Apparatus for starting horse races and method and means for manual and remote control thereof

Presented is an apparatus for starting horse races and including a hood equipped with blinders and adapted to be applied on the head of a horse so as to control the vision pattern of the horse from zero vision pattern through full vision pattern.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to apparatus for starting horse races and otherwise 
exercising control over a horse by controlling its vision pattern, and 
particularly to a hood adapted to be worn by a horse and including a 
mechanically operable blindfold or blinder apparatus that may be operated 
manually to cut off the horse's vision, or operated from a remote point to 
restore the horse's vision by opening the blinder apparatus. 
2. Description of Prior Art 
It is believed the prior art pertaining to this invention may be found in 
Class 119, sub-class 104; and Class 54, sub-classes 4, 10, 11, 15, 160 and 
350. A search in these classes and sub-classes has revealed U.S. Pat. Nos. 
721,760; 960,648 and 1,126,697. These patents all pertain to the general 
subject of providing a blinder-type structure to cover a horse's eyes, but 
none of these patents teach the concept of a remotely controlled device 
for re-establishing the normal vision pattern of a horse, or otherwise 
controlling the extent of such vision pattern. 
Accordingly, one of the objects of the invention is the provision of an 
apparatus operable to initiate the starting of a horse race. 
Another important object of the invention is the provision of a hood to be 
worn by a horse and incorporating a blinder apparatus for horse's and a 
method and means for manipulating the blinder apparatus to selectively 
control the vision pattern of the horse. 
Race horses may conventionally be provided with a hood made from an 
appropriate fabric. Such hoods, when used, cover the horse's forehead and 
are provided with apertures that expose the horse's eyes and permit a 
normal vision pattern for the horse. Additionally, the hoods are provided 
with apertures through which the ears project, and are adapted to be 
buckled under the head to prevent inadvertent displacement while the horse 
is running. It is another object of the present invention to incorporate 
on such a hood, a blinder apparatus for the horse's eyes that may be 
manually operated to cut off the horse's vision, thus causing the horse to 
stand stock still at the place where the blinders are closed, yet which 
may be activated from a remote location to retract the blinders, either 
partially or wholly, to thereby re-establish a selected vision pattern for 
the horse. 
Conventionally, in horse racing, a metal starting gate is utilized which 
extends across the race track and which provides individual "gates" behind 
which a horse is confined until such time as the starting bell is sounded. 
It has been found that many horses are skittish and that such skittishness 
is contageous, frequently causing disruption of the process by which 
horses are brought to the starting gate. Frequently, a horse will attempt 
to bolt from the gate, sometimes injuring the rider. Accordingly, it is 
another important object of this invention to provide a method and means 
for starting race horses which eliminates the conventional gate structure, 
which permits a multiplicity of race horses to be brought to a designated 
line and which causes them to stand stock still at the line until the 
starting bell is sounded. 
It is generally know among people that are familiar with the idiosyncrasies 
of horses, that when you cover a horse's eyes it will stand stock still 
until led from the spot. Accordingly, it is another object of the present 
invention to provide a hood structure for a race horse incorporating 
simultaneously operable mechanical blinders for both eyes, which blinders 
may be closed and latched by an attendent before or after the horse has 
been brought to a starting line, and incorporating signal receiver means 
for receiving a starting signal from a signal transmitter activated by a 
"starter", the receiver incorporating mechanism to unlatch the blinders so 
as to expose the horse's eyes and re-establish its normal pattern of 
vision, while simultaneously signalling the start of the race. 
Race horses have been conditioned through the years to respond to the 
sounding of a bell to signify commencement of a race. When race horses so 
conditioned hear the starting bell, they lunge forward to commence the 
race. Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide a 
hood and blinder structure for race horses that may be operated from 
remote point by a starter and which operates in conjunction with or 
incorporates a bell audible to the horse and signifying commencement of 
the race. 
While most race horses run with a full vision pattern, some race horses, 
because of their own peculiar idiosyncrasies, run better if they do not 
see the horses to either side or behind them. For such horses, the 
conventional hood is equipped with a quarter spherical blinder in the form 
of a quarter of a spherical shell that is attached to the hood so that the 
shells or blinders lie behind the horses eyes, thus permitting only 
limited side vision while permitting full forward vision. It is therefore 
another object of this invention to provide a mechanically operated 
blinder mechanism for race horses that may be manually actuated to 
completely cut off the horses pattern of vision, and which may be actuated 
remotely to restore the horse's full vision pattern or only a partial 
vision pattern. 
