# US 2017/0280673 A1 · Pet ramp system

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- Number: US 2017/0280673 A1
- Document ID: US20170280673A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/360,082
- Filed: 2016-11-23
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04
- Assignees: Macneil IP LLC
- Applicants: MacNeil IP LLC
- Inventors: David F. MACNEIL; Frederick W. MASANEK, JR.; David S. IVERSON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170280673A1

## CPC

- A01K 1/035: Devices for use in keeping domestic animals, e.g. fittings in housings or dog beds
- A01K 29/00: Other apparatus for animal husbandry
- B60R 3/007: {Removable steps or ladders, e.g. foldable (as access means for vehicle tops B60R3/005)}
- B65G 69/30: Non-permanently installed loading ramps, e.g. transportable
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

A pet ramp system has a central pier and at least one ramp with an axle that is received in an axle receiver disposed near the top of the pier. The axle is disposed inwardly, in both a fore and aft direction and in a transverse direction, from a base perimeter of the pier. The pier's axle receiver(s) permit installation of the ramp axle when the ramp is in a vertical orientation, but the receiver(s) will not permit separation of the ramp from the pier when in use.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pet ramp system comprising:
At least one ramp having a near end, a far end of the ramp spaced from the near end by a length in a longitudinal direction, at least one axle of the ramp disposed at the near end of the ramp and at an angle to the longitudinal direction; and
a pier having a base and a top elevated above the base, the base defining a perimeter with a length in the longitudinal direction and a width in a transverse direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction, at least one axle receiver of the pier disposed near the top of the pier and adapted to receive said at least one axle, the axle receiver being displaced both longitudinally inwardly and transversely inwardly from the base perimeter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one ramp is a first ramp and the system further comprises a second ramp, the second ramp having a length in the longitudinal direction, a near end, and a far end spaced from the near end by the last said length, the second ramp having at least one second axle disposed at the near end thereof and disposed at an angle to the longitudinal direction, the at least one axle receiver of the pier being a first axle receiver, the pier having at least one second axle receiver disposed near the top of the pier to be spaced in a longitudinal direction from the first axle receiver, said at least one second axle receiver being displaced both longitudinally inwardly and transversely inwardly from the base perimeter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one axle receiver is one of a pair of left and right axle receivers spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction, an outboard facing surface of the left axle receiver being spaced in a transverse direction from an outboard facing surface of the right axle receiver by a predetermined width, longitudinally oriented left and right rails of the ramp being transversely spaced apart by a tread panel of the ramp, each rail having an inboard-facing surface, a predetermined width between the inboard-facing surfaces of the rails being greater than the predetermined width spacing apart the outboard-facing surfaces of the left and right axle receivers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the left and right axle receivers of the pier and the axle of the ramp are disposed on an axis when the ramp is assembled to the pier, the axle having a radius, each rail of the ramp having a near end margin formed as a curved flange around the axis, a radius of the curved flange being greater than the radius of the axle, each rail having a thickness in the transverse direction;
the top of the pier forming a left rail flange pocket disposed outboard of the left axle receiver and a right rail flange pocket disposed outboard of the right axle receiver, each rail flange pocket adapted to receive a respective rail flange of the ramp, a thickness of each pocket in the transverse direction being at least as great as the thickness of the rail, each pocket having a surface extending outboard from a respective axle receiver, a radius to any point on the last said surface being greater than the radius of a curved flange of a respective rail.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the top of the pier has opposed sloped surfaces that slope downwardly and in the longitudinal direction, said at least one axle receiver being one of a pair of left and right axle receivers spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction by one of the sloped surfaces, each axle receiver formed in a process extending vertically upwardly from the last said sloped surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein each said process includes an inboard-facing vertical wall and an outboard-facing vertical wall parallel to and outboard of the inboard-facing vertical wall.