AN IMPROVEMENT UPON THE SPRING BILLET FOR HARNESS, AND THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO BRIDLE HEADS AND REINS, BITS, SWORD BELTS, GUN SLINGS, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1818

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
GREEN, of Lisle Street, Leicester Square, in the County of Middlesex, Sadler's
Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of August, in
the fifty-eighth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Richard
Green, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Richard Green, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT UPON THE SPRING
BILLET FOR HARNESS, AND THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO BRIDLE HEADS AND REINS,
BITS, SWORD BELTS, GUN SLINGS, AND OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said Richard Green, shall not
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent,
and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease,
determine, and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Green, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascer-

page_text: 1
tained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following description
thereof (that is to say):-
In Fig. 1, a, a, is a section of the hook of one of the spring billets, shewn
edgewise, having a tongue 6 turning within it, moveable upon a stud or pin c,
and which tongue is kept upright or at right angles to the stem of the hook
by means of a spring d acting upon its foot, which is made flat for that purpose.
Between the hook and the spring a leather strap e, e, is firmly secured by
means of two rivetts f.f, passing through the whole. The dotted lines shew
the position of the tongue 6 when depressed, in order to hook or unhook the
billet to any article it is to be applied to. Fig. 2 is a back view of the same
spring billet, in which the same letters of reference denote the same parts as in
Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the spring d, and tongue b.
Fig. 4 is a section of the hook of another spring billet, shewn edgewise,
which only differs from that described in the references to Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
in having a hooked tongue opening outwards to hook or unhook it to anything
it is to be applied to. The dotted lines shew the situation of the hooked
tongue when opened; there is a recess or cavity made in the inside of the
hook to admit the hook of the tongue to lodge in. a, a, is the billet hook;
b, the hooked tongue; c, its pin or stud on which it turns; d, d, the spring;
e, e, the leather strap firmly secured to the hook and spring by the rivetts f,f.
The intent of the hook on the tongue is to keep the tongue upright when in
action in case the spring becomes weakened in use. Fig. 5 is a back view of
Fig. 4, with the addition of two other leatliers g, g, one on each side firmly
stretched to it. The spring billet already referred to in Figs. 1 and 2 is also
to be enclosed between two leathers in a similar manner. Fig. 6 is a front
view of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 represents the hooked tongue b and spring d.
Fig. 7* a is a spring billet with a tongue b at the end of the spring d, passing
through a hole in the back of the hook, which billet may be also revitted to the
strap e, and clothed with leathers, as Figs. 5 & 6.
Fig. 8 is an edge view of another spring billet or substitute for a buckle,
having its tongue affixed to a spring instead of turning upon the side of the
buckle, ring, or loop, as usual. is the ring or loop of the billet affixed at
right angles to its shank or stem, to the other end of which the spring ; is
firmly revitted; k, the tongue on the moveable end of the spring which passes
through a hole in the shank or stem of the ring. These parts are shewn
separately in Figs. 12, 13, and 14; land m'the two leathers, the one 7 passing
over the ring, and the other m, through it, and which thus inclose the stem of
the ring between them, and, being stitched together securely, form a strap
firmly united to the spring billet; n, a metal ring or slider, which being passed

page_text: over the projection o, upon the spring closes it and presses forwards the
tongue k. Fig. 9 shews the slider n in this situation, with the tongue k thrust
through a hole p in the strap which has been passed through the billet ring to
form a loop, and retaining. it there (but which can be opened by sliding the
ring n back to its first position). Fig. 10 is a back view, and Fig. 11 a front
view, of the spring billet in this state.
Fig. 12 is an edge view, Fig. 13 a back view, and Fig. 14 an end view,
of the billet ring and shank i, and its spring j; and Fig. 15, the ring or slider n.
The same letters of reference denoting the same parts in all the Figures from
8 to 15 inclusive.
Fig. 16 is a front view of the ring, stem, and spring of another spring billet
or buckle, with the addition of two loops g. g, to the stem for the purpose
of admitting the tug straps from the housing and bellyband.
Fig. 17 shews the application of the spring billet or buckle to traces, in
which the ring or slider n moves upon the strap r, r, and spring; the other
strap s, s, passing first through a loop t, attached to the strap r, r, then through
the billet ring i, the tongue k being then passed through it, by moving the
slider over the spring, the end of the strap is inserted through the leather
case or pipe loop u, affixed to the strap r, r; v, v, is a leather fender to keep.
the iron work from galling the side of the horse.
Fig. 18 is a front view of the parts shewn in Fig. 17; the same letters of
reference pointing out the same parts in both Figures 17 and 18.
In witness whereof, I the said Richard Green, hath hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighteen.