IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAUGHT HARNESS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BOULNOIS, of Baker Street, Portman Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the eleventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Boulnois, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William
Boulnois, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Boulnois, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAUGHT HARNESS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said William Boulnois, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Boulnois, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say-
My Invention consists of so arranging apparatus in connection with traces
or other instrument of draught on either side of the horse, that as much as
possible of the draught shall be removed from the shoulders and borne by
the back of the horse or other draught animal, in place of the draught being
wholly borne by the shoulders as heretofore.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a horse having draught harness constructed according to
my Invention. a is the saddle, or it might be a pad, on which are fixed two
projections b, b, with eyes or openings through them. c, a bar which slides
within the eyes of the projections b, 6, and it is to this bar that the trace on
one side of the horse is attached; and d is a lever turning on an axis fixed
to the collar or hames, or it might be to other strap or apparatus passing
over the shoulders. One end of the lever is attached by a chain or otherwise
to the bar c, such bar c passing through a slot or opening in the other end of
the lever d. There is a like arrangement on the other side of the horse for
the other trace. The result of this arrangement is, that the draught will be
brought on to the back of the animal, where it is more capable of bearing
pressure than at the neck and shoulders, and a horse with such an arrange-
ment of apparatus will be able to draw a greater load than when drawing
from a collar or from a strap passing over the shoulders; and in addition
thereto, saddle horses may be used as draught horses without injury, as when
drawing by such harness they will not have the shoulders so confined, and
they will have the pressure on their backs more similar to what they are
accustomed to when carrying on the back. And my Invention consists of so
arranging and constructing draught harness that the traces or other draught
instruments on either side of the horse may be so in connection with the back
of the animal as to cause as much as possible of the pressure of the draught
to be on the back of the animal, and to reduce in proportion the pressure of
draft on the shoulders.
I would remark, that the apparatus may be varied, and I have shewn at

page_text: Figure 2 another arrangement differing from that shewn at Figure 1, inas-
much as the lever d is not used, but the bar c is so constructed and arranged
as to be attached to the collar or the hames thereof, as shewn.
I do not, however, confine myself to the precise arrangements of apparatus
shewn, so long as the peculiar character of the Invention-that of so connecting
the traces or other instruments of draught on either side of the horse used
with the back of the animal, that the pressure of draught may be brought on
to the back of the animal, and the shoulders proportionably relieved there-
from-be retained. And I would have it understood that what I claim is,
the so arranging parts of apparatus or harness with traces that the pressure of
the load may be brought on to the back of the animal, and the shoulders
relieved, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Boulnois, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1848, the aforesaid William Boulnois came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-eight.