IMPROVEMENTS IN GIG HARNESS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Willis, of Wallingford, in the County
of Berks, Harness Maker. for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GIG HARNESS."
Scaled the 6th January 1854, and dated the 30th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Willis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th September 1853..
I, JAMES WILLIS, of Wallingford, in the County of Berks, Harness
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN GIG HARNESS" to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in gig harness consists in construct-
ing the saddle with the "cantle" detached from the saddle tree, and
secured thereto by bolts or other suitable means, and so that it may be
removed at pleasure. Secondly, securing the leather roll or facing to
the leather of the saddle by a continuous seam, instead of securing it
to the padding, and attaching it to the saddle at intervals, as usual.
My improvements also refer to the collar, & consists in forming it on
a metal ring or foundation which forms the face of the collar, and is
formed in two parts jointed together at the throat, which are expanded

page_text: when put on the horse, & are brought together at the top, & secured
to each other.
Another part of my improvements in gig harness is in the buckle,
applicable to the tug or trace and other parts of the harness. It con-
sists in making the tongue of the buckle so that it will slide through
that part to which it is usually jointed, & also bending the tongue at
right angles to the plane of the strain at that point which receives
the strain from the trace or other strap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Willis in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES WILLIS, of Wallingford, in the County of Berks, Harness
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said James Willis, Her special licence
that I, the said James Willis, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Willis, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GIG
HARNESS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Willis, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Willis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention. and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of "Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
My Invention of improvements in gig harness consist in construct
ing the saddle with the cantle detached from the saddle tree, and
secured thereto by bolts or other suitable means, so that it may be
removed at pleasure. Secondly, securing the leather roll or facing to
the leather of the saddle by a continuous seam, instead of securing it to
the padding, and attaching it to the saddle at intervals, as usual.
My improvements also refer to the collar, and consists of forming it
on a metal ring or foundation which forms the face of the collar, and is
made in two parts jointed together at the throat, which are expanded
when put on the horse, and are brought together on the top and
secured to each other; or the joint may be at the top and the expand-
ing part at the bottom of the collar.
Another part of my improvements in gig harness is in the buckle,
applicable to the tug or trace and other parts of the harness.
It con-
sists in making the tongue of the buckle so that it will slide through
that part of the buckle where it is usually jointed, and bending the
tongue at right angles to the plane of the strain at that part which
receives the strain from the trace or other strap.
Fig. 1, in the Sheet of Drawings annexed is a side view of a gig
saddle constructed according to my Invention; and Fig. 2, a front view
of the same. In external appearance this saddle is similar to any other,
but having its parts differently constructed and combined.
Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, show some of the parts detached.
I form my improved saddle on a frame or saddle tree of plate iron.
as shown in front view at Fig. 3, and in side elevation at Fig. 4; the
several parts are fixed by bolts or screws passing through or into the
saddle tree.
a, is the cantle and seat, made separate from the saddle, and attached
by two screws b, d, and also by the bearing hook c, all of which have
screw nuts below the saddle tree. The cantle so attached may be

page_text: nade of plate iron and wood, covered with leather, or of papier
mache japanned, or of other suitable substance.
Fig. 6, represents an under side view of the leather flaps or cover-
ing d, d, of the saddle tree.
I cut this in one piece, and form an opening for the passage of the
back band e, which is covered by the skirts f, f. The leather roll or
facing of the saddle is of similar construction to the ordinary facing,
but instead of being attached to the padding of the saddle and tempo-
rarily stopped to the leather , d. I attach this leather roll or facing
g, g, to the leather flaps d, d, permanently by stitching, as seen in the
under side plan, Fig. 6. The padding 1, h, is made seperately, as seen
at Fig. 5, and has brass sockets or nuts m, m, secured in it, into which
the terratts i, i, and fastening screws k, k, are fixed. These fasten-
ings pass through the leather flaps d, d, and saddle tree 1, 7, placed
between the covering and the pad, so that the whole is firmly and
completely secured. The padding is further secured to the flaps d, d,
by stitching at the lower part. By thus stitching the facing roll to the
leather cover of the saddle it is not liable to become detached by the
stitches rotting from the sweat of the horse, as is constantly the case
where the facing roll g, g, is fixed to the padding.
Fig. 7, represents a horse collar, constructed according to my Inven-
tion, which consists in forming the facing o, o, of a metal frame adapted
to receive the heams, instead of the stuffed roll usually forming the
facing. Fig. 8, represents the metal frame o, o, detached; and Fig. 9,
a side view of the same. Fig. 11, shows a section on 1, 2, Fig. 8;
while Fig. 10, shows a plan of the upper part, and Fig. 12, a plan of
the lower part of such metal ring or frame. I form the frame or
metal facing o, o, in two parts, one on either side of the collar; the
two halves are jointed together at the top (or it may be at the bottom)
by a hinge p, the arms of which are properly secured by rivets or
otherwise to the parts of the frame, which I prefer to be made of sheet
copper or brass, so formed as to form a groove for the reception of
the heams 1, 2, which fit therein. Perforations are made in the metal
for the purpose of sewing it to the padding r, r, of the collar, to which

page_text: it is firmly secured. The lower part of the frame is connected by a
piece of metal 8, 8, fitting the hollow of the frame, as seen at Fig. 12.
Two small bolts t, t, pass through the lower ends of the frame, and
through the piece s, 8, into which piece they are fixed. Slot openings
1, 1, are formed horizontally in the ends of the frame, which allow
them to approach and recede from cach other, in order to allow the
collar to be expanded to pass over the horse's head. V, is merely an
ornamental plate to hide the slot openings u, u, and the junction of the
frame. The bolts t, t, pass through and support this
adjusted with sufficient freedom for the sliding motion.
applied and fixed in the ordinary manner, the closing of which by means
of their fastenings bring and keep the metal frame of the collar
together. The metal frame o, o, may be of brass and polished, or
it may be plated or covered with leather. The metal frame may be
rendered inore or less ornamental, according to pattern or device exhi-
bited in front.
plate, and are
The heams are
The third part of my Invention relates to the tug and other buckles
for harness, and is represented in plan with tug applied at Fig. 13, and
in side view at Fig. 14; while Fig. 15, represents a plan seperately;
Fig. 16, an end view, and Fig. 17, a side view of the same. In this
buckle I construct the tongue w, so as to slide longitudinally through
the cross bar æ, instead of being hinged thereto, as in ordinary buckles.
I also bend the tongue at w', at right angles to the strain on the tug,
in order to prevent injury to the trace. The trace y, can only be ‹lis-
engaged by pushing back the free end, and drawing back the tongue u,
which is easily effected, and never liable to become loose by accident.
As a better support for the tongue I sometimes make the buckle
with two cross bars, as seen dotted in plan and side view, Figs. 15,
and 17.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that 1
claim,―
First, constructing the cantle and seat seperately from the saddle
and securing it thereto, as described :

page_text: Secondly, securing the leather roll or facing to the leather flaps of
the saddle, as described, instead of to the pad, as heretofore: And,
Thirdly, the application of a sliding tongue to the buckle used in
harness, and the configuration of the tongue, whereby it is better
adapted to receiving strain from a strap.
In witness whereof, I, James Willis, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
58, Chancery Lane, London.
JAMES WILLIS (L.S.)