IMPROVEMENTS IN MANGER LOGS OR BALLS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Browne Smith, of Kennington, in. the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANGER
LOGS OR BALLS."
•
Sealed the 29th October 1872, and dated the 1st May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Browne Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
tho 1st May 1872.
I, GEORGE BROWNE SMITH, of Kennington, in the County of Surrey,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS.
IN MANGER LOGS OR BALLS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore manger logs or balls have been generally made of hard
substances, which when knocked against the manger, produce un-
pleasant noises and cause injury to the cast-iron or other mangers, and
if made of wood are subject to be gnawed by the horses. To remedy
these evils manger logs of solid gutta percha have been occasionally
used, but it has been found that gutta percha hardens as it gets older.
and the noise has but been slightly diminished if at all.

page_text: Now according to my Invention I make manger balls of vulcanized
india-rubber, preferably hollow, and by preference with an india-rubber
tube stay through the centre for the chain, strap, or ropo, to pass
through. Vulcanized india-rubber being clastic, any sudden jerk from
the horse does not produce breakage of the chain, rope, or strap, nor
any injury to the manger, and all noise is practically prevented. The
shape of the log or ball I prefer to make spherical, but it may be made
of other suitable shapes as practice may dictate.
Instead of having the tube stay. through the ball the same may be
attached to the chain, rope, or strap by other suitable means,
for 1
instance, by a netting enclosing or surrounding the same, but I prefer
the above-named tube stay arrangement. The ball must be of sufficient
weight to draw the rope back again after it has been pulled up. This
may be attained by making the ball large and heavy in itself, or a
metallic or other weight may be attached to it.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Browne, Smith in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 1st November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BROWNE SMITH, of Kennington, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Browne Smith, Her special
licence that I, the said George Browne Smith, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Browne 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MANGER LOGS OR Balls," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Browne Smith, my executors or admini-

page_text: strators, 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 YE, that I, the said George Browne Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say :-
Heretofore manger logs or balls have been generally made of hard
substances, which when knocked against tho manger produce unpleasant
noises, and cause injury to the cast-iron or other mangers; and if made
of wood are subject to be gnawed by the horses. To remedy these evils
manger logs of solid gutta percha have been occasionally used, but it
has been found that gutta percha hardens as it gets older, and the noise
has but been slightly diminished if at all.
Now according to my Invention I make manger balls of vulcanized
india-rubber hollow, and by preference with an india-rubber tube stay
through the centre for the chain, strap, or rope to pass through. Vul-
canized india-rubber being elastic any sudden jerk from the horse does
not produce breakage of the chain, rope, or strap, nor any injury to the
manger, and all noise is practically prevented. The shape of the log or
ball I prefer to make spherical, but it may be made of other suitable
shapes as practice may dictate.
;
Instead of having the tube stay through the ball the same may be
attached to the chain, rope, or strap by other suitable means, for instance
by a netting enclosing or surrounding the same; but I prefer the above-
named tube stay arrangement. The ball must be of sufficient weight to.
draw the rope back again after. it has been pulled up. This may be
attained by making the ball large and heavy in itself, or a metallic or
other weight may be attached to it.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a view in vertical section;
and Figure 2 is a view in plan of a manger ball constructed according to
one way in which my Invention may be carried into effect. a is the

page_text: ball made of vulcanized india-rubber; ↳ is the aperture through the same
for the passage of the ordinary rope, cord, strap, or chain.
Figure 3 is a section of a manger ball also made according to this
Invention, but shewing.a weight at its lower end.
Figure 4 showing views of the weight.
c is the weight which fits into a hollow or recess made in the ball, so
that when the weight is therein the metal of which the weight is com-
posed completes the spherical shape of the ball.
I prefer to make the weight so as to complete the spherical shape of
the ball, although the weight may be made of any desired or required 1
shape.
Another arrangement for a manger ball also according to my
Invention is accomplished by enclosing the ball in a frame or netting, or
a ring may be attached to the ball for connecting the rope thereto, or
other suitable means may be employed. ·
1
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not claim the
manufacture and use of manger balls made of solid pieces of india-rubber
or gutta percha; but I do claim, the employment and application of
articles known as manger balls made hollow and of vulcanized india- 2
rubber with weights attached or not as required, and with or without
tubo straps, all substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Browne Smith, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of November, in the 2
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.