Improvements in Apparatus for Exercising Horses and other Animals on Board Ship and for like purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1898-Accepted, 1st Apr.,
1899
Improvements in Apparatus for Exercising Horses and other
Animals on Board Ship and for like purposes.
I, NEILSON BURGESS, of 360, Kennington Road, S.E., in the County of Surrey,
Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for exercising horses and other animals on
board ship and for like purposes, such as for training horses for races or for
trying their speed.
According to the said invention 1 employ a movable platform on which the horse
is placed and supported by any suitable means. This platform moves backward
freely as the horse performs the motions usual in running or galloping, so that
whereas the horse never moves away from the position in which it is placed, it
gets the same amount of exercise as it would do in a long run across country.
The apparatus is so constructed that it may be readily taken to pieces for
cleaning and be packed away in a very small compass, in case it should not be
required, say when the vessel is not carrying animals requiring much exercise.
Suitable means are provided for indicating the distances that the platform travels
while the horse is exercising on it, and for calling the attention of the attendant
when different distances are completed, so as to guard against the horse being
over-exercised.
The movable platform referred to may consist of an endless band formed of
parallel transverse boards or slats hinged or jointed together along their edges.
The platform passes over rollers or drums at each end, and its upper portion which
supports the horse, rests upon a bed of smaller rollers mounted in the framing
of the apparatus and arranged "en échelon " or so as to break-joint or alternate with
one another.
One end of the platform is advantageously raised above the other, and the horse
is placed thereon with its head towards the higher end, the platform being at
this time held stationary by any suitable catch or stop. On the release of this
stop the horse naturally begins to try to run forward to the higher end of the
platform and so involuntarily throws himself into the proper motion.
A wide girth or band may be passed under the horse and attached to suitable
supports or stays at the sides of the apparatus, this girth or band serving to support
the horse when necessary.
SO
The framing of the apparatus may be formed of wood suitably braced or
strengthened and the sides thereof may be hinged or otherwise connected together
that they can be turned down flat upon the deck where they will be out of the
way should the apparatus not be required. The end rollers, which are somewhat
bulky, may be divided longitudinally into two parts of semicircular section which
parts can be placed one inside the other so as to economise space in packing.
When several revolving platforms are employed they may be conveniently
arranged in rows side by side with the lower ends of the platforms in adjacent
rows turned inward, so that when the horses are exercising the two rows are
ית
073

page_text: standing back-to-back, a suitable separation or partition being of course provided
between them to prevent any chance of the horses kicking one another.
The transverse boards or slats of the platform may be hinged or jointed together
by means of eye-bolts arranged between their adjacent edges and connected by a
hinge-bar passed through them from the side of the platform. This construction
permits of the platform being taken to pieces very quickly if desired thus facilitat-
ing cleaning and rendering it easier to stow the apparatus away.
The said platform may however on account of its great flexibility be simply
rolled up when it is desired to stow it away.
In order to indicate the distance which the platform travels and thus to enable
the proper amount of exercise to be given to the horse with certainty, I provide a
suitable indicator or counter such as referred to, operating after the manner of
a cyclometer, and actuated by a band or otherwise, say from one of the rollers
or drums over which the revolving platform travels. The scale or dial of this
indicator may be graduated as desired say to record an amount of travel up to
ten miles in stages of one hundred yards. A bell or other device may be provided
to give a signal at the end of each inile, and a continuous ringing bell may be
arranged to be set in operation after a certain distance, say ten miles has been
completed, thus avoiding danger of the horse being given too great an amount
of exercise.
The various parts of the framing may be padded if desired to avoid any danger
of the horse injuring himself by coming violently into contact with them.
Furthermore to render the exercise mere effective, a suitable brake appliance
may be provided in connection with the movable platform, to vary the necessary
amount of force which the horse has to exert in order to keep the platform in
motion, this being especially suitable for heavy or draught horses.
Dated this 1st day of February 1808
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Exercising Horses and other
Animals on Board Ship and for like purposes.
