An Improved Breast-plate and Neck Strap for Draught Animals.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Breast-plate and Neck Strap for Draught Animals.
I, ALFRED THOMAS RUTTER of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, Harness
Maker and Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the construction of a harness breast-plate, designed for
the purpose of preventing the chafing or rubbing occasioned to the breast of a horse
or other draught animal by the use of the ordinary breast plate, and which may be
adjusted by an unskilled person to fit animals of various shapes and sizes.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view of the breast-plate and neck
strap according to, my invention. A represents that part of the breast-plate upon
which the trace B slides, C C are metal or leather loops rivetted to the breast-plate.
These loops when of metal can be made to open at the top by unscrewing a screw
at the side in order to admit of the trace B being put in position; they keep the
trace B in position upon the breast plate A. D is a metal loop, with a roller
attached to it, fixed on the neck strap E, so that the bugle strap being passed
over the roller runs easily without tending to displace the neck strap E, thus
lessening friction and chafing on the neck of the animal. F is the saddle strap
and H the girth strap which keep the breast-plate in position.
Fig. 2 represents the construction of the breast-plate adapted for ordinary
harness. In this case the trace part B1 of the breast plate instead of being con-
tinuous with the trace B itself is attached to it by a buckle which is carried by the
saddle strap F.
Dated this 24th day of February 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Breast-plate and Neck Strap for Draught Animals.
I, ALFRED THOMAS RUTTER, of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, Harness
Maker and 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 :—
My invention relates to the construction of the breast plate, neck plate, and
saddle for harness, with their attachments as I shall describe referring to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1. is a perspective side view of the front parts of the harness according to
my invention.
Fig. 2 shews a modification.
A is the breastplate which passes round the front of the chest of the horse and
is usually connected to the breechin and traces, but which according to my inven-
tion, is connected to the breechin by straps C but is not connected to the traces B.
These traces in one continuous length, as shewn in Fig. 1, pass round the fronts of
the breast plate A being free to slide along it to and fro, and thus the chest of the
animal is saved from the chafing and rubbing to which it is subjected when the
traces are rigidly attached to the breast plate. Instead of making the traces in
one piece with the part which passes round the breast plate, this latter may be a
separate piece B' as shewn in Fig. 2. having the traces B attached to its ends by
buckles D. The saddle E having straps F by loops of which the traces B are
[ Price fil

page_text: suspended and which is secured in the ordinary way by girths or belly bands G, is
made with several loops H. between any pair of which may be set the rings I which
guide the reins.
The neck plate K, over which passes the strap L suspending the breastplate A,
is also made with several loops between which the rein guides I can be set.
When
a bugle pole is employed it is held in rings M at the ends of the bugle strap N
which passes over the neck plate K through guide staples P. In the lower part of
each of these staples is a small roller over which the bugle strap N passes so that
it moves to and fro with little friction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In harness, the combination of a saddle, a breast plate, a neck plate from
which the breast plate is suspended, and a pair of traces connected round the front
of the breast plate but free to slide along it, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
2. In harness, in combination with the saddle and neck plate and their straps,
several loops through which their straps pass and rein guides adapted to be held
between any pair of these loops, substantially as described.
3. In harness, in combination with the neck plate, a bugle strap passing through
staples on neck plate over rollers therein, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of August 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.