Improvements in Horse Blankets or Covers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Horse Blankets or Covers.
I JOHN HOPEWELL Junior of 129 Washington Street Boston Mass. U.S.A.
Manufacturer of Horse Clothing 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 for its object the production of a novel horse blanket or
cover for the stable or shipping use, the blanket or cover being readily adapted to
horses of different sizes.
The blanket bas its breast portions cut sufficiently large to accommodate the
largest size of horse, and by means of a series of fastenings connected thereto
the overlapping or breast-covering portion of the blanket may be contracted or
brought together and overlapped more or less to suit a medium sized or small
horse.
My invention consists in a horse blanket or cover having its front or breast
covering end made large and adjustable by means of fastening devices, such as
loops and snaps, the front of the blanket being thereby adapted for a large or when
overlapped for a small horse.
When the blanket is on a small horse the innermost loop of the series will be
caught upon a sustaining loop at the inner side of the blanket.
Fig. 1 shows one of my improved blankets applied to a horse.
Figs. 2 and 3 are views shewing parts of the front of the blanket or cover
caught together, respectively, for a large and for a small horse, the blanket in
Fig. 2 being partially broken out to show the 'sustaining loop at the inner side of
the blanket.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew the straps used.
The blanket A, which may be composed of any usual or suitable material and
be provided with strappings d, e, or with any other usual or suitable strapping or
binding, is provided at its front or breast covering end, at one side, with a plurality
of loops a, b, c, said loops being disposed preferably as shewn best in Figs. 1 and 2,
in a line between the front edge of the blanket and the part thereof which over-
laps the withers, the said loops being preferably connected to or in line with the
strap d, to thus enable the strain exerted on the blanket to keep it closed to be
exerted through the strap, thus adding to the security and durability of the
blanket.
At the opposite edge of the front of and outside the blanket I have added a
fastening device g, made preferably as a snap, and shewn detached in Fig. 4, it
being adapted to engage one or another of said loops a, b, c, according to whether
the blanket or cover is to be worn by a small, a medium sized, or a large horse.
For a large horse the snap will engage the loop c, for a medium sized horse the
loop b, and for a small horse the loop a.
When the snap engages the loops b, or a, the end of the blanket to which said
loops are attached lies underneath the opposite edge of the blanket, and not being
supported the end carrying the loops would drop down, but to provide against this
and keep the underlying end of the blanket up in place across the breast, I have
attached to the inner side of the blanket a sustaining device h, consisting essentially
of a short strap with a metallic loop or D, it being shewn by breaking away the
blanket in Fig. 2.
The loop c, shown separately in Fig. 5, has, it will be seen, a snap-like end which,
when the front of the blanket is overlapped for a small or medium sized horse,
engages the sustaining device

page_text: It is obvious that the sustaining device instead of having a loop might have a
snap to engage the ring or loop c.
This invention is not limited to the exact shape shown for the fastening devices,
herein represented as loops and snaps, as the shape of said fastening devices may
be variously modified without departing from this invention and other similar
fastening devices be used in their stead.
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. A horse blanket or cover having its front or breast covering end made large
and adjustable by means of suitable fastening devices, the front of the blanket
being thereby adapted for a large or when overlapped for a small horse, substantially
as described.
2. A horse blanket or cover having its front or breast covering end made large
and adjustable by means of fastening devices, the front of the blanket being
thereby adapted for a large or when overlapped for a small horse, and a sustaining
device located inside the blanket to co-operate with a loop or eye of the underlying
portion of the blanket to sustain the corner thereof, substantially as described.
Dated the 13th day of August 1894.
THEO
MCKENNA,
17 and 18, Basinghall Street, London, Agent.