AN IMPROVED HORSE COLLAR
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED HORSE COLLAR."-A communication
from abroad by Zenas Coleman Robbins, of Washington, District
of Columbia, United States of America.
Scaled the 12th July 1872, and dated the 16th January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th January 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED HORSE COLLAR,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
Practical use has fully demonstrated and established the fact that a
horse collar consisting of two properly shaped wooden side sections
pivotted to a properly shaped top section and otherwise connected with

page_text: each other in such a manner that the said collar can be readily adjusted
to different shapes and sizes is the most perfect horse collar that human
ingenuity has ever produced. There have been repeated instances of
horses that had been galled and rendered unfit for service whilst working
in stuffed collars, having become perfectly sound whilst working steadily
in one of these improved horse collars. The said top section has a
perforation for the reception of a connecting bolt, and the vertical
diameter of this perforation is considerably longer than its horizontal
diameter. The said top section is first combined with the connecting
bolt and a set screw by passing the connecting bolt through the afore-
said perforation in the top section of the collar and then passing the
set screw down through a central aperture in the said top section and
through a screw aperture in the central portion of the connecting bolt.
Then metallic cap plates are secured to the top section and at the same
⚫ time combined with the head of the aforesaid set screw. A semicircular
curve in the inner edge of the central portion of each of the cap plates
is received into an annular groove in the head of the set screw; con-
sequently the said cap plates servo the purpose of perfecting the
combination between the top section, the connecting bolt, and the set
screw.
The shape of the ends of the top section of the collar is such as to
adapt them to the portions of the side sections of the same. The
perforations in the said side sections for the reception of the con-
necting bolt have longitudinally elongated inner diameters, or the
upper and lower sides of the said perforations incline from cach
other as they pass from the outer to the inner sides of the said sections.
This shape of the said perforations allows the top section of the collar
to be adjusted to any desired position without rendering it necessary
to make any change in the flexible connection of the lower ends of
the side sections of the collar. It also allows the lower ends of the
said side sections to be adjusted to a greater or less distance from
each other without changing the position of the top section of the
collar.
If an inward inclination be given to the upper portions of the side
sections it will cause the upward adjustment therein of the top section

page_text: bearing surfaces of the side sections of the collar, screw nuts on the
aforesaid bolt must be first unscrewed to the desired extent; and if the
said top section is to be moved inwards the screw nuts must be turned
inwards to the desired extent to prevent the connection of the said side
sections of the collar with the top section of the same from becoming

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltinc, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED HORSE COLLAR," a communication to me from abroad
by Zenas Coleman Robbins, of Washington, District of Columbia,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
My improved horse collar consists of two properly shaped side pieces
preferably made of wood and pivoted to a top piece, or connected with

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a front view of my improved horse collar; Figure 2 is a
side view of the same; Figure 3 is a transverse section of one of the
side pieces on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section of the top of the collar,
showing a modification of the same, and drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 illustrates another modification of the said collar.
A is the top piece, and B, B, are the side pieces; O is a connecting
bolt, which passes through the said pieces and is provided with nuts C³.
The said bolt may also be fitted with a set screw D, as shewn in
Figure 4. In this case the perforation in the top piece for the reception
of the connecting bolt C is elongated vertically, as shown in the same
Figure.
The shape of the ends of the top piece A of the collar is such as to
adapt them to the shape of the inner sides of the upper portions of the
side pieces B. The perforations a in the said side pieces for the
reception of the connecting bolt O have vertically elongated inner
diameters; that is to say, the upper and lower sides of the said perfora-
tions incline from each other as they pass from the outer to the inner
sides of the said pieces as shewn in Figures 1 and 4. This shape of the
said perforations allows the top piece of the collar to be adjusted to any
desired position without rendering it necessary to make any change in
the flexible connection E of the lower ends of the side pieces B. It also
allows the lower ends of the said side pieces to be adjusted to a greater
or less distance from each other without changing the position of the
top piece of the collar.
An inward inclination is given to the upper portions of the side
pieces B; the upward adjustment therein of the top piece A for the
purpose of lengthening the collar also widens the same, and vice versa.
When the collar is constructed as in Figure 1, if the top piece A
is to be moved outward or inward between the inclined bearing
surfaces of the side pieces B the screw nuts C' on the aforesaid

page_text: bolt C must be first removed from the bolt; but when the said collar is
constructed as in Figure 4, and the top piece has to be moved outward
the nuts need only be unscrewed to the desired extent; and if the said
top piece is to be moved inward the said screw nuts must be
turned inward to the desired extent to prevent the connection of the 5
side pieces of the collar with the top piece of the same from becoming
too loose.
When the set screw D is used the connecting bolt C is first passed
through the aforesaid perforation in the top piece A, then the set screw D
is passed down through the central aperture in the said top piece A and 1
through a screw aperture in the central portion of the connecting bolt;
then the said set screw is screwed down to the position shewn in
Figure 4. Metallic cap plates F are then secured to the top piece A
and combined with the head of the aforesaid set screw in the manner
shown in Figure 4, that is to say, a semicircular curve in the inner 1
edge of the central portion of each of the said cap plates is received into
an annular groove in the head of the set screw; consequently the
said cap plates serve the purpose of perfecting the combination between
the top piece A, the connecting bolt C, and the set screw D.
For the purpose of permitting the side pieces of the collar to vibrate 2
smoothly and with a minimum degree of friction on the connecting
bolt C, metal washers may be interposed between the ends of the top
piece and the bearing surfaces of the side pieces.
To give an elastic bearing to the screw nuts C¹ upon the outer faces
of the side pieces of the collar a metallic or india-rubber spring H is 2
interposed between two washers I, J, under the said screw nuts, as
shown in Figure 4.
For cheap horse collars where a nice adjustment of the top piece
within the side pieces may not be deemed essential, a series of holes a
may be formed in the upper portions of the said pieces, as shewn 3
in Figure 1, for the reception of the ends of the connecting bolt C,
which in such case will pass through a simple round aperture in the top
picce.
I further modify the construction of my improved horse collar as
shown in Figure 5. In this case I dispense with the top piece A and 3.
shape the upper portions of the side pieces B to meet each other. On
one of these pieces I secure one plate of a hinge L whose other plate

page_text: is secured to the other side piece by a bolt L'. By removing. this bolt
the hinge may be turned back and the two pieces B disconnected.
The lower ends of the side picces of the collar may be connected with
each other by a strap and buckle, as shewn, or by any other suitable
means that will permit of a free vibration of the said pieces and the
requisite adjustment of the same.
I do not intend to limit myself to the precise shape or proportions of
the parts of my improved horse collar as shewn, nor to the exclusive use
of wood as the material to be employed in the production of the top and
O side pieces of the same.
The said horse collar serves the double purpose of the usual stuffed
collar and harness, and consequently must be supplied with draught
clips M, and when desired is furnished with rein terrets N, as shown in
Figure 1.
An ornamental shape may be given to the head of the set screw D,
or the said screw head may have the shape of a rein terret, as shewn in
Figure 4.
The said collar may be furnished with a ring and chain for double
harness, and I may cover the collar with leather or other material or
0 paint the said collar to give it an ornamental appearance.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination of the top piece with the side pieces of the
5 collar, substantially in the manner herein set forth.
Second. The combination of the top picce with the connecting bolt B
and with or without the set screw, substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth.
Third. The combination of the top piece with the connecting bolt
O with or without the set screw and with side pieces, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose herein set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the springs with the connecting bolt B,
the screw nuts, and the side picces, substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth.

page_text: Fifth. The two side pieces formed of wood and secured at the top by a
hinge as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
CHAS. J. Goocu.
WN. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)