Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr...1888.
Complete Left, 20th June, 1888
Complete Accepted. 20th July, 1888
WILLIAM MCDONNELL India Villa Corbally Limerick Butter Merchant do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The manner of laying a horses mane has hitherto been to plait the hair and attach
lead to the ends to keep them down and in position.
I propose to use narrow iron plates or rulers having screw fasteners at cach end.
Between these plates I place the inane and when the screws are tightened it becomes
fixed or firmly held by the bars & then their weight causes it to lie close to the horses
neck or in the required position-The plates may be sufficient in lenght to stretch the
entire lenght of the horses neck but I find it more convenient to divide them into two
or more sections or sets and attach each set by a link or small chain at the ends.
Should it be desired to wave or crimp the mane fluted plates may be used or round
bars when round bars are adapted it becomes necessary to use three or more of them
when the hair is passed round & between each bar.
I do not confine myself to iron as the only material from which to make my
machine the same may be done in timber but when timber is used to grasp the mane
it will be found necessary to attach weights to keep the mane in the required
position.
:

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Instrument for Arranging the Manes of Horses.
I, WILLIAM MCDONNELL of India Villa, Corbally, Limerick, Butter Merchant 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:
I propose to use narrow iron plates or rulers having screw fasteners at each end.
Between these plates I place the mane and when the screws are tightened it becomes
fixed or firmly held by the bars and then their weight causes it to lie close to the
horses neck or in the required position. The plates may be sufficient in length to
extend the entire length of the horses neck but I find it more convenient to divide
them into two or more sections or sets and attach each set by a link or small chain at
the ends.
The machine may be made from other material than iron if desired.
Should it be desired to wave or crimp the mane, plates having square indentures or
fluted plates may be used or square or round bars; when round or square bars are
adopted it becomes necessary to use three or more of them when the hair is passed
round-and-between each bar.
I do not confine myself to making the apparatus-of-iron, as other suitable materials
may be employed, when however timber or light material is used to grasp the mane-it-
may be found necessary to attach weights to keep the mane in the required position.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood I will proceed to further
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shews in elevation a mane laying instrument or appliance constructed
according to one modification of my invention wherein it is shewn as being composed
of three links made up of plates the central link being preferably, but not necessarily
so, longer than the other two; one of the links is shewn open. Figure 2 shews such
an instrument as that illustrated by Figure 1, applied to the mane of an animal, the
head and neck portion of a horse being here shown. Figure 3 is a perspective view
drawn on a larger scale than Figure 1 of one of the links. Figure 4 is an enlarged
cross section taken through the line X Y of Figure 1 through one of the link clamps
shewing how elastic material, such as india rubber, may be applied to same. Figure 5
is a perspective view shewing an extending plate applied for pressing the hair into
shape. Figure 6 shews one of the links of the instrument or appliance arranged as a
mane layer and crimper combined, and Figure 7 is a perspective view of a combined

page_text: mane layer and crimper composed of bars. Similar letters of reference refer to like
parts in all the figures.
a,
A B are the two plates composing each link the meeting surfaces of such plates
being flat or of such form or shape as it may be desired to impart to the mane of the
animal. These plates are so arranged that they can be secured tightly together or
separated from one another wholly or partially as may be required; for this purpose
the end of one plate may be hinged to the other in any convenient or suitable manner
or they may be fitted with pins or studs a, a, as shewn in the drawings, on the plate,
and corresponding slots on the plate B, having thumb screws c on the studs So
that when the slots bb embrace the studs the thumb screws c can be screwed down
and the plates thus be tightly held together or separated by unscrewing the screws c;
the plates A and B may in some cases be lined with india rubber or other suitable
material as shewn at Figure 4. I do not however confine or limit myself to the
particular way described of connecting together and disconnecting the plates A B, as
other means may be adopted without departing from my invention, for example the
ends may be made wedge shaped to enter correspondingly shaped recesses on the
other plate and so to jamb the two plates together, but I have found the thumb screws
and studs to answer well in practice. (Care loops at the end of each plate, and D D
are chains or connecting pieces for uniting the plates or sections together.
To lay a mane with an instrument or appliance made according to my invention,
the mane should be combed down on the side it is required to remain, and then be
carefully laid on the plates A, this done, the plates B are brought over and on the
other plates A having the mane between them, the plates are then secured to one
another by screwing down the thumb screws c.or in any other convenient way as
before explained. The instrument thus applied assumes the position approximately
shewn by Figure 2 on the neck of the animal where it can remain as long as may be
required and in accordance with the nature of the mane to be laid.
This form of ane layer may, with a slight addition thereto, be also employed for
crimping the mane, with this object the ends of the mane should be first laid or placed
on the back plate A, then an additional flat thin plate is laid over the hair, and the
said thin plate and back plate which hold the hair are then revolved, the hair being
thus rolled around the two and held in this folded position by fixing the top plate B,
the square edges of the plates A B. causing the hair to become crimped.
F Figure 5 shows the extending plate from the plate B which passes partially round
over the top of the animal's neck, and may be employed if found necessary to keep
that portion of the mane not actually gripped by the plates A B pressed into position.
Figure 6 shews the crimper combined with the plates A B for laying the mane.
As applied to a mane layer and crimper combined and as shewn with reference to
Figure 7, A are the bars (which may as before described be made either round or
square shaped) pivotting on pins B'; B shew bars which are brought against the hair
when passed between the bars A as shewn; B' are holding bars embracing the ends
of bars A and B and are secured by a screw or in any other convenient manner.
I am aware that prior to my invention attempts have been made to lay manes by
plaiting same and attaching weights, such as lead, to the plaits; hoods have also been
used having strips of elastic material inside the hoods which latter embrace the
animals neck and are tied thereto; I lay no claim to any of such devices.
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 :-
First An instrument or appliance for arranging or laying the manes of animals,
composed of bars or plates between which the mane is placed and there tightly and
securely held in position while the weight of the bars themselves or weights attached
thereto hanging on the mane presses or draws it into position and when the instrument
is removed the mane remains in the position it is caused to assume by the plates, all
substantially as set forth.

page_text: Second: In instruments or appliances for laying the manes of animals, the
plates A B between each set or series of which the mane is placed together with the
means described for holding such plates together and for separating same substantially
as herein before described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Third: The general construction and arrangement of instruments or appliances for
laying the manes of animals, together with the means described for crimping same all
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accom-
panying drawings together with any mere modification or modifications thereof.
Dated this 10th des
T1000