Patent ID: 9586808
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: B68B

Claim:
1. A bit for use in headgear for directing an animal, the bit comprising: a pair of rings to which reins of the headgear are to attach; a jointed mouthpiece with apertures that each extend through the mouthpiece and are each adjacent a respective one of two opposing ends of the mouthpiece for connection to a respective one of the rings such that each ring extends through the respective aperture, and at least one joint between the apertures that allows the mouthpiece to articulate between an undeflected position in which the apertures have a maximum separation, and deflected positions in which the separation of the apertures is less than the maximum separation, each ring passing through a respective one of the apertures such that the respective ring is rotatable relative to the mouthpiece; and a mouthpiece support that extends between the rings and limits the separation of the apertures to a minimum separation, the mouthpiece support including: wherein interference between the mouthpiece, the uprights and the rings limits the minimum separation of the apertures.