AN IMPROVED EYE-PLAP, DESIGNED TO STOP HORSES WHICH HAVE TAKEN FRIGHT, BY DEPRIVING THEM OF SIGHT, AND WHICH I CALL BLINDING EYE-FLAP,' FOR WHICH I HAVE OBTAINED IN FRANCE A PATENT FOR INVENTION AND IMPROVEMENT FOR 15 YEARS, BEARING THE DATE OF THE 19TH AUGUST 1859, No. 409.
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to B. Ponçon Jeandelize (Accountant at M. Buddi-
com's), residing at Bousecours, près Rouen, Seine Inférieure, France, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED EYE-PLAP, DESIGNED TO STOP HORSES WHICH
HAVE TAKEN FRIGHT, BY DEPRIVING THEM OF SIGHT, AND WHICH I CALL
BLINDING EYE-FLAP,' FOR WHICH I HAVE OBTAINED IN FRANCE A PATENT FOR
INVENTION AND IMPROVEMENT FOR 15 YEARS, BEARING THE DATE OF THE 19TH
AUGUST 1859, No. 41,909."
Sealed the 20th April 1860, and dated the 27th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said B. Ponçon Jeandelize
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th January 1860.
B. PONÇON JEANDELIZE (Accountant at M. Buddicom's), residing
at Bousecours, près Rouen, Seine Inférieure, France, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED EYE-FLAP, DESIGNED TO
STOP HORSES WHICH HAVE TAKEN FRIGHT BY DEPRIVING THEM OF SIGHT,
AND WHICH I CALL BLINDING EYE-PLAP, POR WHICH I HAVE OBTAINED IN
FRANCE A PATENT FOR INVENTION AND IMPROVEMENT FOR 15 YEARS, BEARING
THE DATE OF THE 19TH AUGUST 1859, No, 41,909," to be as follows:-
From the first observations I made on eye-flaps designed for blinding, I
found that none of those which had been invented or improved had given
satisfactory results. I then thoroughly examined the disposition of the horse's
head, and soon discovered that all these eye-flaps having been made straight
without taking into consideration the projectures which exist on the head nor
of the pronounced cavity under the eye, the result was that the eye-flap coming

page_text: in contact with the projecting parts which resisted did not cover the eye
completly and always left a passage for some rays of light to get to it.
Convinced that it was necessary to completely leave this system, I have
considerably modified my eye-flaps, and abandoning the formes adopted, I
have given to mine the following then perceiving that the eye when in
the empty space reserved for it in the thickness of the eye-flap remained open,
and might receive same rays of light, I stretched over this oper space a sheet
of caoutchouc; the result is that when I close my eye-clap over a horse's eye
the caoutchouc gives way under the pressure of the eye and entirely covers it,
keeps it shut, and does not even give the eye-lid the possibility of opening,
thence blindness as complete as if the eyes had been put out.
I have made several experiments upon different equipages and I have
always obtained such a result, that two horses galloping at an unmanageable
sperd are stopped short and hold fast to the ground by such a display of
muscular force that they scarcely run a meter further; in a word, they are as if
struck by a thunderblot.
That my means of action upon the eye-flaps should not fe visible, I have
put in the thickness of each of them, at top and bottom, a metallic tube through
which slide the cords used to draw the eye-flaps over the horse's eyes.
I introduce a lace into the bottom tube of the left eye-flap and fix it
by a knot at its extremity A, the other end of the face, after having passed
over the horse's nose, enters the bottom tube of the right eye-flap and comes
out of it at B, where I fix it to the rein C. The other lace acts in just a
contrary way; it enters the top tube of the right eye-flap where it is fixed at A
by a knot in the same manner as the other, it passes before the horse's nose,
enters the top tube of the left eye-flap and is thin fixed to the rein C.
The above sketch suffices to show that by pulling the rein D, D, which
by means of a ring always occupies the central point E, of the small rein, the
laces work without the least difficulty in their tubes, make the eye-flaps close
upon the horse's eyes, who is completely blinded as long as I pull the rein.
If, on the contrary, I cease pulling, the laces move in the tubes in an oppo-
site direction permiting the eye-claps, to return to their natural position,
the horse then starts of with his ordinary speed.

