A New Appliance for Preventing Animals from Biting.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 31st May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Appliance for Preventing Animals from Biting.
1 KENNETH HENRY CORNISH of 47 Grosvenor Road, London, S.W., Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
I make my bite-preventers in such a manner that the jaws of animals wearing them
are free to eat and drink, but restrained from biting for mischief. The only part of
the bite-preventer which touches the face being a small band of leather, textile fabric,
metal, &c., resting lightly on the bridge of the nose, much as the bridge of a pair of
spectacles does on a man's nose; and the nose of the animal being on, or above the
level of that of the appliance, which is best suspended from the collar and the bridge-
band in such wise that its highest level on each side and in front, in a dog or man, is
in a line with and parallel to the alveolar teeth-sockets of the upper jaw, it cannot
correctly, and with scientific precision, be called a muzzle.
I make my bite-preventer chiefly of hard-drawn iron, steel, brass, or other suitable
wire, which if of steel should be spring-tempered, and I prefer to uso aluminised
metal, especially that made by the processes recently patented by the brothers Brin.
The wires used must be of strengths suitable to the sizes of the appliances.
The wire used for the two uppermost bars of my bite-preventers may, with advan-
tage, be considerably stronger than that used for other parts of the appliance.
I prefer to connect these two wires rigidly by sheet metal, or wire.
I utilize plates
to bear stamped or engraved inscriptions. The upper wire har runs outwards from its
attachment to the collar, parallel to, and at a level with, the teeth-sockets of the upper
jaw, to the desired distance beyond the tip of the nose, where it curves round, running
an inch, or more, in front of the nose to the other side of the jaw, at the same level,
and on to meet the collar again. This wire, to which everything is attached or
suspended from, directly or indirectly, should be an inch, or more, away from the skin
of the animal in its entire course, as soon after quitting its point of attachment to the
collar as is practicable, and the bridge band should rest over the upper jaw,
midway between the nose and eyes, when the bite-preventer is worn.
On this upper wire, on each side, I make suitablo depressions, with round-nosed
pliers, in which are hung or hinged the wires which, with the two upper rigid ones,
form a sort of cage which prevents the wearer from biting for mischief, though it can
take its food when it lowers its head sufficiently, as the hinged wires then fall forward
by their own weight, and resume their position, also by gravity, when the head is
raised.
These wires are kept at the proper distances from each other, and from the upper
wires, by links of chain, or textile fabric, or cord, or other suitable means.
I prefer to bend all the wires forming the hinged cage somewhat after the shape
of the human jaw bone, as will be shewn in the Drawings of my complete Specifi-
cation, and by means of cords, chains, or links, which I shall also shew, I enable
the cage to be held rigidly expanded whenever it is desired to prevent food being
eaten, though even then drink can be imbibed freely.
I so form a hooked clutch, with an eye at the point, on the ends of the first and
principal wire, that I can hitch my bite-preventer to, or take it off the collar of
the wearer at pleasure.
My mode of attaching the appliance to the collar is especially suitable for dogs,
cats, goats, hogs, camels, and such other four-footed animals as habitually carry
their muzzles horizontally, or nearly so, and if used for horses, cattle, and such
creatures as carry the muzzle downwards, the mode of attachment must be varied,

page_text: but in all cases the first wire should be worn parallel with the alveolar processes of the
upper jaw. The appliance may easily. be adapted to any human being suffering from
hydrophobia, or to a lunatic with a mania for biting.
Dated this Thirty-first day of July 1889.
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Appliance for Preventing Animals from Biting.
I KENNETH HENRY CORNISH of 47, Grosvenor Road, London, S.W. Civil
Engineer, 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 tlio
following statement :-
I make my bite-preventers in such a manner that the jaws of animals wearing
them are free to eat and drink, but restrained from biting for mischief. The only
part of the bite-preventer which touches the face being a small band of leather,
textile fabric, metal, &c., resting lightly on the bridge of the nose, much as the
bridge of a pair of spectacles does on a man's nose, and the nose of the animal
being on or above the level of the upper and principal wire of my appliance,
which is best suspended (for dogs, cats, camels, &c.) from the neck-collar, just behind
the head, and the bridge-band over the nose, in such a manner that its highest level
_ on each side and in front, in a dog or man, is in a line with and parallel to the
alveolar teeth-sockets of the upper jaw, it cannot with accuracy and scientific precision
.bo called a muzzle.
