Improvements in Apparatus for Blindfolding Restive or Runaway Horses.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Blindfolding Restive or Runaway
Horses.
I, ANTOINE MARCEL ZUCCARELLI, of 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg Paris, France,
Inspector of Markets, 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 of means or apparatus for blindfolding restive or runaway horses is
chiefly composed of an opaque veil which can readily he opened out so as to cover the
face of a horse if he should run away or become restive and blindfold him. The
apparatus is fitted to the brow of the horse and is so arranged that it can be readily
removed after an accident or when. the veil has been lowered or opened out to blindfold
the horse.
The accompanying drawings represent the apparatus. Figure 1 is a front view of
the apparatus when closed up. Figure 2 is a plan, Figure 3 a side view and
Figure 4 a transverse section. Figure 5 is a front elevation with the veil lowered a
portion being shown removed so as to allow the metallic part which carries the veil
to be seen
Figure 6 is a side view with the veil lowered. Figure 7 is a horizontal
section on the line 1-2 of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a view on a smaller scale showing
the apparatus fitted to a horse's head.
The apparatus consists of a metal frame A the ends of which have guides or slides a
into which are inserted the plates 6 which are curved and form springs. These plates
which can be moved to a greater or less extent behind the sides of the frame according
to the size of the horse's head by making them slide in the guides a a (see Figure 9
which is a section on the line M N of Figure 4) are terminated by dises d which form
cockades. These cockades d carry internally the loops e in which the mountings or
ends of the band B Figure 8 are engaged. The hooks ff within the cockades and the
hooks gg which are in front serve to temporarily attach the apparatus to the ordinary
brow piece. This is provided at the front and sides with straps c c to receive the
hooks fand g which being betweer: two leather parts cannot chafe the horse. At
front the frame A has a box D the door or front E of which opens quickly and
automatically under the action of a spring hinge h when the door is not retained by
the flange i of the upper cover F. This cover is attracted forwards by a flat spring j
which rests on a piece k soldered thereto; it also carries a ring which serves to
connect by means of a swivel with a small leather pull-cord x, Figure 8. The door E
at the front of the box constitutes with two metal plates G G that are jointed by
spring hinges m m to the said door (as seen in dotted lines in Figure 2) the mounting
to which the veil V is fixed by stitching or otherwise. At the lower part of this veil
are fixed metal plates n, o o, p p, likewise having spring joints. These spring joints
are such that the lower part of the opened out veil takes the form seen in Figure 7 so
as to follow the contour of the nose of the horse; the veil therefore fits the face and
blindfolds the horse. The joints'of the plates o and p are such as shown in Figures 10,
11 and 12, Figure 10 being an outside view, Figure 11 an inside view and Figure 12
a horizontal section. A spring s arranged around the axis has its ends applied against
the plates o and p; internally a stop or abutment t retains the plate p and compels it
to keep in the rectilinear prolongation of the plate o.
In order to ensure that the veil may be perfectly applied to the face of the
horse I attach to the bottom of the veil two side cords qq ending in rings rr,
Figure 8-to receive the swivels of the cords y y which are within reach of the
driver. When not in use the veil is folded into three thicknesses and then rolled
up so as to be lodged in the box D. If the horse should run away the driver
pulls the corda, the box D opens, the veil falls and opens out and the cords y y

page_text: draw it well over the face of the horse. Subsequently it is sufficient to unhook
the swivels of the cords æ, yy and to unbuckle or detach the straps which pass
into the loops exe; the apparatus can then be removed from the brow-piece which is
retained by the throat band Z.
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. Means or apparatus for blindfolding restive or runaway horses comprising a
veil lodged in a box of a frame which is fitted to the ordinary brow-piece, the front
of the box when opened allowing the veil to fall and open out substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the annexed drawings.
2. The apparatus arranged and acting substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the annexed drawings for blindfolding restive or runaway horses.
Dated this 7th day of December 1880
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.