Improved Horse-bit.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improved Horse-bit.
I, GABRIEL PONTON, of Valence, Department of Drôme France, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The bit, which is the object of this invention, can be taken to pieces, but is other-
wise of similar formation to the one in ordinary use. Its chief advantage is that it
can be easily dismounted for changing, repairing, plating and otherwise renovat-
ing when it is somewhat worn in any of its parts. By my system, the mouth-piece
may be changed according to circumstances, to suit any particular horse. Finally,
any desired kind of mouth-piece can be readily fitted to the branches, or cheeks,
and be made either moveable or fixed therein.
My invention may be adapted to any known bit-branches or cheeks.
The object of my invention is formed of two small pieces made of any metal
such as iron, steel, copper, bronze, nickel and the like, of cylindrical or prismatic
form, each furnished, at one end, with a small spiral spring, the use of which is to
fix the mouth-piece in its place between the branches or cheeks.
One of these piece has a notch corresponding to a diametrical depression or
hollow in the other piece, at a certain point in its length. The upper part of the
bit-branches is pierced with a vertical hole to allow the insertion of the latter
piece, the former piece enters a horizontal hole formed in the branch of the bit.
This being done, the next thing is to fix the mouth-piece in position, which is done
by introducing the former piece into the horizontal hole keeping the spiral spring
in front. This piece is held at the bottom of its course, by pushing it with the
finger while, through the vertical hole the other piece is passed into the bit and
made to slide to the far end of the place provided for it. Then the finger, which
pressed on the former piece is withdrawn and it catches the other piece preventing
it from slipping out.
To withdraw the bit, all that is required is to press the former piece which will
thereupon release the other piece which, being set free, may be drawn out and the
mouth-piece can then be removed:
L. DUVINAGE,
Agent for Applicant.
I, GABRIEL PONTON, of Valence, Department of Drôme, France, Manufacturer,
35 do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to
Price 8d1

page_text: be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of the present application consists in arrangements of bit-carriers
enabling the bit to be removed at libitum and to be substituted in case of breakage
or wearing and allowing the use of any bit that might be considered proper; also
in the arrangements of special bits adapted in a removable way to the above-
mentioned bit-carriers and to be chosen according to the work the horse has to do
and to the tenderness of its mouth.
In the annexed drawing, given as an example:
Fig. 1 shows an elevation of a branch of the bit-carrier forming the object of the
present invention and serving for carriage horses.
Fig. 2 is a partly vertical section of the saine branch on the line X-Y of
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of one of the two bit-carrier branches on the
line OP of Fig. 2 and showing the bar C pushed to the end of its course to allow
the passage of the bar D.
Fig. 4 is the same horizontal section, showing the bar Cas returned to its
normal position and fixing the bar D in the branch.
Fig. 5 is a partly perspective view of one of the two branches this being fixed
in its working position.
Fig. 6 is a side-view of a part of a branch serving for saddle horses the upper
ring of which is detachable.
Fig. 7 is a front view of the same branch, to which a bent bit is applied.
Fig. 8 is a view of the upper part of the branch shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 is a front view of the movable ring of same.
Fig. 10 shows a broken section of the same branch on the line St of Fig. 7.
Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the same branch without its movable ring.
Fig. 12 is a view in elevation of a part of the same seen from the other side.
Fig. 13 shows a section of a part of the same branch, on the line Z Z of Fig. 7.
Fig. 14 is a view of the underneath of same branch.
Fig. 15 shows a side view of a branch holding the bit for a riding horse with
its upper ring fixed.
Fig. 16 is a front view of same with a bent bit covered with rubber.
Fig. 17 is a partly vertical section of same, showing the ungearing of the top
ring.
bit.
Fig. 18 is a partly vertical section of the same, showing the ungearing of the
Fig. 19 is a section of the bit adapted to the bit holder shown in Fig. 16.
Fig. 20 is a transverse section of the same bit on the line a x¹ of Fig. 19.
Fig. 21 represents a rubber tube serving to cover the bit H of Fig. 7.
Fig. 22 is a view of the bit H of Fig. 7.
Fig. 23 represents a broken view of the same bit, showing a section of its olive i.
Fig. 24 shows a transverse section of same bit on the line i, ¹ of Figs. 22 and 23.
Fig. 25 is a view of top part of a straight bit.
Fig. 26 represents an elevation of bit covered with a sheath applicable to bit-
bearing branches for carriage horses, shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 27 shows a longitudinal section of same bit and its interior chain.
Fig. 28 is an elevation of the said chain.
