Improvements in Nose Bags.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Nose Bags.
1, CHARLES JOSEPH THORPE, of 2 Whitehall Court, London, S.W.
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 improvements in nose bags and refers particularly to a
construction of nose bag in which compartments are formed from one of which the
animal feeds, and in which one or more of such compartments serve as hoppers
for feeding or supplying the corn or the like to the feed bucket or compartment,
and the invention has for objects to prevent any waste of the food contained in the
nose bag; to afford greater convenience and facilities than hitherto to the horse
or other animal when feeding; and to ensure the prevention of the corn or other
food being blown upon and beslabbered by the animal when feeding.
And in order that this invention may be fully understood I will describe same
with reference to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of
reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
In Fig. 1 is illustrated partly in section a nose bag constructed in accordance
with this invention.
As shewn I prefer to form the bag in three compartments the central one a
serving as the feeding bucket and the side compartments b acting as hoppers to
supply the corn or other feed to the bucket a for which purpose the walls b¹ are
formed with slots or apertures at their bottom edges permitting communication
from the outer compartments b to the inner compartment or feeding bucket a.
The tops of the outer compartments b are formed so that they may be closed but
the feeding compartment is left open for the insertion of the animal's head.
Complete freedom of the nostrils is maintained as at the bottom only of the central
compartment or feeding bucket a is covered with the corn or other feed, and as
said feed is consumed it is replenished from the outer compartments and the
normal level is maintained. As will be observed the front of the feeding com-
partment a is almost entirely open thus allowing full freedom to the face and
nostrils of the animal and obviating the many ills attendant upon the nose bag of
ordinary construction which envelopes or surrounds the head.
Fig. 2 shows a similar nose bag to that illustrated in Fig. 1 but in its closed
position as when not required for use.
Fig. 3 is a section of the upper ends of the hoppers or supply compartment b.
Fig. 4 is an external side elevational view of the upper part of one of the
hoppers b; and Fig. 5 is a similar view but partly in section.
To stiffen the top of the bag and allow the pockets to separate entirely from
one another and leave the open space between them required for the horse's head
I make use of the metal strips d which I insert at, or near, the top edges of the
compartments b. These strips d I make shorter than the side of the bag so that
when open, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 3, the portion of the sides of the bag extending
beyond the metal strips d will form the ends of an oblong or square opening
through which the hoppers 6 may readily be filled with corn or other feed. Rings
or eyes e are affixed to the outer edge of the hoppers 6 to which are attached the
ends of the head strap or chain f which latter is passed through similar eyes or
rings g affixed inside the hoppers 6 (see particularly Fig. 3). When the bag is
suspended by means of the head strap as for instance when attached to the horse's
b

page_text: head, it will readily be seen, that the edges of the pockets or hoppers b will be
brought together and so sufficiently close said compartments as to prevent any
loss of cern or the like should the bag be inverted by the horse throwing up his
head.
Instead of the stiffening strip d above described I may make use of a wire
framing such as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 64, and marked h in the drawings.
See also Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, which respectively shew a nose bag opened ready
for filling, in position ready for attachment to the horse's head, a perspective
view partly in section of the top end of one pocket and a sectional elevation of the
top end of a pocket or hopper b. In these figures the closing of the pockets is
shewn as being effected by extending in an upward direction each of the enclosing
walls of the outer compartments & beyond the normal height of the nose bag
proper. The four closing flaps thus formed may if desired be stiffened with some
waterproof or other material which will also serve to keep the top square. To
close the pockets & the flaps are folded over as shewn in Fig. 8 and being provided
with eyes or rings i upon the wire framing the head strap is passed through such
eyes and attached at each end to the outer eyes i aforesaid.
As will be seen upon reference to the drawings the nose bag is sufficiently open
in the front to allow the whole of the face of the animal, including its nostrils to
be uncovered. This gives perfect freedom to the animal's breathing and prevents
the feed being blown upon. The blowing upon the feed has hitherto been the
cause of more waste than even the tossing of the nose bag as a considerable
quantity of the corn or other food has invariably had to be thrown away from
the bottom of the bag on account of its becoming sour and unfit for consumption
by reason of its having been beslabbered by the auimal. Again, in accordance
with this invention a proper flow of the food from the supply compartments or
hoppers to the feeding bucket is always obtained because the feed is never pinched
or jammed during any part of the emptying of the bag, thus corn, chaff, or even
hay or stiaw will flow freely from the hoppers to the feeding bucket. Further
according to this invention the feeding chamber is always kept (by reason of the
construction of the bag) uniformly close to the animal's mouth whether the bag be
empty and slack or tull and bulky.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of iny said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In nose bags having compartments arranged in such manner that one or more
of said compartments serves or serve as feeding or supply hoppers and one as a
feeding bucket or chamber the combination therewith of the stiffening strips or
wire frames inserted at or near the top edges of the compartments and having
rings, eyes, or loops, formed upon such strips or frames at right angles thereto
for attachment to the head strap; substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and shewn.
2. In nose bags the combination of supply compartment, communicating slots or
apertures, stiffening straps or frames with attachment eyes or loops, all constructed,
arranged, and operating, substantially as herein before described and shewn.
3. The improvements in nose bags substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and shewn.
Dated this 8th day of September 1896.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
Agents for Applicant.