IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO VEHICLES DRAWN BY HORSES, TOROMNING
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Rothwell, of Denton, in the County of. Lan-
caster, Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS
OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO VEHICLES DRAWN BY HORSES, TO RESTRAIN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Rothwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 1865.
I, PETER ROTHWELL, of Denton, in the County of Lancaster, Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGE-
MENTS OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO VEHICLES DRAWN BY HORSES, TO RESTRAIN
AND PREVENT THEM FROM RUNNING AWAY," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the restraining or "pulling up" of one or
more horses when harnessed to vebicles running upon common roads, and it
is arranged so that if the vehicle is standing the horse will be "pulled up" if
it attempts to move, and should the vehicle be in motion and the horse
attempt to run away, my improved apparatus can be instantly brought into
operation to pull the horse up by putting a powerful strain upon the bit in his
mouth till he is compelled to stop, the apparatus at the same time acting to
some extent as a "brake" upon the wheels. The apparatus is such that the
pulling strain can be modified instantly when applied and in action to any
required extent.

page_text: My improvements consist in suspending a horizontal shaft across the vehicle
parallel to the axletree, which shaft is free to move or oscillate to and from
the axletree. Upon each end of the shaft a pulley is fixed, which may be
covered with leather to give adhesion, and each pulley is formed so that it can
come in close contact with the hoop or other part of the inside of the nave of
the wheel. To the middle of the shaft a part is fitted so that the shaft can
rotate in it, and to this part a rod, chain, rope, or strap is secured, which at
its other end is attached or connected with a lever, wheel, or screw, or a
combination of them. By means of this lever, wheel, or screw the shaft can
be pulled forward so as to press the leather surfaces of the pulleys in close and
firm contact with the naves of the wheels, consequently the shaft will be
rotated when the vehicle is in motion. To the shaft one end of a belt, chain,
or rope is secured on each side, the other ends of which are attached to the
bit in the horse's mouth, so that when the shaft turns it acts as a windlass to
wind up the belts, chains, or ropes, and pull up the horse. When the lever,
wheel, or screw is turned back or released, the shaft and pulleys will fall or be
pushed back by springs or weights out of contact with the naves of the
wheels. It will be seen that any required amount of strain or pull can be put
and kept upon the bit in the horse's mouth while the vehicle is in motion, as the
pulleys, according to the pressure, will slip when sufficient strain or pull has
been obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Rothwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
ROTHWELL, of Denton, in the County of Lancaster, Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Peter Rothwell, Her special license that I, the said Peter
Rothwell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Peter Rothwell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED. TO VEHICLES DRAWN
BY HORSES, TO RESTRAIN AND PREVENT THEM FROM RUNNING AWAY," upon the
eondition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter Rothwell, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Rothwell, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say).:-
My Invention has for its object the restraining or "pulling up" of one or
more horses when harnessed to vehicles running upon common roads, and it
is arranged so that if the vehicle is standing the horse will be "pulled up" if
it attempts to move, and should the vehicle be in motion and the horse-
attempt to run away, my improved apparatus can be instantly brought into
operation to pull the horse up by putting a powerful strain upon the bit in its
mouth till it is compelled to stop, the apparatus at the same time acting to
some extent as a brake upon the wheels. The apparatus is such that the
pulling strain can be modified instantly when applied and in action to any
required extent.
My improvements consist in suspending a horizontal shaft across the vehicle
parallel to the axletree, which shaft is free to move or oscillate to and from
the axletree. Upon each end of the shaft a pulley is fixed, which may be
covered with leather to give adhesion, and each pulley is formed so that it
can come in close contact with the hoop or other part of the inside of the
nave of the wheel. To the middle of the shaft a part is fitted in which the
shaft can rotate, and to this part a rod, chain, rope, or strap is secured, which
at its other end is attached to or connected with a lever, wheel, or screw, or a
combination of them. By means of this lever, wheel, or screw the shaft can
be pulled forward, so as to press the leather surfaces of the pulleys in close
and firm contact with the naves of the wheels, consequently the shaft will be
rotated when the vehicle is in motion. To the shaft one end of a belt, chain,
or rope is secured on each side, the other ends of which are attached to the
bit in the horse's mouth, so that when the shaft turns it acts as a windlass to
wind up the belts, chains, or ropes, and "pull up" the horse. When the
lever, wheel, or screw is turned back or released the shaft and pulleys will