Fig. 29 shows a profile and elevation of the two olives of the same bit.
Fig. 30 shows an elevation of snaffle-bit.
The bit-bearing branches which form the object of the present invention assume
an almost similar shape to that of ordinary branches. They are made in two
different ways, according to whether they are intended for carriage-horses or for
riding-horses, but in every case they presont the principle of the removable bit.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 refer to bit-branches for carriage-horses.
Let us consider one of these branches (they are absolutely similar for the same

page_text: bit) it possesses, forged or cast with it, a hollow extension K receiving a stem C
serving, as we shall see hereafter, to fix the bit.
A hole E is made in the body of the branch B at its upper part A (Fig. 2) this
cylindrical hole corresponds with the holes E and E". It allows the passage of
a stem D, which goes to the bottom of the hole E". The stem D is narrowed, at
the point D of its length, so as to form a shoulder; it has a small tenon that its
extremity serving to guide a spiral spring which presses against the shoulder,
formed by the stem D and its smaller diameter tenon, at the top, and against the
bottom of the hole E" at the bottom.
The branch B is constructed in such a way as to present an opening U; it is
into this hollow that the extremity or olive N of the bit is introduced, a hole
being made in this extremity into which the stem D is fitted to connect the bit,
with its branch.
As will be seen in Figs. 2 and 5 the bit articulated upon the stem D, will be.
perfectly connected with the branch B, at the same time preserving a certain
mobility around this stem. The stem D can be removed at pleasure, as also can
the similar stem of the other branch which is fixed to the other extremity of the
bit to substitute this latter, and once this is replaced and also the stem D in its,
normal position, this latter will remain fixed in this position; this result being"
obtained in the following way: Into the hollow of the extension K a stem C is
introduced this stem is terminated by a tenon t serving as a guide for a spiral
spring which presses on one hand upon the shoulder formed by the stem C and
its tenon which is of a smaller diameter, and on the other hand upon the bottom
of the hole K. The stem C has a notch R and a snug C¹ at its lower part.
Let us suppose now that we wish to place the mouth bit between the branches,.
the following is the operation for each branch; the stem C is introduced into the
hole K', this stem will compress the spring r, and the notch R will be placed in
a line with the axis of the stem. D: after introducing the perforated extremity of
the bit into the hollow U so that the hole with which this extremity is provided
faces the holes E¹ E the stem D is pushed to the bottom of the hole El which
allows the narrowed part of the stem to coincide with that of the notch. When the
stem D is at the end of its course, we cease to press against the steni C: the
spring relaxes and the stem C adopts the position shown in Fig. 4 the lower face,
of the stem C rests upon the neck D₁ and prevents the stem 1 from coming out,
whilst the snug C¹ of the stem C coming with its interior face into contact with the
stem D, prevents the stem C from getting out; the mouth-bit is then perfectly
connected with the branch.
If we wish to remove the mouth-bit, we press upon the stem C, so as to bring the
notch R back in front. of the stem D, the spring pushes the upper extremity.
of this stem upwards, and the mouth-bit can be removed, by removing the stem D.
Figs. 6 to 18 show different views of the branches serving for saddle-horses.
With these bit-holders, the bit, instead of being terminated by perforated olives
as with the branches for carriage-horses already described, and being attached to
the bit-holders by means of stems introduced into the hole of the said olives, have
a special form of olives which fit into the branches.
Each of these olives has an oval form (Fig. 24) and has a groove in its lateral
part (Fig. 22); to receive the said olive each branch has an oval opening, corre-
sponding with the olive which is introduced into it: To remove or fix, the bit,
ad libitum, on the branch, a groove is made in the lateral part of this branch, in
which a small balance-lever g is fixed articulated about its middle part. by means
of small pivots oscillating in small notches made in the body of the branch; one
of the arms of this lever is terminated (Fig. 13) by a catch which fits into the
groove of the olive when the bit is set in its working position, that is to say when
it is fitted into the branch; a small spiral spring r acting moreover, upon the
other arm of the lever, holds the catch in the groove of the olive so that the latter
and the bit to which it belongs remain fixed to the bit-branch.
To detach the bit from the above-mentioned branch we press upon the

page_text: extremity G (Fig. 13) of the lever; the snug leaves the groove of the olive and
allows the bit to be removed.
