An Improved Platform for Use in Training Horses, and for Exhibiting the Performances of Trained Horses.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Platform for Use in Training Horses, and for
Exhibiting the Performances of Trained Horses.
I, EMILE GAUTIER, of 50, Rue Spontini, Paie, in the Republic of France,
Master of Riding School, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be us
follows:-
My invention relates to a platform baving for object to allow the most capricious
of horses to be trained and the performances of trained horses, whether mounted on
not, to be exhibited while executing all the movements of the haute école.
My platform is constructed of a floor of juxtaposed wood panels, the centre of
the floor being open or cut away and trusses or I-girders some of which are placed
dnectly beneath the Joists and the others upon the ground or upon a suitable fluui
supporting the platform, two rings cach foined of U iron connected by bollow
columns constituting a drum oi frame at the centre of the platform.
The frame formed by the union of the ings and tubes or columns is placed at the
centre of the platform and receives a floor the fixed position of which is ensured as
hereinafter described. This floor may be of the forin of a regular polygon, or it
may be of circular shape against which abut the panels which constitute the floor
properly so called.
Immediately underneath the panels and at the point of juncture of each two
adjacent panels, one of the trusses formed of I-iron is placed so that the wob shall
be horizontal These trusses or girders rest with one of their ends on the upper
ring of the drum or frarne and with their other ends upon the vertical columns or
tubes
The series of trusses or girders placed on the ground are arranged in the same
manner with relation to the upper trusses or guders and in such a manner as to
form pan with them in the same vertical plane. The lower trusses or girders are
connected by one of their ends to the lower ring of the drum and by their other
ends to columns near the outer edge of the platform so that the upper and lower
ti usses are firmly connected in pairs.
The outer columns are slightly higher than the inner columns in order that the
floor may alope slightly downwards from the exterior towards the centre, only the
central floor being horizontal. Distance-pieces formed of round irou bais having
semi-circular shoes serve to keep the outer columus in position.
The strength which is ensured moreover by the panels themselves when they are
in place as her ematter explained, can be increased at will by employing distance-
pieces formed of metal cables and strengthening legs inclined or arched from the
two lower trusses and united on the same upper truss.
The counecnon of the ings of the dram with the hollow tubes of the same is
effected by rods passing through the column in the direction of its length, such rods
being terminated by screw-thu cads to receive nuts; washers are interposed between
a flat iron band and the nuts
The upper trusses or I-girders have the inner ends of their webs curved into a
hook shape, the said ends bearing upon the outer flauge of the upper ring of the
drum whilst a stud on the hook shaped end entering a hole made in the ring keeps
it from shifting its position.
The lower trusses rest upon the ground and then position 18 ensured by tenous

page_text: on the ends of the webs of the trusses entering holes in the outer flange of the lower
ring of the drum.
The connection of the trusses with the outer vertical columns is effected in a
similar manner to that just described.
Each upper truss is plumb with the jomt between the panels These panels
consist of solid boards fixed by bolts upon the joists
The two joists of the sides
are flush with the edge of the panel so that in juxtaposing two panels the heads of
the bolts are just lodged in the interior of the I-girder and against its vertical
flange. This aangenent keeps the panels securely in position, the panels resting,
besides, at one side upon the upper ing of the drum so as to abut against the
central floot supported by the said ring.
Upou its outer cucumferential side each panel caries a small fixed non plate
which extends beyond its upper face and against which bears a wooden beider
nailed on the fist bonid of the panel and seising to prevent the horse's feet from
slipping.
The central foot is held in place by means of cross-pieces fixed to the end of
ench board of the floor by bolts the heads of which are located in the annular part
of the upper ring of the drum against its interior flange so as to form a connection
Similar to that of the panels with the upper lusses.
A ramp or sloping way allows access to be gamed to the platform. This samp
is advantageously made in two parts with a ridge placed plumb with the joint. The
first part which adapts itself against the platform will be about four meters in
length The second part will have a length which will vary according to the total
height to be reached Or the tamp may be made in one piece
My track can, if required, be suspended from the framing on woodwork of the
establishment in which it is to be used m-tead of resting upon the ground.
