IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLARS FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS AND
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Smith, of Strichen, in the County of
Aberdeen, North Britain, Saddler, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLARS FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS AND IN
Sealed the 15th October 1867, and dated the 7th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th May
1867.
I, ROBERT SMITH, of Strichen, in the County of Aberdeen, North Britain,
Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLARS FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS AND IN
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
Collars for horses and other animals are ordinarily made entirely by hand,
that is, without the use of any special apparatus.
I will describe the manufacture of the said collars according to my
Invention, and also the apparatus which I employ in conducting the said
manufacture. In order to form that part of the collar called the ring or roll
I take a mould or block having the figure of the inner side of the ring

page_text: or roll round its outer edge. The leather to be made into the ring or roll is
prepared in the usual way, and holes punched for the stitching of the body.
The said piece of leather is put round the block, and fastened thereto by sprigs
and clips, and a cord is passed over the leather so as to press it closely in
contact with the mould; this cord is connected to screw pins at the end of
the block, by which screw pins the said cord can be tightened and the leather
held firmly to the block so as to prevent it shifting; a clip is also used for
keeping the leather close to the flat sides of the block. The cloth of which
the body of the collar is to be made is attached by slight sewing to the leather,
and the said leather is sewn up and stuffed by small portions at a time, that is
to say, a few inches of the leather, are sewn up and stuffed, and so on until
the whole of the ring is sewn and stuffed, part of the straw being laid in by
hand; the workman then forms up the portions sewn by means of the stuffer
and hammer. When the whole of the ring has been completed the mould or
block is reversed and fixed by screws to another mould or block which I call
the collar mould, a piece of millboard which continues the shape of the body
and enables the body when completed to be easily removed from the mould
being placed between the two blocks or moulds; the said collar mould has the
figure of part of the body of the collar. The cloth of which the body is to be
made is spread over the inside of the mould and fastened by a few sprigs to
the upper edge of the mould; the breast part is then filled with straw sewn
and formed up with a stuffer; hair is laid in and straw over it for stuffing
the body, and the body is sewn by portions at a time and formed up to the
.top.
By my improvements the body is easier brought to the required shape, and
the long straw and other material used for stuffing being kept straight at the
part of the collar which comes against the shoulders of the animal. The collar
is less liable to gall the animal than collars of the ordinary manufacture, and
joints which are a source of inconvenience in the ordinary manufacture are
avoided.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SMITH, of Strichen, in the County of Aberdeen, North Britain, Saddler, send
greeting.

page_text: .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iк-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLARS FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS AND
IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Smith, my executors or.
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW ŸE, that
the said Robert Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
Collars for horses and other animals are ordinarily made entirely by hand,
that is, without the use of any special apparatus.
:
I will describe the manufacture of the said collars according to my
Invention, and also the apparatus which I employ in conducting the said
manufacture. In order to form that part of the collar called the ring or roll
I take a mould or block having the figure of the inner side of the ring or roll
round its outer edge. The leather to be made into the ring or roll is prepared
in the usual way, and holes punched for the stitching of the roll and body;
the said piece of leather is put round the block and fastened thereto by
stitches and clips, and a cord is passed over the leather so as to press it closely
in contact with the mould; this cord is connected to screw pins or a straining
rod at the end of the block, by which screw pins or straining rod the said cord
can be tightened and the leather held firmly to the block so as to prevent it
shifting; a clip is also used for keeping the leather close to the flat sides of
the block. The cloth of which the body of the collar is to be made is attached

page_text: by a slight sewing to the leather, and the said leather is sewn up and stuffed
by small portions at a time, that is to say, a few inches of the leather are
sewn up and stuffed, and so on, until the whole of the ring is sewn and stuffed,
part of the straw being laid in by hand; the workman then forms up the
portions sewn by means of the stuffer and hammer. When the whole of the
ing has been completed the mould or block is reversed and fixed by screws
to another mould or block, which I call the collar or body mould, a piece of
millboard or wood (which continues the shape of the body and enables the
body when completed to be easily removed from the mould) being placed
between the two blocks or moulds; the said collar or body mould has the
figure of part of the body of the collar. The cloth of which the body is to be
made is spread over the inside of the mould and fastened by a few sprigs to
the upper edge of the mould; the breast part is then filled with straw, sewn
and formed up with a stuffer; hair is laid in and straw over it for stuffing
the body, and the body is sewn by portions at a time and formed up to the
body. By my improvements the body is easier brought to the required shape,
and the long straw and other material used for stuffing being kept straight at
the part of the collar which comes against the shoulders of the animal the
collar is less liable to gall the animal than collars of the ordinary manufacture,
and joints which are a source of inconvenience in the ordinary manufacture
are avoided.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents a plan of the upper or hollow side and edge view of the
block or mould for forming the body of the collar constructed according to my
Invention Figure 2 represents in plan and edge view the block or mould-for
forming the ring or roll of the collar constructed according to my Invention ;
Figure 3 represents in plan and edge view a flat block used with the said roll
block or mould, and Figure 4 represents in plan and edge view 'a middle-block
used with the body and roll blocks or moulds, as herein-after particularly
explained; Figure 5 represents a plan of the under or flat side and edge view
of the body block or mould, to which are fastened the flat block, Figure 3,
and roll block or mould, Figure 2, the said parts, Figure 5, being ready for
use in the formation of the ring or roll of the collar; Figure 6 represents in
'vertical section the said body block or mould, to which are fastened the
middle block, Figure 4, and roll block, Figure 2, the said parts being fastened
to the opposite side of the body block or mould to that to which the roll block
and flat block are fastened in Figure 5. When the parts are in the positions