This bit-branch with removable bit may have a ring, at its upper part Du
which moves on the branch when fitted to this latter, or a ring which remains fixed
when once fitted to the branch. The Figs. 6 to 14 refer to the branch provided
with a movable ring and Figs. 15 to 18 concern a branch with fixed ring. In the
first case the ring B₁ is joined to the branch by a cylindrical pivot Cu forged
with it and having a circular groove (Fig. 9); in the second case the pivot C is
substituted by a tenon Q bearing two extensions a a (Fig. 15) which are intro-
duced into grooves a¹ a¹ (Fig. 17) of the opening Q" of the branch, and prevent
the tenon from turning. In both cases, the ring can be separated ad libitum,
from the branch, for this purpose, a groove made in the lateral face of the branch
receives a small lever F similar to that which serves to unfit the bit (Figs. 10 & 17).
The branches Fig. 11, 13, 14, 15 and 16 have at their extremity R an eyelet L,
in which passes a ring 01, and near their extremity is another eyelet J.
The bit adapted to the branches shown in Figs. 1 and 5 that is to say the bit used
with carriage horses, is terminated, as we have seen in course of the present
description, by two perforated olives, into the holes of which the stems D of
Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are introduced. These olives are applied to the mouth-bit so as
to be able to change this bit at pleasure; this mouth bit may be composed of a
straight stem or a bent stem wormed at their extremities, covered or not with
leather or rubber M which can consequently be removed in case of wearing.
Figs. 26 and 27 show two similar olives N N¹ joined by a small chain, Fig. 28,
the stem R¹ terminating the chain at both ends being threaded so as to be screwed
into a tapped cavity of each olive and Fig. 29 shows two olives connected by a
straight stem also threaded at its two ends, and covered. The olive has a stop-
screw W which prevents the mouth-bit from turning.
For bits used with saddle horses, the olives I. & K¹ (Figs. 7, 22 and 24) are also
applied to the bit by means of screws; allowing this mouth bit to be changed
ad libitum.
Whatever may be the form of the bit, we can see by a glance at the annexed
drawing that the bit intended for carriage horses (Figs. 1 to 5) is movable on the
branches to which it is applied, and that the bit constructed for saddle-horses,
(Figs. 7 to 18) is rigidly fixed upon its branches once it is applied.
Finally, a last model of bit shown is that shown in Fig. 30. This bit is used
without branches and is directly adapted to the bridle; for this purpose, each side.
is terminated by an olive N similar to those used with carriage horses; into the
hole of this olive a ring is passed serving to connect the bit with the bridle.
To this bit we can apply 4 rings, one to each olive and the other two on the
mouth bit, towards its two ends. This bit is also connected with the olives by its
threaded ends and is constructed in the same way as that shown in Fig. 27.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
„claim is: -
1. Arrangements of bit branches which allow the bit to be removed at pleasure
and to be substituted in case of breakage or wear; and arrangements of bits which
are applied in a detachable way to the above-mentioned bit-branches and chosen
according to the work to be executed by the horses and according to the tenderness
.of their mouths..
2. In the contrivances claimed in 1), a bit branch distinguished by a stem.
passing into the hole of the olive which terminates each side of the properly-so-
called mouth bit, this stem being held in its place in the above-mentioned branch
or removed at liberty by the arrangement of a stem fixed perpendicular to the first
and resting upon a neck of the latter to keep it fixed and kept in this position by
aspiral spring or any other spring, and having a hollow which, when brought in

page_text: front of the connecting stem by pushing the holding stem against the above-
mentioned spring, allows this connecting stem to be removed and consequently the
bit also this latter being removable with respect to its two branches, and intended
to be used with carriage-horses.
3. In the arrangements claimed in 1) bit-branches for saddle-horses, with fixed
or detachable upper ring, also distinguished by the bit being detachable; this
latter being terminated at each side by an olive which, also penetrates into a
suitable opening of each branch and is held in it by means of a groove which the
olive possesses by a snug at the end of one of the arms of a lever joined to the body
of the branch and held by a spring; the said snug can set the olive free by
pressing upon the second arm of the lever, so as to remove the mouth-bit; and
the upper ring, fixed or detachable can be detached from the branch by a small
lever similar to the last mentioned.
4. In the arrangements claimed in 1) the application of straight bent or chain-
bits, covered or not with leather or rubber, to the branches, these bits being
threaded at each end so as to be screwed into the olives thus allowing the mouth
bit to be changed at liberty in case of wear, the same olives being employed.
5. A bit, adapted directly to the bridle without the medium of branches, and by
means of a ring fitted to each perforated olive fixed to each extremity of the bit.
6. Improvements in horse bits substantially as shown and described.
D
1
o of December 1897
L. DUVINAGE,
Patent Agent, 8, Rue des Princes, Brussels, Belgium..