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of 
which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description 
and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not 
limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be 
embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In terms of broad inclusion, the remotely controlled horse race starter and 
blinder assembly of the invention comprises a supporting member adapted to 
be worn on the horse's head and which may comprise a cloth or fabric hood 
provided with apertures for the horse's eyes and apertures for the ears 
and which buckles securely under the horse's head. Extensible and 
retractable blinders are mounted on the hood or supporting structure in a 
position, when extended, to cover the horse's eyes and when retracted, to 
uncover the horse's eyes and re-establish the normal pattern of vision. 
Means are also provided for latching such blinder in closed or extended 
position to cover the horse's eyes so as to cut off its vision. 
Additionally, means are provided for unlatching the blinders so as to 
permit them to open or retract so as to uncover the horse's eyes and 
reestablish the normal pattern of vision. Such means may include a signal 
transmitter capable or initiating a signal transmitted by a starter and 
received by an appropriate receiver carried on the hood or support 
structure on the horse's head and operatively interconnected with the 
blinders to effect unlatching thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
This invention is particularily useful in connection with the control of 
race horses at the starting line of a race prior to starting of the race, 
and to the actual starting of the race, but may be utilized under any 
circumstances where it is necessary to control a horse by covering its 
eyes to cut off its vision. It is an idiosyncrasy of a horse that when its 
vision is cut off it will stand motionless until it receives an 
instruction to move. This is generally effected through being led by an 
attendent, or through response to an audible signal that the horse 
recognizes as an instruction. The subject matter of this invention 
includes an supporting structure carried on the horse's head and which is 
preferably a fabric hood designated generally by the numeral 2 and adapted 
to be worn on the horse's head, being provided with spaced apertures 3 to 
receive the horse's ears and a central support section 4 that generally 
lies over the horse's forehead, this area generally lying transversely 
between the horse's eyes and vertically between the ears and the eyes. On 
each side of the head, the hood is provided with depending portions 6 that 
wrap downwardly under the horse's head and which are secured by 
appropriate straps (not shown) equipped with buckles to securely fasten 
the hood to the horse's head so that it will not shift in position while 
the horse is running. 
The hood is also provided with apertures 9 and 12 formed in the hood in a 
position so that the apertures surround the horse's eyes. Thus, referring 
FIG. 3, the aperture 9 is associated with the right eye of the horse while 
the aperture 12 is associated with the left eye of the horse. Each 
aperture is proportioned in diameter to completely surround the associated 
eye so as to provide no hindrance to the normal vision pattern of the 
horse. 
Mounted on the hood in a position that is cooperatively related to each of 
the apertures 9 and 12 surrounding the eyes is a blinder assembly 
designated generally by the numeral 13 and including a shutter or 
bellows-like semi-spherical cover or blinder member 14 for each eye. Each 
of the blinder members 14 constitutes a separate sub-assembly that is 
fastened to the underlying hood in association with one of the apertures 9 
and 12 so that when desired, the blinder member may be closed and latched 
in a closed position in a manner which will hereinafter be explained. When 
the blinders are so closed over the horse's eyes, it will be apparent that 
the horse's vision pattern is interrupted or cut off so that it cannot see 
in any direction. Because horses are fearfull of moving about when their 
eyes are covered, it renders an otherwise skittish horse very docile and 
subject to ready control by an attendant. Then, at an appropriate moment, 
when it is desired that the eyes be uncovered, such as when it is desired 
that the horse race begin, the blinder members are constructed in such a 
way that they may be unlatched and they will automatically be retracted 
into either a partial or full open position so as to expose the horse's 
eyes and to restore whatever portion of the horse's vision pattern is 
desired by the owner. 
To effect these results, each of the blinder members is comprised of a 
multiplicity of arcuate sectors fabricated from a thin flexible material 
such as an appropriate plastic material that is opaque. Referring to FIGS. 
3 and 4, it will be seen that in FIG. 3 the blinder member 14 is shown in 
a full open position in association with the aperture 12, with each of the 
arcuate sectors 16 being stacked one above the other so as to constitute a 
flat pack as illustrated in FIG. 5. In FIG. 4, the arcuate sectors 16 are 
shown expanded or extended into an aperture-closed position in which the 
arcuate sectors cooperate one with the other to form a hollow 
substantially semi-spherical or dome-shape covering over the opening 12 so 
as to cut off the horse's vision pattern through that opening. 
Referring to FIG. 4, it will there be seen that there are conveniently a 
total of twenty (20) such arcuate sectors 16, the sectors designated 16' 
and 16" constituting the end sectors of the assembly as viewed in FIG. 4. 
