Improvements in Muzzles for Horses and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Muzzles for Horses and the like.
We, WILLIAM HUNTER, WILLIAM SAMUEL HUNTER, and SAMUEL THOMAS
HUNTER, of 41, Frogmore Street, Bristol, Wholesale Saddlers' Ironmongers and
Mauufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in muzzles for horses and the like,
and has for its object to provide a muzzle that is made from a single piece of
leather, and consequently free from the seams and joins at present necessary in
the manufacture of muzzles, whereby durability and economy are combined.
Our invention consists in cutting the entire muzzle from one piece of leather,
shaped something like the transverse central portion of an ellipse, with the
lines slightly converging to the centre, curved pieces are cut out near the longi-
tudinal diameter of the ellipse, leaving tongues or tabs which are fastened to
the under, part of the muzzle, forming a convex surface after the opposite sides
of the leather are brought together and joined to form the usual elliptical coned
sides of the muzzle the curved spaces left near the centre form the usual
ventilators, to which any number of additional and suitable holes may be added..
When the piece of leather has been cut to the required pattern, it is wetted
and blocked to shape before and after the joins are made, by which the muzzle
is completed with a minimum of labour; and having no seams or joins on or
near. the base or wearing part it is much mere durable.
The usual straps or fastenings are provided for securing the muzzle to the
head of the animal.
We, WILLIAM HUNTER, WILLIAM SAMUEL HUNTER, and SAMUEL THOMAS
HUNTER, of 41, Frogmore Street, Bristol, Wholesale Saddlers Ironmongers and
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the sume is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement: -
This invention relates to muzzies for horses and like animals, for example,
miules.

page_text: piece of leather instead of, as hitherto, in more than one piece. The single
piece of leather is first cut to a pattern, and is thereafter bent to shape and
closed by rivetting or stitching. The pattern is such that the occurrence of
seams, hitherto adopted, for attaching the bottom to the body, is obviated.
The piece of leather of which, under this invention, the muzzle is made, is first
cut to a pattern which ensures that the muzzle shall, when made up, be of the
required shape or configuration, and that the nostril holes and other apertures
for ventilation shall be in certain determined positions. The nostril holes are
so arranged that when the muzzle is in place over the animal's nose the said
holes come opposite or approximately opposite the animal's nostrils and thus the
breath of the animal in exhaling passes more directly out of the muzzle, and
there is, consequently, less lodgement therein of moisture discharged through
the nostrils.
Muzzles made in accordance with our invention are more durable than those in
which the bottom is made separately from the body and secured by a stitched
seam extending round the muzzle and situated towards the bottom thereof.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a piece of leather
cut to the pattern required to form our improved muzzle for horses and other
animals. The edges
"
at are skived or bevelled so as to reduce thickness. and
to make a close joint when overlapped in making up the muzzle. Fig. 2 is a
front elevation of our improved muzzle as made up, and ready for use. Fig. 3
is a back view. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the parts which overlap to form the
joints are secured by rivets, and the tongues produced in cutting the leather, as
shown at Fig. 1, are folded or bent up and similarly secured The parts may,
however, be stitched instead of being rivetted. The apertures are the nostril
holes. They are so situated that the animal's breath discharged from the nostrils
passes out from the muzzle more directly. After the muzzle has been made up,
it is blocked," that is to say, placed upon a block and damped and pressed or
beaten into final shape on the block. The usual suspending straps are then
fixed on.
"
Our improved method of manufacture is applicable also to other articles than
muzzles for horses, as, for instance, leather buckets, leather sockets for carbines
for cavalry, and other like or analogous articles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
A muzzle for horses and other animals, made in one piece of leather which,
after having been cut to the desired pattern, is made up and joined together
forming a bucket. substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of Jannar 1900
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Chartered Patent Agent, Bristol.