IMPROVEMENTS IN BITS FOR HORSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Baron Ernest Louis Auguste Graves Vander Smissen, of
Rue de Locht, No. 78, Schaerbeck, near Brussels, Belgium, at present residing
at the Covent Garden Hotel, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BITS FOR HORSES." Partly a communication from abroad
hv A de Witkowsky of Brussels.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Baron Ernest Louis Auguste
Graves Vander Smissen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
20th June 1879.
'
BARON ERNEST LOUIS AUGUSTE GRAVES VANDER SMISSEN, of Rue de Locht,
No. 78, Schaerbeck, near Brussels, Belgium, at present residing at the Covent Garden
Hotel, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BITS FOR HORSES." [Partly
a communication from abroad by A. de Witkowsky, of Brussels.
The object of this Invention is the construction of bits for horses in such manner
as to effectually prevent running away, without spoiling the mouth of the animal.
The improved bit consists of a tubular mouth piece which is fixed to the cheeks
or side pieces. The cheeks or side pieces have the usual eyes to receive the reins
and the curb chain. An axis or inner bit passes through the tubular mouth piece;
it is bent or cranked out in the centre, forming a port or tongue which projects out
through an opening provided in the side of the tubular mouth piece. Two reins are
One rein, as
employed corresponding to the curb and snaffle reins in ordinary use.
already mentioned, is attached to the cheeks or side pieces; the other is attached to
arms fixed at the ends of the axis or inner bit, and by means of this latter the axis
or inner bit can be made to turn within the tubular mouth piece, and so the port
or tongue upon it can be made to exert pressure within the mouth of the horse.
The inner bit is made in three pieces, consisting of the straight ends and the
central port or tongue; these screw the one to the other when put together for use,
but they are easily separated to facilitate cleaning.
The screws are so arranged that the strain upon the rein tends to tighten up the
jointe

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Baron Ernest Louis Auguste Graves Vander Smissen in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 19th December 1879.
BARON ERNEST LOUIS AUGUSTE GRAVES VANDER SMISSEN, of Rue de Locht,
No. 78, Schaerbeck, near Brussels, Belgium, at present residing at the Covent Garden 5
Hotel, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BITS FOR HORSES." (Partly
a communication from abroad by A. de Witkowsky, of Brussels.
The object of this Invention is the construction of bits for horses in such manner
as to effectually prevent running away, without spoiling the mouth of the animal.
The improved bit consists of a tubular mouth piece which is fixed to the cheeks I
or side pieces. The cheeks or side pieces have the usual eyes to receive the reins
and the curb chain. An axis or inner bit passes through the tubular mouth piece;
it is bent or cranked out in the centre, forming a port or tongue which projects out
through an opening provided in the side of the tubular mouth piece. Two reins are
employed corresponding to the curb and snaffle reins in ordinary use. One rein, as 1
already mentioned, is attached to the cheeks or side pieces; the other is attached to
arms fixed at the ends of the axis or inner bit, and by means of this latter the axis
or inner bit can be made to turn within the tubular mouth piece, and so the port or
tongue upon it can be made to exert pressure within the mouth of the horse.
The inner bit is made in three pieces, consisting of the straight ends and the 2
central port or tongue; these screw the one to the other when put together for use,
but they are easily separated to facilitate cleaning.
The screws are so arranged that the strain upon the rein tends to tighten up the
joints.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a bit constructed according to this Invention. a, a,
are the cheeks or side pieces, having the usual eyes formed in them; in the Drawing
these cheeks are not complete, the lower ends being broken off. b is the tubular
mouth piece fixed to the cheeks; it is shown separately at Figure 2. c is an inner
bit passing through the mouth piece b. The inner bit is built up of parts, viz., a
bent or cranked piece in the centre forming the port or tongue of the bit, and which
projects out through an opening in the side of the tubular mouth piece, and two
straight axial pieces contained within the tubular part of the mouth piece b. These
straight axial pieces are fixed or formed with the arms c', c', to which one pair of
reins is attached, the other pair of reins being connected as usual to the cheeks a, a.
The parts of the inner bit fix the one to the other by screws, as already mentioned,
and in the manner clearly represented at Figure 3, so that they can readily be taken
apart for cleaning.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The construction of bits for horses substantially as described and illustrated
by the annexed Drawings.
Second. The construction of bits for horses with a tubular mouth piese containing

page_text: an inner bit having a projecting port or tongue, such inner bit being made in parts
capable of being readily separated so that it may be removed for cleaning.
In witness whereof, I, the said Baron Ernest Louis Auguste Graves Vander
Smissen, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
BONE. L. A. GRAVES VD. SMISSEN. (L.B.)