page_text: fall or be pushed back by the movement, or by springs or weights, out of
contact with the naves of the wheels. It will be seen that any required
amount of strain or pull can be put and kept upon the bit in the horse's
mouth while the vehicle is in motion, as the pulleys, according to the pressure,
will slip when sufficient strain or pull has been obtained.
Fig. 1 is a side, and Fig. 2 a back view, which illustrate the manner in
which my Invention may be applied to a one-horse two-wheeled vehicle;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached side view, and Fig. 4 an enlarged detached
back view, showing the mechanism in detail.
a is a shaft, which for lightness I prefer to make of tubing; it extends
across the vehicle from one wheel to the other, and is carried by slotted
bearings (a) attached to the spring (a2) of each wheel, as shewn (see Figs. 3
and 4). Upon each end of this hollow shaft a pulley (as) is secured, covered
upon its periphery with leather to give adhesion when pressed against the
naves of the wheels. To the middle of the hollow shaft (a) one end of a
link (b) is connected, in which the shaft (a) can rotate freely, and the other
end of this link (6) is jointed with an arm (1) upon one end of a shaft (b)
fixed in bearings (13) to the body (c) of the carriage; upon the other end of
the shaft (2) and at one side of the vehicle a vertical lever hand (6) is fixed,
and by means of this handle the hollow shaft (a) can be pulled forward till
both pulleys (a) are pressed against the naves of the wheels. This lever
handle () can be held to keep the pulleys (a³) against the naves of the
wheels by means of a toothed rack (65) secured to the side of the vehicle, into
the teeth of which rack a catch enters, which is connected with the handle
part of the lever (*). This handle is jointed to the upper end of the lever,
and the catch part (66) of the handle passes through a slit in the lever (6),
and this catch part is pressed upon by a spring (67) secured to the lever. By
pulling sideways at the handle the catch is withdrawn from the teeth of the
rack (6), and to prevent the handle from being pulled too much on one side
a projection is arranged to come in contact with the end of the slit in the
lever when the catch (66) has been sufficiently withdrawn. By pulling
sideway and backward or forward at the same time motion can be given to
the hollow shaft (a), and when the handle is released the spring (6') will
force the catch (6) into the teeth of the rack (6), and hold the lever
handle in the position in which it is left. Instead of the jointed lever handle
a lever handle may be used which is sufficiently strong in the direction in
which motion is to be given, but elastic sideways, and having on one side a
projection to enter into the teeth of the rack. In place of a hand lever a
lever may be readily arranged in front to be acted upon by the foot of the

page_text: driver. To each side of the hollow shaft a strap, rope, or chain (f) is
attached, which is then passed to the bit in the horse's mouth, as shown in
Fig. 1, so that when the hollow shaft (a) rotates both these straps will be
wound round it, and will thus act upon the bit in the horse's mouth, and this
will be the case whether the horse moves forward or backward. In four-
wheeled vehicles the hollow shaft (a) may be applied to the front wheels,
being suspended from the springs, as before explained, but in this case the
motion for bringing the apparatus into action will have to be transmitted
through the vertical axis upon which the fore wheels swivel, which is made
hollow for this purpose, or the chain or strap conveying the motion will have
to be arranged to pass clear of the frame upon which the fore wheels swivel,
and then terminate at a. point above and over the vertical axis, being at that
point connected to the lever for imparting the movement.
But I prefer to attach the apparatus to the hind wheels of four-wheeled
vehicles, as illustrated by the plan Diagram, Fig. 5. d are the hind wheels;
(d), the fore wheels; (a2), the springs for sustaining the carriage attached to
the hind wheels; a, the hollow shaft, carried in bearings attached to the
springs (a); a³, pulleys on the end of the hollow shaft; e, india-rubber
springs, the ends of which are each secured to a bolt forming the end joint of
the carriage springs (a2); these india-rubber springs pass round bushes,
which are loose upon the shaft (a), and serve to pull it back to bring its
pulleys (a) out of contact with the naves of the wheels, and these springs
are required when a belt, chain, or rope is used for simply pulling the
shaft (a) forward, as in this case, where the strap (b) is attached to a bush
loose upon the hollow shaft (a). Ropes, chains, or belts (f) are attached to
the hollow shaft, as shewn, and then passed under the bottom of the vehicle
through suitable antifriction pulleys placed at bends or turns to pulleys upon
or below the vertical axis (g) on which the fore wheels swivel, then to pulleys
upon the frame part of the shafts (9'), and then along each shaft to the bit in
the horse's mouth. Instead of branching to each side, the two ropes, chains,
or belts may be united after passing the vertical axis, and may be then taken
up in front of the splash board, suitable pulleys being used at the bends and
turns, and then connected with slack branches from the reins (h) used by the
driver, as illustrated by dotted line in Fig. 1. Where two or more horses are
5 used in the same vehicle the same apparatus will do by using as many
additional sets of straps as there are horses, or by making each strap, rope, or
chain from the hollow shaft (a) branch into two or more, as required.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which it may be carried into effect, and claim as my Invention the

page_text: use of a shaft (a) and pulleys (a³), arranged substantially in the manner and
for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Rothwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
PETER ROTHWELL. (L.s.)