Improvements in Harness for Horses and other Animals.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1891--Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Harness for Horses and other Animals.
I, LOUIS DANNHAUSER, a resident of Brienner Str. 8, Munich, Bavaria,
Germany, Gentleman, 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 :-
This invention relates to harness for horses and other animals of draft, and
consists of a certain improved construction of such harness whereby horses may be
effectually prevented from running away. This object is accomplished partly by
providing improved means for operating the winkers, blinders or eye covers so as to
close or shut them over the eyes of the animals and thus to effectually blind them,
and partly by imparting a strong tension to the head of the animal and pulling and
holding his head down and at the same time checking or stopping his breathing by
closing his mouth and nostrils. When my entire invention is used the means for
closing the mouth and nostrils consists of a bag of air tight and clastic material,
and of a rein or reins for closing it over the mouth and nostrils of the animal, and
the reins which operate the bag are also adapted to exert a strong tension upon
the head of the animal and to pull and hold down the head of the animal.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side view showing my improved harness in place upon a horse.
Figure 2 is a front view of the same.
Figure 3 is a side view showing the bag closed over the nose and mouth of the
animal.
Figure 4 is a side view showing more completely the operating reins.
My improvements are adapted to be applied to an ordinary bridle provided with
the eye covers usually denominated as winkers or blinders, but necessitates slight
changes in the construction thereof. A bridle is shown in the accompanying
drawings constructed according to my invention, and its head-stall is lettered a.
The winkers are attached to the cheek piece of the bridle in the usual manner,
and may or may not be provided with the ordinary straps to hold them up alongside
of the eyes of the animal. To operate these winkers according to my invention I
provide reins connected to the winkers and arranged so as, when operated, to close
the winkers over the eyes of the animals. Two such reins c c are shown, cach
attached at one end to one of the snaffles d. The reins cc pass freely and loosely
through loops in the front portions of the winkers, and then through
guides a a¹ at the top of the head-stall a of the bridle. The reins c, c, are brought
together and united at any convenient point and then pass as one rein either with
the ordinary reins c', c', or separately from such reins to any convenient part of the
wagon or to the hand of the driver.
The operation of the winkers is effected by pulling upon the reins c, c. The
tension thus applied closes the winkers bb tightly down upon the eyes of the
animal. The reins cc slip through the loops in the winkers bb and are
pulled toward the centre line of the head of the animal and thus the winkers
are not only closed over the eyes of the animal but are pressed tightly down
over its eyes.
I will now describe the device for cutting off the wind and pulling down the
head of the animal. A strap or band e extends over the nose of the animal
and is connected to a rein or reins passing under the body and between the
forelegs of the animal and through a ring f (see Fig. 4) or other guide at the
belly band of the harness and thence to the shaft or traces, along which it is
guided and brought into the carriage in convenient proximity to the driver. In
the construction shown the strape is attached at each end to one of the snaffles &

page_text: of the harness. The strap e is connected by a suitable strap g with the top of the
head stall a, so as to hold it in position. Another band or strap is provided
attached to rings i, of which rings there are two, one being attached to or forming
part of each snaffle d of the harness, and the strap is attached to these rings i, so
that it will turn freely upon them, and to this strap-are attached the two reins ff,
which reins are joined into a single rein that passes under the body and between
the forelegs of the animal as above described. When the device is in the position
shown in Figures 1 and 2, as it will be under ordinary circumstances, the strap h
extends around above the nose of the animal. Upon the application of a strong
tension to the rein the strap will be pulled down into the position shown in
Figure 3.
A bag of rubber or other suitable air tight and elastic material is attached
to the straps e and so that when the strap is pulled down as in Figure 3 this
bag will cover the nostrils and partly cover the mouth of the animal and thus
effectually prevent its breathing. This cutting off of the wind of the animal in
conjunction with the heavy tension holding down its head will quickly bring the
animal to a standstill and thus effectually stop a runaway.
It is evident that various slight modifications may be made in the construction of
the various parts of my invention without departing from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with the head stall of a bridle for animals, and with eye
covers attached to such head stall, of reins attached to the head stall near the bit
and passing loosely through loops in the eye covers and through guides at the top
of the head stall whereby the eye covers may be closed over the eyes of the animal,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the head stall of a bridle for animals and with the eye
covers attached thereto, of the reins c, c, attached to the snaffles of the bridle
and passing through the loops b', in the eye covers and through guides a¹ a¹ at
the top of the head stall, substantially as set forth.
3. In a harness for animals, a strap passing around the nose of the animal and a
rein or reins connected thereto and passing down under the body and between the
forelegs of the animal, and suitably guided to the driver's position in the carriage,
substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with an animal's bridle, of a strap passing around the
nose of the animal, a strap connecting the same to the head-stall of the bridle,
and the rein connected thereto, and the guide ring ¹, substantially as set
forth.
5. In a harness for animals, a strap around the nose of the animal, a bag of
air tight material connected thereto, and a rein or reins connected to such bag,
whereby the bag is pulled over the nostrils of the arimal, substantially as set:
forth.
!
6. The combination, with an animal's bridle, of the straps e and ½, passing around
the nose of the animal, the strap y joining the strap e to the head-stall, the bag j
connected to the straps e and h, and a rein or reins connected to the strap h, sub-
stantially as set forth.
7. The combination with an animal's bridle, of the straps e and passing around
the nose of the animal, the strap g joining the strap e to the head-stall, the bag j
connected to straps e and h, the rein connected to the strap 4, and the guide
ring, substantially as set forth.
ited the 15th day of May 1891.
LOUIS DANNHAUSER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.