Improvements in Harness.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1892-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Harness.
I, ALFRED MENDEL of Strehlen near Dresden, Saxony, German Empire,
Landowner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference mainly to double harness that is to say harness for
a pair of horses and is furthermore intended to be used in connection with the
improved collars described in my Specification No. 13,508 of 1889; the invention
may, however, be applied or employed with any harness in which there is a pad,
saddle or saddle-like carrier on the back of the horse.
When my improved harness is employed the ordinary pole chains or straps
may be dispensed with.
For connecting the harness to the pole I provide the latter with eyes or loops
which if made of metal are not fixed at the sides of the pole, as this would be
inconvenient to the horses, but at the upper or lower side of the pole.
The pad, saddle or saddle-like carrier is provided at both sides of the horse
with a ring, loop or eye. To the ring, loop or eye at the outer side of the horse, a
strap, band or similar device is fastened in any convenient manner and then carried
under the horse's belly and through the loop or ring of the pad at the inner
side of the horse, the said strap or band being passed through this loop or ring
from the side next the horse and then carried, and fixed to the pole by
means of one of the eyes or loops thereon. A strap or band such as described
is fitted to each of the two horses.
It is evident that any pressure exerted by these straps or bands each suspended
from an eye, ring or loop on both sides of the pad, saddle or saddle-like carrier
will be a vertical pressure on the horse's back, which pressure will be the
better distributed the more equally the pad, saddle, or saddle-like carrier rests
on the horse's back. In harness as hitherto generally made the pad has been
so shaped that its middle part does not touch the horse's back but forms over
the spine a hollow space or chamber. I retain this hollow chamber, but in order
to secure a more exact position of the pad on the horse's back and to better
accommodate the pad to the backs of different horses I provide the pad with
horizontal hinges one at each side of the middle. With the vertical strain or
pull on the pad, of the straps arranged as above described, the movable part
of the latter will accommodate itself to the back of the horse thus rendering
any pull, strain or pressure easier for the horse. By the movable side parts
of the pad the latter is enabled to slightly change its position according to the
movement of the horse; the pressure of the pad on the horse's back is exerted
where the hinges are situated or in the vicinity of these hinges, and these parts
do not press directly on the back, but by means of cushions. By these means
onesided pressure on the back is prevented.
If a breeching is to be used in connection with the harness above described I fix
it at the outer side of the horse to the strap that goes under the belly or to the
trace, or directly to the collar while at the inner side of the horse the breeching
is fixed to the pole by means of an eye or loop.
The horse fitted with my harness has two points of support for stopping or
pulling back, one by the strap that goes under the belly and one by the
breeching, both acting on the pole, whereas with the harness hitherto in use
there is only one point of support acting on the pole, viz. the pole chain or
strap in front of the horse between the collar and front end of the pole.
My improved harness allows of materially shortening the pole; instead of
projecting beyond the collars of the horses it may terminate between the horses,

page_text: and it may at its front end assume any bent form in an upward or downward
direction.
The traces with this improved harness may be fixed in the ordinary manner.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1891.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.
JUMI DEI DIDIFICATION.
Improvements in Harness.
I, ALFRED MENDEL of Strehlen near Dresden, Saxony, German Empire,
Landowner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention has reference mainly to double harness, that is to say, harness for
a pair of horses, and is furthermore intended to be used in connection with the
improved collars described in my Specification No. 13,508 of 1889; the invention
may, however, be applied or employed with any harness in which there is a pad,
saddle or saddle-like carrier on the back of the horse.
When my improved harness is employed the ordinary pole chains or straps may
be dispensed with.
For connecting the harness to the pole I provide the latter with eyes or loops
which if made of metal are not fixed at the lateral sides of the pole, as this would
be inconvenient to the horses, but at the upper or lower side of the pole, see a a¹
in the accompanying drawings which illustrate my improved harness.
The pad, saddle or saddle-like carrier bis provided at both sides of the horse
with a ring, loop or eye c c¹. To the ring, loop or eye c at the outer side of the
horse a strap, band or similar device d is fastened in any convenient manner and then
carried under the horse's belly and through the loop or ring c¹ of the pad at the
inner side of the horse, the said strap or band being passed through this loop or
ring from the side next the horse and then carried and fixed to the pole by
means of one of the eyes or loops a and a¹ thereon. A strap or band such as
described is fitted to each of the two horses one band being fixed by means of the
loop a and the other by means of the loop a¹.
It is evident that any pressure exerted by these straps or bands d d, each hung
from an eye, ring or loop on both sides of the pad, saddle or saddle-like carrier b,
will be a vertical pressure on the horse's back, which pressure will be the better
distributed the more equally the pad, saddle or saddle-like carrier rests on the
horse's back. In harness as hitherto generally made the pad has been so shaped
that its middle part does not touch the horse's back but forms over the spine a
hollow space or chamber. I retain this hollow chamber but in order to secure a
more exact position of the pad on the horse's back and to better accommodate the
pad to the backs of different horses I provide the pad with horizontal hinges e e one
at each side of the middle. With the vertical strain or pull on the pad, of the
straps arranged as above described, the movable part of the latter will accommodate
itself to the back of the horse, thus rendering any pull, strain or pressure easier for
the horse. By the movable side parts of the pad the latter is enabled to slightly
change its position according to the movement of the horse; the pressure of the
pad on the horse's back is exerted where the hinges are situated or in the vicinity of
these hinges, and these parts do not press directly on the back, but by means of
cushions. By these means one sided pressure on the back is prevented.
If a breeching such as indicated at m is to be used in connection with the harness
above described I fix it at the outer side of the horse to the band or strap d, or to
the trace, or directly to the collar while at the inner side of the horse the
breeching is fixed to the pole by means of an eye or loop n.
The horse fitted with the harness above described has two points of support for

page_text: stopping or pulling back, one by the band or strap d and one by the breeching m,
both acting on the pole, whereas with the harness hitherto in use there is only one
point of support acting on the pole, viz.; the pole chain or strap in front of the
horse between the collar and front end of the pole.
My improved harness allows of materially shortening the pole ; instead of
projecting beyond the collars of the horses it may terminate between the horses, and
it may at its front end assume any bent form in an upward or downward direction.
The traces with this improved harness may be fixed in the ordinary manner.
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. In double harness, the combination with a pad, saddle or saddle-like carrier,
preferably hinged at the sides, of a belly band or strap attached to or passed
through rings, loops, or eyes at the two sides of the said pad, saddle or carrier,
and fastened at the inner side of the horse to the pole, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In combination with a belly band or strap carried and fitted as referred to in
Claim 1, a breeching connected at the outer side of the horse to the said band and
at the inner side to the pole, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 1st day of February 1892.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.