Improvements in Muzzles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1890-Accepted, 21st June, 1890 -
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Muzzles.
I, JOHN SYMONDS of 37 High Road, Kilburn in the County of Middlesex,
Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a muzzle adapted in shape and construc-
tion to the requirements of its use. At the front part where the breath and saliva of
the animal are liable to damage anything soft or hygroscopic, like leather for example,
I prefer to employ tinned or galvanised wire or similar material which will not be
injurious to the health of the animal. In those parts further back about the head
and neck, the bearings in fact, where pressure is objectionable and where in the case
of the ordinary wire muzzles, more or less extensive damage is liable to be inflicted,
I either form these parts entirely of leather or other suitable material or, and
preferably, I form them of wire or other suitable strong material and line them with
leather or other suitable soft material.
The fastening which passes round the neck of the animal I prefer to form of a
leather strap which may pass through loops in the wires and is preferably connected
under the throat to the front metallic part of the muzzle by means of a short loop of
leather or other soft and flexible connection thus avoiding the danger of hurting
the animal which is occasionally experienced where an ordinary wire muzzle is
used.
The fore part of the muzzle is preferably made of wire loops as light and open
while at the same time strong as pessible thus providing the element of safety
required in a muzzle while sufficient space is left for the free breathing of the animal.
In order to enable it to open its mouth and project its tongue and even cat although
without danger I provide in the front or metallic part of the muzzle but at the lower
portion thereof a door or lid hinged or jointed at the back part towards the throat
and provided with one or more springs or equivalent, preferably coiled round the
hinge so as to cause the lid to close except when opened by the opening of the
animal's mouth. This lid or door is made as open as possible but so as not to cause
annoyance to the animal in opening its mouth the wire framework of the door is
preferably filled in with perforated metal or cross wires so as to present as flat a
surface as possible. Down the centre of the lid on the under side I prefer to have
a wire, to the back end of which is connected the spring or springs, this lid being
prevented from opening too wide by any suitable means. A convenient method of
preventing the over opening of the lid is a wire loop jointed to the muzzle on each
side of the fore part of the jaw and passing underneath the lid, and prevented from
escaping altogether from the lid by a loop upon the lid itself.
By making the shape of the muzzle such as to allow of sufficient opening of the
mouth I can if desired dispense with the door altogether.
By the above described arrangement it will be understood that the muzzle besides
being sufficiently rigid to maintain the shape imparted to it is also shaped to suit the
head of the animal to which it is applied and thus great inconvenience is saved to the
animal.
Dated this 17th day of August 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Muzzles.
I, JOHN SYMONDS of 37 High Road, Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Saddler,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is to produce a muzzle adapted in shape and construc-
tion to the requirements of its use. At the front part where the breath and saliva of
the animal are liable to damage anything soft or hygroscopic, like leather for example,
I prefer to employ tinned or galvanized wire or similar material which will not be
injurious to the health of the animal. In those parts further back about the head
and neck, the bearings in fact, where hard contact is objectionable and where in the
case of the ordinary wire muzzles, more or less extensive damage is liable to be
inflicted I either form these parts entirely of leather or other suitable material
or, and preferably, I form them of wire or other suitable strong material and line
them with leather or other suitable soft material.
The fastening which passes round the neck of the animal I prefer to form of a
leather strap which may pass through loops in the wires and is preferably connected
under the throat to the front metallic part of the muzzle by means of a short loop of
leather or other soft and flexible connection thus avoiding the danger of hurting
the animal which is occasionally experienced where an ordinary wire muzzle is
used.
The fore part of the muzzle is preferably made of wire loops as light and open
while at the same time strong as possible thus providing the element of safety
required in a muzzle while sufficient space is left for the free breathing of the animal.
In order to enable it to open its mouth and project its tongue and even eat although
without danger I provide in the front or metallic part of the muzzle but at the lower
portion thereof a door or lid hinged or jointed at the back part towards the throat and
provided with one or more springs or equivalent, preferably coiled round the hinge
so as to cause the lid to close except when opened by the opening of the animal's mouth.
