Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Pads for the Harnesses of Horses.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Pads for the
Harnesses of Horses.
I, CONRAD SCHROEDER, residing at Number 1138 Kinnikinnic Avenue, in the
City and County of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, United States of America,
Beer Bottler, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 the construction of an elastic or yielding pad to
be placed beneath the harness saddle or other parts of the harnesses for horses,
so as to prevent irritation of the skin of the horse, and to that end the said
invention consists primarily, in a suitable backing, to which is attached elastic or
yielding material, arranged in a series of bearing points, with intermediate air-
passages or spaces, whereby a free circulation of air is permitted between the
portion of the harness to which the pad is applied and the body of the horse, all as
hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and subsequently.
claimed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a representation of one form of my improved harness-pad, in
clevation, showing a portion thereof in section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section of the same taken on the line 3-3 of
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a rear elevation of one of the parts.
Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the blanks for forming one of the holding
devices for securing the elastic portions to the support or backing.
Figure 6 is a detail elevation of a portion of a pad illustrating a somewhat
different form of construction.
Figure 7 is an elevation of another form of my device, illustrating, in dotted lines,
the portion of the harness to which it is secured.
Figure 8 is a cross-section through the said pad and adjacent portion of the
harness, taken on the line 8--8 of Figure 7.
Figure 9 a plan view of a portion of this form of the pad.
Figure 10 is a detail view illustrating a somewhat modified construction of this
form.
I will first describe the form of pad best illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings;
A represents a suitable supporting strip or backing of leather or other suitable
material, provided with attaching devices B B for securing it to the saddle or
other portion of the harness to which it is desired to apply the pad, and C C a series
of cylindrical bearing pieces of caoutchouc, or other suitable elastic or yielding
material, secured to the inner side of said backing and adapted to rest in contact
with the body of the horse.
The bearing pieces C C are preferably made of tubular form as shown in
the drawings, and are engaged with the backing or support A preferably by
means of holding plates D B, which are made of substantially semi-cylindrical
form, and into which the said pieces C C are slipped and held in any desired
manner.
I find it convenient to construct the said holding plates D D so as to project
slightly below the center of the pieces C C so that by making said pieces of a
diameter to fit snugly within said plates, they will be held by frictional engage-
ment therewith, one end of each of these semi-cylindrical holding plates D D

page_text: being provided with a stop d adapted to engage with the end of the cylindrical
bearing piece C, so as to prevent it from working out of engagement therewith.
The holding plates are conveniently formed from blanks D¹ provided at one
end with a suitably shaped projection d' as illustrated in Figure 5, these blanks
being bent into the described semi-cylindrical shape and said projections d¹ d' being
bent down to form the stops at the ends of the said holding plates.
The series of holding plates are secured to the backing or support A in any
desired or convenient manner, as by means of rivets d³ d³.
In the form of construction illustrated in Figure 6, the bearing pieces E E are
made of a somewhat different shape from those first described, said bearing pieces E E
being provided with indentations or grooves e e in opposite sides and preferably a
little above the centers of said pieces, and the holding plates FF are made of a
correspondingly different shape, being each provided with two inwardly directed
flanges adapted to engage with said grooves or indentations e e in the bearing
pieces É É.
By the construction illustrated in the drawings and hereinbefore described,
the bearing pieces C C or EE are adapted to be readily removed from the
holding plates DD or F F by being slipped out of engagement therewith from
the ends of said holding plates which are left open, the stops d d being arranged
at the ends of the holding plates at which the bearing pieces are liable to
work out.
If desired one or more of the bearing pieces may be removed and the pad
supported in contact with the body of the horse by the remaining bearing pieces,
thus enabling the device to be arranged so as to prevent any pressure upon a
portion of the skin of the animal which may happen to be in an irritated or sore
condition.
By the arrangement of the bearing pieces at suitable distances apart, a free
circulation of air is permitted between the saddle or other portion of the harness
to which the pad may be applied, and the horse's skin, so as to keep the skin cool
and comfortable and effectually preventing chafing of the skin and the formation of
sores in consequence of said chafing.
Any desired material may be used for forming the bearing pieces instead of
caoutchouc, it being only necessary to form them from a material which is
sufficiently yielding to prevent undue pressure upon the horse's skin, yet
possessing sufficient elasticity to return it to its original shape after it has been
compressed.
If desired also, a coating or covering of felt may be applied to the surfaces of
the bearing pieces, or if they are made from caoutchouc, the surfaces of the
caoutchouc, may be felted.
Under some circumstances, it may be desirable to construct a somewhat cheaper
form of my device, especially where the removability of the separate bearing points
is of secondary importance. Such a form of pad is illustrated in Figure 7, which
shows at G, the pad formed of caoutchouc or analogous elastic or yielding material,
so shaped as to have a series of bearing points a a (corresponding to the bearing
pieces CC, or E E, already described) adapted to come against the skin of the horse,
leaving a series of intermediate air spaces or passages a' a' between said bearing
points.
This pad is provided with suitable attaching devices B B, by which it is
secured to the inner surface of the portion H of the harness to which it is to be
applied.
This pad may be directly pressed or moulded into shape from the caoutchouc
or other material of which it is formed, as shown in Figure 7, or it may be
made of felt or analogous yielding material, and maintained in proper form by a
suitably corrugated strip of metal or other rigid material as shown at g, in Figure 10,
said strip being secured to the pad, as by the rivets g¹.
The pad may be made all in one piece, as shown, or in sections, each with its
independent attaching devices, as preferred.

page_text: -
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 is :-
1. A pad for harnesses provided with a series of yielding or elastic bearing pieces
or points, arranged with a series of air spaces or passages between them, and
adapted to be interposed between the body of a horse, and the adjacent portion of
the harness thereof.
2. A pad for harnesses, comprising a suitable backing, having attaching devices
secured thereto, and a series of yielding or elastic bearing pieces or points, having
air-passages or spaces between them.
Dated this 15th day of Mo 1909
CONRAD SCHROEDER.