Improvements in Nose-bags for Horses and other Animals, and Appliances for same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1839-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
Date of Application, round, ras
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1839-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Nose-bags for Horses and other Animals, and
Appliances for same.
JAMES LEWIS, of 37, Clemen's Street, Leamington-Spa, in the County of War-
wick, Mechanic, and GEORGE ROBERT DAVIES, of 35, Chichester Place, Brighton,
in the County of Sussex, and 37, Clemen's Street, Leamington-Spa, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
This invention relates principally to nosebags for horses or other animals and
is intended to prevent waste of corn through the horses throwing their heads
back, to cause the corn in the bag to be convenient to the mouth of the horse,
also, to save wear & tear of the nose bag, as at present used. The nose bag may
be of any of the ordinary patterns but has a net of any suitable material secured
round the upper edge of the bag which net has a hole through the centre large
enough to admit the mouth of the horse. Round this hole in the net an elastic
band is secured to the edge, or, by any other means of attachment this clastic
will hold the net close to the mouth of the horse, but at the same time will not
prevent a horse from chewing its food, the net will thus prevent the food from
being thrown from the bag and will also allow of the bag being properly venti-
lated so that the horse may breathe freely.
The nose-bag proper is held on the head of the horse by means of a strap or
belt which has a spring attached, the spring is made of india rubber, elastic or
of steel, in the case of india rubber being used, the rubber belt is cut of the full
length required to go over the head of the horse this rubber belt being
strengthened where it fits on the top of the horse's head and also at the con-
nection between the belt and bag by means of leather or other suitable material.
To give this belt more length and therefore less strain the belt is carried to a
point below the top of the nose-bag and secured thereto by means of strips of
leather or other suitable material, when the belt is carried below the top edge
of the bag, an iron or other link is fixed to the top of the bag to prevent the bag
tilting to one side or the other. Should a steel spring be used, the upper part
of the belt is made of leather or other suitable material having at each end a
spring made in any suitable pattern that will allow the necessary amount of
stretch, but we more particularly claim a spring made of flat steel and wound on
a round spindle in the same manner as an ordinary clock spring. The outer
end of this spring is attached to the nose-bag by any suitable connection. The
inner end of the spring is attached to the aforesaid spindle. The spindle is
secured in a case which may be made of iron or leather, and which case is
attached to the leather portion of the belt. This spring belt is made of such a
strength as will hold the weight of the nose-bag when full of corn at such a
height, that the horse will have its mouth among the corn. As the corn is eäten
from the bag, the bag will become lighter, and the strength of the spring will
then cause the bag to rise and thus keep the corn close enough to the mouth of

page_text: the horse to allow it to reach its food easily without the necessity of throwing
back its head. By this means the wear and tear of the bag is diminished because
contact between the ground and the bag is avoided, and also because the horse
does not need to rub the, bag thereon. This specification describes the bag as
used for horses, but it may be also used for other animals.
Improvements in Nose-bags for Horses and other Animals, and
Appliances for same.
We, JAMES LEWIS, of No. 37, Clemen's Street, Leamington-Spa, in the County
of Warwick, Mechanic, and GEORGE ROBERT DAVIES, of 35, Chichester Place,
Brighton, in the County of Sussex, and of 37, Clemen's Street, Leamington-Spa,
in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, 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:-
-
The said invention consists of the improvements in nose bags for horses or
other animals and appliances for same as hereinafter described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings, the object of the said invention being to save
the waste of corn or other food caused by the horses endeavouring to reach the
corn or other food in the nose-bag by throwing back the head and also to pre-
vent the wear and tear of the nose bag caused by the horses rubbing the nose bag
on the ground also in the endeavour to reach the corn or other food in the said
nose-bag.
The said improvements consist essentially in connecting to the nose-bag (which
may be of any desired pattern) a belt or head-strap, which belt or head-strap is
elastic, that is capable of being drawn out or contracted when a weight is hung
on or taken off, & may be made from india-rubber or metal, the belt being made
in such a manner as to allow of being, stretched or extended in length to such a
distance as will allow the top of the nose bag to be level with the horses mouth
but retaining such an amount of elasticity as will lift the bottom of the nose-
bag to the level of the horses mouth when the nose bag is empty.
I prefer to make the connecting links between the nose-bag & the aforesaid
belt or head strap of such a shape & size as to prevent the india-rubber belt from
being cut by the connecting links, as would be the case if an ordinary buckle
were used.
The said improvements also further consist in attaching to the top edge of
the nosebag a net of fine mesh, to allow of ventilation, but not to allow the food
to pass the said net having an elastic or steel spring at the top edge so as to
keep the net close to the mouth of the horse.
Figure 1 is a front view of the nose bag shewing the belt or head strap shortened
to fit a horse with a small head.
Figure 2 is a front view of the nose bag, but with the belt or head strap
slackened to fit a horse with a large head.
Figure 3 is a view of the net which is attached to the top of the nose-bag.
Figure 4 is a view of a steel spring and case attached to the end of the belt or
head-strap and made according to this invention.
"
Figure 5 is the same spring and case as Figure 4 but shews the end that is

