Improvements in Spurs.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Spurs.
We, JAMES CLARKE, Contractor, and FRANK HUMPIRIS, Watch Maker, both
of Cowper Villa, Acton Vale, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in spurs and has for its objects so
to construct the spurs that (1) the rowels will not jamb in their supports or
bearings (2) the rowels will be effective in operation even when the spurs are
used at an angle to the neck; (3) the spurs will not hook into the saddle or
other trapping; and (4) they can be readily and firmly secured to a walking
boot without the aid of spur boxes, channels, or screws or the like.
According to the first part of our invention we make the neck of the spur
thicker and stronger at the extremity where the rowels are mounted than is
the case with ordinary spurs, and we provide a large curved slot or wide clearing
space in rear of the cheeks between which the rowel wheel is mounted so that
should any of the teeth be bent over or should dirt, dust; weeds, grass or other
foreign matter get between the cheeks, the rotation of the rowel wheel will
not be impeded thereby. The jambing of the rowels in their supports or bearings
is of frequent occurrence with spurs as ordinarily constructed and when so
jambed the rowels tear the horse's skin and it is to obviate this unnecessary
wounding and injuring of the animal that this part of our invention is devised.
According to the second part of our invention the rowels of the spur are in
the shape of two half globes or hemispheres studded with a series of sharp spikes
or pins, and mounted so as to rotate on a suitable bearing which latter is
secured to the neck of the spur in such a manner as to rotate at right angles to
the rowel hemispheres or half globes. Or instead of two half globes or hemi-
spheres a central rowel wheel revolving in a forked bearing with two cup
shaped rowel wheels revolving one on each side of the forked bearing may be
used, these latter being studded with spikes or pins as before and mounted to
rotate either together or separately on the axis of the central rowel wheel, the
forked bearing itself rotating on or in the spur neck on an axis at right angles.
According to the third part of our invention the neck of the spur is hinged or
jointed to the fork so as to turn over at right angles under undue pressure
against the action of a spring or springs which may have projecting pieces fitted
on either side of the joint, so as to lock therewith when in their normal position,
or a spring or springs may be separately fitted on the neck or rim of the spur,
tending to keep the parts in their proper operative position. In another form
the neck may be split longitudinally and pivotted or hinged to a tongue piece
on the rim having small inclined ridges thereon so that the resiliency or spring
of the metal itself will keep the neck in its normal position. In the event of
the rider being thrown and the spur hooking in or on the saddle or other trap-
ping, the weight of the rider will cause the neck of the spur to turn about
its hinge or joint against the pressure of the spring or springs and the rider will
thus be released. Also if the neck should be trodden upon when walking it

page_text: will turn down, thus preventing the tearing off if the heel of the boot, and in
walking down steps or stairs should the spur strike against a step or stair the
neck would turn upwards to prevent the wearer being thrown forward.
According to the fourth part of our invention to the extremity of one of the
sides of the rim of the spur we hinge or pivot a spring strip or piece the further
end of which engages in the eye or loop of an extension piece jointed to the other
side of the rim of the spur. The spur near the neck is fitted on the inside with
a sharp stud which enters the heel of the boot at the rear, and the spring strip
or piece is fitted with one or more sharp studs or spikes on the inner side which,
when the spring strip is closed enter the heel at the front part thereof, the sides
of the spur being made of sufficient size to allow the spring strip to fit tightly
to the front part of heel, near the waist of the boot, when the spur is in proper
position.
.
We, JAMES CLARKE, of 77, Iffley Road, Hammersmith, Contractor, and FRANK
HUMPIRIS, of 13, Netherwood Road, West Kensington Park, Watch Maker,
formerly both of Cowper Villa, Acton Vale, all in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to improvements in spurs and has for its objects so
to construct the spurs that (1) the rowels will not jamb in their supports or
bearings (2) the rowels will be effective in operation even when the spurs are
used at an angle to the neck; (3) the spurs will not hook into the saddle or
other horse trapping; and (4) they can be readily and firmly secured to a walking
boot without the aid of spur boxes, channels, or screws or the like.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan of a spur adapted for a walking
boot and constructed so as to effect three of the four objects of our invention;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of part of a walking boot with the spur shown in
Fig. 1 in position thereon, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the boot heel and
spur thereon. Figs. 4 and 5 show modifications of the mode of constructing
and fitting the rowels to the spur neck to effect the secondly described object
of our invention. The same letters of reference where they occur are used to
denote the same or corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.
According to the first part of our invention we make the neck « of the spur
(as shown in Fig. 1) thicker and stronger at the extremity where the rowels
are mounted than is the case with ordinary spurs, and we provide a large curved
slot or wide clearing space in rear of the cheeks 2 between which the rowel
wheel is mounted, so that should any of the teeth be bent over or should dirt,
dust, weeds, grass or other foreign matter get between the cheeks the rotation
of the rowel wheel will not be impeded thereby. The jambing of the rowels
in their supports or bearings is of frequent occurrence with spurs as ordinarily
constructed and when so jambed the rowels tear the horse's skin and it is to
obviate this unnecessary wounding and injuring of the animal, that this part, of
our invention is devised: -
j