The sectors are identical with each other and in the interest of brevity 
in this description only one will be described in detail. Thus, referring 
to FIG. 3, where one of the sectors is illustrated in plan, it will be 
seen that each of the sectors is provided with an outer arcuate periphery 
17 and an inner arcuate periphery 18, the inner and outer peripheries 
having different radii and different centers so that the inner and outer 
peripheries converge toward each other at substantially diameterically 
opposed locations to provide relatively narrow mounting portions 19 and 21 
as shown. As previous indicated there being twenty of these flexible and 
opaque arcuate sectors, when stacked as illustrated in FIG. 5 so that the 
peripheral edges lie in correspondence with one another, the collective 
mounting portions 19 and 21 of the arcuate sectors also lie in superposed 
correspondence and are fastened together or bound in much the same way 
that pages in a book are bound by inserting the layer of mounting portions 
19 and 21 between the bifurcated fingers 22 and 23 (FIGS. 3 and 5) formed 
on cylindrical bearing member 24 and retaining them therein by an 
appropriate rivet extending through the mounting sections and both fingers 
22 and 23. As illustrated in FIG. 3, there are two such cylindrical 
bearing members 24, one associated with each of the mounting portions 19 
and 21 of the stack of arcuate sectors and positioned as illustrated so 
that they lie on opposite sides of the associated aperture 9 or 12 with 
their longitudinal axes being coincident. 
Prior to binding the mounting portions 19 and 21 of the arcuate sectors 16 
between the bifurcated fingers 22 and 23, the stacked arcuate sectors are 
connected to each other so that starting from either end of the stack, say 
the top as viewed in FIG. 5 and the left in FIG. 4, the first arcuate 
sector 16' has its inner peripheral edge 18 bonded or otherwise connected 
to the inner peripheral edge 18 of the second or next adjacent arcuate 
sector 16, while the second arcuate sector has its outer peripheral edge 
portion 17 bonded or otherwise connected to the outer peripheral portion 
of the third arcuate sector, etc. In this way, it will be seen that each 
of the arcuate sectors commencing with the second arcuate sector is bonded 
at both its inner and outer peripheral edge portions to the next adjacent 
arcuate sector. Note that the arcuate sectors 16' and 16" are bonded only 
at their inner peripheral edge portions to the next adjacent arcuate 
sector, the next adjacent arcuate sector in each case being the second 
arcuate sector from each end of the stack. 
With the arcuate sectors thus bonded together, it will be seen that from 
the position illustrated in FIG. 5, in which all of the arcuate sectors 
are stacked one upon another as illustrated, if the bottom sector 16" is 
secured to the underlying hood 2 and the opposite end sector 16' is 
extended into the position illustrated in FIG. 4 in which it lies on the 
opposite side of the opening from the sector 16" since all of the sectors 
are connected at their inner and outer peripheries as previously 
described, the assembly of arcuate sectors will be extended as illustrated 
in FIG. 4 to form a dome-shaped enclosure that closes off the associated 
opening 9 or 12. 
In the embodiment illustrated, the arcuate sector 16" associated with each 
of the assemblies is stitched or otherwise permanantly secured to the 
underlying material of the hood 2, and partially overlies the arcuate end 
portions 26 and 27 of arcuate spring sections 28 and 29. The arcuate 
spring section 28 is the terminal portion of a coil spring 31 wound in a 
coil having an inner diameter sufficient to receive the cylindrical 
bearing member 24. The arcuate spring section 29 constitutes the other 
terminal portion of a coil spring 32 position diametrically across the 
aperture 12 (or 9) from the coil spring 31 and also wound to provide an 
inner diameter sufficient to receive the bearing member 24 therein as 
illustrated. The opposite ends of the coil springs 31 and 32, i.e., the 
ends of these coils 31 and 32 that lie adjacent the inner periphery of the 
associated aperture, continue from the coils in arcuate spring wire 
sections 33 and 34 which converge toward each other and toward a plane 
substantially perpendicular to the plane which includes the longitudinal 
axes of the coil springs 31 and 32, and form a radially outwardly 
projecting generally U-shaped latch member 36 as shown. 