Dated thus 14th day of May 1803
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant
An Improved Platform for Use in Training Horses, and for
Exhibiting the Performances of Trained Horses
1, EMILE GAUTIER, of 50, Rue Spontum, Paus, in the Republic of Fiance,
Master of Riding School, 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 a platform having for object to allow the most capricious
of horses to be trained, and the performances of trained horses, whether mounted or
Dot, to be exbibited while executing all the movements of the haute école, upon an
elevated and very restricted surface. My platform is especially adapted for the
training of horses by reason of the peculiar effect produced upon the animal
when it finds itself, as it were, alone in space, even the most vicious animals being
thereby promptly rendered docile
As performances, the haute école exorcises are especially attractive and bring
into prominence the whole serence and skill or horsemanship of the inder.
My platform is an entirely original structure as regards its construction as well
as the novel result which it allows of obtaining and it possesses great lightness
and strength. The most violent shocks to which it may be submitted by the horse
during its training or exercise will only have the effect of bringing its elasticity
slightly into play. It also completely fulfils the necessary conditions for its
employment for the exhibition of performances, that is to say, it can be erected
•

page_text: and taken to pieces with great facility in a few minutes by a small number of
резопа.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my isolated and raised platform the section
being taken through the line 1-2 Figure 2, the floor being partially removed and
only the outer low of the truss-columns being shewn :
Figure 2 is a plan of the platform, the floor being partially removed:
Figme 3 is a detail drawn to a larger scale shewing the manner in which the
adial bs forming the trusses keep the panels or sections of the floor in place and
how the upper and lower tibs are connected to the columns which unite them
Figure 4 is a detail also drawn to a large scale shewing the connections of the
upper and lower ungs of the platform with the columns which serve to unite them
and with the radial trusses which support the flooi.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a truss:
Figure 6 is a section through the axis of the dium placed in the centre of the
platform.
Figmes 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 relate exclusively to the ramp or sloping floor by which
access is gained to the platform⚫
Figure 7 is a side view of the said 1amp:
Figure 8 19 a section on the line 3-4 of Figme 7
Figuie 9 is a section on the line 5-6 of Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the tubular cross pieces supporting the floor
of the ramp, and,
Figure 11 13 an elevation of the legs or feet supporting the ramp.
Figure 12 13 a plan of one of the panels or flooi sections detached.
Figure 13 is a section on the line 7-8 of Figure 12.
Figure 14 represents two elevations of a distance bar:
Figure 15 is a view of a strut or strengthening leg; and,
Figures 16 and 17 represent in clevation and plan respectively the combination
of a strut or strengthening leg with a lower b and the corresponding column.
My platform comprises five or six different parts, rudelicet, wooden panels a,
Figues 12 and 13, which constitute the floor and abut against the central circular
wooden panel, trusses formed of I-iron and U-on and their columns, and two
rings c, cl each consisting of a U-iron bai and forming, with the hollow columns d
which unite them, a dium T at the centre of the platform
The bs and which form the trusses are connected to the rings c, c'
respectively and they are also connected together in pairs by vertical hollow
columus and by horizontal distance bars provided at the ends with shoes
Figue 14.
15
The drum Tresulting from the union of the rings cand and tubes or columns d
placed in the centre of the platform and receives the central panel or flooi g.
The panel g may be a regular polygonal of eighteen sides, or a circle (as in the
case of the platform represented in the diawings), against which abut the eighteen
panels or sections a which, with the central panel g, constitute the floor of the
platform.
The metal part of the drum comprises the two U-shaped iron rings c and c¹ and
the columns ; the web of each U-shaped bar is placed horizontally and the flanges
of the upper ring are duected upwards while the flanges of the lower ring rest upon
the ground as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 6, these rings are connected together
by six hollow columus traversed throughout their length by rods screw-thiended
at the ends so as to allow of fastening the whole together by means of tightening
uuts.
