A New or Improved Self Acting Safety Device or Appliance to be Applied to Carriages, Carts, and other Road Vehicles for Preventing Horses from Bolting.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24.h Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Self Acting Safety Device or Appliance to be
Applied to Carriages, Carts, and other Road Vehicles for
Preventing Horses from Bolting.
-
I, ALBERT. WOOD, of Calder House, Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire, Carrier's
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved method of and means for preventing
horses when left unattended in the road, from bolting or moving away from the
place where left standing. Very frequently, when the person in charge of a
horse and trap or cart leaves the same for a few minutes in order to attend to some
matter of business the horse receives a fright by reason of some unforeseen
occurrence happening such as a loud report. the approach of a road or tram engine,
or a piece of paper blown in front of it and there being no one near at the moment
to check or restrain it the horse bolts. Unless therefore, a boy orr attendant is
employed to hold the horse during the absence of the owner or person in charge,
the performance of business is apt to be interrupted by the attention which must
necessarily be paid to the horse and even then it is almost impossible to reach it-in
time should there be an attempt to bolt.
The object of my invention is to provide the trap, cart or other conveyance,
with means whereby on leaving the same for a few minutes the appliance can be
connected and at the first attempt of the horse to bolt or move away, the reins
will be drawn in and pull up the horses head and one of the wheels be locked or
prevented from rotating.
In carrying out my invention I employ a strap or stout cord or chain as may be
preferred one end of which is looped so as to pass over the shaft, or is otherwise :
suitably secured to the rear of one of the shafts. The opposite end of said
strap is provided with a suitable spring catch or hook adapted to be engaged
with a link or eye secured to the strap a short distance from the end thereof.
When not in use the aforesaid strap is wound round-the shaft or suspended from
some part of the vehicle so as to be out of the way but is readily detachable, and
on leaving the trap or conveyance the free end is passed between or around one of
the spokes of the wheel and the hook engaged with the link or eye. The reins,
which are usually loosely connected to some projection, are drawn down and passed
between the eye or link and the strap so as to be nipped. between the two, or they
are otherwise connected thereto. After being connected as described any attempt
of the horse to bolt or move away will cause the strap to be drawn down by the
movement of the wheel, which on the strap being drawn tight is prevented from
further rotation or is locked and will of itself greatly impede the progress of the
horse. At the same time however as this is being done, the reins are drawn
tightly in by the movement of the strap, and draw the horses bead back with a
power equal to or greater than that of a man, so that this immediate action tends
If desired the two
at once to stop the horse before it can properly get a start.
front wheels can be locked by straps attached to each shaft...
:
By the means and method above set forth it will be unnecessary to take a boy
or attendant along with the trap to look after the horse when the driver leaves it
for a time, and being self arting and brought into action immediately the horse
makes a forward or backward movement, there will be little fear of 'it breaking
away and therefore less attention required to be paid to it. To travellers and
others who use & horse and trap on their rounds the appliance will be of great
service. The aforesaid strap is so inade that in cases of emergency it can be used
:

page_text: as a kicking strap or to replace a broken belly band or trace, or made to serve as
a back strap for the seat.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1893.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
--
C
A New or Improved Self Acting Safety Device or Appliance to be
Applied to Carriages, Carts, and other Road Vehicles for
Preventing Horses from Bolting.
1, ALBERT WOOD, of Calder House, Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire, Carrier's
Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to a new or improved method of and means for preventing
horses when left unattended in the road, from bolting or wandering away. Very
frequently, when the person in charge of a horse and trap or cart leaves the same
for a few minutes in order to make a call or attend to some matter of business
the horse receives a fright by reason of some unforeseen occurrence happening,
such as a loud report, the approach of a road or fram engine, or a piece of paper
blown in front of it and no one being near at the moment to check or restrain it
the horse bolts. Unless therefore, a boy or attendant is employed to hold the
horse during the absence of the owner or person in charge, the performance of
business is apt to be interrupted by the attention which must necessarily be paid to
the horse, and even then it is almost impossible to reach it in time should there be
an attempt to bolt. The object of my invention is to provide the trap, cart or
other conveyance, with means whereby on leaving the same for a few minutes the
appliance can be connected and at the first attempt of the horse to bolt or move
away the reins will be tightened and pull back the horses head and one of the
wheels be blocked or prevented from rotating.
