Animal shelter

Claim 1

An animal shelter in combination with a vertical building wall of predetermined thickness having a front surface opposing an exterior space and a rear surface opposing an interior space and an opening of predetermined size and uniform cross-section extending through said wall from said exterior space to said interior space, comprising: a. a hollow body having closed top, bottom, opposite side, and rear end walls, and an open front end, said body having a longitudinal axis extending front-to-rear, b. said hollow body extending longitudinally through said opening and having a vertical transverse cross-section substantially equal to the cross-section of said opening, c. the length of said body being greater than the thickness of said building wall, d. the front portion of said body being mounted in said opening to cantilever support the rear portion of said body projecting rearward beyond the rear surface of said building wall, e. the front ends of at least one of said top, bottom and side walls terminating in a retaining flange projecting laterally outwardly of said corresponding wall and flush against the front surface of said building wall to limit rearward movement of said body relative to said opening, f. said walls being in heat-conductive relationship with the interior space of said building, and impervious to the transmission of gas between the interior of said body and the interior space of said building, g. a pair of doors adapted to cover said open front end, said doors having proximate side edges and remote side edges, h. double-acting hinge means connecting the remote side edges of said doors to the front ends of said side walls so that said doors noRmally rest in a closed position, said hinge means permitting said doors to swing about vertical axes to a rearward open position when a rearward thrust is exerted upon said doors, and to swing about vertical axes to a forward position when a forward thrust is exerted upon said doors.