page_text: I obtain immediate stoppage by the three following causes :-
1°. Because there is a complete loss of sight.
2°, Because the eye is compressed without giving pain to the horse, who
ceases to be able to move it or lift the eye-lid.
&, 3°. Because there is a substitution of ideas, that is to say, that when the
borse is blinded he ceases to think about the cause of his fright, and stops by
the influence of the extraordinary action which acts upon him.
The different means, the details of which are given above, not having to my
knowledge been employed by any other persons who before me have had the
results of their observations patented, I now ask for a Provisional Patent for
an improved eye-flap (which strictly might be called an entirely new eye-flap)
wishing thereby to assure to myself the property of the six following pars
existing in my blinding eye-flap, and by which I have been able to obtain the
result I have so long been seeking.
1°. The use of gutta percha for the shape of the eye-flap, and giving.
to it the necessary thickness to leave a space proportionned to the horse's eye.
2°. The particular form of the eye-flap, which alone with certainty blinds
the horse.
.
3°. The space which exists in the eye-flap, and has the following dimensions
diameter 0 11, depth towards the center 0' 0 2.
4°. The stretched caoutchouc which covers the aforesaid empty space gives
way under ther pressure of the eye and helps to completely deprive of sight
the animal upon which this eye-flap is adapted (the caoutchouc is fixed
by nails).
5°. The metal ring which is placed round the open space and keeps the
caoutchouc stretched out over this space, this ring is strongly fixed by nails
which pass through the eye-flap, and are rivetted on the opposite side..
6°. The metallic tubes trough which the laces pass. preventing them to.
be visible.
The gutta percha part of my eye-flap is covered over on the outside with.
black varnished leather, on the inside up to the ring with yellow leather..
I reserve to myself the right of applying my eye-flaps to horses employed
for the following purposes, carriages, omnibuses, draught, riding, the artillery
and cavalry..
I also reserve to myself the right of making the interior of my eye-flaps.
with the following materials, hardened caoutchouc, boiled leather, sheet iron
or copper.
To fix the tubes in the gutta percha, I solder on each of them three nails,
which are used to fix these tubes to the upper part of the mould, when the

page_text: pressure is upon the mould the paste gets round them, and when cold, when
I take the eye-flap out of the mould, I merely have to cut the nails level with
the gutta percha.
The verniched and wallow leather are costed to the mutto perche as in the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said B. Ponçon Jeandelize in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1860.
25th July 18
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, B. PONÇON
JEANDELIZE (Accountant at M. Buddicom's), residing at Bousecours, près
Rouen, Seine Infèrieure, France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said B. Ponçon Jeandelize, Her special licence that I, the said
B. Ponçon Jeandelize, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said B. Ponçon Jeandelizė, 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
"AN IMPROVED EYE-PLAP, DESIGNED TO STOP HORSES WHICH HAVE TAKEN FRIGHT
BY DEPRIVING THEM OF SIGHT, AND WHICH I CALL BLINDING EYE-FLAP,' FOR WHICH
I HAVE OBTAINED IN FRANCE A PATENT FOR INVENTION AND IMPROVEMENT FOR 15
YEARS, BEARING THE DATE OF THE 19TH AUGUST 1859, No. 41,909," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said B. Ponçon Jeandelize, my
executors or administrators, 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 B. Ponçon Jeandelize, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-

