IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING AND PROTECTING HORSES AND OTHER CATTLE DURING THEIR TRANSIT BY RAIL AND OTHER WAYS AND ON BOARD SHIP
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham English, of Hatfield, in the County of
Herts, Inspector of Police, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SECURING AND PROTECTING HORSES AND OTHER CATTLE
DURING THEIR TRANSIT BY RAIL AND OTHER WAYS AND ON BOARD SHIP."
Sealed the 19th January 1864, and dated the 24th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham English at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
July 1868.
1, ABRAHAM ENGLISH, of Hatfield, in the County of Herts, Inspector of
Police, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING AND PROTECTING HORSES AND OTHER CATTLE DURING
THEIR TRANSIT BY RAIL AND OTHER WAYS AND ON BOARD SHIP," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists of apparatus applied to afford some support for the
horse if necessary, and also to prevent his kicking and plunging from fright
while being conveyed by rail or otherwise in horse boxes as in ordinary trains.
I suspend a strong strap from the roof of the carriage immediately over the
borse's back; I use this strap double, and provide it with a buckle and holes to
take it up as may be desired. The two parts of the strap are led down from
the roof, the one part through a runner or eye on the other part, which keeps
them somewhat closely together till just behind the wither, where they diverge
and pass through loops or buckles on the ends of straps coming from the chest
round the shoulders; these straps proceed from a leather breast plate passing
from the chest between the fore legs and along under the belly, where it

page_text: widens a little. The suspending strap before mentioned passes under and through
loops on this plate; a strap also passes round the body of the horse towards
the near part of the belly plate furnished with loops and buckles if necessary.
A strap secured to the partitions or other fixed parts on each side of the horse
is passed over his back somewhat in the position of a kicking strap in harness;
this latter strap is in connection with the strap round his body last above
mentioned, and is provided with buckles and other appliances for shortening
and tightening or lengthening the strap according to the size of the horse.
When the horse moves forwards the suspending strap from the roof immediately
takes part of his weight off his fore legs, and on moving backwards relieves his
hind legs of some of his weight, and prevents his kicking and plunging and
injuring himself by reason of the fear generated in him during his transit; the
strap round the body and side straps to the partitions also conduce to the same
end. A horse may also rest a great part of his weight on the suspending strap,
and so greatly relieve him in a long journey, Horses and other cattle are also
prevented lying down in the boxes in which they are conveyed, in which there
is usually not sufficient room; and they injure themselves in consequence. This
apparatus is similarly applicable to other cattle during their conveyance in
boxes or compartments by rail, road, or sea.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Abraham English in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, ABRAHAM
ENGLISH, of Hatfield, in the County of Herts, Inspector of Police, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Abraham English, Her special licence that I, the said Abraham
English, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said Abraham English, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: APPARATUS FOR SECURING AND PROTECTING HORSES AND OTHER CATTLE DURING
THEIR TRANSIT BY RAIL AND OTHER WAYS AND ON BOARD SHIP," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Abraham English, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Abraham English, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to the application of apparatus to horses in order to
prevent their kicking and plunging from fright while being conveyed by rail
or otherwise, and also to afford them some little support if necessary. In horse
boxes in railway trains 1 suspend one or more strong straps from the roof of
the carriage immediately over the horse's back; I use this strap or straps
double, and provide buckles and holes to take them up as may be desired. The
two parts of the strap are led down from the roof, the one through a runner
or eye on the other, which keeps them somewhat closely together till just
behind the withere, where they diverge and pass through loops or buckles on
the ends of straps coming from the chest round the shoulders; or I prefer that
the pendant straps should be separate from those applied to the horse and
connected thereto by suitable metal rings. The straps from the chest proceed
from a leather breast plate, which plate passes from the chest between the fore
legs and along under the belly, where it widens a little. The suspending strap
before mentioned passes under and through loops on this plate; a strap also
passes round the body of the horse towards the rear part of the belly plato
furnished with loops and buckles if necessary. A strap secured to the par-
titions or other fixed parts on each side of the horse is passed over his back
somewhat in the position of a kicking strap in harness, this latter strap is in
connection with the strap round his body last above mentioned, and is provided
with buckles and appliances for shortening and tightening or lengthening the
strap according to the size of the horse; I may also connect this with a strap
pendant from the roof if necessary. When the horse moves forward, the
suspending strap from the roof immediately takes part of his weight of his
fore legs, and on moving backwards relieves his hind legs of some of his weight

page_text: and which with the kicking strap before mentioned prevents his kicking or
plunging, whereby he might injure himself, which horses are apt to do from
fear and excitement during their transit; the strap round his body and sido
straps to the partitions also conduce to the same end. A horse may also rest
a great part of his weight on the suspending strap or straps, and so greatly
relieve himself in a long journey. Horses and other cattle are also prevented
lying down in the boxes in which they are conveyed, in which there is not suffi-
cient room, and they injure themselves in consequence. This apparatus is
similarly applicable to other cattle during their conveyance in boxes or com-
partments he rail road or son

page_text: one piece passing over the horse's withers, or two may be used, one on either
side, and uniting at the ring d. All the straps I prefer to be of leather, but
webbing or other strong material will answer the purpose, and they are provided
with buckles, holes, and runners where required, as usual in leather straps,
which will require no further description. The dotted lines p, p, represent the
outlines of the parts dividing the stalls in horse boxes which are movable, but
fixed while the horses are being conveyed as well understood; r is the usual
halter with which a horse's head is fixed while travelling. A horse secured
as represented in the Drawings annexed will be unable to move backwards or
forwards to any great extent by reason of the straps b and c, e and i, in so
doing, taking his weight off his feet, he will bo unable to rear by reason of the
straps 9 over his withers and shoulders, he will be unable to kick or plunge by
reason of the strap k over his hind quarters, and may rest himself on the
straps b, c, e, and i, by bearing a considerable portion of his weight thereon.
Thus secured, a horso however restive naturally or excited by fear cannot
injure himself, and furthermore cannot be injured by slight collisions or
irregularities of motion of a railway train, and may be conveyed a great distanco
and brought out from the box almost or quite as fresh as if just led from his
stable.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be secured by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application of
apparatus as herein-before described and represented for securing and pro-
tecting horses and other cattle in boxes during their transit by rail and other
ways and on board ship.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham English, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of January, in the year of
our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
30 Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
58, Chancery Lane,
London.
AB. ENGLISH. (L.S.)