Trailer-borne horse corral

Claim 2

A vehicularly-transportable animal corral adapted to be alternatively contracted for confining animals on a vehicle having a given length and width and to be expanded for enclosing animals away from such a vehicle and comprising: a plurality of first and second upright wall-defining members respectively having a length no greater than said given vehicle length; first and second means respectively linking said first and second wall-defining members into first and second tandem sets for defining first and second foldable side enclosure walls where said wall-defining members in each tandem set are cooperatively arranged for selective placement either in a folded position with said wall-defining members in each of said sets placed side-by-side in a parallel relationship with one another or in an unfolded position with said wall-defining members in each of said sets placed end-to-end in an extended relationship with one another; and means cooperatively arranged for maintaining said first and second side walls uprightly as said first and second walldefining members are respectively being moved between said folded and unfolded positions and including at least a third upright wall-defining member defining a front enclosure wall having a length no greater than said given vehicle width, means pivotally intercoupling the ends of said front enclosure wall respectively to the forward free end of the first one of said first wall-defining members in said first set and to the forward free end of the first one of said second wall-defining members in said second set, and at least one supporting member operatively coupled to said front enclosure wall and extending rearwardly therefrom for supporting said enclosure walls in their respective upright positions.

Claim 3

The transportable animal corral of claim 1 further including: means including at least a fourth upright wall-defining member defining a rear enclosure wall cooperatively arranged between the rearward free end of the last one of said first wall-defining members in said first set and the rearward free end of the last one of said second wall-defining members in said second set for providing controlled access to the space bounded by said enclosure walls.

Claim 4

The transportable animal corral of claim 1 wherein there is an equal number of said first and second wall-defining members in said first and second sets.

Claim 5

The transportable animal corral of claim 1 wherein the length of each of said first and second wall-defining members is substantially equal to said given vehicle length.

Claim 6

The transportable animal corral of claim 4 wherein there are at least three of said first wall-defining members in said first set and at least three of said second wall-defining members in said second set.

Claim 7

The transportable animal corral of claim 1 wherein the length of said third wall-defining member is substantially equal to said given vehicle width.

Claim 8

The transportable animal corral of claim 1 wherein said supporting member is a fourth upright wall-defining member having a length substantially equal to said given vehicle length and defining a rearwardly-extending partition wall about midway between said first and second side enclosure walls.

Claim 9

The transportable animal corral of Claim 7 further including: a fifth upright wall-defining member having a length substantially equal to said given vehicle length; and means pivotally coupling the rearward end of said fourth wall-defining member to one end of said fifth wall-defining member for cooperatively arranging said fifth wall-defining member to be selectively positioned in a side-by-side relationship with said fourth wall-defining member when said first and second side enclosure walls are in their said folded positions and to be selectively positioned in an end-to-end relationship with said fourth wall-defining member When said first and second side enclosure walls are in their said unfolded positions to divide the space bounded by said enclosure walls.

Claim 10

The transportable animal corral of claim 8 further including: sixth and seventh upright wall-defining members respectively having a length substantially equal to half of said given vehicle width; means pivotally coupling one end of said sixth wall-defining member to the rearward free end of the last one of said first wall-defining members in said first set for providing controlled access to the divided space between said first side enclosure wall and said fourth and fifth wall-defining members; means pivotally coupling one end of said seventh wall-defining member to the rearward end of the last one of said second wall-defining members in said second set for providing controlled access to the divided space between said second side enclosure wall and said fourth and fifth wall-defining members; and means operatively latching the other ends of said sixth and seventh wall-defining members to one another.

