IMPROVEMENTS IN REIN- HOLDERS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hewitt, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REIN-
HOLDERS."
Sealed the 9th May 1862, and dated the 13th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hewitt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
February 1862.
I, WILLIAM HEWITT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REIN-HOLDERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in rein-
holders whereby the reins are held securely in the said holders, and are
readily engaged with and liberated from the said holders. The body of the.
rein-holder consists of a strip or piece of steel, or other elastic material folded
or doubled at its middle so as to enable it to clip the dash board of the vehicle.
with which it is used. Across one side of the said elastic body a steel or
other spring tongue is situated, one end of the said tongue being fixed to the
said body of the rein-holder. The free end of the said spring tongue projects
about two inches beyond the body, and the inner or under side of the said
projecting part of the tongue has a block or projection running along its
middle, which block or projection bears against the dash board when the
tongue is in its normal position. By inserting the reins between the free and
projecting end of the elastic tongue and the dash board, the said elastic tongue

page_text: presses the said reins between the block or prejection on its under side and
the dash board, and securely holds them in their place.
The body of the rein-holder may consist of a fixed plate screwed to the
dash board. This modification of my Invention is applicable to vehicles
having wooden dash boards, but the same kind of body may be used in rein-
holders for vehicles having leather dash boards, excepting that in this case the
body must be sewn instead of being screwed to the dash board. The block
or projection underneath the tongue may be omitted in low-priced rein-
holders.
Rein-holders made according to my Invention may be finished by covering
the parts of the same with leather or other material, or by japanning, painting,
or otherwise ornamenting them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hewitt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HEWITT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Hewitt, Her special licence that I, the said William
Hewitt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Hewitt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, 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 REIN-HOLDERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Hewitt, my executors or administrators,, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Hewitt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of the several improvements in rein-holders herein-
after explained and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, whereby the
reins are held securely in the said holders, and are readily engaged with and
liberated from the said holders.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents, in front elevation, a
rein-holder constructed according to my Invention, the said holder being
attached to a dash board; Figure 2 is a plan of the saine; Figure 3 is a
transverse vertical section of the rein-holder; and Figure 4 represents an
elevation of the holder, shewing the inner side of the spring tongue of the
holder.
a is the body of the holder, consisting of a strip or piece of steel or other
elastic material folded or doubled at its middle so as to enable it to clip the
dash board of the vehicle with which it is used; c is a spring tongue fixed at
one end to one of the sides of the body a, the said tongue having the form
represented. The free end of the elastic tongue c projects about three inches
beyond the body a, and the inner or under side of the projecting part of the
tongue c has a block or projection d running along its middle (see Figures 2
and 4) which block or projection, bears against the dash board when the
tongue c is in its normal position. By inserting the reins e between the free
and projecting end of the elastic tongue cand the dash board b, the said tongue
presses the said reins between the block or projection d on its under side and
the said dash board b, and securely holds them in their place. The elastio
tongue c may be made without the block or projection d, in which case the
rein is held directly between its inner surface and the dash board. The steel
or other elastic metal or material of which the body a and tongue c are made
is covered with leather, as represented. The rein-holder, Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4, may, however, be left uncovered, and its surface finished by japanning,
painting, or otherwise ornamenting.it. Figure 5 represents in front elevation,
Figure 6, in end elevation, and Figure 7, in plan, a rein-holder of the last
described kind.. Figure 8 represents in side elevation, Figure 9, in end eleva-
tion, and Figure 10, in plan, another rein-bolder made according to my Inven-
tion. In this holder, instead of the elastic tongue holding the reins between
itself and the dash board, the elastic tongue f holds the reins between itself and
the spring body g. The said tongue f has a block or projection h running down
a portion of its middle, as before explained, with reference to Figures 1, 2,

page_text: 3, and 4, by which the reins i are held securely between the said tongue f
and the body g, and the said reins are thereby prevented from slipping from
under the said tongue.
I lay no claim to the general construction of the reinholder, Figures 8, 9,
and 10, the only novelty being in the construction of the elastic tongue f, by
which the reins are held securely in the holder. Instead of securing the
holder to the dash board by a spring clip or body, as previously described and
illustrated, the said body may consist of a plate fixed to the dash board by
screwing. This modification of my Invention is especially applicable to
vehicles having wooden dash boards, but the same kind of body may be used
in rein-holders for vehicles having leathern dash boards, excepting that in this
case the body of the rein-holder must be sewn instead of being screwed to the
dash board.
Figure 11 represents, in elevation, a rein-holder for wooden dash boards
constructed according to my Invention, and Figure 12 is a plan of the same,
shewing the holder attached to a dash board. k is the body of the holder,
consisting of a flat plate covered with leather secured to the dash board p by
the screws 1, 1, 1, 1; m is the elastic tongue covered with leather, having a
block or projection n running along its middle for the purpose of holding the
reins o securely between it and the dash board p. The action of the tongue m
is the same as that described with reference to the tongue of the holder,
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. In place of finishing the surface of the holder,
Figures 11 and 12, by covering it with leather, the said holder may be left
uncovered, and it surface finished by japanning, painting, or otherwise orna-
menting it. Figure 13 represents in front elevation, and Figure 14, in plan,
a holder of the last described kind finished by japanning its surface.
In low-priced rein-holders the block or projection on the inner side of the
elastic tongue may be omitted, as represented in Figures 5, 6, 7, 13, and 14,
as well as in the holders, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, and 12, if required. By my
improvements in rein-holders, great economy in their manufacture and
efficiency in action are secured.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may
be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim
as my Invention,-
Firstly, the improvements in rein-holders, berein-before described and illus-
trated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 14 of the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say, making rein-holders of a body consisting of a spring

page_text: clip, which is secured to the dash board by springing it thereon, or of a plate
which is screwed or sewn to the dash board, and an elastic tongue situated at
right angles to and projecting from the said body, the reins being held between
the inner surface of the said elastic tongue and the dash board.
Secondly, the improvement in rein-holders, herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 8, 9, and 10 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to
say, making on the under or inner side of the elastic tongues of rein-holders
of the kind represented a block or projection by which the reins are held
securely against the body of the clip, and the risk of the said reins slipping
from under the said tongues is avoided.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hewitt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
WILLIAM HEWITT. (L.S.)