1, NEILSON BURGESS, formerly of 360, Kennington Road, S.E., but now of 79,
Albany Mansions, Albert Bridge Road, Battersea, in the County of Surrey,
Mechanician, 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 apparatus for exercising horses and other animals on
board ship, and for like purposes, such as for training horses for races or for
trying their speed.
According to the said invention I employ a movable platform on which the
horse is placed, said platform being supported by any suitable means. This
platform moves backward freely as the horse performs the motions usual in run-
ning or galloping, so that while the horse never moves away from the position in
which he is placed, he gets the same amount of exercise as he would do in a
long run across country.
The apparatus is so constructed that it may be readily taken to pieces for
cleaning and be packed away in a very small compass when not required, as, for
instance, when the vessel is not carrying animals requiring much exercise.

page_text: In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of exercising apparatus. constructed
according to my invention, the position of a horse taking exercise thereon being
indicated in dotted lines.
Figure 2 is a plan of the apparatus, certain portions thereof being. removed for
the purpose of more clearly showing the working parts.
Figures 3 and 4 are end views looking respectively towards the right and towards
the left of Figure 1. These figures however show the apparatus in a horizontal
instead of in an inclined position.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are respectively a plan, an underside view and a vertical
transverse section on the line of Figure 5, drawn to a larger scale and
illustrating a portion of the movable platform and the method of joining the
ends of same.
Figures 8 and 9 are respectively an elevation and a plan, also drawn to a larger
scale, of a portion of the bearing upon which the platform runs; and
Figures 10 and 11 are similar views of a modified form of such bearing.
The apparatus is mounted in a framing B consisting of side and end members
of girder-like or other suitable construction, preferably connected together by angle
irons and bolts and nuts so that the members may be readily separated for purposes
of packing or storage. B' B' are cross stays or struts detachably connected to the
side members. In some cases however the members of the framing may be hinged
or otherwise connected to the floor or deck where the apparatus may be placed, so
that they can be turned down out of the way when the apparatus is not required for
use.
The movable platform A consists of an endless band formed of parallel transverse
boards or slats a connected or hinged together by means of three belts or bands a¹
(preferably of comparatively thick material) to which the boards are rivetted or
otherwise secured. The platform passes over rollers or drums 6 arranged at each
end of the framing B. One of these rollers is mounted in stationary bearings and
the other in sliding bearings, whereby, by means of the screws 6, the platformı
may be tightened or slackened.
The ends of the belts a are not directly joined together, but, as will be seen
on reference to Figures 5 to 7, the board a to which one extremity of each. of
the belts is riveted, is hinged to the next board which is slightly thinner
than the other boards a and is not rivetted to the belts. The other extremities of
said belts are secured to a strip or sheet of metal by rivets a³, having conical
stems. This metal strip a³ is of the same width as the boards a and of a thickness
equal to the reduction in thickness of the board a so that it fits under the same
flush with the adjacent boards (Figure 7). The board a is provided with holes
into which the stems of the rivets a fit, and the parts are held together by washers
or plates à secured over the ends of said rivets by studs screwed. thereinto, as
shown. An effective joint is thus provided for the ends of the platform, and
one which, at the same time, permits of being readily disconnected so that the
said platform may be removed and rolled up for packing or storage.
I cover the upper surface of each board a with a strip as of suitable material to
form a tread surface. The said material also serves to cover or protect the heads
of the beforementioned rivets and studs.
The upper portion or half of the platform A upon which the horse treads, is
supported upon hearings C formed by three double rows or series of rollers c
carried in suitable frames resting upon the cross pieces B¹ of the frame B. The
rollers of each double row are arranged "en échelon" or so as to break-joint or
alternate with one another and thus provide a more continuous bearing surface for
the platform. The rollers are mounted upon spindles rigidly secured to a
centre bar and having screwthreaded outer extremities, provided with nuts c³
which serve to maintain the spindles in proper position in their supporting frames,

page_text: as shown. One of these rows of bearing rollers is arranged beneath each of
the belts or bands a'; and obviously any suitable number of such belts and bearings
may be employed.
