IMPROVEMENTS T AD ADDADAMIO DOn Daszavaiva HARNESSED HORSES FROM FALLING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham English, of Hatfield, in the County of
Herts, Inspector of Rural Police, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
T
AD
ADDADAMIO DOn Daszavaiva HARNESSED HORSES FROM FALLING"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham English at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the 10th
October 1861.
I, ABRAHAM ENGLISH, of Hatfield, in the County of Herts, Inspector of
Rural Police, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN REINS OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING HARNESSED HORSES FROM
FALLING," to be as follows:-
I attach a strap by means of a suitable loop to the girths or straps of the
saddle and tugs on harness horses; from this point under the belly, I lead it
forward between the horse's fore legs. At the horse's chest it separates into two
parts, having a suitable surface or plate of leather to bear on the horse; the
two straps forming the continuation are attached by rings or other suitable
attachments to give the necessary freedom of motion and pass thence, and are
led upwards through eyes situated one on either side near the lower ends
of the hames, then through similar loops or guides near the upper part of the
hames, and thence through the terrets of the saddle. From this point these
reins or straps are carried along the back of the horse through holes in the
dash board, and continued somewhat in a straight line towards the flooring
or bottom of the carriage (in two-wheeled vehicles), where they are suitably
secured in a position a little behind the axletree. To strengthen the bottom
of the carriage, I sometimes attach a short chain from the point where the

page_text: reins or straps are fixed to the axle. In double harness, each of the parts are of
course repeated for each horse, the reins being in each case carried backwards
& secured to some part of the carriage body or under carriage to afford the
fixture or hold required. These reins or apparatus are adjusted to such a
tension as to afford the necessary freedom for the action of the horse, but so
as at same time to bring great tension thereon when a horse stumbles & is
inclined to fall, such tension taking effect on his chest & bearing him up,
whereby he readily recovers himself and is prevented falling. It may be
advisable in some instances to lead these reins through eyes attached to the
crupper or other parts of the harness and through eyes or slots in parts of the
carriage best suited for the purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Abraham English in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABRAHAM
ENGLISH, of Hatfield, in the County of Herts, Inspector of Rural Police, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight-hundred-and-sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Abraham English, Her special licence that I, the said Abraham
English, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Abraham English, 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,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REINS OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING HARNESSED HORSES FROM
FALLING," upon the condition (amongst others),
the condition (amongst others), that I, the said Abra-
Lam English, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Abraham English, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the. same is to 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):-
I attach a strap by means of a suitable loop to the girths or straps of the saddle
and tug in harness horses; from this point under the belly I lead it forward
between the horse's fore legs. At the horse's chest it separates into two parts,
having a suitable surface or plate of leather to bear against the horse; the two
straps forming the combination, are attached by rings or other suitable
attachments to give the necessary freedom of motion; they pass thence and
are led upwards through eyes situated one on either side near the lower ends of
the hames, then through similar loops or guides near the upper part of the
hames, and thence through the terrets of the saddle. From this point the
reins or straps are carried along the back of the horse, and through openings,
in or over the top of the dash board, and are continued somewhat in a straight
line towards the seat of the vehicle, and thence to the flooring or bottom of
the carriage (in two-wheeled vehicles), where they are suitably secured in a
position a little behind the axletree. To strengthen the bottom of the
carriage I attach a short chain from the point where the reins are fixed to
the axle. In double harness, each of the parts are of course repeated for
each horse, the reins being in each case carried backwards and round a roller
secured to the driving seat or some part of the carriage body or under
carriage to afford the hold required. The reins or apparatus are adjusted
to such a tension as to afford the necessary freedom for the action of the
horse, but at same time so as to bring great tension thereon when a horse
stumbles and is inclined to fall, such tension taking effect on his chest, and
bearing him up, whereby he readily recovers himself, and is prevented falling.
It may be advisable in some cases to lead the reins through eyes attached to
the breeching or other parts of the harness, and through eyes and slots in
parts of the carriage best suited for the purpose.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
The annexed Drawing represents the fall-preventing rein as applied to a
harnessed horse in a dog cart, and in order to show it more distinctly this rein
is colored red; it commences at a, at which point there is a loop to encircle
the girths of the saddle, & tug, to which it is secured, & passes thence between
the horse's fore legs to b, where it separates in two parts; the single part in
front is made of considerable breadth, in order to bear fairly on the horse's

page_text: chest. The two parts of the safety rein pass from 6 through eyes c, c, fixed in
the lower parts of the hames, up through d, d, through which the ordinary
reins pass, and thence through the terrets e, e, on the saddle; from this
point the safety reins pass through below the upper bar of the dash iron,
& hence to the driving seat below the cushions, where they are fixed by
buckles to a strap or straps f, shown dotted red, which lead to the bottom or
flooring of the vehicle, where it may be fixed, & that part again secured by a
chain to the axle, or the strap itself (which I prefer) may be continued down
below the axle, and thence to the back part of the vehicle, as shown colored
red; it is secured in a suitable ring, and terminates at that point. The fall-
preventing reins x, x, are buckled to the strap f, so that they shall be in slight
tension at the time the traces are in full tension by the draught of the horse.
9, 9, is a short strap to be held in the hand while driving, or laid hold of at
pleasure, whereby the tension of the reins a, a, may be increased at the time
of falling, or to assist in pulling in a horse if inclined to run away, affording
considerable control over the animal in addition to the ordinary reins.
For four-wheeled vehicles the strap f may terminate at the driving seat,
under the cushions or under the seat, & be doubled round a roller whose axis
is fixed in a suitable iron support or stay. The strapf, the two ends of which
are fixed to the reins x, x, is free to run over the pulley, which takes place
when the horse in turning round tightens the one rein and slackens the other,
and therefore always keeps both the reins in the same state of tension.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application of reins or
straps to harnessed horses as and for the purposes herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham English, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
ABM. ENGLISH. (L.S.)