Improvements in and Means or Apparatus for Governing or Controlling the Action of Horses or other Draught Animals when in Harness.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Means or Apparatus for Governing or
Controlling the Action of Horses or other Draught Animals
when in Harness.
1, WILLIAM GEORGE, of 9 Glamorgan Street, Barry, near Cardiff, in the
County of Glamorgan, Locomotive Driver, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide improvements in and means or apparatus
for governing horses or other draught animals, and to prevent the animal or
animals running away, or backing, when drawing vehicles, in a more certain
manner than can be effected by manual power alone, or by merely braking or
stopping the wheels of the vehicle.
According to my invention, I attach to each ring of the animal's bit, à rein, cord,
or equivalent; these reins pass, (where two shafts are employed), below the shafts,
being guided in convenient guides, and the ends thereof are fixed to a roller
mounted in bearings, carried by brackets from the cart or vehicle and situated
beneath the axle of the running wheels; these bearings are constructed so as to
be capable of receiving a vertical motion, by mechanism as hereafter described,
being for this purpose mounted in slides in the aforesaid brackets. The axle of
the roller is extended beyond the bearings at each end and is provided with friction
pulleys, which when the bearings of the roller are raised come against friction
drums formed with or fixed to the naves or bosses of the wheels.
I have found that a convenient arrangement of levers for raising the roller
bearings may consist of a hand lever within convenient reach of the driver at its
lower end pivotted onto the body of the vehicle, and provided with a suitable fixing
segment; to this hand lever is jointed a connecting rod acting on a vertical arm of
a shaft passing under the vehicle; this shaft is provided with two horizontal arms,
from which horizontal arms hang or depend rods jointed at their lower ends to
horizontal levers fulcrumed on the bearing brackets of the roller and carrying the
vertically movable roller bearings between the fulcrum and the depending arms, so
that on the hand lever being rocked, the bearings will be raised, and the friction
pulley will be brought into contact with the friction drums of the road wheels, the
roller will be wound up, and consequently the reins will be wound around the roller,
drawing upon the bit rings of the horse.
Now I have found by experiment that should the animal become in any way
uncontrollable, and the lever is thrown over, that directly the animal feels the
aforesaid reins being drawn with a force superior to manual power, the said animal
immediately stops, and this without the possibility of any injury being done.
To prevent the animal backing, reversing the roller, and thus loosening the
controlling reins, I provide a ratchet formed with or fixed to the aforesaid friction
drums of the road wheels, and upon each end of a shaft passing under the vehicle
I provide pawls to take into the said ratchets; these pawls are thrown into the
said ratchets by a spring, and are taken and held off by a tappet action when the
hand or reversing lever is in its normal position. Thus by my invention I am
enabled to effectually prevent the "running away" of draught animals from fright
or otherwise, as well as to prevent the said animals "backing," and this in an
effectual and simple manner, and by means which may be applied without loss of
time, and may be utilized even by women and children.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Means or Apparatus for Governing or
Controlling the Action of Horses or other Draught Animals
when in Harness.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE, of 9 Glamorgan Street, Barry, near Cardiff, in the
County of Glamorgan, Locomotive Driver, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide improvements in and means or apparatus
for governing horses or other draught animals, to prevent the animal or animals
running away, or backing, when drawing vehicles, and in a more certain manner
than can be effected by manual power alone, or by merely braking or stopping
the wheels thereof.
My invention will be readily understood with reference to the accompanying
drawing, on which
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation, of a two-wheeled vehicle, shewing apparatus
constructed according to my invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 being a plan of
Fig. 1 with the body of the vehicle removed.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section shewing more clearly parts of my invention
hereafter described.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew, in plan and side elevation respectively, the end of an
operating lever.
and
Figures 6 and 7 shew in sectional side elevation and cross section a shaft bearing
Figures 8 and 9 are respectively front elevation and plan views of a ratchet
device all as hereafter described.