page_text: represented in Figure 6 the compound mould is ready to be used in the
formation of the body of the collar.
The body block marked a consists of a solid block of hard wood, having.
in one side of it a depression b, the said depression being of the figure of part
of the body of the collar to be made. At one end of the block a a straining
rod c working in the bearings d is situated; around the rod c a cord e is
coiled, the said cord passing around the edge or periphery of the roll block f.
during the formation of the roll, and being pressed thereon with the required.
degree of pressure by turning the said rod c by the fixed nut or collar c³, the
tension of the corde being maintained by a pall 9 engaging with a ratchet
wbeel h on the end of the said rod c. The roll block marked f in the several
Figures. of the Drawing consists of a block of hard wood, the outer edge
or periphery of which has the figure of the inner side of the ring or roll
of the collar, the said outer edge having the hollow or concave figure,
represented.
In making a collar according to my Invention by the use of the blocks or
moulds described and represented I proceed as follows:-To make the ring or
roll of the collar I take the roll block f, Figure 2, and fix it to the flat side of
the body. block a, Figure 1, by means of the screws i entering the screw boxes i³
in the said flat side of the body block a, the flat block k, Figure 5, being
placed between the two blocks a and f; the combined body block, roll block,
and flat block is represented in Figure 5. Having fixed the blocks together,.
or roll prepared in the usual way,
I take a piece of leather to form the ring
and punch three rows of holes therein, two rows being used for making the
roll, and the other row being used for lacing the body to the said roll. The
leather is damped and passed round the hollow edge of the roll block f, the
said leather being kept in its place by the cord e, which cord is tightened to
the required extent by the straining rod c and parts connected therewith, as
herein-before explained. In addition to the cord e a clip or clips of the kind;
herein-after described and represented in Figure 7 may be used for assisting;
in keeping the leather in its place during the formation of the roll. Haying
placed and fastened the piece of leather on the edge of the roll block f the,
cloth (or leather) to. form the body of the collar is stitched by slight sewing.
to the leather of the roll, the said leather to form the roll having at this stage.
5 somewhat of a semi-tubular or trough-like figure. A quantity of straw is laid
in this open tube or trough, and the workman then commences to stitch with
a strong wax thread at that part of the leather which is to form the middle of
the throat or breast of the roll, making use of the two rows of punch holes.
herein-before described, and at the same time attaching or stitching to the said,

page_text: leather of the roll by means of the third row of holes the cloth (or leather)
of which the body is to be made. Having stitched a few inches of the roll a
wisp of straw is bent over the point of an iron stuffer and driven into the roll
with a hammer or mallet; the workman proceeds to stitch and stuff alter-
nately until the whole of the roll is finished; the roll of the collar being
finished the roll block f and flat block k are unscrewed from the flat side of
the body block a, and the roll block containing the roll just formed being
reversed is laid upon the middle block 1, represented separately in Figure 4.
The body block a having been also reversed the roll block f and middle
block are screwed by the screws i, i, to the hollow side of the said body
block a, which is now uppermost, as represented in Figure 6. The hollow
side of the body block a has screw boxes m fixed in it into which the screws i
enter, the same screws being employed as were used to fasten the roll block
to the body block. One end of the middle block is inclined, as represented,
and when the said block is fixed to the hollow side of the body block a the
said inclined end increases to the required extent the depth of one side of the
hollow or depression 6 of the body block, as seen in Figure 6, and assists in
giving shape to the body of the collar. When the roll block f has been
fastened to the body block a in the position represented, the cloth (or leather)
for the body which is attached to the roll in the said block f falls into the
hollow or depression b of the body block a, and the workman taking a
quantity of long straw laces it into the throat of the body by attaching together
the leather of the roll and cloth (or leather) of the body. When the. throat
is firmly stuffed he bends the long straw and lays it into the hollow of the
body block, and then stuffs up the body lacing and stuffing alternately until
the body is finished. After the collar has been formed the middle block lis
removed, when the body of the collar may be released from the depression 6
in the body block a. Instead of making the body block solid or in one piece
as herein-before described and illustrated, the said body block may be made
of several pieces bound together by bolts and nuts,
Figure 7 represents a plan of the upper or flat side, side elevation, and
cross section respectively of a body block made of several pieces, with which
are combined the roll block and flat block. In the said Figure 7 the parts of
which the body block is composed are marked n, and the bolts. and nuts by
which the said pieces are-bound and bolted together are marked o, p. In this
arrangement the roll block f and flat block k instead of being fastened to the
body block by screws and screw boxes as in the first-described arrangement
are fastened to the body block by the thumbscrews g working upon the.screwed
ends of the rods r, r. Attached to the roll block f. is a clip s, to be used. in

