Improvements in Bridle-blinders or Blinkers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bridle-blinders or Blinkers.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to
me by The Butler Hard Rubber Co., of 33, Mercer Street New York City,
United States of America, Manufacturers) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in bridle-blinders or blinkers.
Heretofore blinders for harness-bridles have usually been made of leather.
Where it has been desired to give the blinders a highly polished finish, they
have been made with an outside covering of what is known as "patent" leather.
This covering substance, while answering fairly well, is unfavourably acted upon
by rain, sudden changes of temperature, frequent washing, and the like, which
destroy in a short time its polish and the fabric itself. To obviate these
objections and to produce a highly superior quality of blinder, unaffected by
washing, moisture, changes of temperature, etc. blinders according to this invention
are manufactured from hard rubber with a central core extending throughout the
area of the blinder. In practice it has been found that a blinder made of solid
hard rubber was too brittle, but by providing a perforated metallic core of some
suitable substance running entirely through the centre of the blinder a very
superior article of manufacture is produced having decided advantages as
hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawing,-
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a bridle-blinder or blinker embodying
this invention :
Figure 2 is a plan view of the perforated core:
Figure 3 is a cross section of the blinder.
A represents a bridle-blinder preferably of substantially rectangular form having
a concave-convex portion B of the usual form and construction.
C is a side extension of the blinder perforated with a series of holes E, by
means of which it may be stitched or otherwise attached to the cheek-straps or
other part of the bridle.
F is the perforated core conforming to the concave-convex form of the bridle-
blinder, and extending out into the side extension C so that the perforations E
pass through the core F, as well as through the hard rubber on both sides
thereof.
At the point where the side extension C joins the portion B, the core F is bent
at an angle sufficiently great to permit the bridle-blinder. to stand out from the side
of the horse's head at such an angle as will allow the horse to have an unobstructed
front view.
Any metal suitable for the purpose may be used for the core.
The hard rubber layers are preferably formed upon both sides of the core
thinner at the centre than at the outer edges, the layers gradually increasing in
thickness towards the outer portions..
In using a perforated metal plate as a core, the rubber compound is caused to
pass through the perforations from one side to the other and interlock therethrough
ID: 037

page_text: when vulcanized, thereby forming a strong homogeneous structure of great strength
and durability.
Dated this 15th day of August 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (n communication
to me by The Butler Hard Rubber Co., of 33, Mercer Street, New York City,
United States of America, Manufacturers) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-`
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a bridle-blinder or blinker embodying my
invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the perforated core.
Figure 3 is a cross-section of the blinder.
66
Heretofore blinders for harness-bridles have usually been made of leather.
Where it has been desired to give the blinders a highly polished finish, they
have been made with an outside covering of what is known as patent leather.
This covering substance, while answering fairly well, is unfavourably acted upon
by rain, sudden changes of temperature, frequent washing, and the like, which
destroy in a short time its polish and the fabric itself. To obviate these objections
and produce a highly-superior quality of blinder, unaffected by washing, moisture,
changes of temperature, etc., we have invented and manufactured a blinder of
hard-rubber with a central core extending throughout the area of the blinder. In
practice we found that a blinder made of solid hard rubber was too brittle, but
by providing a perforated metallic core of some suitable substance, running entirely
through the centre of the blinder, we were enabled to produce a very superior
article of manufacture having decided advantages, which will be hereinafter set
forth.
In the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification, A represents a bridle
blinder, preferably of substantially rectangular form, having a concavo-convex
portion of the usual form and construction..
C is a side extension of the blinder perforated with a series of holes E, by means
of which it may be stitched or otherwise attached to the cheek-straps or other part
of the bridle.
F is the perforated core conforming to the concavo-convex form of the bridle
blinder, and extending out into the side extension C, so that the perforations E
pass through the core F, as well as through the hard rubber on both sides
thereof.
At the point where the side extension C joins the portion B, the core F is bent
at an angle sufficiently great to permit the bridle-blinder to stand out from the
side of the horse's head at such an angle as will allow the horse. to have an
unobstructed front view.
We may use any metal suitable for the purpose for the core.
We prefer to form the hard rubber layers upon both sides of the core thinner
at the centre than at the outer edges and gradually increasing in thickness of the
layers toward the outer portions.
t
In using a perforated metal plate as a core the rubber compound. is caused to

page_text: pass through the perforations from one side to the other and interlock therethrough
when vulcanized, thereby forming a strong homogeneous structure of great strength
and durability.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is,―
The bridle-blinder substantially as described, comprising a perforated plate
forming a core, and layers of hard rubber upon each side of the core extending
through the perforations thereof and vulcanized thereto, said plate being provided
with an extension having perforations.
Dated this 97th day of Anril 1896
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.