Claim 11

A transportable horse corral adapted to be alternatively contracted for confining at least two horses side-by-side within a vehicular horse trailer having a given interior length and interior width and to be expanded for enclosing at least one of such horses away from such a trailer and comprising: a group of at least six upright panels respectively having a length no greater than said given interior length; first pivot means linking the adjacent ends of three of said panels to one another for arranging said three panels into a first foldable side enclosure wall alternatively adapted for selective placement either in a folded position with said three panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said three panels in an end-to-end extended relationship; second pivot means linking the adjacent ends of three others of said panels to one another for arranging said three other panels into a second foldable side enclosure wall alternatively adapted for selective placement either in a folded position with said other three panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said other three panels in an end-to-end extended relationship; a shorter upright panel having a length no greater than said given interior width; third pivot means respectively linking one end of said shorter panel to the forward free end of the first of said three panels and the other end of said shorter panel to the forward free end of the first of said other three panels for defining a front enclosure wall; and supporting means cooperatively coupled to said shorter panel for supporting said panels uprightly as said first and second side walls are respectively being moved between their said folded and unfolded positions.

Claim 12

A transportable horse corral adapted to be alternatively contracted for confining at least two horses side-by-side within a vehicular horse trailer having a given interior length and interior width and to be expanded for enclosing at least one of such horses away from such a trailer and comprising: a group of at least six upright panels respectively having a length no greater than said given interior length; first pivot means linking the adjacent ends of three of said panels to one another for arranging said three panels into a first foldable side enclosure wall alternatively adapted for selective placement either in a folded position with said three panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said three panels in an end-to-end extended relationship; second pivot means linking the adjacent ends of three others of said panels to one another for arranging said three other panels into a second foldable side enclosure wall alternatively adapted for selective placement either in a folded position with said other three panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said other three panels in an end-to-end extended relationship; a shorter upright panel having a length no greater than said given interior width; third pivot means respectively linking one end of said shorter panel to the forward free end of the first of said three panels and the other end of said shorter panel to the forward free end of the first of said other three panels for defining a front enclosure wall; and supporting means cooperatively coupled to said shorter panel for supporting said panels uprightly as said first and second side walls are respectively being moved between their said folded and unfolded positions.

Claim 13

The transportable corral of claim 10 wherein the length of each of said six panels is about equal to said given interior length.

Claim 14

The transportable corral of claim 10 wherein said supporting means include: a seventh upright panel having a length no greater than said given interior length; and means cooperatively coupling the forward end of said seventh panel to about the mid-point of said shorter panel to position said seventh panel rearwardly thereof and between said first and second side walls for alternatively dividing the space therebetween when said first and second side walls are respectively in their said folded positions and supporting said panels uprightly as said first and second side walls are respectively being moved between their said folded and unfolded positions.

Claim 15

The transportable corral of claim 12 wherein said means cooperatively coupling said forward end of said seventh panel to said shorter panel include means rigidly securing said seventh panel at about a right angle to said shorter panel for dividing said space into approximately-equal portions defining individual horse stalls when saId side walls are respectively in their said folded positions.

Claim 16

The transportable corral of claim 12 further including: an eighth upright panel having a length no greater than said given interior length; and third pivot means linking one end of said eighth panel to the rearward end of said seventh panel for movement to a position separating one space within said side walls from another space therebetween when said side walls are respectively in their said unfolded positions.

Claim 17

The transportable corral of claim 14 wherein the length of each of said eight panels is about equal to said given interior length.

Claim 18

The transportable corral of claim 10 further including: first and second gate members respectively having a length no greater than about one-half of said given interior width; first gate pivot means cooperatively pivoting one end of said first gate member to the rearward free end of the third of said third panel; and second gate pivot means cooperatively pivoting one end of said second gate member to the rearward free end of the third of said other three panels.

