Year: 1888

page_text: I, JOHN THOMAS BARLOW of 21 Pino Street, Jacksonville, in the County of Duval
and State of Florida, United States of America, Harness Maker, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improvement in harness; and it consists in the con-
struction and combination of the parts thereof, which will be fully set forth hereinafter,
and pointed out in the claims.
The object of my invention is to provide an improvement in harness by which the
draft is taken off the shoulders of the horse and transferred to his breast, the traces
passing between the fore and hind legs and attached to the vehicle with or without a
whiffle tree.
A further object of my invention is to provide an improvement in harness wherein
a Dutch collar is used, which is so arranged and provided with attachments as to
render it applicable for use with either single or double harness.
The essential feature of my invention consists of the use of the trace passing
between the fore and hind legs of the animal, and either passed directly between the
hind legs or split to inclose the hind legs, and is attached to a whiffle tree, as in the
usual manner.
If, however, a single trace is used, it is secured to the vehicle by
means of a suitable hook-connection. In the use of double harness in connection with
my improvement a light variation in construction may be employed, which may be
determined at will.
In the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate similar
parts in the several views, Figure 1. is a perspective view of my improvement shown
mounted upon an animal, and the single trace shown in full lines as passing between
the hind legs, and the double trace in dotted lines as passing around the hind legs.
Fig. 2. is a perspective view of my improvement arranged for double harness.
Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of my improved construction. Fig. 4. is a perspective
view of a simplified form of my invention shown mounted upon an animal.
A indicates a Dutch collar, having the padded breast-collar A¹, and the padded

page_text: neck-strap A². This neck-strap A2 may or may not be padded, as may be desired,
but is preferably so constructed with a padding that it will not gall or injure the neck
of the animal. The said neck-strap A2 is adjustably secured in connection with the
upper portion of the breast-collar A¹ by means of buckle-and-strap connections a, a.
The top portion of the neck-collar A is also provided with single or double terret-
rings, which will be governed by the use of the improvement either for single or
double harness, as will be readily understood.
The sides of the neck-collar A', are provided with tug straps a¹, which may be used
in the usual manner, if so desired. In the lower front portion of the said breast-
collar is provided a round strap, a², constructed of suitable material, and which forms
a loop for the attachment of the pole-strap a³, when the improvement is adapted to be
used with double harness. Secured under the said round a², is the martingale B,
which may be either single or double, and provided with buckles for adjustment, or
any other preferred construction, as may be desirable. Secured to the extreme lower
portion of the breast-collar A¹, is a strap, C, which is adapted to pass between the
fore legs of the animal, and to which the single trace C is secured, and consists either
of a single attachment, which is secured to a hook fastened to the vehicle, or of
double traces 02, which pass around the rear legs of the animal and are secured to the
whiffle tree, as in the usual form of construction. When a single strap or trace is
used, it is passed between the hind legs of the animal and secured by a suitable
connection attached to the king-bolt, or to any other portion of the vehicle, as found
desirable and most effective. When the double traces are used, working outside of
the hind legs, a metallic ring or loop, c, is provided, which is in connection with a
loop, c³, formed with the rear end of the strap C, and to which loop or ring the double
traces are secured. The strap C is also provided with the loop, , through which the
girth passes, as in the usual.construction.
In Fig. 4, I have shown a modification of my improved harness, which consists in
making the collar A' to extend down between the fore legs, where it has a split, in
which is suitably attached a ring or other fastening D. In this arrangement,
B represents the neck-trap, and C³ the traces, which are stitched on to the tugs. A
short trace E is attached at one end to the ring D-the other end being capable of
attachment at any position upon the trace C³.
When it is adapted to use my improvement in connection with heavy draft work,
the parts shown in the drawings will be supplemented by heavier constructions
adapted to resist greater strain. In lieu of the strap-connections, draft-chains may be
used, which will be arranged in the same manner as in the form hercinbefore
described. In mounting my improved harness upon the animal, the collar is arranged
in a manner which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the strap C
being passed down between the fore legs and the girth inserted therethrough, as
herein before stated. The single or double traces attached to the said strap are then
passed between or on the outside of the hind legs and secured to the vehicle in any
preferred manner.
The advantage of this improved construction and manner of arrangement of the
traces consists in bringing the power of the animal to bear upon the said harness from
the breast instead of the shoulders, as has heretofore been the custom and manner of
centering the draft. This will be obviously apparent from the fact that an animal in
drawing a heavy load slightly places himself in a forward position, and in doing this
his greatest strength is concentrated from the breast downwards. By the use of my
improvement the draft is brought to bear upon the breast-collar A¹, and through the
collar is transmitted to the traces, which may be arranged in either of the two forms
herein before described. By this means, it will be seen, that instead of having the
draft descend from a point above the plane of attachment of the rear portion of the
traces it will be brought to bear in the same or at about the same plane of said attach-
ment. By the use of my improvement, also, and the change of the line of draft, as
set forth, there will be less resistance brought to bear, from the fact that the harness
will be in engagement with that part of the body of the animal in which the greatest
strength is concentrated.

page_text: The novelty and utility of my improved device being obviously apparent and
appreciable, it is unnecessary to further enlarge upon the same herein.
It is obvious that many minor changes in the construction and combination of the
several parts may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described
without departing in the least from the nature and principle of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The combination, with the breast-collar A', adjustably connected to the neck-
collar A2, of the strap C, attached to the lower portion thereof, having a trace or
traces mounted in connection therewith and adapted to pass between the fore and
rear legs of the animal, substantially as specified.
2nd. In a harness, substantially as described, the combination with the breast-
collar A', of the neck collar A³, adjustably secured in connection therewith, sub-
stantially as described.
3rd. In a harness, substantially as described, the combination with the strap (),
passing down between the fore legs, of the double traces C, substantially as
described.
"
4th. The breast-collar A¹, provided with the round a³, having its ends secured to
the breast collar and the central portion of the round free, in combination with the
pole-strap, as set forth.
5th. The breast-collar A¹, extending down between the fore legs of the_animal, in
combination with the traces (³, stitched to the tugs, and the short traces E, attached
at one end to the ring or other fastening D, and its other end adjustably secured by
buckles or other attachments to the traces C³, all substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Dated this 20th day of Santember 1888