An Improved Implement for Removing Loose Hair from Horses.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Implement for Removing Loose Hair from Horses.
A communication from abroad by HENRY G. THOMAS, of Portland, Maine, United
States of America.
I, JOHN EDWARD LLOYD BARNES, of the firm of Sloan and Lloyd Barnes, Castle
Chambers, Castle Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Such
My invention is an improved implement for removing loose hair from horses, being
designed for use particularly when horses are shedding their hair. Although it is
provided with fine teeth it is not of the nature of a curry comb. It is not designed
to clean the horse or come in contact with the skin of the horse, but simply to act
upon the hair, and remove that which has already become loosened. In the ordinary
curry comb and like instruments the hair is penetrated and the-teeth come in contact
with the skin for the purpose of loosening and removing the dirt and dust.
implements are not designed for and do not effect the removal of the loose hairs to
any practical degree, but where the teeth come in contact with the skin they are
liable to loosen hair not ordinarily loosened by the operation of nature.
As the curry
comb and like implements thus loosen the hair without succeeding in removing the
loose hair it is very difficult with such an implement to clean a horse, particularly
if the horse is shedding its hair.
My invention consists essentially of a single blade having a series of fine teeth
and sharp corners or edges, the teeth being of such length that they will not
penetrate through the hair, but will separate it and compress it, and secure a
tenacious grip upon it, so that the loose hair is removed while the implement does
not of itself tend to loosen any hair not already loosened by the operation of
nature.
Further my invention requires in connection with a single blade a handle on the
side opposite the teeth so that the sharp edge of the toothed blade may come in
contact with the hair as the implement is drawn over the body of the horse.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my invention.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation.
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of the teeth illustrating their action upon the
hair.
In these drawings A represents the blade having upon one edge teeth a, and on the
edge opposite the teeth, a handle B. The notches between the teeth are represented
at b. The teeth are formed as shown in Fig. 2 by filing or cutting directly across the
edge of the blade which, as the blade is a thin plate of sheet metal, leaves sharp
corners on each side, and I have found for the purpose of subdividing the mass of
hair, and compressing the hair into small sub-divisions into the spaces b in the teeth,
so as to give the teeth a strong frictional hold upon the hair without having the
points penetrate the hair to the skin of the animal, that the teeth should be about one-
thirteenth of an inch in length, and about thirteen teeth to the inch. As the handle
is upon one side of the blade in using it the pressure applied by the hand sways the
blade a little to one side so that it is in a plane at an acute angle to the surface over
which it passes, and the sharp edges or corners of the teeth take hold of the hairs
with a strong frictional contact. This renders it also necessary that a single blade
should be used. At the same time the hairs are compressed in the small spaces and
the loose hairs drawn out. The loose hair as it is drawn off passes over the body of
the animal and acts as a cushion between the fine teeth of the blade and the hair

page_text: which remains fast, but smooths down the remaining hair and leaves it in good
condition. I am aware that a single blade having a double convex cross section, and
a handle at the end with curved teeth upon one edge has heretofore been provided for
cleaning the legs of animals, and I do not wish to be understood as claiming so
broadly as to include such a device.
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 :-
An improved implement for removing loose hair from horses, consisting of a single
blade of sheet metal having a series of fine teeth adapted to penetrate into the hair
only of the horse, said teeth being formed with sharp edges or corners, in combina-
tion with a handle B, placed on the edge opposite to the teeth, the parts being
constructed, arranged and proportioned substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of June 1890.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES.
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.