IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING COOLING APPARATUS APPLICABLE IN CASES OF INJURIES TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS
Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE DOWNING of Quality Court Chancery Lane London in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING COOLING APPARATUS APPLICABLE IN CASES OF
INJURIES TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS, a communication from Leopold Victor Swaine of
the City of Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire Lieutenant
Colonel in Her Britannic Majesty's Army 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 improvements in automatic or self acting cooling
apparatus to be applied in cases of injuries to domestic animals and which is
specially adapted for cooling acute' inflammation of the sinews hocks and other
parts of horses and other domestic animals or inflammation which may be caused
through the spraining of the fetlocks of said animals.
This apparatus, as a rule removes and cures the beforementioned complaints and
sufferings within the space of twenty four hours, so that horses which have been
suffering from these complaints are after three or four days time again fit for
service.
The advantages which this apparatus offers over any others previously in
existance are in the first place the great facility with which the same can be
applied to all or any of the different parts of the limbs which are at all liable to
these complaints, and the fact that the said apparatus constantly remains in action
without in any way being influenced by the restlessness or excitement which"
especially larger animals would evince, and furthermore that even when dirty
water should be used, a harmless and beneficial cooling can be effected by means of
the said apparatus.
The cooling of the afflicted parts of the body by means of binding or wrapping
them up with straw, cloth or similar material, does not in any way answer the

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purpose, as the effect thereby produced upon the afflicted parts is by no means so
intense as that produced by this apparatus, besides the former mode of cooling
required constance attendance during the cooling process, whereas. my apparatus
only requires looking after or filling from time to. time, thereby dispensing with.
the necessity of constant attendance whereas its cooling effect can be still further
and very considerably increased if the same is filled or partly filled with ice.
If warm water is used the apparatus may be employed to advantage for rinsing,
washing and cleansing wounds, sores and ulcers etc.
My invention is represented in the following drawings.
Figure 1 shows the entire arrangement of my cooling apparatus as attached to
the leg of a horse.
Figure 2 is an exterior view of the same.
Figure 3 is a section of figure 2.
"
4 is an inner view of the cooler itself which consists of the two metal
plates 661 and the connecting hinge a. Upon these said metal plates the two
receptacles or reservoirs c c¹ are fixed by means of solder, which receptacles or
reservoirs carry each a tubular knee piece d or d¹ which are connected to the
tubular piece fƒ by means of small India rubber pipes e c¹.
Straps g g are arranged on each side of the plates bb' for the purpose of
strapping the cooling apparatus to the inflamed part whereby the said apparatus is
allowed to adopt itself to the particular form of the body by the action of the
hinge a.
Now in order to prevent the cooler from being pressed too, close to the inflamed
part and to enable the water to find its way out of the small openings h with
which the aforementioned plates are provided, and trickle over the injured part
and at the same time prevent any injurious friction on the particular part of the
body, the inner surface of the plates are provided with small projecting pieces of
felt or other suitable material i.
In order to prevent the adjusted cooler from shifting and slipping down the
same is provided at its upper edge with suitable straps which are fastened to
the belt which latter is strapped to the body at a suitable place above the
injured part.
The one arm of the T shaped tubular piece is connected to a tube m of india
rubber or other suitable material which is connected to a funnel o at the lower end
of a water bag or other appropriate receptacle n. This bag or receptacle which
holds the cooling water or other fluid is made of water tight linen or a suitable.
equivalent and is suspended to the saddle or rug girth by means of the hook q or
its equivalent.
For preventing any dirt or unclean matter from entering the cooler, the funnel o
is provided with a fine wire sieve or strainer p whereby all dirty or impure matter
is prevented from passing into the cooler.
The water passing through the pipe or tube m into the receptacle or reservoirs c c¹
being under comparatively high pressure is squirted or ejected through the small
holes or perforations of the plates bb¹ in a fine jet against the injured part and
produces an intense and effective cooling.
The adjustment of the apparatus is very simple but special care should be taken
that the same and above all the sieve or strainer, is cleaned before use, it is also recom-
mended to dip the water-bag in water and to wash the wound or injured part of
the animal, in order to prevent the bag from soaking up the water at first and to
avoid the water running off over the dry hairs of the animal.
When the water in the bag is nearly consumed the same has to be filled again
according to requirement.
Instead of making the two receptacles or reservoirs c c¹ of rigid material and
providing them with hinges for better adapting themselves to the form of the body,
the cooling apparatus can also be made of elastic material when the hinge can be
dispensed with as such elastic material will naturally adapt itself to the form of
the body without the aid of hinges.

page_text: The inner side of the apparatus is in like manner provided with perforations and
as a matter of course the pieces of felt must be employed here, to prevent the
apparatus from pressing too closely against the affected part whereby the functions
of the apparatus would be greatly impaired.
Instead of soldering the receptacle to the perforated sheet metal or other suit-
able material the said reservoirs can be stamped pressed or otherwise formed of one
piece of metal and a small sheet metal or other plate which is suitably perforated
soldered, screwed or otherwise affixed to the inner surface of the same in order to
reduce the expense of manufacture.
It is obvious however that the details of my apparatus can be varied in many
ways without departing from the tenor of my invention.
Instead of employing a water bag the apparatus can also be connected by a
pipe tube or small hose with any other water supply without departing from the
tenor of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
In a cooling apparatus for the constant cooling of injuries and inflammations etc
of horses and other domestic animals:
1. The employment and arrangement of one two or more receptacles or
reservoirs c c¹ made of rigid elastic or semi elastic material and either connected by
hinges or not, according to requirement for the purpose of adapting themselves to
the form of the body, which said receptacles or reservoirs are at their inner side
provided with small holes or perforations and pieces of felt i, by means of which
the injured part can be sprinkled or washed with water or any other appropriate
fluid substantially as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of these receptacles or reservoirs which are provided with
pieces of tubes, with a water bag or some other water supply by means of an
india rubber pipe or tube or its equivalent for the purpose of producing a constant
cooling of the affected parts substantially as described and shown in the accom-
panying drawings.