I thus construct my bite-preventers, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings of a bite-preventer constructed for a dog of average size and shape of
head, and so lettered as to enable the parts described to be recognised readily.
I make my bite-preventer preferably of hard-drawn iron wire tinned, or of
steel, brass, or other suitable wire, which if of steel should be spring-tempered,
and I prefer to use aluminised metal, especially that made by the processes recently
patented by the brothers Brin. The wires used must be of strengths suitable to the
sizes of the appliances in which they are employed. The wire used for the two upper
wires A and B, which are rigidly held together in front by the plate C, may with
advantage be considerably stronger than that used for other parts of the appliance.
I connect these two parts rigidly by sheet-metal, or wire, and I utilise them (the
plate C) for stamped or engraved inscriptions; such as addresses, or advertisements.
The upper wire A runs forward from its extremities the hooked clutches D D,
which have spring eyes at 6 b, and eyed points c c, these clutches being looked
on the animals collar when the appliance is worn. I make the loops, shewn
at KK, to enable the appliance to be lengthened or shortened to fit the neck
of the wearer. I then bend. the wire to form two rings on each side of the
appliance, the wire then running, parallel to and on a level with the teeth-sockets
of the upper jaw, to the desired distance beyond the tip of the nose where it is
bent to run for an inch or more. The two lateral halves of this wire should be
parallel and symmetrical, as shewn in the drawing. This wire A to which every-
thing is attached, or suspended from, directly or indirectly, should, like the rest
of the appliance, be an inch,. or more, away from the skin of the animal in its
entire course as soon after quitting its attachment by the hooked clutches D D to the
collar as is practicable, and the bridge-band G should rest lightly on the bridge of
the nose, midway between the eyes and nostrils, when the bite-preventer is worn.
To this upper wire A. I. hinge, in the rings a a, the wires B and E so bent as to
simulate the curves of the lower jaw. The foremost of these wires B. has a ring
formed at its front which projects and serves as a socket for the rod. F.. I brace A
and B rigidly together in front by the plate C, formed of sheet-metal.. This plate C

page_text: has smooth edges at the sides formed by folding the metal, and at the top and bottom
is curled over the wires A and B, and fastened firmly by pressure with pliers, or
other suitable tool. The moveable wire E is loosely circled in front by a ring formed
at the lower end of the rod F, which passes through the ring a, in which it plays
freely, being terminated at the top by a ring at right angles to the other, and so
formed as to slide on the outer face of the plate C.
I make the bridge-bard G of suitable wire, and fasten it rigidly to the rings a a in
which B is hinged. This strengthens the cage for the lower jaw formed by the front
of A with B, C, E, and F, which prevents the wearer from biting outside it, though
it can feed when it lowers its head, as E falls forward by its own weight. The rod F
running up on C, and they fall again by gravity when the head is raised.
To prevent the wearer from forcing the appliance upward I attach a cord or strap
to the rings a a, which cord can be lengthened or shortened by a double ringed slider
or buckle, or otherwise. This cord also enables the extent to which the animal
can depress the lower jaw to be regulated at pleasure, and with precision.
To counteract attempts to force off my bite-preventers I fasten a cord to one
of the eyes of the clutch D, pass it across the back, encircle the body behind the
forelegs, and then bring it across the back to the opposite side, and fasten it to
the eye of the other clutch D. Any attempt to force the appliance forward will
tighten the cord and soon reduce the wearer to submission. For horses and other
animals which carry the head downwards, one or more moveable wires should be added,
connected by rods F running in rings as described. The wire A should be sus-
pended from the head stall so as to be parallel with the alveolar processes of the
upper jaw, and the moveable jaws loopable up by cords attached to the lowest of the
rods F. For human beings suffering from hydrophobia, glanders, mania, &c.,
the wire A may rest on the cars and terminate in rings, by which they may be
fastened to the head in any of the modes familiar to surgeons.
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. My invention for a wire cage enclosing the lower jaw substantially as combined
and described.
2. The upper wire A with the eyed clutches D D, the loops K K, and rings a a,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The hinged and jaw-curved wire B B, with ring d, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
4. The moveable hinged and jaw-curved wire, or wires, E E, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
5. The plate C, as and for the purpose described.
6. The rod F, as and for the parposes described.
7. A cord, or strap, H, capable of being lengthened or shortened substantially as
described.
Dated this Thirtieth day of April 1890.
KENNETH HENRY CORNISH.