As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the latch member 36 projects beyond the 
outer peripheral extremity of the next adjacent arcuate member 16', and 
the latch member 36, with the associated arcuate spring wire sections 33 
and 34, lie disposed between the arcuate sector 16' and the next adjacent 
or second arcuate sector, the spring wire sections 33 and 34 lying 
substantially in the gore formed between these two sectors so that when 
the latch member 36, as viewed in FIG. 5, is lifted and swung through 
180.degree. into the position illustrated in FIG. 4, the arcuate sector 
16' is forced to lie next adjacent to the fabric hood 2 while the arcuate 
sector 16" remains attached to the hood material on the opposite side of 
the aperture 12, and the intermediate arcuate sectors spread themselves 
into an accordian-like pleated assembly as illustrated in FIG. 4 to form 
an opaque dome or canopy over the associated apeture 9 or 12. Where 
desired, the arcuate spring wire end portions 33 and 34 may be suitably 
secured to the arcuate sector 16' to insure that when the latch member 36 
is swung through 180.degree. the arcuate sector 16' will follow it and 
draw the remaining arcuate sectors into the position illustrated. 
It will thus be seen that as the latch member 36 with the attendant spring 
wire end sections 33 and 34 is swung through 180.degree., each of the coil 
springs 31 and 32 is tensioned or "loaded" so that when the latch member 
36 is in the position illustrated in FIG. 4, there is a substantial 
resilient biasing force in the coils 31 and 32 tending to return the latch 
member 36 to the position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. Thus, once the 
blinders 14 are extended into the position illustrated in FIG. 4, in which 
position the apertures 9 and 12 are completely closed or covered, all that 
is required to effect opening or uncovering of the apertures so as to 
restore vision to the horse is that the latch members 36 be released, 
whereupon the resiliency loaded into the coil springs 31 and 32 
immediately causes the blinders 14 to be retracted into the position 
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. 
Means are provided to selectively retain the blinders in a closed or 
latched position, and to selectively permit release of the latch members 
36 so as to permit rapid retraction of the blinders. When the hood 2 
equipped with the blinders 14 described above is placed on the horse's 
head, the blinders are resiliently biased open as seen in FIGS. 3 and 5 
and the horse has a normal vision pattern. When the blinders are closed 
however, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the horse's vision is cut off 
and as a consequence it will stand stock still. It is within the 
contemplation of this invention that the blinders will be manually closed 
by the attendant who leads the horse to the starting line. To accomplish 
this purpose, the apparatus includes a blinder latching and release 
structure designated generally by the numeral 37, and mounted on the hood 
2 as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and constructed to include the 
circuit illustrated in FIG. 8, the components of which with their values, 
are listed hereinafter. The blinder latching and release apparatus 
includes a housing 38 within which is enclosed the circuit illustrated in 
FIG. 8, and from which projects a solenoid-actuated shaft 39 having a 
latch plate 41 (FIG. 6) pivotally mounted on the end thereof. The latch 
plate 41 is adapted to engage a bail 42 pivoted on the base plate 43, the 
bail being pivoted into or out of latching engagement with the latch 
plate. 
Thus, in the normal condition of the system and apparatus, the bail 42 is 
unlatched as indicated in FIG. 3. In this condition, the solenoid-actuated 
shaft 39 is retracted into the housing 38, and the latch member 36 with 
attendant spring-wire arcuate sections 33 and 34, is retracted into the 
position illustrated in FIG. 3, holding the blinder arcuate sectors in a 
compact stack as seen in FIG. 5. This, then, is the full-open position of 
the blinders that permits the horse a full and complete vision pattern. 
When it is desired to cover the horse's eyes to cut-off its vision 
pattern, the latch members 36 of the blinder assemblies are swung through 
180.degree. so that they underlie the bail 42, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 6. 
The apex end 44 of the bail is caught in a slot 46 formed in latch plate 
41. The lower end of latch plate 41 is pivoted to the base as shown in 
FIG. 6, while its upper end portion is pivotally connected to the end of 
the solenoid-actuated shaft 39. 
With the latch members 36 caught as illustrated under the bail 42, the 
resilient biasing force of the coil springs 31 and 32 imposes a force on 
the bail tending to rotate it clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6. This 
rotational tendency is resisted, however, by the latch plate 41, which is 
pivotally attached to the base plate 45. The shaft 39 constitutes an 
extension of the armature 47 working in conjunction with a solenoid coil 
48, enclosed within the housing 38 and shown diagrammatically in FIG. 8. 
Thus, when the attendant wishes to cover the horse's eyes, he swings the 
latch member through 180.degree. and engages the bail in the latch plate 
so that the bail overlies the latch members 36. In this position of the 
latch plate 41 the solenoid armature is in extended position. The 
attendant then "arms" the device by manipulating single pole-single throw 
switch 49 from a switch "OFF" condition, i.e., no current flowing through 
the switch, to a switch "ON" condition in which the battery 51 is 
connected into the circuit through the switch 49. 
