IMPROVEMENTS IN BITS FOR TAMING OR SUB- DUING VICIOUS HORSES AND BREAKING COLTS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BITS FOR TAMING OR SUB-
DUING VICIOUS HORSES AND BREAKING COLTS."-A communication from
abroad by Aurelius Langdon Weymouth, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America..
Sealed the 15th July 1862, and dated the 2nd April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd April 1862.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BITS FOR TAMING OR
SUBDUING VICIOUS HORSES AND BREAKING COLTS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obtain a bit by which perfect control may
be had over vicious horses, and also over colts in breaking or training the
To this end the bit is formed of two bars, connected centrally by a
pivot, so that they may expand and open or distend the mouth of the animal
either by an automatic arrangement or at the will of the rider or driver. The
expanding bit is designed to be used either in connection with an ordinary bit
or separately. In the former case the automatic mechanism is used, and in

page_text: the latter case a lever attachment is employed. The coupled bars forming the
bit are bent up at right angles at their ends, and connected by short chains to
the head strap of the bridle. On the inner face of one bar ratchet teeth are
cut, and from the opposite bar depends a pawl, which by means of pressure
springs has always a tendency to expand the bit and hold it open. When,
therefore, this automatic bit is applied to a vicious horse in conjunction with
an ordinary bit, the animal as it opens its mouth will allow the expanding bit
to open, and being then unable to close its mouth it will be entirely under the
control of the ordinary bit.
In cases where it is desirable to have resort occasionally only to the
expanding property of the bit, side levers wholly or partially detachable are so
applied to the bit as to expand it by the operation of an extra rein. The
ordinary guiding rein is secured to the bit, and serves merely to guide the
animal; but the extra rein will, by operating upon the tails of the levers,
expand the bars of the bit and force open the, animal's mouth, thereby.
bringing it completely under the control of the rider or driver.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators,
and 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BITS FOR TAMING OR SUBDUING VICIOUS HORSES AND
BREAKING COLTS," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument

page_text: T
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly 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 Offico
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign cor-
respondent, is to obtain a bit by which perfect control may be had over
vicious horses, and also over colts in breaking or training the same. To this
end the bit is formed of two bars connected centrally by a pivot, so that they
may expand and open or distend the mouth of the animal; either by an
automatic arrangement, or at the will of the rider or driver. The expanding
bit is designed to be used either in connection with an ordinary bit or
separately. In the former case the automatic mechanism is used, and in the
latter case a lever attachment is employed, as herein-after fully shewn and
described.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 1, 1*, represent in side views the
Invention as applied to a horse; Figures 2, 2*, are detached face views of the
same; Fig. 2* being bisected in the line a, a, Fig. 3*; Fig. 3 is a section
taken in the line x, x, of Fig. 2; Fig. 3* is an enlarged side view of Fig. 1*,
detached from the bridle; Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, are detached views of parts
pertaining to Figures 1*, 2*, and 3*; Fig. 7 being a section taken in the
line y, y, of Fig. 3*. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in the several Figures.
The bit C is formed of
pin c, on which they are
bars 6, 6', are bent at right
the chains a are attached to
A represents a strap, which may be constructed of leather or other suitable
material. This strap passes over the head of the horse, and is secured in
proper position by a throat latch. B, C, is the bit, which is connected at
each end by chains a, a, to the ends of the strap A.
two cross bars b, b', connected at their centres by a
allowed to work freely. The outer parts of the
angles to their inner parts, as shewn at d, and
the ends of d. The inner parts of the bars b, b, constitute the
of the bit, or the bit proper. The chains a are connected to the
strap A by means of buckles D, one at each end of the strap. The bar b
(see Figures 1, 2, and 3) is provided with a rack, or series of teeth e near
main portion
ends of the

page_text: one end, and the bar b at a point directly opposite the teeth e is provided with
a pawle E, which by means of springs f, f, is kept engaged with the teeth e of
bar 6. The springs f, f, are sufficiently strong not only to keep the pawl E
engaged with the rack teeth e, but to keep the bars b, b', distended when not
restrained.
The device, with this arrangement, is used as follows:-The bit C is
placed in the mouth of the animal directly in front of the ordinary bit, the
strap A being placed over the head, and the throat latch B adjusted as usual.
The bars b, b, of the bit are closed while being adjusted in the mouth of the
animal, and when liberated they will be expanded under the action of the
springs ff, each time the animal opens its jaws, the pawl E retaining the bars
b, b', or preventing them, from closing. It will be seen, therefore, that the
mouth of the animal will soon become distended, so that he will have no
power over the ordinary bit, and he will be under the complete control of the
rider or driver. By this means it is believed that vicious horses may be com-
pletely subdued, as the chief means of their resistance is in the mouth, and
when that organ is rendered powerless, submission, if gentle treatment be
used, will follow.
Each pair of
In certain cases where an animal is unruly or vicious only at times, or in
breaking or training colts, it would be preferable to dispense with the
automatic expanding device just described, and substitute one which may be
operated at the will of the rider or driver. With this view two levers E¹, E",
(see Figures 1 and 3*) are employed at each side of the bit.
levers is connected at their angle or bend by a fulcrum pin e', and the front
ends of these levers are connected to the parts d of the bit by pivots or pins f',
on which they are fitted loosely, and retained thereon either by a ring g
(Fig. 4) or a slide h (Figures 5 and 6). This arrangement admits of the
levers being readily detached from the bit if required, and it may be necessary
to detach them in certain cases to facilitate the adjustment of the bit in
the mouth of the animal. The front ends of the levers, however, may be
permanently attached to the parts d, d, of the bit, and the levers formed
each of two parts, connected by a pin i and slide j, as shown in Fig. 7. This
will admit of the back and longer parts of the levers being detached, which
may be all that is necessary. The back parts of the levers E¹ are each pro-
vided with a ring k, through which straps (see Fig. 1*) attached to the
strap A pass the straps holding the levers E¹ in proper position. The levers
Eu are curved downwards at their back parts, and terminate in an eye or
loop m, to which the ends of a rein F are attached, which rein passes through
rings n, n, at the back parts of the levers E'. G is a rein, the ends of which

page_text: are attached to the bars b, b¹, at opposite ends of the bit. By this arrange-
ment the rein G is used by the rider or driver when the device is intended to
operate as an ordinary bit; but in case of the animal becoming unmanageable,
the rider or driver grasps the rein F, and by drawing it back actuates the
levers E, E, at each side of the bit, and thereby expands the bars b, b', and
distends the mouth of the animal, so that he will be under the complete control
of the rider or driver.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Bits for Taming or Subduing Vicious Horses and Breaking Colts," as commu-
nicated to me from abroad, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim constructing expanding bits in the manner and
for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said. Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Second day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)