page_text: From the first observations I made on eye-flaps designed for blinding, I
found that none of those which had been invented or improved had given
satisfactory results, I then thoroughly examined the disposition of the horse's
head, and soon discovered that all these eye-flaps having been made straight,
without taking into consideration the projectures which exist on the head,
nor of the pronounced cavity under the eye, the result was that the eye-flap
coming in contact with the projecting parts which resisted, did not cover the
eye completly, and always left a passage for some rays of light to get to it.
Convinced that it was necessary to completely leave this system, I have
considerably modified my eye-flaps, and abandoning the formes adopted,
I have given to mine the following then perceiving that the eye when
in the empty space reserved for it in the thickness of the eye-flap remained
open, and might receive same rays of light, I stretched over this open space a
sheet of caoutchouc, the result is that when I close my eye-flap over a horse's
eye, the caoutchouc gives way under the pressure of the eye and entirely.
covers it, keeps it shut, and does not even give the eyelid the possibility of
opening, thence blindness as complete as if the eyes had been put out.
I have made several experiments upon different equipages, and I have
always obtained such a result, that two horses galloping at an unmanageable:
sperd, are stopped short and hold fast to the ground by such a display of
muscular force that they scarcely run a meter further, in a word they are as if
struck by a thunderbolt.
That by means of action upon the eye-flaps should not be visible, I have
put in the tickness of each of them at top and bottom, a metallic tube through
which slide the cords used to draw the eye-flaps over the horse's eyes.
I introduce a lace into the bottom tube of the left eye-flap and fix it by a
knot at its extremity A, the other end of the lace after having passed over tho
horse's nose enters the bottom tube of the right eye-flap and comes out of it
at B, where I fix it to the rein C. The other lace acts in just a contrary
way, it enters the top tube of the right eye-flap, where it is fixed at A by a
knot, in the same manner as the other, it passes before the horse's nose,
enters the tope tube of the left eye-flap, and is then fixed to the rein C.
The above sketch suffices to show that by pulling the rein D, D, which by
means of a ring always occupies the central point E of the small rein, the

page_text: laces work without the least difficulty in their tubes, make the eye-flaps close
upon the horse's, who is completely blinded as long as I pull the rein. If, on
the contrary,. I cease pulling, the laces move in the tubes in an opposite
direction, permitting the eye-claps to return to their natural position, the horse.
then starts of with his,ordinary speed.
'
I obtain immediate stoppage by the three following causes:-
1°. Because there is a complete loss of sight.
2°. Because the eye is compressed without giving pain tho the horse, who
ceases to be able to move it or lift the eyelid.
&, 3°. Because there is a substitution of ideas, that is to say, that when
the horse is blinded he ceases to think about the cause of his fright, and stops
by the influence of the extraordinary action which acts upon him.
The different means, the details of which are given above, not having to
my knowledge been employed by any other persons who before me have had
the results of their observations patented, I now hand you this Specification
positive for and improved eye-flap (which strictly might be called an entirely
new eye-flap) wishing thereby to assure to myself the property of the six
following parts existing in my blinding eye-flap, and by which I have been
able to obtain the result I have so long been seeking.
1°. The use of gutta percha for the shape of the eye-flap, and giving to it
the necessary thickness to leave a space proportionned to the horse's eye.
2°. The particular form of the eye-flap which alove with certainty blinds.
the horse.
3°. The space which exists in the eye-flap and has the following dimensions
diameter 0" 11, depth towards the center 0" 02.
4°. The stretched caoutchouc which covers the aforesaid empty space gives
way under ther pressure of the eye and helps to completely deprive of sight
the animal upon which this eye-flap is adapted (the caoutchouc is fixed
by nails).
5°. The metal ring which is placed round the open space and keeps the
caoutchouc stretched out over this space, this ring is strongly fixed by nails
which pass through the eye-flap and are rivetted on the opposite side.
6°. The metallic tubes through which the laces pass preventing them to
be visible.
The gutta percba part of my eye-flap is covered over, on the outside with
black varnished leather, on the inside up to the ring with black leather.
I reserve to myself the right of applying my eye-flaps to horses employed
for the following purposes, carriages, omnibuses, draught, riding, the artillery
and cavalry.

page_text: I also reserve to myself the right of making the interior of my eye-flaps
with the following materials, hardened caoutchouc, boiled leather, sheet iron
or copper.
To fix the tubes in the gutta percha I solder on each of them three nails
which are used to fix these tubes to the upper part of the mould. When the
pressure is upon the mould the paste gets round them, and when cold when
I take the eye-flap out of the mould I merely have to cut the nails level with
the gutta percha.
The varnished and black leather are sewed to the gutta percha as in the
ordinary eye-flaps.
In witness whereof, I the said B. Ponçon Jeandelize has signed
Bousecours, près Rouen, 20th July 1860.
B. PONÇON JEANDELIZE. (L.S.)