IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLERY AND HARNESS
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd June 1860.-A communication from abroad by Auguste Duchène,.
of Vouziers, Ardennes, in the Empire of France, Printer.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son,
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLERY AND HARNESS,"
communicated to me from abroad by Auguste Duchène, of Vouziers, Ardennes,
in the Empire of France, Printer, to be as follows:-
These improvements in saddlery consist in making the head band of the
bridle double, that is, in two pieces, enclosing between them a band of india-
rubber or other elastic material, which is to act as a veil, and blind the
animal. At the two ends of this elastic veil or of the head band are two rings
placed on two metal rods running along either side of the beadstall until near
the nose band; to these rings are attached the safety reins, which slide along
the bridle, passing thence over a small covered pulley, and resting upon the
neck of the horse. On pulling these reins, the elastic veil flies from the head
band veiling the eyes of the animal, and the rings to which it is fastened fix
upon two small hooks near the bottom of the conducting rods of metal or other
material. On alighting, the rider withdraws the rings from the books, and the
veil resumes its original position.
Another system consists of an oval plate, somewhat larger in circumference
than the eye of the horse, and which, in order to play right and left, and up and

page_text: down, must have one oblique and three horizontal openings, so that if one
animal's head be larger than another, the apparatus may be moved about until
the temple pieces are adjusted to the eye of the horse. The apparatus is fixed
by one half turn of a screw. A small tumbler is riveted, so as to allow the
escape of the hook of the counter part, and at the bottom of it is an opening
in which is placed a metal rod forming ring at the lower end, to which the
reins are adjusted. A steel spring receives from the pull upon the tumbler a
pressure which, as soon as the escapement has taken place, drives the tumbler
back to its original position. At the side of this tumbler, and upon the oval
plate, an opening is made, through which passes a small cord, serving to close
the plug. For the working of this apparatus there must be a hollow rein, and
within it a small cord for closing it after the escapement. It is by pulling
this rein that the rod presses upon the spring and causes the escapement, and
by tightening the counterpart blinds the animal. An oval wire plate is riveted
to a spiral spring, after the action of which, and at the moment of the escape-
ment, the before mentioned plate forms hinge with the counterpart. The
wire piece must be padded, so as to exclude all light from the eye of the
horse.
In applying these improvements to carriage harness a spiral spring is placed
on each of the blinkers, and a plug to cover the eye of the horse when the
spring is acted upon. A rod passes through the blinker, and is riveted to this
plug or pad to keep the spiral compressed. A tumbler keeps the rod in its
position, and a spring presses the tumbler upon the rod; or by a modification
the tumbler may act without this spring. Or the tumbler may be forked and
have two heads, forming books pressing upon the cross piece of a spring, so
that when the driver pulls the reins, the ring of the third branch of the
tumbler slightly pulls it back, whereby the hook releases the cross piece of the
two springs, permitting them to escape at the same instant, and, curving
hermetically, blind the horse, to which end the pads should be about the
thickness of a finger, and the cross piece and the springs should also be
covered with very soft leather. The blinkers with this apparatus applied
will only shew the two heads of the tumbler, the rest being entirely hidden.