Improved Means or Apparatus for the Controlling of Horses, Attached to Wheeled Conveyances, during the Driver's Absence.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SP CIFICATION
Improved Means or Apparatus for the Controlling of Horses,
Attached to Wheeled Conveyances, during the Driver's Absence.
I HENRY DE GARRS of Florence Works 105-107 Harwood Street, and residing
at 22 Adelaide Road Brincliffe all in the township of Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield in
the County of York do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
1 affix a lever called the curb-lever (Fig. 1) so as to move horizontally under the
bottom of a carriage or other wheeled conveyance drawn by horses. A is a hole in
the curb-lever, which works on a pin or stud fastened to the side of a carriage,
and projecting low enough to allow the B end of the curb-lever to move freely
underneath the carriage. The C end of the curb-lever is made long enough to
project between the spokes of the carriage wheel. D is a curb-rein attached to
the curb-lever at B, the other end D is to be connected with the ordinary driving
reins. When the curb-lever is not in use, it lies nearly parallel to the carriage
side, being retained in that position with a spring, allowing the curb-rein D to hang
slack; but, when put into use, the curb-lever is moved into the position shewn by
the dotted lines; drawing the curb-rein nearly tight, and projecting the C end of
the curb-lever between the spokes of the carriage wheel. If the horses move
forward, the action of the wheel spoke on the C end of the curb-lever will at once
check them. This curb-lever is put in or out of action with the ordinary brake
lever, slightly modified, and giving it a reverse motion to its action on the brake:
thus if the brake handle be moved forward to put the brake in action it has to be
moved backward to put the curb-lever in action. In the rack which holds the
brake handle, a moveable catch pin is fixed. This catch pin, is to prevent the
curb-lever from being used while the horses are running, and it has to be removed
by the driver, before he can put the curb-lever into action.
101 1
A1006
Improved Means or Apparatus for the Controlling of Horses,
Attached to Wheeled Conveyances, during the Driver's Absence.
I HENBY DE GARRS, of Florence Works 105 and 107 Harwood Street and
residing at 22 Adelaide Road, Brincliffe, all in the township of Ecolesall-Bierlow,
Sheffield, in the County of York 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 automatically control, or prevent the horse,
attached to a wheeled vehicle, from starting, when left alone by the driver.

page_text: The mechanism of this invention is illustrated in the annexed sheet of drawings.
I affix a lever Fig. 1 called the curb-lever, to the bottom of a carriage.
C. A. B. is the curb-lever, the end B works underneath the carriage, and the end C
is made long enough to project about two inches between the spokes of the
carriage wheel, when put into use; but, when not in use, it is held nearly parallel
with the carriage side with a spiral spring E.
A is a hole in the curb-lever which works on a pin or stud fastened to the
bottom of the carriage, a few inches from the side. At the B end of the curb-lever,
the curb-rein D is attached. The dotted lines shew their changed positions when
put into use by projecting the C end of the curb-lever between the wheel spokes ;
drawing the curb-rein D nearly tight.
Fig. 2 represents the body of a conveyance with the additional parts of this
invention. C. A. B. E. D. are the same as described in Fig. 1; the dotted
lines A BED are under the carriage, the end C lying along the side of it. F G H is
the checking-lever in front of the carriage splash board and the curb-rein D is joined
to the checking-lever at F. The bearings on which, the checking lever works, are
also shewn at G. A short strap passes through the top of this lever at H; the
strap having a spring hook at each end to fasten to the ordinary driving reins R.
Another short strap I is fastened to the splash board and passed round the checking
lever to prevent it from touching the horse. K is the lever handle nearly like an
ordinary brake handle, but made thin at K so that it will spring. M is a strap
fastened to the bottom of the lever handle, and its other end is fastened to the
curb-lever at S. The rack L, in which, the lever handle works, has only two notches
in it-one at each end. N is a catch or lock fastened to the rack L, to prevent the
lever handle from being accidentally moved when the conveyance is running.
This catch which works on a hinge, has to be lifted up before the handle can be moved
into the other notch as shown by dotted lines.
Now it will be seen, that when the lever handle is so moved, the curb-lever CAB
and the curb-rein D will be moved into the positions shewn by the dotted lines of
Fig. 1; the Cend being projected between the spokes of the carriage wheel; but,
should one of the spokes be in such a position as to prevent the C end of the
curb lever from passing in between two, the lever handle K Fig. 2, being made to
spring, will hold the Cend pressing against the obstructing wheel spoke; and,
should the horse attempt to go forward, it would pass in between the spokes, and
the following spoke, acting upon the C end of the curb-lever, will cause the
curb-rein D to draw the checking-lever F. G. H. toward the position indicated by its
dotted lines, and hold the horse back.
The foregoing description applies to vehicles where this invention is acted upon
by the top part of the carriage wheel; but, for a conveyance whose low bottomed
construction necessitates the C end of the curb-lever to be projected between the
spokes of the lower half of the wheel, it will be seen that the curb-lever would be
moved in the wrong direction, to counteract this reverse motion, the curb-rein D
Fig. 3 is passed over a pulley or roller revolving on the wheel axle or on a
spindle fastened to the carriage bottom. The direction of the arrows show the
counter action.
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,
The curb-lever C. A. B. the curb-rein D, the checking-lever F. G. H. the
lever-handle K made to spring, the locking catch N and the connecting strap M. S.
and the roller Fig. 3 for reversing motion.