This lid or door is made as open as possible, but, so as not to cause annoyance to the
animal in opening its mouth the wire framework of the door is preferably filled in
with perforated metal or cross wires so as to present as flat a surface as possible.
Down the centre of the lid on the under side I prefer to have a wire, to the back end
of which is connected the spring or springs, this lid being prevented from opening
too wide by any suitable means. A convenient method of preventing the over
opening of the lid is a wire loop jointed to the muzzle on each side of the fore part of
the jaw and passing underneath the lid, and prevented from escaping altogether from
the lid by a loop upon the lid itself.
By making the shape of the muzzle such as to allow of sufficient opening of the
mouth I can if desired dispense with the door altogether.
By the above described arrangement it will be understood that the muzzle besides
being sufficiently rigid to maintain the shape imparted to it is also shaped to suit
the head of the animal to which it is applied and thus great inconvenience is saved
to the animal.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a side view of the muzzle in longitudinal section.
Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the front part showing the lid or door
open, and
Fig. 3 shows the spring which controls the lid.
Like letters represent the same parts in the various figures.
A is the strap by which the muzzle is secured in position, B is the main wire
extending from the fore-part or nose to the back of the head where a loop B¹ is formed
through which the strap A passes, C is one of the main side wires (of which there
are two one on each side) extending from the nose to the back and each of which

page_text: wires is looped at O' for the strap A to pass through, D is a strip or piece of leather
or other suitable material secured in any suitable manner as by clips D¹ to the
wire B for the purpose of preventing the wire B from hurting the animal to which
the muzzle is applied. As already explained the leather by itself would be too soft
and yielding to produce the required result and the wire by itself is apt to hurt the
animal's head; the combination of the two gives the required result. E is one of
two strips of leather or equivalent material placed along the inside of the wires C to
which the strips inay be secured by clips E¹ or by other suitable means. As described
in the case of the leather D this leather or other soft material is for the same purpose
as the strip D and may be carried as far forward as required although usually it is
sufficient to carry it as far as the point E².
The nose loop F and wires G and H may be of ordinary construction and arrange-
ment but the latter is carried down to the lower portion of the muzzle where at H' the
lid or door I is hinged or pivotted to it. This lid is preferably formed of a curved
wire I looped at each end I to form the hinge and preferably having its central
part or platform made of perforated zinc or equivalent open work metal which may
be soldered to the wire all round and forms a flat and comfortable surface for the
jaw of the animal to rest or push upon (hitherto where doors of this description
have been employed they have been made of wires which cause much annoyance to
the animal wearing the muzzle whereas with the flat surface of the door I this
annoyance is avoided). Down the centre of this door on the under side is a wire K
preferably looped at K' and extending a little behind the axial line of the hinge where
a loop K is formed to secure the ends of a preferably leather loop L, through which
passes the strap A.
It is desirable to provide a spring so as to keep the lid I normally closed and the
arrangement preferred is shown in Fig. 3 where a double coiled spring M is shown
wrapped round the wire H which is preferably straight at the bottom H¹ where it
acts as the hinge. The spring M is carried round the under side of the wire K in
such a manner that it has a tendency to keep the lid always closed. This spring may
be a very weak one merely sufficient to counteract the weight of the lid and may be
made of brass wire or other suitable material.
Through the loop K₁ passes a stirrup N hinged or jointed to the framework of the
muzzle at N'; by passing through the loop K this stirrup N prevents the lid I from
being opened too wide.
If desired the leather or other lining pieces such as D and E may be placed around
other parts of the muzzle but I find in practice that those parts which I have indicated
are the most important and generally speaking if these are lined it is quite sufficient ;
also as already explained it is undesirable to bring the leather to those portions of
the muzzle where it is liable to come in contact with the breath or saliva of the
animal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In a muzzle the combination with the wire of a lining or padding such as D
or E substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. The flat surfaced door or lid 1 substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the complete muzzle sub-
stantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
JOHN
SYMONDS.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.