Claim 19

Apparatus adapted for alternatively transporting and penning at least two horses and comprising: a first group of at least six upright panels respectively having a length equal to a first predetermined dimension; first pivot means linking the adjacent ends of a first set of one-half of said first group of panels to one another for tandemly arranging said first set of panels as a first foldable side enclosure wall for alternative placement either in a folded position with said first set of panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said first set of panels in an end-to-end extended, somewhat C-shaped, relationship; second pivot means linking the adjacent ends of a second set of one-half of said first group of panels to one another for tandemly arranging said second set of panels as a second foldable side enclosure wall for alternative placement either in a folded position with said second set of panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said second set of panels in an end-to-end extended, somewhat C-shaped, relationship; a seventh upright panel having a length equal to a second predetermined dimension; third pivot means respectively linking one end of said seventh panel to the forward end of the first panel in said first set of panels and the other end of said seventh panel to the forward end of the first panel in said second set of panels for defining a front enclosure wall; a second group of at least two upright panels respectively having a length equal to said first predetermined dimension; fourth pivot means linking the adjacent ends of said second group of panels to one another for tandemly arranging said second group of panels as a foldable partition wall for selective placement either in a folded position with said second group of panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said second group of panels in an end-to-end extended relationship; means cooperatively coupling the forward end of the first one of said second group of panels to about the mid-point of said seventh panel to position said second group of panels rearwardly of said front wall and between said first and second side walls for alternatively dividing the space therebetween into two stalls when said first and second side walls are respectively in their said folded positions and supporting said panels uprightly as said first and second side walls are being moved respectively between their said folded and unfolded positions; and an enclosed vehicular trailer having an interior length and interior width respectively no less than said first and second predetermined dimensions for transporting said interconnected panels with said side and partition walls respectively in their said folded positions, said trailer further having a rear access opening With a width no less than said second predetermined dimension for allowing removal of said interconnected panels from said trailer before said side and partition walls are respectively moved to their said unfolded positions.

Claim 20

Apparatus adapted for alternatively transporting and penning at least two horses and comprising: a first group of at least six upright panels respectively having a length equal to a first predetermined dimension; first pivot means linking the adjacent ends of a first set of one-half of said first group of panels to one another for tandemly arranging said first set of panels as a first foldable side enclosure wall for alternative placement either in a folded position with said first set of panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said first set of panels in an end-to-end extended, somewhat C-shaped, relationship; second pivot means linking the adjacent ends of a second set of one-half of said first group of panels to one another for tandemly arranging said second set of panels as a second foldable side enclosure wall for alternative placement either in a folded position with said second set of panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said second set of panels in an end-to-end extended, somewhat C-shaped, relationship; a seventh upright panel having a length equal to a second predetermined dimension; third pivot means respectively linking one end of said seventh panel to the forward end of the first panel in said first set of panels and the other end of said seventh panel to the forward end of the first panel in said second set of panels for defining a front enclosure wall; a second group of at least two upright panels respectively having a length equal to said first predetermined dimension; fourth pivot means linking the adjacent ends of said second group of panels to one another for tandemly arranging said second group of panels as a foldable partition wall for selective placement either in a folded position with said second group of panels in a side-by-side parallel relationship or in an unfolded position with said second group of panels in an end-to-end extended relationship; means cooperatively coupling the forward end of the first one of said second group of panels to about the mid-point of said seventh panel to position said second group of panels rearwardly of said front wall and between said first and second side walls for alternatively dividing the space therebetween into two stalls when said first and second side walls are respectively in their said folded positions and supporting said panels uprightly as said first and second side walls are being moved respectively between their said folded and unfolded positions; and an enclosed vehicular trailer having an interior length and interior width respectively no less than said first and second predetermined dimensions for transporting said interconnected panels with said side and partition walls respectively in their said folded positions, said trailer further having a rear access opening With a width no less than said second predetermined dimension for allowing removal of said interconnected panels from said trailer before said side and partition walls are respectively moved to their said unfolded positions.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 further including: first and second gate members respectively having a length substantially equal to about one-half of said second predetermined dimension; first gate pivot means cooperatively pivoting one end of said first gate member to the rearward end of the last panel in said first set of panels; and second gate pivot means cooperatively pivoting one end of said second gate member to the rearward end of the last panel in said second set of panels.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein there are only six of said panels in said first group of panels and only two of said panels in said second group of panels so that when said first and second side walls are respectively in their said unfolded positions they will cooperate with said front wall and said first and second gate members to bound an approximate octagonal space and when said partition wall is in its said unfolded position it will substantially bisect said octagonal space.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 17 further including: a feed trough mounted on said front wall.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means cooperatively coupling said forward end of said first one of said second group of panels to said seventh panel include means rigidly securing said first one of said second group of panels to said seventh panel.