so construct the coop that the floor thereof will be supported a greater or less distance above the ground surface so that the surface of the ground beneath the coop will remain dry.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in

which: 7 y A I v Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coop embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the coop. Fig.-- 3 is a vertical sectional view on theline 33 of Fig.2. Fig 4 is a group perspective view illustrating the parts of the coop disassembled. 4

Corresponding andlike parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters. I

In the drawings. the .coop. is illustrated as including a bottom .or fioor indicated in gen- 5 eralpby the reference numeral 1 and sidewalls 2 and 3. Each of these elements is in- I rectangle or triangle. The side-wall 2 of the coop-body has its lower. edge-portion overbent as at 5 to form a locking-bead projecting from the inner face of the side-wall, or in other words that face which is presented inwardly when the side-wall is in set-up position. The upper edge-portion of the side wall 2 is over-bent as at 6 to'form a lockingbead which projects beyond the outer face of the side-wall and the beads'5 and 6 are substantially of the same form in cross-sec tion as the beads 4c. The side-wall 3 of the coop has its lower edge portion .overbent to form a locking-bead 7 and its upper edge portion'bent to form a similar bead 8, the bead 7 being of a crosssectional contour to fit one of the beads 4 and the bead 8 being of a form to fit the bead 6. It will now be apparent from the foregoing and from an inspection of Fig 2 of thedrawing's that the'beads 5 and 7 each fit about one of the beads 4E and that the bead 8 fits over the head 6, when the front and side-walls are setup, and it will further beapparent from the showing of the said figure that the beads 5 and 7 serve to space the body-portion of the bottom or floor 1 from the groundsurface upon which these beads rest so that there may be a free circulation of air beneath the said floor 1 and serve to keep the floor dry. In addition to the floor 1, and side walls 2 and 3, the coop includes a front-wall Qand a rear-wall 10,

these last mentioned walls being supported between the side- walls 2 and 3 in the manner which will now be described.

In supporting the front and rear-walls I make use ofcleats, each of which is'for'med from a strip of sheet-metal folded longi-Q tudinally upon itself as at 11 to form an attaching flange or portion 12 of two-ply thickness. One-of the'fold's isbent as at 13 to form a flange 14 projecting at right angles from'the attaching portion 11 andthe said" fold of the said attaching portion is extended laterally beyond the bend 13 and is bent as at 15 to form a flange 16 located in spaced parallel relation with respect to the flange 14:. Two of the cleats above described are arranged upon the inner face of each of the side- walls 2 and 3 and one located adj acent each end of the respective walls, they being secured in place by means of rivets 17 secured through the respective walls 2 or 3, as the case may be.

It is preferable that the attaching portions of the cleats upon each of the sidewalls be presented toward each other, and as will be observed from an inspection of Fig. a of the drawing, the. cleats extend parallel to the adjacent end-edges of the wall upon which they are mounted. The front and rear-walls 9 and 10 of the coop are also formed of sheet metal and each is substantially triangular in form. As shown in the drawings the basal edge 18 of the forward wall 9 rests upon the upper side of the floor 1 when the members of the coop are in set-up or assembled relation and the sideedges 19 of the said wall 9 are received between the flanges 14 and 16 of the cleats which are located adjacent the forward ends of the walls 2 and 3. In a like manner the basal edge of the rear wall 10 rests upon the upper side of the floor 1 and its side edges are received between the flanges l t and 16 of the cleats which are located adjacent the rear ends of the side walls. At this point it will be seen that the front and rear ,;walls are firmly supported when the coop is set-up and that they serve to brace the side walls of the coop against collapse or being pressed or sprung inwardly.

The front wall 9 is formed with a dooraotway 20 and secured upon the forward side of the said wall at each side of the doorway is a guide, including an attaching portion 21 and a flange 22 which lies in spaced relation to the said spaced wall. The flanges 22 lproject toward each other from opposite sides of the doorway, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4t and receive between them and the wall 9 the lateral edges of the door of the coop, which door is indicated in the drawings by the numeral 23. The door 23 is formed of sheet metal and at its upper end is narrowed and bent to form a forwardly projecting finger-piece 24: which may be grasped for the purpose of sliding the door vertically in the guides which are arranged at the sides of the doorway.

It will be understood at this point that when the door 23 is in lowered position, or in other words is closed, the chickens within the coop will be effectually protected from rodents and from the elements, nor can they escape from the coop. It is however, desirable, that the door be left open at times so as to permit the chickens to enter and leave the coop at will, and for this reason it is necessary that means be provided for supporting the door in raised position. In thls connection I have conceived the idea of utilizing the flanges 16 of the cleats. As stated, the door is of sheet metal as are also the said flanges and the said front Wall 9, and the upper corners of the door are cut at an angle as at 25 so that when the door is moved to raised position its said upper corners may enter between the flanges 16 and the forwardly presented face of the front 9 and be frictionally held whereby the door will be supported in the position stated.

Preferably, the walls 9 and 10 are formed near their upper ends with ventilating openings 26.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be seen that there is provided a coop which may be readily set-up and knocked-down, which is substantial in construction, and which will effectually protect the chickens housed within it from rodents and from the elements. It will also be apparent that there are no hingedly connected parts which are liable to get out of order and that the floor of the coop is sup ported above the ground surface so that it will be at all times dry.

In dis-assembling the parts of the coop, the coop is placed on end and the floor 1 is then slid out of position between the lower ends of the side-walls, whereupon the said side-walls may be slightly spread apart to release the end-walls 9 and 10 and may then be completely separated. In setting up the coop, this operation is of course reversed.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In a coop, a floor, side-walls, means slidably connecting the side walls at their lower ends to the floor at opposite sides thereof, similar means slidably connecting the upper ends of the side walls, an endwall disposed at its lower edge upon the floor and extending between the side walls, and grooved cleats upon the side-walls spaced inwardly from the ends of the said walls and receiving the side-edge-portions of the said end-wall and supporting the said wall in upright position.

2. In a coop, inclined side-walls separably connected at their upper ends, a floor slidably removably connected at its sides with the lower ends of the side walls and restrainmg the side-walls against separation at their lower ends, channeled cleats upon the said side-Walls, and an end-wall disposed between the side-walls and fitting at its lateral edges in the channels of the cleats and resting freely upon the floor. k

3. In a coop, inclined side-wals, separably connected at their upper ends, means restraining the side-walls against separat1on at their lower ends, channeled cleats upon the said side-Walls, an end-wall disposed between the side-walls and fitting at its lateral edges in the channels of the cleats, the said end-wall being provided with a door opening, and a door slidably mounted upon the said wall and arranged when moved to open position, to be frictionally gaged by the outer walls of the channels of the cleats and the end walls, the channels being wider than the thickness of the end wall and by such engagement to be held in open position. i

4. In a coop, a floor having its lateral edges overturned to form beads, side walls having interlocking beads at their upper edges and provided at their lower edges with inwardly turned beads engaging with the beads at the lateral edges of the floor, the said floor constituting the sole means for holding the lower ends of the side walls against relative displacement, grooved cleats upon the inner sides of the side walls adj acent the ends thereof, and substantially triangular end walls disposed between the side walls with their inclined edges fitting within the grooves in the cleats, the said end walls constituting means for preventing longitudinal displacement of the side walls with respect to each other and the said floor being wholly disconnected from the end walls and constituting the sole supporting means for the said end walls.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. JAMES M. VAUGHAN.

WVitnesses:

K. M. SWEENEY, E. M. WIMSATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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