page_text: place of or in addition to the cord e herein-before described for keeping the
leather of which the roll is to be made in its place during the formation of
the said roll. The shape of the clip s is best seen in the cross section, Figure 7,
the said clip being attached by a cord to the central screw t. By turning the
screw t in one or other direction the said cord may be wound upon or unwound
from the said screw, and the said cord consequently lengthened or shortened
so as to enable the clips to traverse the whole. of the circumference or
periphery of the roll block f, and press upon the leather of the roll during the
formation of the said roll in the manner herein-before. described. In order
that one set of the blocks may be applicable to the making of collars of dif
ferent sizes I make each block of four (or more) pieces, and make the' said
pieces capable of being expanded or contracted lengthwise, or both lengthwise
and crosswise, so as to give the required length and width to the block according
to the size of the collar to be made.
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. represent a set of adjustable blocks separately
and combined together, constructed. according to my Invention for the manu-
facture of collars of different sizes. Figure 8 representing a plan of the upper
or hollow side, and Figure 9.an end elevation of the body block; Figure 10;
a plan of the roll block; Figure 11, a plan of the middle block; and Figure 12
an elevation of the body block taken on the dotted line x, Figure 8, to which
body block are fastened the middle and roll blocks; Figures 10 and 11 the
combined block; Figure 12 being ready to be used in the formation of the
body of the collar..
The body block, Figure 8, consists of four parts, marked respectively a, b,
c, d, capable of moving radially from the centre of the block. Each part a, b,
c, d, is hollowed out on one side at e to the form of a portion of the body
of the collar; the depression e in the block may be made of any required
pattern. On the sides and ends of the block are rods f, f, the ends of the
rods being screwed, the screw on one end being left handed, and the screw
on the opposite end being right handed. Two screw boxes marked g are
fixel on each of the parts a, b, c, d, in which screw boxes the screws on the
ends of the rods f, f, work. By turning the screwed rods f in one or other
direction by a spanner applied to the nuts at their middle the parts a, b, c, d,
of the block may be moved longwise in opposite directions, and by'turning the
rods fin a similar manner the said parts a, b, c, d, of the block may be moved
crosswise in opposite directions. In this way the several parts of the block
may be expanded or contracted to the required extent so as to increase or
diminish the size of the hollow or depression'e of the said block to suit the.
collar. to be made. The parts of the block are guided in their motion by

page_text: dowls h, h, that is, by a pin on one part sliding in a hole or slot in the other
part. The roll block, Figure 10 is composed of four pieces i, k, l, m, which
are expanded or contracted by means of right and left-handed screws n working
in screw boxes made in the dovetails q, let into the said pieces i, k, l, m; the
screws n are turned by nuts or angular collars upon them as represented.
The middle block, Figure 11, is also composed of four pieces i, k, l, m, con-
nected together by dowls r, upon which they may be expanded or contracted.
When the middle block and roll block are placed upon the hollow side of the
body block they are fitted thereto by dowls, that is, the top side of the middle
block has pins upon it, which enter holes in the bottom side of the roll block.
The three blocks marked s, t, u, in Figure 12, are fastened together by
means of thumbscrews working on the screwed ends of the rods w, the said
rods being hooked to the dowls h of the body block, as seen in the said
Figure 12. The adjustable blocks represented in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12
are used in the manufacture of collars in the manner previously described with
respect to blocks incapable of adjustment. The blocks or moulds are placed
during use on a table, bench, or other support to suit the workman.. The
blocks or moulds may either be made of wood or of iron, or of wood and
iron combined. The manufacture of collars by the ordinary method is most
laborious, and can only be effected by skilled workmen, the work being done
on the ground with the body of the workman bent in an uneasy position. By
conducting the manufacture of collars by the use of blocks or moulds according
to my Invention the work is effected much easier and quicker with the body
in an upright position, and skilled labour is dispensed with.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein-before described and illustrated, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but
I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the improvements in the manufacture of collars for horses and
other animals, herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say, conducting the manufacture of the said collars sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described in conjunction with the
apparatus herein-before described and illustrated, whereby the manufacture of
the said collars is expedited, their quality improved, and the use of skilled
labour dispensed with.
Secondly, the improvements in apparatus to be used in the manufacture of
collars for horses and other animals, herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, the construction, combination,

page_text: and use substantially in the manner described and illustrated of blocks or
moulds to be employed in the manufacture of the rings or rolls and bodies of
the said collars.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Smith, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
W. A. GAVIN, Witness,
Strichen,
Aberdeenshire.
ROBERT SMITH. (L.B.)