Improvements in Horse Collars.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1898-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
County of Anoka, State of Minnesota, United States of America, Farmer.
Improvements in Horse Collars.
I, WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E., of 62, Saint Vincent Street, in the City of
Glasgow, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to horse collars.
Heretofore leather and canvas stuffed collars have been made with a sub-
stantially rigid connection between the lower parts of the collar, the collar being
opened at the withers or top only. Such collars often break at the bottom
unless handled with care.
The object of this invention is to provide a horse collar which may be opened
for the purpose of placing it upon or taking it from the neck of the horse without
straining or breaking the collar.
The particular object of the invention is to provide a spring collar which may
be thus opened and which will normally hold the collar closed.
A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment which may be
employed to repair broken collars.
The invention consists generally in a horse collar having its sides connected
by a flexible joint or hinge and further the invention consists in a spring hinge
employed between the sides of a collar to normally close the same yet permitting
the sides to be opened or separated for the purpose of placing the collar upon
or taking it from the horse's neck; and the invention further consists in
various constructions and combinations of parts all as hereinafter described and
particularly pointed out in the claims.
The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accom-
panying drawings, in which;
Fig. 1 represents a collar embodying my invention with dotted lines showing
the same open.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the spring device at the throat of the collar.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially on the line -r of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a detail of the spring-carrying parts.
In the drawings, I have illustrated a horse collar of ordinary form and con-
struction, the same comprising two sides, each of which has a wide pad 2 and
forewale 3, between which parts, on opposite sides, are the grooves or creases 4
to receive the hames. At the top or withers the sides of the collar are prefer-
ably held together by a steel spring 5 secured to one side and having a clasp 6
to engage the other side of the collar. The spring hinge coupling employed
017

page_text: between the lower ends of the two sides of the collar, has parts or sockets that
conform to the shape of the collar, and these parts are connected by a hinge or
pivot of any desired form and occupying a substantially horizontal position.
The device which I prefer comprises the hinge straps 7 and 8 at the inner ends
of which are the interlocking hinge ears 9 and 10, respectively, provided with
slots or recesses 11 and 12 to receive lugs 13 and 14 provided on the removable
hinge plates 16 and 15 that are adapted to fit within the space between the
hinge ears 9 and 10, and are secured thereto by a bolt 17 passing through an
ear 9 and having a threaded end to enter an opening in said plate 15, and a
shoulder to permit the bolt to be set up firmly against the surface of the plate.
A spring 18 is arranged about the bolt 17 having its looped ends in engage-
ment with the edges of said plates, respectively, and pressing upon said plates
tend to close the two sides of the collar together. This construction permits
the ready removal of the spring-carrying parts whenever desired. The plates 7
and 8 conform to the underside of the collar and the sockets are completed by
the top plates 19 which also conform to the collar, and with the hinge plates, are
secured to the collar by several bolts or ties 20. The parts are preferably
malleable in order that they may be furnished to harness manufacturers, harness
makers and repair shops as distinct articles of manufacture to be applied to all
kinds of collars, it being only necessary to cut a common collar at the bottom
and insert my hinge device to make a complete and durable collar. And
further the same may be used to repair broken collars. The plates 19 are made
adjustable upon the heads of the bolts or ties and by sliding them out or in,
the width of the collar when closed may be adjusted. Lugs 21 upon the hinge
plate 8, abut against the shoulders 22, upon the opposite hinge part, and thus
limit the closing movement and width of the two sides of the collar.
of
Obviously various changes may be made in the detail construction and form
my improved collar, and I, therefore, do not confine my invention to the details
of construction herein shown and described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A padded or stuffed horse collar having a hinge joint between its sides,
as and for the purpose specified.
2. A horse collar having a spring hinge between its sides, as and for the pur-
pose specified.
3. A horse collar having sides upon which hames are secured, and a spring
hinge between said sides tending to close the same, substantially as described.
4. A horse collar having a hinged metallic coupling between its sides or
padded parts, substantially as described.
5. A padded collar having hames creases, and having its lower parts connected
by a conforming and adjustable spring coupling, substantially as described.
6. A horse collar having a spring coupling to normally close the collar and
adapting the same to be opened, substantially as described.
7. The combination, with the stuffed or padded sides of a horse collar, with
connecting conforming plates hinged as described, the closing spring, and ad-
justing conforming plates, substantially as described.
8. A horse collar having a hinge in its lower part, in combination with a
closing spring, and the clasp for the upper ends of the collar, substantially as
described.
9. As a new article of manufacture, a spring coupling for the lower parts of
a horse collar, as described.
10. As a new article of manufacture, a spring hinge provided with sockets
to receive the lower ends of the sides of a horse collar, substantially as described.
11. As a new article of manufacture, the adjustable spring hinge for attach-
ment to the lower parts of a horse collar, substantially as described.

page_text: 12. A horse collar, having interlocking ears at its lower end, and removable
spring-carrying parts connected therewith and forming a spring hinge between
the sides of the collar.
The 21
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