page_text: According to the second part of our invention, shown in Figure 4, the rowels
of the spur are in the shape of two half globes or hemispheres studded with a
series of sharp spikes or pins, and mounted so as to rotate in a suitable bearing
piece which latter is secured to the neck a of the spur in such a manner as
to rotate at right angles to the rowel hemispheres or half globes 3. In Fig. 4
the rowel bearing is shown with collars or swellings and a central axial
pin over and on which the neck a of the spur is formed in any convenient
manner so that the rowel bearing can rotate on the pin. If desired the axial
pin may be on the neck a and fit in a socket formed on the rowel bearing
piece, or the parts may be otherwise so fitted as to allow the rowel bearing
piece to rotate in or on the end of the neck a of the spur.
In the modification of this part of our invention shown in Fig. 5, instead of
two half globes or hemispheres a central rowel wheel r is fitted to revolve
between the cheeks of a forked bearing piece with two cup shaped rowel
wheels revolving one on each side of the forked bearing piece these
cup shaped rowels being studded with spikes or pins as before and mounted
to rotate either together or separately on the.axis of the central rowel wheel r,
the forked bearing piece itself rotating on or in the spur neck a on an axis
at right angles, as in the form described with reference to Fig. 4.
According to the third part of our invention, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the
neck of the spur is hinged or jointed to the rim b so as to turn over at right
angles, more or less, up or down as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 under
undue pressure against the action of a spring or springs. In the form shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, this object is effected by making the neck in two longitudinal
parts so formed that when they are fitted and secured together, by rivets or other
suitable means, the lower ends a¹ of the two parts spring towards each other and
form a spring clip or grip. These two lower ends a are recessed, as shown in
Fig. 1, to receive a shouldered shank or projection j rigidly secured to or
formed integrally with the central parts of the rim b of the spur. The shoulders
on the shank are slightly bevelled or inclined, and a pivot or pin is passed
through the enlarged lower parts a' of the spur neck and through the shank j.
When the neck is turned on the joint pin from the normal position shown
in Fig. 1 the shouldered shank presses the two parts of the neck a apart
and passes out of the recesses in the lower ends a thereof and the neck a
takes the inclined position, up or down, shown dotted in Fig. 2. When returned
to the normal position the ends a snap tightly back again close to the shank j
and hold the neck in the original and proper position.
It will be obvious that this part of our invention may be modified in various
ways for example the neck may be made in one piece and a spring or springs
may be used, having projecting pieces engaging recesses in the neck or rim
of the spur, the said springs being separately fitted to either the neck or the rim
or to both, and tending to keep the pivotted or jointed parts in their proper
operative position.
In the event of the rider being thrown and the spur hooking in or on the
saddle or other trapping, the weight of the rider will cause the neck of the
spur to turn about its hinge or joint against the pressure of the spring of
springs and the rider will thus be released. Also if the neck of the spur should
be trodden upon when walking it will turn down, thus preventing the tearing off
of the heel of the boot, and in walking down steps or stairs should the spur strike
against a step or stair the neck would turn upwards to prevent the wearer being
thrown forward.
According to the fourth part of our invention, shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,
to the extremity of one of the sides of the rim of the spur we hinge or pivot
at ka spring strip or piece the further end of which is formed with a notch or
hook h to engage in the eye or loop of an extension piece f jointed at f¹ to
the other side of the rim of the spur. The spur near the neck is fitted on
the inside with a sharp stud p which enters the heel of the boot at the rear,

page_text: and the spring piece or strip is fitted with one or more sharp studs or spikes pl
on the inner side which spikes, when the spring strip t is closed, enter the heel at
the front part thereof, the sides of the spur being made of sufficient size to
allow the spring strip to fit tightly to the front part of the heel, near the
waist of the boot, when the spur is in proper position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
(1) A spur having a wide clearing space in rear of the cheeks between which
the rowel wheel is mounted, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
(2) A spur having rowels mounted on a bearing piece rotating on or in the
spur neck, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illus-
trated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings..
(3) A spur having hemispherical rowels mounted on a bearing piece rotating
on or in the spur neck, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
(4) A spur having a central rowel-wheel and cup shaped rowel-discs mounted
on a bearing piece rotating on or in the spur neck, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in Fig. 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
(5) A spur having the neck hinged or jointed to the rim, substantially as
described and for the purpose stated.
(6) A spur having the neck hinged or jointed to the rim by a spring-controlled
joint, substantially as described and for the purpose stated.
(7) A spur having a spring strip jointed to the end of one arm of the rim,
and a loop-section jointed to the other arm, and means for connecting the end
of the strip across the front of the boot heel to the loop on the other arm of the
spur rim, substantially as described and for the purpose stated.
(8) A spur having a spike on the inside of the rim at the centre thereof, one
arm of the rim extending to the front of the boot heel having a spring strip
jointed thereto, said strip being furnished with spikes on its inner face to engage
the front part of the loot heel, and with a hook or catch at its free end, a
Joop-section pivotted or jointed to the other arm of the rim so as to form a
keeper to engage the hook or catch on the spring strip, substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent, 36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.