According to my invention, I attach to each ring of the animal's bit, a rein,
cord, or equivalent, A; these reins A pass (where two shafts are employed) below
the shafts, being guided in convenient guides B, and the ends thereof are fixed to
a roller C mounted in bearings D carried by brackets or guides E fixed to and
situated behind the axle F of the running wheels F', these bearings D are con-
structed so as to be capable of receiving a horizontal motion, by mechanism as
hereafter described, being for this purpose mounted in the slides of the aforesaid
brackets E. The axle Cof the rollers C is extended beyond the bearings Dat
each end, and is provided with friction pulleys G, which, when the bearings of the
rollers are moved horizontally, come against friction drums H formed with or fixed
to the naves or bosses of the wheels FI preferably construct the bearings D as
shewn at Figures 6 and 7, that is of ball bearing type, although I do not limit
myself to the particular construction.
For giving the bearings D of the rollers C a horizontal movement, I may
employ a hand lever or wheel J within convenient reach of the driver, fastened
onto the body of the vehicle, and provided with a suitable bearing or column J';
to this hand wheel J is fixed a vertical shaft having its end J' screwed and working
into a nut K having trunnions K' (best seen at Figs. 4 and 5) which act upon a
lever L passing under the vehicle this lever is pivotted on the shaft L' which is
carried in bearings on the bracket E. A connecting rod M is fastened at the
lower part of the lever L at M' and connected at the other end to a shaft N'which
extends across and takes into the horizontally moving bearings D, which bearings
also carry the shaft C', so that on the hand lever or wheel J. being turned the
bearings D will be moved, and the friction pulleys G will be brought into contact
with the friction drums H of the road wheels F, the rollers C will be wound up
and consequently the reins A will be wound around the rollers C, drawing upon the
bit rings of the horse. In order to prevent the hand wheel J being turned in
the wrong direction by mistake when the apparatus is being used in a sudden

page_text: emergency as would be generally the case I provide a ratchet wheel J³ upon the
shaft of the hand wheel as shewn at Figures 8 and 9, and a pawl J' carried on a
fixed part of the frame takes into the ratchet wheel and prevents the wheel J being
reversed unless the said pawl J' is caused to release the said wheel.
I have formed by experiment that should the animal become in any way
uncontrollable, and the wheel J is turned or a lever operated, directly the animal
feels the aforesaid reins being drawn with a force superior to manual power, the
said animal immediately stops, and this without the possibility of any injury
being done.
To prevent the animal backing, reversing the roller C, and thus loosening the
controlling reins A, I provide ratchets R see Figure 3 formed with or fixed to,
the aforesaid friction drums H of the road wheels F¹, and upon each end of the
shaft L passing under the vehicle I provide pawls R' to take into the said
ratchets R; these pawls R' are thrown into the said ratchets R by the motion
given by the lever L to the shaft L₁, and are taken and held off when the hand
wheel is in its normal position. The pawl R¹ is jointed and provided with a
spring R to admit of its rising over the teeth when the apparatus is thrown
into action and the vehicle is given a forward movement.
Thus by my
invention I am enabled to effectually prevent the "running away" of draught
animals from fright or otherwise, as well as to prevent the said animals
"backing," and this in an effectual and simple manner, and by means which may
be applied without loss of time, and may be utilized even by women and children.
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 as my Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Governing or Controlling
the Action of Horses or other Draught Animals when in Harness is as follows;
1. The reins or equivalents A connected to the bit rings and to rollers C on
shaft C carrying friction drums or equivalents G, mechanism for moving the
bearings of rollers C, in combination with friction drums or equivalents H on the
road wheels. F by which the shaft C' is revolved when the apparatus is brought
into action, all constructed and acting as and for the purposes herein set
forth.
2. The reins or equivalents A connected to the bit rings and to rollers C on
shaft C carrying friction drums or equivalents G, mechanism for moving the
bearings of rollers C, in combination with friction drums or equivalents H on the
road wheels F by which the shaft C¹ is revolved when the apparatus is brought
into action, together with the ratchet devices R R¹ R' to prevent the motion
of the drums H being reversed and the reins released by the vehicle being
backed, all constructed and acting as and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. The general arrangement construction and combination of parts composed of
the check reins A, winding apparatus for the said reins A whereby the latter are
wound up by the motion of the travelling wheels of the vehicle, mechanism for
throwing the winding gear in and out of action, and ratchet mechanism for
preventing the loosening of the check reins A, all substantially as shewn and
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of November 1803
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.