AN IMPROVED HAME-SLIP FOR SUDDENLY RELEASING HORSES AND OTHER CATTLE FROM THEIR HARNESS; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RELEASING HEAVY BODIES OR WEIGHTS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Barry Lord, of Plymouth, in the County
of Devon, Veterinary Surgeon, Royal Artillery, and Frederic Hughes
Gilbart, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the In-
vention of "AN IMPROVED HAME-SLIP FOR SUDDENLY RELEASING HORSES AND
OTHER CATTLE FROM THEIR HARNESS; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RELEASING HEAVY
BODIES OR WEIGHTS."
Sealed the 25th September 1862, and dated the 31st March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Barry Lord
and Frederic Hughes Gilbart, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 31st March 1862.
We, WILLIAM BARRY LORD, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon,
Veterinary Surgeon, Royal Artillery, and FREDERICK HUGHES GILBART, of
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED HAME-SLIP FOR SUDDENLY RELEASING
HORSES AND OTHER CATTLE FROM THEIR HARNESS; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RELEASING
HEAVY BODIES OR WEIGHTS," to be as follows:-
We propose to places on hames instead of the usual ring piece and ring, a
piece of metal having an open slot cut in one part thereof, with pin holes to
allow of its being attached to the hame, and in the broader portion two open

page_text: slots; a pin hole is made in the inner cheek piece and in the centre piece, the
outer cheek piece having a deep slot with circular bottom cut therein. A
spindle passes through the holes, and works longitudinally therein freely; a
groove is cut along the spindle into which a screw end takes, (the screw being
passed through the lower part of the centre piece,) and so prevents its turning
round; hinged into the outer end of this spindle is a T (or other shaped) headed
piece. The trace link is passed between the inner cheek and the centre piece
(the spindle being, withdrawn so as to admit it) the spindle is then pushed in
by means of the T piece, the shank of which is pressed into the slot (with
circular bottom) before mentioned, the head drops by its own weight, and the
trace ring is secured. When the horse falls, or the trace link is to be released,
bring with the thumb and finger the shank of the T head opposite the slot
in the outer cheek piece, draw out the spindle, and the operation is instan-
taneously effected.
It will be evident that the apparatus above described, may also be used to
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Barry Lord and Frederic Hughes Gilbart in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
BARRY LORD, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Veterinary Surgeon,
Royal Artillery, and FREDERIC HUGHES GILBART, of Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, 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
us, the said William Barry Lord and Frederic Hughes Gilbart, Her special
licence that we, the said William Barry Lord and Frederic Hughes Gilbart,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Barry Lord and Frederic Hughes Gilbart, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED HAME-SLIP FOR SUDDENLY RELEASING
HORSES AND OTHER CATTLE FROM THEIR HARNESS; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
RELEASING HEAVY BODIES OR WEIGHTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said William Barry Lord and Frederic Hughes
Gilbart, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Barry Lord, for myself
and my co-patentee, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and forming part of this our
Specification, and to the letters of reference marked on the several Diagrams,
drawn thereon, serving to denote similar parts where such parts appear, or can
be seen in each of the Figures respectively:
:-
The object of our Invention is principally the preservation from injury of
the horse, (which is often injured and sometimes choked by the collar from the
inability of the driver to loose the traces,) the carriage and harness after the
horse has fallen while drawing; but the apparatus by which we attain this object
may be used for hauling up and suddenly releasing any.heavy bodies whatsoever,
and this without any very considerable modification of the apparatus herein-
after described and shewn in the Drawing.
Many contrivances have been made and tried, for the purpose of either.
releasing the hames from the collar of.harness or the traces from the hames
but hitherto such apparatus have been found inefficient.
Our Invention or apparatus interposes between the hame and trace, (it
might if desired be connected with any other part of the harness,) and hooks on
to the hame, (which is furnished with an open slot or ring,) and is composed of
a piece of metal having two deep open slots cut in the broad or circular portion
thereof, these slots or cuts divide the circular part of the metal into three parts
which may be termed cheeks. A pin hole is made in the inner anl centre
pieces or cheeks, and in the outer a keyhole shaped slot.
through these holes, and works longitudinally therein freely; a groove is cut
along the bottom of the spindle into which a screw takes, the screw being
passed through the lower part of the centre cheek, thus preventing the.
A spindle passes

page_text: spindle turning entirely round, when it is withdrawn to allow the trace to drop
from between the inner and centre cheeks of the slip. Hinged with or into.
one end of the spindle is a T or other shaped piece serving to pull out the spindle
as far as the stop, or push it back in its place, and in conjunction with the
slot, secure it in position.
In the Drawing, Figure 1 shews a side elevation of the apparatus hooked
on to the hame a, and having the trace 6 passed between the inner and centre
cheek pieces of the slip and secured in position by the spindle; Figure 2 is a
top plan view, shewing the apparatus hooked into the hame ring, and the trace
passed between the inner and centre cheeks C and D; Figure 3 shews the
spindle e with the T piece f, hinged therein; Figure 4 is à section shewing
the spindle partially drawn out as it would be to allow the trace to fall from
between the cheeks c and d, and in dotted line the end of the screw which
serves as stop to the spindle.
The operations of securing the trace and slip in position, are as follows:-
The slip or apparatus is hooked on to the hame, (or secured thereto in any
other manner,) through the ring; the trace b, (the end of, which is perforated
with an opening a little larger than the diameter of the spindle,) is then passed
between the cheeks c and d, (the spindle e being partially withdrawn, as at
Figure 4,) the spindle is then pushed home, (as at Figure 2,) the piece f
assuming the position denoted at Figure 1, which is effected on pushing
home the spindle, by passing the shank of f into the slot i, in. the outer
cheek piece h, which allowing it to pass the T piece, drops into position
between the cheeks d and h, as shewn. To release the trace, take the
head of the T piece between the thumb and finger, raise it square with the
slot i, pull it away from the check h, till in line with the spindle e, (to which it
is hinged as aforesaid,) then pull out the spindle to the stop, and the trace b,
falls from between the cheeks c, d, thus releasing the horse from the check of
the trace, the slip remaining on the hame.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the means by
which we carry it into practical effect, we would have it distinctly under-
stood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein given,
as modifications may be made therein, to suit the circumstances of parti-
cular cases, without departing from the principle of our Invention; nor do we
confine ourselves to the mode of securing the slip to the hame as shewn in
the Drawing and herein-before described, as it may if desired form part of the
hame itself; but what we declare to be of our Invention, and of which we
claim the exclusive use is, "An Improved Hame-slip for suddenly Releasing

page_text: Horses and other Cattle from their Harness, the same Apparatus being also
applicable for Releasing Heavy Bodies or Weights," the whole essentially
as herein-before described and shewn in the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Barry Lord, have hereunto set
my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. B. LORD. (L.S.)