IMPROVEMENTS IN CHECK-REINS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A. M and
W. Clark of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN CHECK-REINS Communi-
cated to him from abroad by Harry Theodore Harding of Maitland in the
County of Hants in the Province of Nova Scotia and Dominion of Canada,
Attorney at Law
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th August 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A M and W Clark of 53, Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents IMPROVEMENTS IN CHECK-
REINS [Communicated to him from abroad by Harry Theodore Harding of
Maitland in the County of Hants in the Province of Nova Scotia and Dominion of
Canada, Attorney at Law]
This Invention relates to check reins and has for its object to make the tension
of the check rein vary with that of the driving reins so as to relieve the horse of
the check rein when it is not necessary to subject him to it.
The invention consists in a running rein or parbuckle arrangement attached at
one end to the bearing hook of the saddle and at the other to the driving rein, the
bight of this running rein passing through an eye on the check rein so that the pull
of the driver on the driving rein will also be applied to the check rein whose
tension will thus be increased and relaxed in uniformity with that of the driving
rein instead of being permanently in tension as usual.
In single harness there would be a running rein or parbuckle at each side of the
neck each acting on the check rein attached to its own side of the bit the two
running reins being attached to the same V piece or strap which is hooked on to
the bearing hook of the saddle.

page_text: The connection of the running rein with the driving rein may be made by
ineans of a snap hook and may be adjustable along the driving rein to alter the
strain upon the check rein as required.
In double harness there is only one running rein for each horse acting on the
check reins attached to both sides of the bit, the running rein passing through one
of the terrets and being attached to the driving reins at the point where the
driving reins branch off to the bits of the two horses.
This running rein or parbuckle arrangement largely increases the driver's power
over the horse or horses and yet it is impossible to exert that power to any undue
extent if the adjustment is properly made the device being distinguished in this
respect from all others of the kind in use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th February 1883.
«
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A, M, and W, Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agents IMPROVEMENTS IN CHECK
REINS." A communication to me from abroad by Harry Theodore Harding of
Maitland in the County of Hants in the Province of Nova Scotia and Dominion
of Canada, Attorney at Law.
This Invention relates to check reins and has for its object to make the tension
of the check rein vary with that of the driving reins so as to relieve the horse of
the check rein when it is not necessary to subject him to it.
The Invention consists in a running rein or parbuckle arrangement attached at
one end to the bearing hook of the saddle and at the other to the driving rein, the
bight of this running rein passing through an eye on the check rein so that the
pull of the driver on the driving rein will also be applied to the check rein whose
tension will thus be increased and relaxed in uniformity with that of the driving
rein instead of being permanently in tension as usual. In single harness there
would be a running rein or parbuckle at each side of the neck, each acting on the
check rein attached to its own side of the bit, the two running reins being attached
to the same V piece or strap which is hooked onto the bearing hook of the saddle.
The connection of the running rein with the driving rein may be made by means
of a snap hook and may be adjustable along the driving rein to alter the strain
upon the check rein as required. In double harness there is only one running
rein for each horse acting on the check reins attached to both sides of the bit, the
running rein passing through one of the terrets and being attached to the driving
reins at the point where the driving reins branch off to the bits of the two horses.
This running rein or parbuckle arrangement largely increases the drivers' power
over the horse or horses, and yet it is impossible to exert that power to any undue
extent if the adjustment is properly made, the device being distinguished in this
respect from all others of the kind in use.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 illustrates the improved check rein
applied to a horse, and Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of the same check rein for
single harness. Figure 3 illustrates the improvement as applied to double harness.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A is a V piece for hooking onto the bearing hook c of the back saddle d. It has
two reins b buckled or otherwise attached to it. These reins beach extend along
the respective sides of the horses neck and pass through rings, loops, or other
openings e on the ends of the straps f and are connected by snap hooks h or other
suitable devices with the driving reins i in advance of the hame rings j. These
reins b thus form a running rein or parbuckle. The straps f extend from the fore
straps g of the bridle which are attached to the bit for check reins, but these check
reins may be otherwise arranged for use in connection with the running reins b
as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 for instance. The running reins 6 may be
so connected as to be shifted along the driving reins to alter the strain on the
check reins as required, and the connection may be such that it may draw through
the bame ring j if desired. By using snap hooks the running reins b may be
readily detached from the driving reins and hooked either onto the bearing
hook c or to the buckles of straps b when desired to convert the check into the
ordinary permanent form.
The arrangement for double harness is shown in Figure 3 and is substantially
the same as in single harness except that the parbuckle is a single strap secured

page_text: at c to the bearing hook, thence through ring e and back through the inside terret k
to the buckle where the driving reins branch off, the ring e being preferably set
further back for double harness.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is
The combination with the check rein proper and with the driving reins, of the
running reins or parbuckle arrangement connected at one end to the bearing hook
on the back saddle running through rings or their equivalent on the check reins
and connected to the driving reins for operation substantially as shown and
described and for the purpose set forth.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set
my hand and seal this sixteenth day of February, A.D. 1883.