CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HARNESS FOR ANIMALS OF DRAFT AND BURTHEN
Year: 1821

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID.
GORDON, of the City of Edinburgh, in the County of Edinburgh, at present
residing in the Town of Stranraer, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighth day of September, in the second year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said David Gordon, my exors, admors, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said David Gordon, my exors, admors, and assigns, during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF HARNESS FOR ANIMALS OF DRAFT AND BURTHEN;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said Dayid Gordon, shall
not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent
and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease,
determine, and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso,-I, the said
David Gordon, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in the following description thereof (that is to say)

page_text: My improvements consist in the application of helical or screw-like springs,
fitted up in iron or other metallic or unyielding tubes, somewhat in the
manner of spring steelyards, to those parts of harness termed traces, hame-
tugs, pole pieces, back bands, or breechings; and they may either be enclosed
within the leathers forming those parts of the harness or not, as may suit the
fancies of the persons using them. If in the long traces used in drawing
stage coaches, gentlemen's carriages, curricles, gigs, &c., I place the springs
far enough behind the horses, so as not to rub against their sides. When the
horses draw by what are commonly called hame-tugs or caring chains, the
springs should be placed close to the hames, and this is particularly necessary
to be attended to when two or more horses are drawing in one line, so that
the draught of one horse only should act upon one set of springs. I do not
intend hereby to confine myself to any particular strength of the springs, but I
recommend that each trace should have a spring or springs attached to it,
capable of drawing from one to two hundred pounds' weight, the utmost power
of a horse being, I believe, less than equal to four hundred pounds.
The advantages I propose, from the employment of these springs in the
traces are, the facilitating the draught, and the preventing of sudden checks or
jerks, and thereby avoiding shaking or galling the shoulders of the horses, and
also contributing to the ease and comfort of the passengers, and, when added
to the breechings or pole pieces of harness in general, they also afford a
farther relief to the horses.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Gordon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-two.
Inrolled the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and twenty-two.