Improved Means of Checking Run-away Horses.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1834
Improved Means of Checking Run-away Horses.
I JAMES PHILIP OTTAWAY, of Portman House, Portman Road, Boscombe
Bournemouth, in the County of Hants, Butcher, 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 has for its object to provide means of so checking horses as to
prevent them from running away when left unattended, the invention being
particularly intended for application to horses drawing tradesmen's carts which in
their daily rounds are necessarily left unattended whilst their drivers are receiving
customers' orders or delivering goods.
The invention consists essentially in the combination, with the ordinary driving
reins and bit, or it may be with a special bit, of a pair of check reins, and of a
winding-in device capable of being thrown into gear with a wheel of the vehicle
whereby, should the animal attempt to proceed after being stopped and left by its
driver, the animal will be at once checked by the pull on the bit.
The winding-in device is so contrived that the winding up will take place during
the forward motion only, so that should the animal move backwards when checked
as above mentioned, the check reins will be slackened and will not be wound up in
the reverse direction should the animal continue to back, notwithstanding that the
pull on the bit has been relieved.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a side view of a horse and gig, with my improvement applied.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the winding-in shaft and attachments.
Figure 3 is a cross section, shewing on a larger scale, the winding-in device as in
operation.
Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating the inaction of the device when the motion
is reversed by the animal backing after being checked.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
A is a shaft parallel to the wheel axle and capable of being geared with the hub
of one of the travelling wheels. For this purpose it is provided at one end
preferably with a rubber-rimmed friction wheel B adapted to contact with the
wheel hub, and the shaft A is journalled in bracket plates C fixed, say, to the
spring bed blocks on the axle, the bracket plate nearest the friction wheel B being
slotted to allow the said wheel to be put in and out of frictional contact with
the travelling wheel hub, by means of a hand lever D pivotted at d and whose
forked arm d' engages with the shaft A.
The winding-in device E consists of a slot G through centre of shaft with a loose
key H inserted, over which is placed a loose wheel ratcheted internally e, on either
side is a tapered collar e fixed to the shaft rather larger in diameter than the
ratchet wheel and whose abutting edges protrude over, thus protecting the working
parts from grit or dust.
A ring F is attached to the ratchet wheel to which are affixed the rein extensions
passing over a roller at bottom of cart and conducted near the step where they
are attached to the other portion of the reins to facilitate putting too and
taking out.
It will be obvious that the two check reins might be connected to two separate
winding-in devices.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is ;-
The herein described apparatus for checking horses, consisting of check reins in
combination with a winding-in device, or devices, on a shaft adapted to be geared
with a wheel of the vehicle, the winding-in device being so constructed as to be
operated only by forward motion of the vehicle, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of September One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-four.
JAMES PHILIP OTTAWAY,