IMPROVEMENTS IN MUZZLES FOR HORSES, OR APPARATUS TO PREVENT HORSES FROM BITING OR SUCKING THEIR CRIBS OR MANGERS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Clowes, of Beverley, in the County of York,
Saddler, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUZZLES FOR HORSES, OR
APPARATUS TO PREVENT HORSES FROM BITING OR SUCKING THEIR CRIBS OR
MANGERS."
Sealed the 23rd February 1855, and dated the 9th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Clowes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th September 1854.
I, THOMAS CLOWES, of Beverley, in the County of York, Saddler, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUZZLES FOR
HORSES, OR APPARATUS TO PREVENT HORSES PROM BITING OR SUCKING THEIR CRIBS
OR MANGERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a simple and effective arrangement of a muzzle or
apparatus made of leather or other suitable material, so as to hold or contain
the lower part of the horse's head, and thus prevent the animal from biting or
sucking the crib or manger. The lower part or end of such muzzle has one
or more perforated bars across it, and on the under side of these bars are fixed
springs with projecting prickers or points so contrived that when the animal
presses his mouth downwards upon anything hard, the prickers or points are
forced upwards through the perforations, and as these pricking points are
thus brought into contact with the animal's lips, the objectionable action is

page_text: effectually checked. At the back and front of the muzzle are suitable pro-
tecting pieces, which project downwards a little below the springs, so that
the points cannot be forced upwards when the animal is eating off a flat or
hollow surface of greater width than the distance comprehended between
the protecting pieces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Clowes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CLOWES, of Beverley, in the County of York, Saddler, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Clowes, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Clowes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Clowes, executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUZZLES FOR
HORSES, OR APPARATUS TO PREVENT HORSES FROM BITING CR SUCKING THEIR CRIBS
OR HANGERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Clowes, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Clowes, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being bad to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a simple and effective arrangement of a muzzle
or apparatus made of leather or other suitable material, so as to hold or contain
the lower part of the horse's head, and thus prevent the animal from biting or

page_text: sucking the crib or manger. The lower part or end of such muzzle bas one
or more perforated bars across it, and on the under side of these bars are fixed
springs with projecting prickers or points so contrived that when the animal
presses his mouth downwards upon anything hard, the prickers or points are
forced upwards through the perforations, and as these pricking points are thus
brought into contact with the animal's lips, the objectionable action is
effectually checked.
At the back and front of the muzzle are suitable protecting pieces, which
project downwards a little below the springs, so that the points cannot be
forced upwards when the animal is eating off a flat or hollow surface of
greater width than the distance comprehended between the protecting pieces.
And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood, I
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of the muzzle;
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same; Figure 3 is a longitudinal
vertical section of the apparatus; Figure 4 is a corresponding plan of the
under side of the same; Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section of the muzzle;
and Figure 6 is a full-sized detail side elevation of a portion of the springs and
projecting prickers or points. The body of the muzzle A may be composed
of leather or any other suitable material, and is perforated or formed with
apertures in it in order not to impede respiration. A light metal frame B is
fitted into the lower portion of the muzzle, and across this frame is fixed
longitudinally the perforated bar C. Immediately beneath this fixed bar is
placed a second bar D, which is moveable in a vertical direction, and is fitted
with a number of prickers or sharp points E. This moveable bar is connected
to the fixed bar by the two screws F, F, which allow of a slight vertical play
between the two bars; G, G, are two blade springs secured to the under side
of the fixed bar; they are for the purpose of pushing down the bar D, and
shielding the prickers in the perforations of the fixed bar when the lower
moveable bar is not acted upon by pressure from below. Two small projec-
tions H, H, formed on the frame B, and projecting beyond the bar D, serve
to prevent that bar from being acted upon when the horse is eating off' a flat
or hollow surface of a greater width than the distance between such projec-
tions; but if the animal attempts to bite or suck his crib, or presses his mouth
downwards on to anything bard, which is not wider than the distances between
the projections H, the prickers will be forced upwards through the perforations
in the bar C, and as these pricking points will thereby be brought into contact
with the animal's lips, the objectionable habit will be effectually checked.

page_text: The muzzle, as represented in Figure 2 of the Drawings, being open at the
bottom, will not prevent the animal from feeding, but when it is desirable to
stop him from feeding, the perforated plate I, Figure 4, may be inserted into
the frame of the muzzle; it is fastened therein temporally by a fixed pin J
on one side, and a small bolt K on the other, and may be removed with the
greatest facility. Another set of prickers are fitted into the back of the muzzle,
and act upon the under jaw of the animal when sucking his crib. The sharp
points are fitted to the fixed curved bar L, which is secured to the inside of
the muzzle, and they are shielded or protected by the slotted or perforated
bar M, which is connected to the bar L by screws at N, N, working in slots
in the bar M, thus allowing it to be pressed downwards by the under jaw of
the horse when sucking its crib, and causing the prickers to protrude.
As some horses will require end prickers with a bent or curved pricker bar.
I may here observe that although I have shewn and described the pricker bar
or bars at the bottom of the muzzle as being straight across the framing B,
yet in some cases I propose making the pricker bar or bars slightly curved
outwards, with an additional spring and pricker at each extremity, the prickers
protruding horizontally, or nearly so, in order to catch the horse's lips, should
he expand them back or forwards.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the
application and use of prickers or sharp-pointed instruments in combination
with springs, and a perforated shield plate, bar, or bars attached to the muzzles
of horses, for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Clowes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
THOMAS CLOWES. (L.B.)