A New or Improved Apparatus or Shackle for Impeding the Flight of Birds.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus or Shackle for Impeding the Flight
of Birds.
I EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of 38 Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me from abroad by Fernand Pierre Leon Lesage, of 5 Rue
Guilhem, Paris, Gentleman,) to be as follows:-
My new and improved apparatus or shackle for impeding the flight of birds is
simple in construction and readily applied, it will allow trainers, game keepers &
others to impede the flight of pheasants, partridges or other birds without running
the risk of wounding them, causing them to waste away or preventing the develope-
ment of the impeded bird such as occurs with the metallic shackles hitherto used
and passed through the birds wing.
This apparatus which is readily placed in position and removed may be fitted on
by any person however uninitiated."
It consists of a leather strap cut out to assume a Y-shape, the two small branches
of which are thinned out from their extremities to the centre or junction point of
the said branches in order to allow of the insertion over each of these branches of
a small india-rubber tube designed to prevent undue friction between that part of
the shackle and the birds wing.
•
The apparatus is fitted as follows: The two small branches are made to surround
that part of the birds wing nearest to its body, and their two ends are placed one
over the, other so that the holes formed therein may truly correspond so as to be
capable of receiving any suitable metallic fastener. The lower stroke or branch of
the Y-shaped piece of leather is passed between the first and the second largest
feathers of the wing, its extremity being brought above the same so as to cause one
of the holes formed in this branch (according to the strength of the bird) to corre-
spond with the holes of the two upper arms or branches aforesaid, the metallic
fastener already passed through the holes of the latter branches, being now passed
through the corresponding hole of the long branch and turned down in order to
unite the three ends of the apparatus.
This apparatus differs from those heretofore used, by its shape, material and
mode of using. The leather being soft does not hurt the birds like the small chains
before used while effectually preventing them from flying.
For water fowls, leather or other similar material may also be used provided
it has been previously prepared with a view to prevent it from shrinking in the
water.
Dated this 10th day of March 1800
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus or Shackle for Impeding the Flight
of Birds.
I EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of 38, Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Fernand Pierre Léon Lesage, of 5, Rue Guilhem,
Paris, France, Gentleman) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My new and improved apparatus or shackle for impeding the flight of birds is

page_text: simple in construction and readily applied; it will allow trainers, game keepers
and others to impede the flight of pheasants, partridges or other birds without
running the risk of wounding them, causing them to waste away or preventing the
development of the impeded bird such as occurs with the metallic shackles hitherto
used and passed through the birds wing. The adaptation of such shackle required
morcover to be made by a skilled person so as to avoid wounding the birds.
This apparatus which is readily placed in position and removed has the advantage
that it can be fitted on by any person however uninitiated, without there being
any fear of the bird being wounded however, awkward the operator may be.
In order to render my invention more fully understood I have shown the same
by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a view of the apparatus showing its shape, Fig. 2 shows the same in
position, that is to say impeding the birds wing.
It consists of a strap cut out of a solid piece of leather and having the shape of
a Y, the two small branches AC and B C of which are thinned out from a
distance of about 0-01 cent., from their extremities A and B, toward the centre C
or junction of the said branches in order to allow of the insertion over each of
these branches of a small india-rubber tube T designed to prevent undue friction
between that part of the shackle and the bird's wing.
The apparatus is fitted as follows: The two small branches AC and B C are
made to surround that part of the bird's wing which is nearest to its body, and their
two ends A B are placed one over the other so that the holes formed therein may
correspond. A small fastener E of metal or of other suitable material is inserted
in those holes. The long end C D of the Y-shaped piece of leather is passed
between the first and the second largest feathers of the wing, its extremity D
being brought above the same so as to cause one of the holes formed in this
branch CD (according to the strength of the bird) to correspond with the holes
of the two upper arms or branches A and B aforesaid. The metallic fastener
already passed through the holes of the latter branches being now passed through
the corresponding hole of the long branch and turned down in order to unite the
three ends of the apparatus. The two ends of the fastener may be rolled one over
the other by means of a pair of nippers so as to lock the same securely.
It will be seen that this apparatus differs essentially from those heretofore used
not only by its shape or by the material of which it is made, but by the mode of
using. The leather which is soft and flexible does not hurt the birds like the small
chains hitherto used while effectually preventing them from flying and being readily
fixed in position.
For water fowls, leather or other similar material may also be used provided
it has been previously prepared with a view to prevent it from shrinking in the
water.
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 new apparatus or shackle for impeding the flight of birds arranged and
fitted substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated this 12th day of December 1892.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.