IMPROVEMENTS IN HURDLING SHEEP AND CATTLE, AND IN THE HURDLES EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Brown, of Elm Croft Grange, Edinburgh,
in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HURDLING SHEEP AND CATTLE, AND IN THE HURDLES
EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
"
caled the 13th May 1873, and dated the 4th December 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th December 1872.
I, ISAAC BROWN, of Elm Croft Grange, Edinburgh, in the County of.
Mid Lothian, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HURDLING SHEEP AND CATTLE, AND IN THE
HURDLES EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to a system or mode of hurdling sheep or cattle
for regulating or controlling the grazing and feeding of the same, and to
a peculiar construction of moveable hurdle to be employed for that
purpose.
The object of the Invention is mainly to prevent deterioration and
waste of the growing crop or other food supplied by preventing the
injury to the same caused by the indiscriminate treading of the sheep.
or cattle thereon.

page_text: •
The improved hurdle consists of a species of chevaux-de-frise
composed of a beam or bar of wood, metal, or other suitable material
placed horizontally, and having a number of arms projecting therefrom
both above and below at convenient distances. The two lower ranges of
arms form the supports or rests for the said said hurdles, whilst the upper
ranges of arms form with the lower ones an effectual barrier or chevaux-
de-frise for preventing the straying of the sheep or cattle. The spaces
between the, arms is just sufficient to admit the heads of the sheep or
cattle between them when grazing or feeding from the strip of land
enclosed between the two lower ranges of arms which is the only fresh
portion presented to the sheep or cattle.. As fast as this strip has been
fed off the hurdles are moved forward by turning over or lifting the same
thus presenting a fresh strip of land to be fed off. By this system of
regulating or controlling the grazing or feeding it is obvious that the
entire surface of a field may be progressively fed off without injury to
the fresh crop or supply of food on the ground..
To allow of the free growth again of the crop in that part of the field
which has already been fed off, a second range of the said hurdles is
disposed behind the sheep or cattle, which range is also moved forward
as required along with the front range. The upper part of the hurdles
will form a convenient rack for the reception of bay or other dry food in
which case the hurdles are to be lifted forward in lieu of being turned
over.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Isaac Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC
BROWN, of Elm Oroft Grange, Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Isaac Brown, Her special license that I,
the said Isaac Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: such others as I, the said Isaac Brown, my executors, administrators,
or 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 HURDLING SHEEP AND
CATTLE, AND IN THE HURDLES EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Isaac Brown, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument 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 Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isaac Brown, do hereby declare the
3 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 accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:—
My said Invention relates to a system or mode of hurdling sheep or
cattle for regulating or controlling the grazing and feeding of the same,
and to a peculiar construction of moveable hurdle to be employed for
that purpose.
The object of my Invention is mainly to prevent deterioration and
waste of the growing crop or other food supplied by preventing the
injury to the same caused by the indiscriminate treading of the sheep or
cattle thereon.
And in order that my said Invention may be 'fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the
Figures.
Figure 1 of.my Drawings is a perspective view of my improved hurdle
which consists of a species of chevaux-de-frise composed of a central or
main beam or bar of wood, metal, or other suitable material A placed
horizontally and having a number of arms B, B, projecting therefrom
both above and below at convenient distances, such arms being
supported or not laterally by passing through longitudinal bars C, C.

page_text: The two lower ranges of arms form the supports or rests for the said
hurdles, whilst the upper ranges of arms form with the lower ones an
effectual barrier or chevaux-de-frise for preventing the straying of the
sheep or cattle. The spaces between the arms are just sufficiently wide
to admit the heads of the sheep or cattle between them when grazing or
feeding from the strip of land enclosed between the two lower ranges of
arms which is the only fresh portion presented to the sheep or cattle.
As fast as this strip has been fed off, the hurdles are moved forward by
turning over or lifting the same, thus presenting a fresh strip of land to
be fed off. By this system of regulating or controlling the grazing or
feeding. it is obvious that the entire surface of a field may be pro-
gressively fed off without injury to the fresh crop or supply of food on
the ground. To allow of the free growth again of the crop in that part
of the field which has already been fed off two ranges of the said hurdles
as shown at A and A' in Figure 2 which represents a plan of a field
being fed off are disposed across the field, the one range A being behind
the sheep or cattle, and the other range A' in front of them as they feed
both of which ranges are moved forward as the ground is fed off. The
upper part of the hurdles will form a convenient rack for the reception
of hay or other dry food, in which case the hurdles are to be lifted
forward in lieu of being turned over.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the peculiar
construction of hurdles and mode of applying the same, as and for the
purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Brown, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of