AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TETHERING HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TETHERING HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS."―A
communication from abroad by James W. Upson, of Tallmadge,
Ohio, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 1st September 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE.
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR TETHERING HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS," and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn

page_text: 1
Declaration that it has been communicated to me from abroad by James
W. Upson, of Tallmadge, Ohio, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawing making part of this
Specification, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the horse and tether;
Figure 2,_a_rear view of the horse and tether; Figure 3, a top view of
the tether; Figure 4, a view, of the under side; Figure-5,-a-side_view of
the inside; Figure 6, a vertical transverse section; Figures 7, 8, and 9
show modifications of the said apparatus. Like letters refer to the same
parts throughout the Drawing.
The said Invention relates to a moveable tether provided with an
adjustable counterbalanced sweep to which the animal is secured while
feeding, and in such a way that it cannot become entangled in the
tether by getting its feet caught therein, or by twisting it about the
neck or head. The tether is also so constructed that it may be moved
from place to place on rollers arranged and operated as herein-after more
fully described.
In Figure 1 A represents an octagonal sided case, a top view of which
is shewn in Figure 3, which however may be of any other shape desired
and of any required size. On each of two opposite sides within the said
case is a wheel or roller B secured in place, and adjusted therein by a
right-angled stay C, Figure 5, in which it is journalled. The said stay
is pivoted to the side of the case at the point a, and is made to vibrate
therein by a lever or bar D secured to the free or upper limb of the stay
by means of a sleeve in which the lever is inserted and made to slide as
and for a purpose herein-after shown. In the centre of the top of the
case is cut a hole, in which is pivoted a ring or zone E at each end of
its diameter, and thereby allowed to vibrate in the said hole. Within
this ring is pivoted a ball F in like manner as the ring, and in which it
vibrates transversely to that of the ring. By this means is obtained for
the ball a rolling vibratory movement in all directions, the purpose of
which will presently be shewn. At the lower pole of the ball is attached
a counterbalance or weight G, Figure 6, and to the upper pole of the
same is secured a curved spring sweep H, Figures 1 and 2. This sweep
is so attached to the ball by means of a collar I, Figure 6, as to.allow to

page_text: it a rotating movement around the axis of its length. As above stated,
this apparatus is for the purpose of a tether, whereby a horse or other
animal is restrained from wandering while temporarily feeding. The
animal, which in the present instan is a horse, as represented in
Figure 1, is tied to the extreme end of the sweep by a tether J fastened
thereto in a swivelled ring K. The tether lies upon the ground, as
shown in Figure 2, while the horse is feeding, as indicated by the dotted
outlines of the head in Figure 1. It will be obvious that while the animal's
head is down in the act of feeding it draws upon the tether more or less
according to the distance that the creature may be from the tether;
which will be at all times drawn taut, or so much so as to prevent its
hanging loosely from the end of the sweep, which by virtue of the elastic
character of said sweep and the counterbalance will at all times be
inclined to a vertical position, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, thereby
keeping the tether slightly strained and straight, but not to a degree of
tightness to inconvenience the horse while feeding. By this means the
tether is above and out of the way of the animal's feet; hence they
cannot become entangled therein, which they would be liable to do if
the tether hung low and loosely about the animal's limbs. For further
protection against the danger of entanglement of the horse in the tether
the sweep is largely curved, so that the animal on moving backward will
pass under the sweep, as shown in Figure 2, it being sufficiently high to
admit of all freedom of movement to the animal without his coming in
contact therewith to the extent of embarrassing his movements or to
cause alarm. It will be observed that the tether is not secured to the
horse at or near the mouth by means of a halter and ring in the ordinary
way, but is attached thereto by means of a rod, see Figure 1, the lower
end of which is secured to the nose band of the halter, whereas the upper
end is secured to a bow attached to the forehead band, which allows to
the tether a lateral imovement below the base of the ears.
The nose
band and the bar are prevented from being pulled upward by a flat stay,
Figure 1, the lower end of which is connected to the nose band, whereas
its upper end is connected to the neck band of the halter. The said
stay not only prevents the band from being pulled upward, but it also
protects the animal's face from the abrasion of the ring of the tether.
The purpose of this arrangement is to allow the end of the tether
attached to the horse to slide upward from the mouth so as to be
out of the way of the animal's feet while his head is down, as shewn in
Figure 1, and by means of the bow attached to the forehead band the
more

page_text: tether will slip to either side of the forehead as the direction of the draft
may be. By this device, together with the curved counterbalanced sweep
above described, the tether is at all times held taut and away from
the feet of the animal while feeding; hence there is no liability of his
becoming entangled and cast by the tether.
It will be obvious that an animal tethered in the manner above
described can feed with complete freedom all around the tether and to the
extent of the tether, as the sweep by its several and ready movements
-adapts itself to the various attitudes and places that the animal may
take without the least restraint-in-the-freedom of its movements while
feeding or not. The tether may be moved from place to place as the
condition of the grass may require, by raising it from the ground by
means of the rollers and lever referred to, thus:-On opening the cover M,
Figure 3, access is had to the lever E, which, when the tether is down,
lies therein, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Now on drawing the lever
out, as indicated by the dotted lines d, and then lifting it upward the
stay C will be changed from the position indicated by the dotted lines e,
Figure 2, to that shewn in Figure 5, in which it will be seen that the
wheels are on the ground, and the tether elevated upon them by means
of the stay, which is secured in this position by a pawl N, attached to
the side of the case and made to engage a pin projecting from the side
of the stay. The tether thus elevated upon the rollers or wheels can
now be rolled from place to place by the handle O, Figure 4, which may
be drawn out from its grooves across the top of the tether, as indicated
by the dotted lines 7, and again lowered when necessary to the ground
by reversing the movements of the stay, lever, and other parts. A
tether thus constructed is of easy management, convenient, and at all
times reliable in securing the animal that may be tethered thereto, and
when not in immediate use can be rolled to some place for storage or to
be out of the way.
The following is a modification of the above described tether :-A,
Figures 7, 8, and 9, is a circular frame, consisting of the bands or
hoops B and C, and staves D. A portion of the frame is represented as
being broken away in order that the inside thereof may be seen. To the
inside of the said frame is pivoted a ring E at the point a the extreme
ends of its diameter. Within the said ring is hung a sphere F, the lower
half of which is solid, or it may be hollow with thick walls F'. The
upper section or half of the sphere is composed of a series of rods or

page_text: meridians G, the lower ends of which are secured to the lower half in
any convenient manner, whereas the upper ends are attached to a centre
piece H', whereby they are held in place. Proceeding downward from
the centre piece H', to the lower half of the sphere is a tube I, in which
is inserted and secured the lower end of the sweep H, to the extreme
upper end of which is tethered the animal. The purpose of making the
lower half of the sphere so much heavier than the upper half is that it
may serve as a counterbalance to the weight of the sweep and thereby
retain it in an upright position, or cause it to assume such a position
after being drawn aside by the tethered animal, and which it will do by
the mobility of the sphere. The tether is secured to the ground by
means of three or more stays J, Figures 7 and 8, one end of which is
hooked upon the hoop or band B, whereas the other is driven down into
the ground, as shewn in Figure 9. The tether may be moved from
place to place by turning it over on to its side, which will allow of its
being rolled upon the ground with great facility.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. The stay C, wheel B, lever D, and pawl N, arranged in combi-
nation with the case A, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The swivel and pivoted sweep H, pivoted ball F, and pivoted
ring E, in combination with the counterbalance G, as and for the purpose
described.
Third. The rod and bow in combination with the halter substantially
as described, and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)