IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH NOS BAGS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Vanburen Bligh, of Brighton, in the Count of
Sussex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH NOS
BAGS."
Sealed the 4th November 1879, and dated the 8th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Vanburen Bligh
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th May 1879.
MARTIN VANBUREN BLIGH, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH NOSEBAGS."
"
These improvements consist first, and mainly, in providing the two lower ends of
the cross strap of a bridle with metal or wood eyelets or thimbles, through which a
rope or strap may pass.
The front ends of this rope or strap are connected direct to the nosebag, while at
the back the said rope or strap may be passed over the ordinary hook on the
bearing rein pad, or attached or secured to any other suitable part of the harness or
trappings. The rope or strap would of course be varied in length according to
where its back end was to be attached.
The nosebag is thus held in a fixed position while the horse's head is free to
move up and down within the bag at will. A front strap prevents the horse
taking his nose quite out of the bag, while he is enabled to take his food from the
bottom of the bag, and then raise his head to the top, and eat as be would from a
manger.
The food thus being held up for the horse, he does not require to throw up the
head, as with bags now in use, and thereby waste his provender.
With this appliance, nosebags may be made of a much lighter material, the bag
never touching the ground while in use, and not requiring to be porous, as the
horse, eating at the top of the bag (which is kept open by a rope being bound
round the top), has free access to the air for breathing.
This bag and appliance when adjusted to the horse, can be put on and taken off
with less trouble and in less time than those now in use, there being no buckling.
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page_text: The bag and corn are partly supported by the bearing rein, peg, or hook, thus
easing the horse's head of much weight.
Another portion of my Invention consists in providing the nosebag on its inner
surface with an elastic tab and strap, the top end of which is attached to the edge
of the bag, and the lower end to the body of the bag.
The object of this arrangement is, that should the "blinds" or "blinkers" of the
horse catch on the edge of the bag when the provender is getting low; the pressure
on the edge will (through the elastic tab), cause the lower portion of the body of
the bag to rise, and thus bring the remaining food up to the horse's mouth.
In lieu of the elastic tab and strap which works automatically, a leather or other
similar strap may be fitted, which can be adjusted by hand.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Martin Vanburen Bligh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th November 1879.
MARTIN VANBUREN BLIGH, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex.
MENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH NOSEBAGS."
"IMPROVE-
These improvements, as will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed
Drawings, consist, first and mainly, in providing the two lower ends of the cross
strap a (Figure 1), of a bridle with metal or wood eyelets or thimbles b, through
which a rope or strap c may pass.
The front ends of this rope or strap c are connected direct to the nosebag d by
means of the strap k in a similar manner to that shown in Figures 6 and 7, while
at the back, the said rope or strap c may be passed over the ordinary hook e on the
bearing rein pad, or attached or secured to any other suitable part of the harness or
trappings. The rope or strap would of course be varied in length according to
where its back end was to be attached.
The nose bag d is thus held in position while the horse's head is free to move up
and down within the bag at will. A stop button f fixed on the rope or strap c
limits the travel of the thimble or eyelet b on the rope or strap, and prevents the
horse taking his nose quite out of the bag, while he is enabled to take his food
from the bottom of the bag, and then raise his head to the top, and eat as he would
from a manger.
The food thus being held up for the horse, he does not require to throw up the
head as with bags now in use, and thereby waste his provender.
With this appliance, nose bags may be made of a much lighter material, the bag
never touching the ground while in use, and not requiring to be porous, as the
horse eating at the top of the bag (which is kept open by a rope or leather strap
being bound round the top), has free access to the air for breathing.
This bag and appliance when adjusted to the horse can be put on and taken off
with less trouble, and in less time than those now in use, there being no buckling.
The bag and corn are partly supported by the bearing rein, peg, or hook, thus
casing the horse's head of much weight.
Another portion of my Invention which is shown in sectional views, Figures 2
and 3, consists in providing the nosebag d on its inner surface, and on each side
with an elastic or non elastic tab g and strap h, the top end of which elastic or non
elastic tab g is attached to the edge of the bag, and the lower end as well as the
strap, to the body of the bag. The top end of the strap h is attached to the ring 7,
and takes the weight of the bag when full.
"3
The object of this arrangement is, that should the "blinds £
or blinkers" of the
horse catch on the edge of the bag when the provender is getting low, the pressure
on the edge will (through the elastic tab), cause the lower portion of the body of
the bag to rise in the manner seen in Figure 3, and thus bring the remaining food
up to the horse's mouth.
b
In lieu of the elastic or non elastic tab and strap which work automatically, a
leather or other similar strap may be fitted which can be adjusted by hand. This
arrangement is shown in Figures 4 and 5.
According to this method, as seen particularly in Figure 5, the top of the bag is
provided on each side with a book i, which takes into a ring ; on the leather strap
h (see Figure 4) when the bag is full, and the horse commences to eat. When the
horse has eaten sufficiently low for the blinkers to foul the bag, the attendant
unhooks the top portion of the bag from the ring j on the strap h, and allows it to
fall over in the manner shown in Figure 5, which enables the horse to reach to the
bottom of the bag, and thus obtain the whole of the provender.
Figures 6 and 7 show a modification of the previous methods of lowering the top
of the bag by the pressure of the blinker. In this case the nose bag is connected

page_text: to the supporting rope or strap c by means of the cords or straps k. The top end
of each of these cords or straps k is fixed to the top edge of the bag, and the lower
end is attached to the body of the bag, about midway between its top and bottom,
by being passed through the sides of the bag, and knotted on the outside as shown.
The top of the cord thus forms a bight, by which it is attached at each side to the
cord c, the latter being provided with a thimble 1, to allow the cord / to run freely
through it. When a horse is eating, the bag remains as shown in Figure 6, until
his blinkers touch the top edge of the bag when their pressure forces the said edge
down, the cord runs in the thimble 1, and the lower end of it raises at the same
time the bottom of the bag, as shown in Figure 7, enabling the horse to get all his
provender as before.
Figure 8 shows a further modification. In the view, the bag is seen supported
on each side by means of. a long side strap m, forming part of the cross strap a of
the bridle. This side strap m also serves as a check to prevent the horse taking
his nose entirely out of the bag.
The cross strap is provided with a thimble b, as in Figure 1, to receive the cord c.
The lower end of the cord c is attached to a strap n, which instead of one end
being fastened to the top of, the bag, as in Figure 1, is carried down on the inside
of the bag as far as the point o.
By means of this arrangement, the lower portion of the bag is raised by the cord
c when the horse's nose is far enough into the bag, causing the top part to pucker
or fold over, and to free the blinker, as clearly shown in Figure 9, which represents
the horse feeding at the bottom of the bag.
Figure 10 shows another modification.
In Figures 1, 8, and 9, the suspending cord or strap c is shown as passing through
thimbles b fixed to a cross strap or head piece a, which has to be put on the horse's
head when the nosc bag is put on.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 10, the cross strap a and thimbles bare
dispensed with, and open hooks p are permanently attached to the head gear into
which the suspending cord e is simply placed when the nose bag is put on.
This arrangement greatly simplifies. the apparatus, and facilitates the putting on
or taking off the nose bag. The hook is clearly shown in Figure 11, its point
being turned to one side, enables the cord c to clear itself easily in removing the
bag.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,
First. The improved nosebags in combination with the hanging or suspending
arrangements hereinbefore described and shown respectively in Figures 1, 8, and
of the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. I claim, providing nosebags with suitable cord, strap, or elastic tab
fittings, substantially as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Martin Vanburen Bligh, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy nine.
M. V. BLIGH. (L.S.)