In order that my invention may be fully understood reference is herein had to
the annexed sheet of drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 shews my improved appliance or device for application to vehicles for
preventing the horses therein bolting or wandering away.
Fig. 2 shews said device applied to a vehicle, and
Fig. 3 illustrates a modication of the device or appliance.
Referring to the drawings letter a represents a stout strap or band composed of
leather or other suitable material, secured to one end of which is a D shaped
buckle or link band to the opposite end a locking catch or hook e, whilst a short
distance from the latter is also secured a ring d. The buckle bmade large
enough to admit of the strap a, hook.c and ring d being passed therethrough. to
form a loop at the buckle end of the strap which enables the device to be attached
to the rear of the shaft e of the vehicle, or detached; without taking out the horse,
or sliding the loop over the length of the shaft and the harness connections
thereon, as, by passing the end of the strap over the shaft and then threading the
hook cand strap through the buckle 6 the device is..made secure at the buckle
end to the shafte or by the reverse action is detached therefrom. Until required
to be put into use the strap a may or may not be wound around the shaft, and
the hook or catch-e-engaged with the buckle b, or it may be otherwise conveniently
held out of the way.
"A
When intending to apply the above described device the ends of the reins, in
dismounting, are attached to a finger or projection or any suitable part of the
vehicle as indicated at g in Fig. 2, and are allowed to hang down on the side on
which the strap is attached. The hook c is thereupon disengaged from the
1

page_text: buckle band the strap drawn out and passed around the rim or felly, or one of the
spokes of the wheel, and the hook hooked into the ring d so as to secure-
the device to the wheel of the vehicle. In making this connection, the reins are-
caught in or pass through the loop formed thereby and are thus secured to the
device intermediate of the horses head and the part of the vehicle from which
they are suspended.
The horse can now be left unprotected and should it attempt to bolt or move-
away, the movement of the wheel will tighten the strap a as indicated in dotted
lines in Fig. 2, which pulls back the reins and thereby immediately checks or pulls
up the horse before it can get properly started at the same time however, the-
device locks the wheel of the vehicle or prevents its further rotation and thus an
additional check is imposed which will in itself greatly impede the progress of the
horse. The same result will be obtained should the horse commence to back.
If desired the wheels on each side can be locked by devices being applied on.
both sides of the vehicle.
The device shewn at Fig. 1 is made sufficiently long to answer for most vehicles
and can be shortened as required by passing the buckle pin through one or other
of the holes i in the strap when attaching said strap to the shaft; but in Fig. 3 a
device is shewn which can either be lengthened beyond the average length or
shortened, being made in two pieces a, a', the former having the buckle b secured
to one end and a buckle h to the opposite end. The piece a' is provided with the-
hook or catch e and ring d and is secured to the part a by means of the buckle /
as shewn. Holes i are formed in the part a to receive the buckle pin and to-
perinit of elongation or contraction of the safety device.
By the means and method above set forth it will be unnecessary in the case of
travellers especially, to take a boy or attendant along with the vehicle to look
after the horse when transacting business and being self acting and brought into
action immediately the horse makes a forward or backward movement there will
be little fear of it breaking away and therefore less attention required to be paid
to it. The aforesaid strap is so made that in cases of emergency it can be used as
a kicking strap, or to replace a broken belly band or trace, or made to serve as a
back strap for the seat and for this purpose a short chain k is attached to the
buckle to hook onto any of the harness connections concerned.
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 :-
Firstly. The self acting safety device or appliance and method of applying same
to vehicles for preventing horses, when left unattended, from bolting or moving-
away, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. The self acting safety device for vehicles for preventing horses from.
bolting, consisting of a strap or band a provided at the ends with a buckle 6 with
or without a short chain attached thereto and spring hook or catch
C, and
intermediate thereof with a ring d,.said strap being made in one piece, or in two
pieces adapted, to be secured together by a buckle h and serving in emergencies as.
a trace, back or belly band, kicking strap, or for the back of a seat, in the manner-
and for the purposes substantially as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1894..
TASKER & CROSSLEY,.
Halifax, Agents.