AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC LAMB-CREEP
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hugh Carson and John Vidler Toone,
both of Warminster, in the County of Wilts, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC LAMB-CREEP."
Sealed the 4th October 1870, and dated the 8th April 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hugh Carson
and John Vidler Toone at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 8th April 1870.
We, WILLIAM HIGH CARSON and JOHN VIDLER TOONE, both of
Warminster, in the County of Wilts, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC LAMB-CREEP," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of an
improved lamb-creep whereby the objections attending the use of the
lamb-creeps hitherto employed are entirely obviated. The creep is
placed in the lower part of a fold hurdle, and consists of two moveable
gate pieces formed of vertical bars connected by horizontal bars and
furnished with rollers, against which the lambs press when going out of

page_text: or into the fold. The gate pieces are capable of being adjusted at any
desired distance, so as to leave a greater or lesser space between the
respective rollers for the egress of the lambs by means of holes which
are formed in the horizontal bars, and through which and holes formed
in vertical bars connected with each gate piece pins are passed so as to
hold them firmly together. The respective ends of the last-mentioned
vertical bars pass through holes formed in horizontal bars of the hurdle,
so as to be free to rotate therein, thus forming as it were hinges on
which the gate picces can turn. The latter move inwards only towards
the interior of the fold, their outward motion being prevented by the
ends of the horizontal bars coming in contact with vertical bars arranged
in the hurdle, and which act as stops. Springs of any suitable kind are
attached to one or both of the horizontal hurdle bars in which the
vertical or hinge bars work, and by the action of which springs the gate
pieces are restored to their normal position after the passage of the
lambs, as will be well understood. A horizontal roller is also placed at
the top of the creep opening. For use the gate pieces are set in such a
position as to allow of the passage of the lambs between the vertical
rollers, and after feeding and becoming distended they obtain ready
ingress to the fold by the inward motion of the gate pieces without the
possibility of injury.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Hugh Carson and John Vidler Toone in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th October 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM 2
HUGH CARSON and JOHN VIDLER TOONE, both of Warminster, in the
County of Wilts, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third a
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said William Hugh Carson and John Vidler Toone,
Her special licence that we, the said William Hugh Carson and John
Vidler Toone, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said William Hugh Carson and John Vidler Toone,

page_text: our 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 "AN
IMPROVED AUTOMATIC LAMB-CREEP," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said William Hugh Carson and John Vidler Toone,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 we, the said William Hugh Carson and John
Vidler Toone, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 annexed Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-
Our said Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of
an improved lamb-creep, whereby the objections attending the use of the
lambs-creeps as hitherto constructed are entirely obviated. The creep is
placed in the lower part of a hurdle to be used in forming a fold, and
consists of two moveable gate or wicket pieces formed of vertical bars
connected by horizontal bars, and furnished with rollers formed of wood
or other suitable material adapted to the purpose, against which the
lambs press when going out of or into the fold. The gate pieces or
wickets are capable of being adjusted at any desired distance, so as to
leave a greater or lesser space between the respective roliers for the
egress of the lambs, by means of holes which are formed in the
horizontal bars, and through which and holes formed in vertical bars
connected with each gate or wicket piece pins are passed so as to hold
them firmly together. The respective ends of the last-mentioned vertical
bars pass through holes formed in horizontal bars or other pieces of
metal of the hurdle, so as to be free to rotate therein, thus forming as it
were hinges on which the gate pieces or wickets can turn. The latter
move inwards only towards the interior of the fold, their outward motion
being prevented by the ends of the horizontal bars coming in contact

page_text: with vertical bars arranged in the hurdle, and which act as stops.
Springs of any suitable kind adapted to the purpose are attached to one
or both of the horizontal hurdle bars or metal pieces in which the
vertical or hinge bars work, and by the action of which springs the gate
pieces or wickets are restored to their normal position after the passage
of the lambs, as will be well understood. A horizontal roller is also
placed at the top of the creep opening, and a modification of the before-
described arrangements may be made by placing a vertical roller in the
opening between the gate pieces or wickets so as to form a double creep.
It is manifest also that triple or multiple lamb-creeps may be constructed
on the same principles. For use the gate pieces or wickets are set in
such a position and distance as to allow of the free passage outwards of
the lambs between the vertical rollers, and after feeding and becoming
distended they obtain ready ingress to the fold by the inward motion of
the gate pieces or wickets without the risk or possibility of injury. It
should be observed that the before-described arrangements effectually
prevent the ewes in the interior of the fold from getting out of the same,
sufficient space only being afforded for the egress of the lambs,
We will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings, in which tho
letters indicate similar parts, and from which the nature of our said:
Invention will be more clearly understood.
Figure 1 is a front clevation of a single lamb-creep; Figure 2
represents a double lamb-creep also in front elevation; Figure 3 is a
vertical section of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a horizontal and inverted
section of the gate piece or wicket at the line A, B, in Figure 1. }
In these Figures a, a, a, is the frame of the hurdle of iron of suitable
sections, or of any other material or materials adapted to the purpose;
b, b, are the gate pieces or wickets; c, c, are the vertical bars or axles,
having round journals at each end on which they freely turn in holes in
the horizontal bars. The rollers of wood or other material are indicated
by the letter d, and which revolve on round rods of iron. e, e, aro
the springs which pross against a pawl or short lever arm on the vertical
bars, and serve to return the gate pieces or wickets to their normal
position when the pressure occasioned by the lambs passing through has
been removed from the rollers. The pins by which the gate pieces or
wickets are adjusted are shewn at ƒ.
Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would
ด

page_text: observe in conclusion that we do not confine or limit ourselves to the
precise details herein-before described, neither do we claim the several
parts separately and apart from each other; but what we consider novel
and original, and therefore claim as constituting the Invention secured to
us by the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the com-
bination and arrangement of parts and mechanism, substantially as and
for the purposes herein-before described and set forth, or any more
WILLIAM HUGH CARSON. (L.S.)
JOHN VIDLER TOONE.
(L.S.)