Improvements in Devices for Holding and Guiding Reins.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1897-Accepted, 15th May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Holding and Guiding Reins.
I, DAVID GARDNER WEBSTER, residing at Capron, in the County of Boone, State
of Illinois, United States of America, 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 :-
My invention has relation to combined rein holders and guides, and the object
is to provide a device in place of the ordinary ring used for this purpose, and to
prevent the twisting of the reins and their falling underneath the feet of the animal.
To this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination and arrangement
of the same as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out
in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing the same letters of reference indicate the same
parts of the invention.
Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved rein holder and guide;
Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the guide sprung open to receive the rein; and
Fig. 3 is a modification of the same.
A is a cylindrical roller mounted on a screw shaft B so as to revolve freely
between jaws C CI, the rear ends of which are secured to a common pivot screw c.
The screw shaft B is provided with an enlarged screw threaded portion 6 under
its head 6', and by means of which it is removably secured to the jaw C, its
shaft extending through and forming a journal for the roller A, and its extreme
end resting in a guide orifice c¹ in the opposite jaw C¹. The rear ends of the jaws
are formed with longitudinally projecting integral lugs D D, each of which is
provided with a transverse recess d which receives the opposite ends ee of an
approximately circular spring E, the tension of which is outward, and which presses
the jaws C C together and holds the roller A in place between them, the jaws
being prevented from binding on the roller by the shaft B bottoming in the guide
orifice c¹.
The jaws are opened as shown in Fig. 2 to receive the rein which is placed between
the roller and the pivot point of the jaws, and a circular spring E is connected by a
strap or loop to any convenient part of the harness along the line of the rein, or said
spring may be connected direct by a screw eye to the hame, as desired.
In the modification the spring E is bent inwardly to form a bridge at e', then
outwardly and forwardly to form the jaws CC, the shaft B being mounted in the
ends thereof and the roller A secured upon the shaft between them.
The ends a a¹ of the spring jaws are bent back upon themselves to form a stop for
the end of the shaft B, the end a acting as a stop for the head of the roller shaft, and
the end a¹ as a stop for the end of said shaft. This modification is applied the same
as in the first instance, and accomplishes the same purpose.
Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement o
the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to the same, as
such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of my
invention without departing from the spirit thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A combined rein holder and guide comprising the iowa (( the anring

page_text: connecting said jaws, the screw shaft B, and the roller A mounted on said shaft,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. A rein holder comprising the spring jaws, a shaft secured between said jaws, a
cylindrical roller mounted on said shaft, and means substantially as described for
securing the same to the harness, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. A rein holder comprising a spring frame, a shaft removably secured in said
frame, a roller mounted on said shaft to form a guide for the rein, and means
substantially as described for securing the same to the harness, as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1897
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.