Folding trailer corral

Claim 2

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals and having an ingress and egress opening; b. mounting brackets secured to said vehicle on opposite sides of said opening; c. two foldable corral-forming units, one pivoted to one of said mounting brackets on each side of said opening, each of said units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold along the side walls of said vehicle, said fence sections also being adapted to be unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent said vehicle and connected to said opening of said vehicle; and d. a securing bracket pivotally mounted on at least one of said mounting brackets, the pivot of said securing bracket being in substantial alignment with the pivots of said foldable units, said securing bracket being movable into a position encompassing portions of one of said foldable units when they are in folded position to secure the sections of said unit so that said sections will all pivot together, said folded sections and said securing bracket thereafter being swingable on a common pivot.

Claim 3

A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the vehicle has wheel wells or fenders extending outwardly from the body of the vehicle and in which the sections of the corral-forming units have lower bars which may be moved upwardly so that said folded corral-forming units may swing into a position adjacent the side walls of said vehicle and said bars will be in a position above said wheel wells or fenders.

Claim 4

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals and having an ingress and egress opening and wheel wells oN each side thereof; and b. two foldable corral-forming units, one pivoted on each side of said opening, each of said units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold along the side walls of said vehicle, said fence sections also being adapted to be unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent said vehicle and connected to said opening of said vehicle, the sections of said foldable corral units having a lower bar which may be moved to a raised position relative to said section so that when said units are in folded position the sections will clear said wheel wells without said units being raised as a whole.

Claim 5

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals and having an ingress and egress opening and wheel wells oN each side thereof; and b. two foldable corral-forming units, one pivoted on each side of said opening, each of said units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold along the side walls of said vehicle, said fence sections also being adapted to be unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent said vehicle and connected to said opening of said vehicle, the sections of said foldable corral units having a lower bar which may be moved to a raised position relative to said section so that when said units are in folded position the sections will clear said wheel wells without said units being raised as a whole.

Claim 6

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals and having an ingress and egress opening in the rear wall thereof and an access door in a side wall thereof; b. two foldable corral-forming units, one pivoted on each side of said opening, each of said units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold along the side walls of said vehicle, said fence sections also being adapted to be unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent said vehicle and connected to said opening of said vehicle; c. means for holding at least one of said units in folded position so that said unit may be swung outwardly from said vehicle on its pivot to said vehicle in order to give access to said door; and d. a mounting bracket connected to the opposite sides of said vehicle and to which said foldable corral units are pivotally connected and in which the means for holding the unit in folded position consists of a holding bracket pivoted to said mounting brackets on substantially the same pivot axis as said foldable corral unit so that when said holding bracket is in holding position the folded sections of said unit and said bracket may be swung on the same axis.

Claim 7

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals and having an ingress and egress opening in the rear wall thereof and an access door in a side wall thereof; b. two foldable corral-forming units, one pivoted on each side of said opening, each of said units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold along the side walls of said vehicle, said fence sections also being adapted to be unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent said vehicle and connected to said opening of said vehicle; c. means for holding at least one of said units in folded position so that said unit may be swung outwardly from said vehicle on its pivot to said vehicle in order to give access to said door; and d. a mounting bracket connected to the opposite sides of said vehicle and to which said foldable corral units are pivotally connected and in which the means for holding the unit in folded position consists of a holding bracket pivoted to said mounting brackets on substantially the same pivot axis as said foldable corral unit so that when said holding bracket is in holding position the folded sections of said unit and said bracket may be swung on the same axis.

Claim 8

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals having an ingress and egress opening and having wheel wells on each side thereof; b. two foldable corral-forming units, one pivoted on each side of said opening, each of said units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold along the side walls of said vehicle, said fence sections also being adapted to be unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent said vehicle and connected to said opening of said vehicle; and c. said sections of said foldable corralunits having a lower bar which may be moved to a raised position so that when said units are in folded position the sections will be clear of said wheel wells, said lower bars having ring means surrounding the vertical legs of said sections and are freely vertically movable thereon, and in which there is stop means for determining the lower positions of said movable bars, and in which means is provided for holding said movable bars in raised position so that when the units are folded said movable bars will occupy positions above the wheel wells of said vehicle.

Claim 9

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals having an ingress and egress opening and having wheel wells on each side thereof; b. two foldable corral-forming units, one pivoted on each side of said opening, each of said units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold along the side walls of said vehicle, said fence sections also being adapted to be unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent said vehicle and connected to said opening of said vehicle; and c. said sections of said foldable corralunits having a lower bar which may be moved to a raised position so that when said units are in folded position the sections will be clear of said wheel wells, said lower bars having ring means surrounding the vertical legs of said sections and are freely vertically movable thereon, and in which there is stop means for determining the lower positions of said movable bars, and in which means is provided for holding said movable bars in raised position so that when the units are folded said movable bars will occupy positions above the wheel wells of said vehicle.

Claim 10

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals having side walls and a rear wall having an ingress and egress opening therein; b. bracket means mounted on said vehicle and extending outwardly and sidewardly therefrom, said bracket means being positioned near the corners where said side walls and rear walls meet, said bracket means having pivot means positioned sidewardly and outwardly so as to be spaced from said side walls; and c. two foldable corral-forming units, each having a plurality of fence sections, one of which is pivoted on one of said pivot means of said bracket means said fence sections being hingedly connected together and adapted to fold forwardly on said pivot means along said side walls of said vehicle when said vehicle is being transported from place to place or when said corral-forming units are not in use to form a corral, said fence sections being adapted to be swung oUtwardly and rearwardly around said pivot means of said bracket means and unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent the rear of said vehicle and connected with said opening in said rear wall.

Claim 11

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals having side walls and a rear wall having an ingress and egress opening therein; b. bracket means mounted on said vehicle and extending outwardly and sidewardly therefrom, said bracket means being positioned near the corners where said side walls and rear walls meet, said bracket means having pivot means positioned sidewardly and outwardly so as to be spaced from said side walls; and c. two foldable corral-forming units, each having a plurality of fence sections, one of which is pivoted on one of said pivot means of said bracket means said fence sections being hingedly connected together and adapted to fold forwardly on said pivot means along said side walls of said vehicle when said vehicle is being transported from place to place or when said corral-forming units are not in use to form a corral, said fence sections being adapted to be swung oUtwardly and rearwardly around said pivot means of said bracket means and unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent the rear of said vehicle and connected with said opening in said rear wall.

Claim 12

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals having side walls and a rear wall having an ingress and egress opening therein; b. pivot means on said vehicle positioned at the rearward ends of said side walls near the corners where said side walls and rear walls meet, said pivots being positioned sidewardly outwardly from said side walls; c. two foldable corral-forming units, each pivoted on one of said pivot means, each of said corral-forming units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold forwardly on said pivot means along said side walls of said vehicle, extending forwardly along said side walls and being in such folded position when said vehicle is being transported from place to place or when said corral-forming units are not in use to form a corral, said fence units being adapted to be swung outwardly and rearwardly around said pivot means and unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent the rear of said vehicle and connected with said opening in said rear wall; and d. each of said corral-forming units comprises a first section pivoted to said pivot means, an intermediate section pivoted to said first section, and an end section pivoted to said intermediate section and in which the three sections when folded are arranged with the end section being positioned between said first section and said intermediate section.

Claim 13

In a combination of the class described: a. a vehicle adapted to carry animals having side walls and a rear wall having an ingress and egress opening therein; b. pivot means on said vehicle positioned at the rearward ends of said side walls near the corners where said side walls and rear walls meet, said pivots being positioned sidewardly outwardly from said side walls; c. two foldable corral-forming units, each pivoted on one of said pivot means, each of said corral-forming units having a plurality of fence sections hingedly connected together and adapted to fold forwardly on said pivot means along said side walls of said vehicle, extending forwardly along said side walls and being in such folded position when said vehicle is being transported from place to place or when said corral-forming units are not in use to form a corral, said fence units being adapted to be swung outwardly and rearwardly around said pivot means and unfolded in order to form a corral area adjacent the rear of said vehicle and connected with said opening in said rear wall; and d. each of said corral-forming units comprises a first section pivoted to said pivot means, an intermediate section pivoted to said first section, and an end section pivoted to said intermediate section and in which the three sections when folded are arranged with the end section being positioned between said first section and said intermediate section.