From the dium T radiate 18 trusses each composed of 2 ribs, the upper rib bis
of I-irou the web of which placed honzontally extends beyond the flanges and 18
curved so as to form a hook having a stud whereby a simple means of connection
is provided with the upper ring, the web of which is made for this purpose with a

page_text: slot, Figure 4
The lower rib is of U-iron the flanges of which rest upon tho
ground or floor and the web of which is extended so as to form a stud which
enters a slot made in the flange of the lower img c³ so as to allow the connection
of the said rib with the said ring.
Each pan of ribs b, is connected by means of fom hollow tubes or columns (2
traversed by 1ods provided with nuts as shewn in Figure 3. As shown also in
Figure 3 each upper rib b is placed directly below the joint between two panels or
floor sections. These panels a, Figures 12 and 13, are composed of boards a¹ fixed
by bolts upon joists a³.
The two side joists, the thickness of which decienses from the extenor towards
the drum in order to give the platform the requned inclination, are flush with the
edge of the panel so that when two panels are placed together the heads of the
bolts n are located just within the I-iron bai against its vertical flange as shewn in
Figure 3
This arrangement secmely holds the panels in place, and the said panels besides
est at one end upon the ring c of the dium so as to abut against the cential panel
or flool
g supported by the said ring, as shewn in Figure 1.
Upon its outer peripheral edge each panel on floor section a is provided with a
piece of flat metal & which projects above its upper surface and against which is
placed a wooden border s nailed to the first board of the panel and seiving to prevent
the horse's feet from shipping off the platform.
The panel is securely held in place by means of cross pieces g' fixed to the end
of each board of the panel by bolts, the heads of which are located within the
ring against its inner flange so as to form a connection similar to that of
the panels a with the ribs b
To ensure the perfect stability of the whole structure and to prevent it from
twisting I provide around the drum eight struts or strengthening legs arranged
between the trusses in pairs in V form Each of these stints v, Figure 15, consists
of a tube the ends of which are expanded and receive wooden plugs projecting
about two centimetres over the non; a notch made in the wood allows of guiding
the struts over the flanges of the ribs and of forcing them into the required position
(Figures 16 and 17).
To firmly secure the whole structure I make use of two bracing ropes or metal
cables y, y both placed beneath the upper bs b; the cable y passes in front of the
small posts and the struts and 18 supported by hooks fixed to the panels, the cable
18 tightened by means of two whe-stretchers and the effect of this is to press the
bs against the drum and the panels against the ribs The cable y passes around
the small posts or columns of the trusses opposite the drum
The ramp or inclined platform R, Figure 7, may be in one piece and consist of
two I-shaped steel bars q, q' with the web placed vertically and wooden joists 2,
Figmes 8, 9 and 10, and tightening bars 2 of round iron Upon these joists are
nailed planks upon which are fixed slats at suitable distances apait to give a
toothold to the animals
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what mauner the same 1s to be poiloimed, I declare that what I
claun is.
1. A platform for use in training horses, and for exhibiting the performances of
trained horses chiefly characterized by its isolation and elevation above the ground,
as well as by the rapidity with which it can be erected and taken to pieces, by the
facility with which it cau be transported and by its great strength, the said platform
comprising a central dium having its axis vertically placed and composed of two
ings formed of U-shaped iron bars united by means of tubes or columns and screw-
theaded rods passing through the tubes throughout their height, trusses radiating
Iom the said dum each truss consisting of two ribs, the upper of which is of I-non
having its web horizontally placed and the lower of U-on the flanges of which rest
upon the ground, the two iibs being connected together by means of columus or

page_text: tubes and screw-threaded rods passing through the said tubes and provided with
nuts, the trusses being kept at the required distance apart by means of distance
bars, the stability and resistance of the structure being ensured by struts or
strengthening legs and the firmness and security of the whole by metal ropes or
cables which can be tightened as required, the floor, which is slightly molined owing
to its joists of decreasing thickness, being arranged above the upper ribs and formed
of panels abutting against a central panel or floor and beating upon the upper
ring of the drum which supports the central floor, the whole being combined and
the various parts connected as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The improved platform for use in training houses and for exhibiting the
performances of trained horses herembefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings
Dated than Lith dow of Wah 100€
G F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.