-Improved Bridle for Stopping Runaway Horses.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application 5th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
-Improved Bridle for Stopping Runaway Horses.
I JOHN GORMAN of Mary Tavy in the County of Devonshire Prison Officer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention consists of an improved bridle for stopping runaway horses by
blindfolding or partially blindfolding them.
To affect this the bridle is fitted with two wings or laps made of brass and
leather or any other suitable material and work on hinges-one on each blinker.
They are operated upon by the driver. To each wing a small rein made of cord
or leather or any suitable material is attached and it works in a small pulley or
roller fixed to the bridle at the base of the blinker on the outside. It extends up
the side of the bridle to the top of the horses head. Here are two small pullies or
rollers through which the reins pass. A short distance from this both reins are
fastened in a suitable sliding junction or attachment.
Near this junction is fixed a spring catch for the purpose of holding it back when
not in use.
From this part back to a suitable place near the driver two reins are carried
and fastened-one connected to the spring catch and the other to the sliding
junction.
These small reins work in an encasement of leather or other suitable material
for the purpose of preventing them from getting entangled with any part of the
harness.
The wings or laps when not in use are folded on the outside part of the blinkers.
They are provided with suitable springs for the purpose of drawing or bringing
them over the horses eyes when required. And they then rest against the horses
face.
When a horse runs away or is likely to do so the driver pulls the rein fastened'
to the spring catch which releases the movable junction and allows the springs to
act ou the wings or laps by moving them over the horses eyes where they are held
as long as required thereby shutting off from the view of the horse any object of
fright.
And when the driver wishes to take them off the eyes of the horse he pulls
back the other rein until the spring catch acts on the movable junction by holding
it back and also both wings or laps in their normal position.
Dated thin 2nd dor of Lune 1905
improved Bridle for Stopping Runaway Horos
I JOHN GORMAN of Mary Tavy Devonshire, Prison Officer, 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 consists of an improved driving bridle for stopping runaway
horses by blindfolding or partially blindfolding them.

page_text: To affect this the winkers of the bridle are fitted with two movable metal
wings A covered with leather and work on hinges B fastened to two fixed metal
plates C-one to each winker. The wings A are operated upon by the driver.
These plates C are larger than the wings A. They are covered, with leather
on the inside and partially covered on the outside parts, they are sewn or riveted
to the cheeks of the bridle and form the winker plates of the bridle. Holes are
made in them where needed for sewing or riveting the leather to them. Each
wing A. has two spiral springs D which work in tubing or cylinders E fastènel to
the inside of the fixed plates C and are covered with leather, one above and the
other below each eye of the horse when the bridle is on the horse. These spring's d
act by compression, there being a small rod f through the centre of each, having a
head at one end and fastened to the wing at the opposite end by a small piece of
chain 9 or other suitable attachment so as to work the wings A by bringing them
from their folded position over the eyes of the horse when necessary.
When not in use the wings A are folded on the outside of the winkers C and held
in this position by two spiral spring catches h, one to each winker working by
compression in tubing or cylinders i fastened to the outside parts of the fixed
plates C at right angles with the wings A.
The hinge parts or joints B B of the wings are at the extremities of the
winkers C and stand out a little beyond the eyes of the horse vertically when the
bridle is on the horse.
A small rod k works in the centre of each spring catch. One end forms the
catch and the opposite end extends through and has a hole in it for the purpose
of attaching a ring or small piece of chain to as required. The latter reaches
through the cheek M of the bridle.
n
There is also a small pulley or roller a fixed to the winker plates C on either side
of these rods k for the purpose of steadying them and helping them to travel. To
the rings in these rods a cord or other suitable rein is fastened by two swivel hooks,
one each side of the horses head and it extends back to a suitable place near the
driver of any vehicle or conveyance. Here where it forms the double or return it
passes through a small pulley O in a case U having a loop p behind the pulley O
for the purpose of pulling the same to a centre so as to secure the drawing back of
both spring catches H simultaneously. These reins are encased in leather or other
suitable material and they run seperately from the bridle cheeks M to the back of
the horset where they unite and run parallel back as far as required where the
encasement is fastened to the inside of the dash board of a conveyance, or to any
other suitable part. The reins run out of, or emerge from the encasement just
where the pulley O works. The encasement is hooked to the bridle on either side
by means of slots and small metal tees R fastened to the cheeks M of the bridle
just over the rods k of the spring catches h and carried back through the rings or
eyes of the harness used for carrying the ordinary driving reins which are also used
in this invention.
This bridle has in the checks M when required buckles S for adjusting it, both
above and below the winkers C.
The head, front, noseband, chin strap and bit of this bridle are made like any
ordinary bridle.
How APPLIED.
When a horse runs away or is likely to do so, the driver takes hold of the
loop p Fig. 5 of the pulley O case through which the small reins work and pulls it.
This draws back the both spring catches and releases the two wings A and allows
the four inside springs E to act by bringing the two wings A over the horses eyes,
thereby shutting off from the horses view any object of fright and bringing it under
the control of the driver who can now stop it at will with the ordinary driving
reins which he holds in the left hand while pulling back the spring catches h with
the right hand.
The wings A are held by the springs d over the horses eyes as long as required.

page_text: To take the wings A off the horses eyes after it has been stopped they are folded
back on the outside of the winkers C by taking hold of each one with the hand
and pressing it back until the spring catches h again act by holding them in their
normal position.
When taking a horse or horses out of a vehicle the small reins and encasement
can be unhooked at the winkers at 1 and the encasement at the opposite end also.
This bridle can be used in riding on horseback by using a short pair of small
reins, either with or without the encasement and fastening them to the pommel of
the saddle. It can also be used on horses employed in carts, waggons and the like
by using a very short pair of small reins hooked to the spring catches in the same
manner as a long pair would be, but to hang loose under the horses chin so that the
driver walking beside the horse could take hold of it and apply the wings A when.
required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what.
I claim is