Retractable cord
A retractable leash is a special form of leash that is mostly used for dogs. The main manufacturer is the flexi company .
history
The beginnings of the retractable leash go back to the beginning of the 20th century. The Mary A. Delaney patent, published May 12, 1908, describes a particular form of retractable leash that attaches the housing to the dog collar.
On November 19, 1940, David E. Gottlieb published his patent for a retractable leash. This leash already contained all the characteristics that make a retractable leash for leading dogs. The dog is led on a belt that is kept under tension on a roller with a spiral spring and is automatically rolled up. With a brake, the leading person can limit the roll-out and bring the dog to him.
A retractable leash was presented to the public in the January 1941 issue of Popular Science magazine.
On February 19, 1953, a patent was published by Wilhelm Peters. In principle, this invention hardly went beyond the one already published in the USA. Except for a prototype, the invention was not pursued any further.
The first practically usable retractable leash was invented by Manfred Bogdahn in 1973. In that year, the production and marketing of the retractable leash began under the brand name "flexi". The original wooden prototype is shown.
Function description
Compared to conventional dog leashes, retractable leashes are characterized by the fact that a spring-loaded coil in a handle housing automatically winds up the belt or rope. The leash is therefore always under slight tension and does not drag on the ground, regardless of the distance between dog and owner. The dog is hardly affected in its movement.
With a brake, the owner can stop the dog at any time and bring him closer to him with swinging arm movements. In order to keep the dog on foot, the brake can be adjusted to a fixed length with a permanent stop.
Embodiments
Retractable leashes are available in different lengths and for different dog sizes. A rope or a belt is used as a leash .
size
Retractable leashes are offered for all dog sizes.
length
The established average length for retractable lines is 5 m. Other common lengths are 3 m and 8 m. The longest retractable line is 10 m long. Lengths under 3 m are rather uncommon and are limited to special shapes.
Connection
The leash itself consists of a belt or rope made of synthetic fibers . It is automatically wound onto a roll. Often rope leashes are equipped with a 50 cm long strap at the beginning to prevent the dog from coming into direct contact with the rope.
Special forms
Retractable leashes are mainly used to guide the dog when walking . The dog owner always keeps the leash in his hand. But there are also special forms.
Collar leash
The collar leash is on the dog's collar most of the time. When extended, it is up to about 1 m long. It has no brake button. The dog owner only picks up the collar leash when necessary. It is suitable for dogs that are allowed to run free most of the time.
Garden rope
In another special form, the retractable leash is used to keep the dog z. B. to be fixed on a wall so that he can move freely on the property. The leash consists of a steel cable that the dog cannot bite through.
Extensions
In addition to the standard functions, function extensions for retractable leashes have been offered for some time to expand the area of application or to make operation easier. With a flashlight attached to the retractable leash, the dog can also be run in the dark.
The front part of some retractable lines is interchangeable. For example, you can use a rubber shock absorber there or a self-luminous belt. With a double harness you can also lead two small dogs on a retractable leash at the same time.
Application area
Not all dogs can be granted unlimited freedom, be it from their nature, their environment or legal regulations. Retractable leashes are used to give the dog more exercise than on a conventional dog leash, without giving up the control of the dog. The freedom of movement of a retractable leash can be used to the maximum in the great outdoors. In crowded places, the dog is generally kept on foot by restricting the exercise area with a lock.
Individual evidence
- ^ Patent Images. In: pdfpiw.uspto.gov. Retrieved October 26, 2016 .
- ^ Patent Images. In: pdfpiw.uspto.gov. Retrieved October 26, 2016 .
- ↑ Retractable Leash: The Fantastic Made Ordinary - Business Opportunities . In: Business Opportunities . February 16, 2011 ( business-opportunities.biz [accessed October 26, 2016]).
- ↑ DEPATISnet | Document DE000000867624B. In: depatisnet.dpma.de. Retrieved October 26, 2016 .
- ^ Manfred Bogdahn: Retractable dog leash . April 29, 1975 ( google.de [accessed October 26, 2016]).
- ↑ Advantages and handling of the flexi dog lead - from the inventor and world market leader of the dog roll leashes | flexi. (No longer available online.) In: www.flexi.de. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016 ; accessed on February 29, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