With the circuit of FIG. 8 thus "armed" by turning the switch "ON", the 
device is now "conditioned" to receive a radio signal 52 transmitted by a 
transmitting or control unit 53 controlled by a "starter" 54 and received 
by receiver antenna 56 sewn or otherwise secured to the hood. The 
transmitter or control unit is shown in diagrammatic form in FIG. 9, and 
the components that make up the control unit circuitry are listed 
hereinafter. As soon as the signal is received by the antenna 56 on the 
horse's head, the "armed" circuit of FIG. 8 is activated to energize the 
solenoid 47-48, which sucks in the armature, thus releasing the bail, 
which is pivoted backwardly and out of the path of the latch members 36 by 
the resilient loading of the coil springs 31 and 32. The same signal is 
effective to cause a bell (not shown) to ring and, since the horse's eyes 
are now uncovered, and since they are conditioned to start running when 
they hear the bell, the horses lunge forward to initiate the race. 
Referring to FIG. 8, I have achieved satisfactory results from the release 
unit 37 when fabricated with components, identified in FIG. 8, having the 
following values: 
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R-1 - 3.3K - 1/4W 
R-2 - 47K - 1/4W 
R-3 - 10K - 1/4W 
R-4 - 4.7K - 1/4W 
R-5 - 3.3K - 1/4W 
R-6 - 220K - 1/4W 
R-7 - 1.5K - 1/4W 
R-8 - 2.2K - 1/4W 
R-9 - 1.5K - 1/4W 
R-10 - 10K - 1/4W 
R-11 - 100K - 1/4W 
R-12 - 3.3K - 1/4W 
R-13 - 15K - 1/4W 
C-1, C-2, C-4 - 0.001ufd. 
C-3, C-5, C-9, C-11 - .1ufd. 
C-6 - 100ufd. 
C-7, C-13 - .05ufd. 
C-8 - 100PF 
C-10, C-12 - .02ufd. 
C-14 - 1500u 
D-1 - 1N4002 
VR-1 - 50k Helitrim (min') 
CT-1 - Erie 4-14pf (min') 
CT-2 - Erie 4-15pf (min') 
HFC - Ohmite Z-220 
Q-1 - HEP 57 
Q-2, Q-3 - 2N2222 
SCR - 2N2322 
L-1 - SEC. 4 turns, 22G. 3/8" diam. single turn spacing. 
L-2 - PRIM. 11/2 turns, 22G. 3/8" diam. single turn spacing. 
L-3 - Guardian Elect. Sol.- 12Y - 500 ohms. 
Antenna - 2'4" sewn into hood material. 
______________________________________ 
Referring to FIG. 9, I have achieved satisfactory results from the 
transmitter unit 53 when constructed with components, identified in FIG. 
9, having the following values: 
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R-1 - 6.8K - 1/4W 
R-2 - 1K - 1/4W 
R-3 - 8.2K - 1/4W 
1/4W- 100.OMEGA. 
1/4W- 150.OMEGA. 
C-1 - .05ufd. 
C-2 - .001ufd. 
C-3 - 100pf 
C-4 - .1ufd. 
C-5 - .1ufd. 
C-6 - 0.1ufd. 
Q-1 - HEP 720 
Q-2 - MM 4000 
Antenna - 3'7" long. 
L-1 - 22G. wire single turn spacing. 41/2 turns center 
tapped on 3/8" adjustable dust core former. 
L-2 - 22G. wire single turn spacing. 5 turns on 3/8" 
adjustable dust core former. 
L-3 - 22G. wire single turn spacing. 2 turns overwound 
cold end of L-2. 
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Because of the idiosyncracies of some horses, it is an advantage to be able 
to control the degree of opening action of the blinders. For this purpose, 
referring to FIG. 7, I provide an abutment strip 61, curved as illustrated 
so as to extend over the blinder canopy, and detachably secured to the 
hood 2 by appropriate snap-fasteners 62. At its free end the abutment 
strip is provided with a cross member 63 against which the latch member 36 
may abut after a partial excursion in an opening direction. The degree of 
opening action may be controlled by controlling the length of the strip, 
or by making the strip as a two-part member (not shown) retractable or 
extensible to a selected degree. Preferably, there is sufficient 
flexibility in the abutment strip 61 and the hood to which it is fastened 
that it may be manually displaced laterally sufficiently to permit manual 
closing movement of the latch member 36. Thus, when the latch member 36 is 
released by the bail 42, the blinder will be only partially retracted, as 
viewed in FIG. 7, by virtue of the latch member coming into engagement 
with the cross member 63 returned to its normal position after closing of 
the associated blinder. 
Having thus described the invention, what is believed to be new and novel 
and sought to be protected by letters patent of the United States is as 
follows: