They Invented What? (No. 143)

U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,459:  Excrement receptacle device for animals.

 

I claim:

1. An excrement receptacle device for an animal comprising: a harness for support of the device on an animal, a hollow conduit tube having forward and rearward portions and constructed of a material which provides a normal self-sustaining shape for said tube in which an open tubular passageway is formed in the tube extending from the said forward to the said rearward portion of the tube, means on said harness for supporting said conduit tube in a fixed operative position in which the said forward portion of the tube is adjacent the anal region of the animal and entirely below the tail thereof, a flexible container, means attaching the flexible container to the conduit tube such that the flexible container extends from the said rearward portion of the tube and is in communication with the interior of the tube, said conduit tube including an upper portion made of flexible resilient material for yieldably collapsing when contacted by the animal’s tail and resuming its original normal shape when the animal’s tail is raised in the act of defecating to provide said open passageway in the tube to the container.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tube includes a lower portion having substantially greater rigidity than said upper portion.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising means on the forward portion of the tube for engaging the the area surrounding the anal region of the animal when said tube is in said operative position.

4. An excrement receptacle device for an animal according to claim 1, said conduit tube having a thickened base portion and a relatively thin, resilient and flexible tubular upper portion, whereby said upper portion will be adapted for flexing downwardly toward said base and laterally in opposite directions.

5. An excrement receptacle device for an animal according to claim 4, said container being made of flexible material and extending rearwardly from and being supported by said tube and being closed at the rearmost end, and closure means attached to the forward portion of said container, said closure means being movable between an inoperative to an operative closure position with respect to said container.

6. An excrement receptacle device for an animal according to claim 4, the foremost portion of said tube having a peripheral flange and an annular pad of soft deformable material positioned upon and supported in an exterior position by said flange, said pad being proportioned and positioned for engaging the area surrounding the anal region of the animal when said conduit tube is in its said operative position.

7. An excrement receptacle device for an animal according to claim 6, said peripheral flange being substantially concave in cross-section, whereby it forms a depressed seat for said annular pad.

8. An excrement receptacle device for an animal according to claim 6, said container being made of flexible material and being attached to and extending rearwardly from said tube, said pad being attached to the forward peripheral portion of said container, said pad being movable from its position on said flange to a closure position within said tube, means attached to said pad for operatively moving it from said position on said flange to its said closure position, said pad being deformable into a closure position proportioned for fitting within said tube.

9. An excrement receptacle device for an animal according to claim 8, said means attached to said pad comprising a drawstring within the body thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom through said tube and outwardly therefrom for manual grasping, whereby a rearward operative pull on said string will operatively move said pad into said tube and contract it into said closure position.

10. An excrement receptacle device for an animal, comprising a conduit tube, holding means for supporting the forward portion of said tube in an operative position in adjacent relation to the anal region of the animal and below the tail thereof, a container attached to said tube and in communication with the interior thereof, a combination deformable pad and tube closure member of ring-like configuration positioned at the front of said tube along an outer peripheral portion thereof, said container being made of flexible material and being attached to and extending rearwardly from said tube, said pad being attached to the forward peripheral portion of said container, said member being movable from said outer portion to an inner portion of the tube, means attached to said member and extending outwardly from said tube for operatively moving said member from the said outer peripheral portion to said inner portion of the tube, said member being deformable into a contracted closure position when operatively within said tube.

11. An excrement receptacle device for an animal according to claim 10, the foremost portion of said tube having a peripheral flange, said combination member being positioned upon and supported by said flange, said means attached to said combination member comprising a drawstring extending through the body of said member and rearwardly along the interior of said tube and having an outwardly extending portion for manual grasping, whereby a rearward operative pull on said string will contract said member and move it to its said inner closure position.

12. An excrement receptacle device for an animal according to claim 11, said flexible container being attached to the inner wall of said tube and having the foremost peripheral portion thereof overlapping a portion of said peripheral flange and in underlying engagement with and secured to said ring-like combination member, whereby both said member and the attached peripheral portion of said container will together be drawn into said tube upon an operative pull of said drawstring.