Improvements in Bits for Horses and other Animals.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1889.
Complete Specification Left. 3rd Apr., 1390-Accepted, 3rd May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bits for Horses and other Animals.
I, WILLIAM GALPIN PEARCE, of Rock Hill House, Easton, Portland, Schoolmaster
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
In a bit for horses and other animals, according to my invention the bit proper has
the ordinary curved shape bit, the reins are not attached as heretofore to rings fixed
to the side bars carrying the bit being passed through a wire loop around a cylinder
capable of sliding upon the said side bars under the control of a spring fixed above
and to the said bars and at the other end to the cylinders. The object of my
improvements is to automatically increase the control over a horse suddenly plunging,
bolting, or running away, as the extra pull exerted by the horse's mouth upon the
reins causes in such cases the cylinders to slide down the bar, thus ensuring greater
leverage and causing extra' pressure to be applied upon the curb chain.
Dated this 4th day of July 1889
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bits for Horses and other Animals.
I WILLIAM GALPIN PEARCE of Rock Hill House Enston Portland Schoolmaster'
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to improvements in bits for horses and other draught animals
and has for its object to provide a device whereby a horse may be more effectually
checked and kept under control than heretofore while it will prove invaluable in the
case of bolted or runaway horses which will be very soon stopped owing to their
mouths being rigidly held. In carrying my invention into practice 1 form a perforation
in the upper part of each cheek piece of a bit and just below the ring in which the
head strap is fixed, and I attach thereto one end of a spiral spring whose lower end is
fixed to an eye formed at the top of a moveable sleeve capable of turning freely
round and of slipping up and down on the lower part of the cheek piece this sleeve
carrying a buckle frame to which the reins are fastened. According to a modification
of my invention I make the cheek piece hollow and arrange a spiral spring inside the
same the end of this spring being attached in a suitable manner to the sleeve and
travelling through a longitudinal slot formed in the said cheek pieces.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have shewn the
same in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved
snafle bit, Fig. 2 being and end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a portion of a front view,
partly in section, of a modification of my improved bit for horses.
Bis and ordinary bit formed integrally with the two cheek pieces S, S', upon which
can freely turn and slide up and down the sleeves ss carrying the rein holders or
slotted bars or strips. The two spiral springs nn are fixed at one end to an
eye e formed in the upper part of each cheek piece while their other end is fixed to
another eye el formed in the slotted bars or straps h
In the modification shewn in Fig. 3, the cheek piece a is hollow and furnished
with a slot through which travel the two ends of the spring c attached to one
extremity of the sleeve d. This hollow cheek piece a has a button e screwed upon
its onter extremity to prevent the spring from coming right out with the sleeve d.
In this modification B is the bit and the slotted bar or strap.

page_text: The action of the device is as follows-The reins are attached or buckled to the
straps or slotted bars h h¹ and when a horse is being driven in an ordinary manner
the sleeves h¹ remain near the bit B. So soon however as the horse becomes
restless or attempts to plunge or bolt the reins are pulled up and held as tightly as
practicable causing the sleeves to move to the lower ends of the cheek pieces and
presing the same against the lower part of the animals mouth thus effectually stopping
checking or controlling it as will be obviously understood.
My invention is easily applicable to snafle or curb bits such heretofore constructed
while the sleeves above mentioned can be chased giled or otherwise ornamented to
improve the appearance of the cheek-pieces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The improved bit furnished with spring sleeves to which the reins are attached
and providing an additional check or control for horses or other draught animals
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 3rd day of April 1890.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.