Instead of arranging the said bearings in separate rows I may distribute the
rollers at equal distances apart across the whole width of the platform, as illus-
trated in Figures 10 and 11. In such case the rollers, still arranged en échelon,
are mounted upon shafts c' which may be carried directly by the side members of
the framing B, and which are also preferably supported at intermediate points by
suitable means.
1) is a framing consisting of a foot or base plate & and uprights d' working
in guides d secured to the framing B. A lifting screw d is provided centrally
in this framing D by means of which the end of the framing B can be elevated
so as to cause the platform to be inclined.
The object of thus inclining the platform is that, when a horse is to be exercised
and is led onto the same with his head toward the elevated end, the weight of
the horse will cause the platform to slide down the incline and the horse, feeling
the surface on which he is standing moving backward, will naturally start forward
and so involuntarily throw himself into the proper motion. I may employ a wide
girth or band adapted to be passed under the horse and attached to suitable
supports 13 at the sides of the apparatus, this girth or band serving to support
or partially support the horse when necessary, and to prevent injury should he
stumble. The various parts of the framing may be padded if desired to avoid any
danger of the horse injuring himself by coming violently into contact with them.
I also prefer to secure the horse to the framing of the apparatus by means of
traces fastened to the eye bolts 63, as shown in Figure 1.
I provide a suitable device E for indicating the distance that the platform
travels while the horse is exercising on it, and for calling the attention of the
attendant when different distances are completed, so as to guard against the horse
being over-exercised. This device may consist of a counting train and a suitably
graduated dial e mounted upon a standard and operated by an endless cord driven
by the shaft of one of the rollers b. The said device is provided with a striking
arm e adapted to be caused by the train to strike the bell e³, say, at the end
of each mile and with an alarm arm e adapted to be set in motion and caused
to continuously strike the bell e as soon as a certain distance, say five or ten
miles, has been completed.
I also provide a lever F pivoted to the standard of the indicator, or to any
convenient part of the framing B, and having its lower extremity so shaped as
to conveniently enter between the edges of two adjacent boards a so as to render
the platform immovable when desired. A catch or bolt f of any suitable con-
struction may be provided for maintaining the lever F in either of its positions,
thus obviating any liability of the platform being inadvertently released when
stationary, or unintentionally checked when the horse is being exercised.
Furthermore, to render the exercise more effective, a suitable brake appliance
may be provided in connection with the movable platform, to vary the necessary
amount of force which the horse has to exert in order to keep the platform in
motion, this being especially suitable for heavy or draught horses. This braking
may also be effected if desired by adjusting the position of that roller b that is
carried in sliding bearings so as to tighten or increase the tension of the platform.
In order to make the apparatus as noiseless in running as possible I provide
strips or bands g of indiarubber or similar material upon the rollers b and c.
Instead of connecting the boards a in the manner shown in the drawings they
may be hinged or jointed together by means of eye-bolts arranged between their
adjacent edges and connected by a hinge-bar passed through them from the side
of the platform. This construction permits of the platform being taken to pieces
very quickly if desired, thus facilitating cleaning and rendering it easier to stow
the apparatus away. With such a platform the hearing illustrated in Figures 10
and 11 is the most suitable.

page_text: I sometimes construct the framing of open girder work or otherwise so arrange
it that it can be readily sluiced with water for cleansing purposes.
When several revolving platforms are employed they may be conveniently
arranged in rows side by side, with the lower ends of the platforms of adjacent
rows turned toward each other, so that when the horses are exercising the two
rows are standing back-to-back, a suitable separation or partition being of course
provided between them to prevent any chance of the horses kicking one another.
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. An apparatus for exercising horses and other animals, comprising an endless
platform adapted to travel around rollers by the movement of the animal thereon
substantially as described.
2. The apparatus for exercising horses and other animals, having its parts con-
structed arranged and combined to operate substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawings and for the purposes specified.
The 13...
11000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.