page_text: attached to the nose bag as it is when extended with the weight of the food in
the nose-bag.
Figure is a side view of the aforesaid steel spring and case shewing the
manner in which the said spring is coiled or lapped.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several drawings.
The letter A Figures 1, 2 & 3 is the nosebag proper which may be made in
any ordinary size & pattern, to this bag is secured the buckles B B by means of
a leather strap, which strap being passed through one end of the buckles B in
such a manner as to bring the two ends of the strap together with the two ends
of the said strap, lying level with each other the buckle B being between the
two sides of the strap & hanging in the centre of same this strap is secured to
the nose-bag A with rivets or it may be stitched to the bag & is placed at a
suitable distance from the top edge of the bag so as to give the strap length to
stretch the required distance without putting too much strain on the strap.
The buckle B is made by bending a piece of wire of a suitable thickness into
a square ring of a suitable size a piece of wire of the same or other desired
thickness, is then passed across from side to side of the square ring, the ends
being bent round the sides of the square ring in such a manner as to prevent the
cross bar E from coming off the side of the square ring, but being loose enough
to allow this cross bar to slide up & down.
Above the buckles B B are fixed two guide rings or links CC, these are mado
of a suitable thickness of wire, & bent round square or any other desired shape &
secured to the bag in the same manner as buckles B B.
The strap or elastic belt D is made to pass through the guide rings C, C, from
the top, the end of the elastic belt 1) is then carried downward & passed through
the buckle B below the cross bar E, the strap or belt is then passed back through
the buckle B but is taken over the crossbar E instead of under. The end of the
belt is then carried upward & secured to the outer edge of guide rings CC
by being bent round the guide ring C & having a rivet & washer or other fasten-
ing attached to hold the end secure.
When the elastic belt is thus threaded the weight of the bag & corn will cause
the clastic belt to pull the cross bar E to the top of buckle B thus holding the
belt from slipping without having to pierce holes in the elastic.
While we prefer the above buckle and guide ring, because no holes are needed
in the belt D, we also wish it to be thoroughly understood that any ordinary
buckle may be used to connect the belt & bag together.
To alter the length of the elastic belt D the buckle is brought into a position
at right angles to the edge of the bag to which the buckle is secured, the cross
bar E is then pressed towards the lower part of the buckle B, this action releases
the belt which can then be slackened or tightened as desired, when by simply
pulling the belt upwards the crossbar E will be again pulled upward against
the belt securing it as before.
Should we desire to use a steel spring to the head strap instead of india rubber
we make a sheet metal frame which is secured to the ends of the strap or belt D
by means of rivets or other fastening, each side of the sheet metal plate is bent
at right angles to the centre piece which is secured to the belt. D thus forming
two sides of the frame; in the centre of these two sides is a square hole
through which passes a pin I, which is made round in the centre, the ends being
filed square so as to fit in the holes g, which holes g prevent the spring H from
turning the pin I and thus unwinding the spring when the weight of the bag &
food is hung therefrom.
Round the pin I is lapped or wound the steel spring H, Figures 4, 5, 6 in the
same manner as a clock spring is wound, the outer end of the spring being formed
into a loop H which loop is made to fit on the guide links CC or other ring. H,
Figure 4 shews the spring when there is no weight on it and the spring is at its
shortest point. II. Fig. 5 shews the spring extended as when there is the weight
of the nosebag & food hanging on to it. H Fig. 7 shows the manner in which

page_text: the spring is wound. Although we have described the spring as wound like a
clock spring we wish it to be thoroughly understood that a spring, made in the
ordinary spiral or other pattern can be used but we prefer the spring described
herein. K, Figure 3 is a net made with a mesh of a guage that will allow ample
ventilation, but which is fine enough to keep the corn from being thrown out of
the nosebag, the lower edge of the net K, is secured to the upper edge of the
bag A by being stitched or by any other suitable means such as having hooks
attached, the upper edge of the net K has an elastic band inserted which keeps
the net close to the head of the horse.
This net while being intended for extraordinary cases where a horse has from
habit got so used to throwing its head that it continues to do so even while the
food is held close to the mouth, can in ordinary cases be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim as the said invention of improvements in nosebags and appliances for
same is:
1st. The combination with a nose-bag of any ordinary pattern, of an elastic
or steel spring belt or head strap by means of which the food is held up to the
mouth of the horse or other animal whether the bag be full or empty thus pre-
venting waste of food as substantially described & illustrated in the accompany-
ing drawings.
T
2nd. An improved mode of connecting the belt or head strap to the bag, that
is to secure the belt to a point below the top of the nosebag, by means of strips
of leather or other suitable material thereby giving more.length to the belt, to
allow the necessary stretch to be given to the belt without putting too much
strain on, as substantially described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Brd. A net to fit against the head of the horse, & made of such a mesh as will
prevent waste of corn, but of sufficient coarseness to allow of free ventilation,
this net is useful in special cases but in ordinary cases the net may be dispensed
with if desired as substantially described & illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the Fifth day of August 1899.