Improvements in Apparatus for Curbing Horses.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Curbing Horses.
I, LEOPOLD POLLARD THOMAS, of 36 Saint James' Street, in the City of
Westminster and County of London, Bootmaker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improved constructions and arrangements of
apparatus for use with carriages and other vehicles drawn by horses, whereby a
curbing or restraining action can be exerted upon the horses connected to such
vehicles for the purpose of stopping or retarding them when running away or when
descending hills.
In one arrangement of my apparatus the drum or rotary body hereinafter called
a drum upon which is wound the cord or chain through which a curbing or
restraining action is to be exerted on the horse when the apparatus is thrown into
action, is fixed upon a shaft that is mounted to rotate in a pivoted bearing and is
provided with a wheel or roller adapted to be brought into driving connection with
the boss of one of the carrying wheels of the vehicle. The bearing, is pivoted to
any suitable fixed part of the vehicle, such for example as a bracket carried by the
fixed wheel axle, or one of such axles when two are used, and is connected through
suitable connections, as for example rods and levers, with means such as a hand
lever placed in a convenient position to be operated by the driver or by an occupant
of the vehicle, the arrangement being such that normally the said band lever or
equivalent device is retained in a position in which it will hold the wheel or roller on
the drum shaft out of contact with the wheel hub or boss by which it is to be driven,
but upon moving the said hand lever or equivalent device into another position it
will turn the pivoted bearing into a position in which the wheel or roller on the
drum shaft will be brought into driving connection with the wheel hub or boss so
that the drum will then be rotated and wind up one end of the flexible connector
the other end of which, suitably guided, is connected by branches led through
suitable eyes or equivalent guides to the bit or other part by which the head of
the horse can be drawn down. In the case of a vehicle having two axles, the front
one of which is mounted to turn about a vertical pivot, the flexible connector may
be led around the said pivot and connected with the portion of the connector
wound upon the drum. By this means the vehicle can be turned without interfering
with the working of the apparatus.
In other arrangements of apparatus according to my invention the drum is
mounted to turn about one end of the axle between one of the wheels thereon'and
the body of the vehicle, and is so arranged that it can be thrown at will into
driving contact with the boss of the said wheel so that it will then be rotated
thereby and cause the partial winding up of one end of the flexible connector the
other end of which is in connection with the horses head. In one arrangement of
this kind, the drum, which is grooved externally, is formed at one end with a
hollow conical extension adapted to fit a correspondingly formed portion of the
adjacent wheel boss. At the opposite end it is formed with an annular groove to
receive the bent ends of two rods fixed to a slide block that is arranged to work
on the axle and is acted upon by a spring and by a lever or equivalent device under
the control of the driver or an occupant of the carriage, the arrangement being
such that by operating the said lever or equivalent device the drum can be forced
with any desired degree of pressure into frictional contact with the boss of the
wheel so as to be rotated thereby and wind up one end of the cord or chain the

page_text: other end of which is connected by two branches, led through suitable eyes or
equivalent guides, to the bit or other part by which the head of the horse can be
drawn down.
In a modified arrangement, one side of the drum is arranged to be forced into
frictional contact with a suitable plain friction surface formed or provided on the
adjacent end of the wheel boss.
In another arrangement the drum is formed or provided with teeth or projections
adapted, when moved end ways, to engage with corresponding teeth or projections
on the wheel boss, or to enter corresponding recesses therein.
In each case a step or equivalent device may be provided adapted to come
automatically into action to hold the drum into its operative position until it is
required to again release the same.
In a further arrangement the drum is arranged to be quickly thrown into its
operative position by releasing a spring. Means are or may be applied not only
for readily releasing the spring so as to connect the drum to the wheel, but also
for readily disconnecting the drum from the wheel and holding it in an inoperative
position on the axle in opposition to the action of the spring.
Apparatus according to my invention might in some cases be applied in connection
with means employed for operating ordinary brakes.
As will be obvious apparatus according to this invention can be constructed in
various forms, also such apparatus can be applied to more than one of the wheels
of the carriage or other vehicle.
Dated this 20th day of September 1893
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per W. Cross,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Curbing Horses.
I, LEOPOLD POLLARD THOMAS, of 36 Saint James' Street, in the City of
Westminster and County of London, Bootmaker, 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 has reference to improyed constructions and arrangements of
apparatus for use with carriages and other vehicles drawn by horses, whereby a
curbing or restraining action can be exerted upon the horses connected to such
vehicles for the purpose of stopping or retarding them when running away or when
descending hills.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
explain the same by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan, showing one arrangement of apparatus
according to this invention applied to a vehicle of which only so much is shown as
is necessary to illustrate the application thereto of the said apparatus.
Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive are detail views showing various parts of the apparatus to
a larger scale.
Figs. 9 and 10 are elevations showing a horse and vehicle with apparatus
according to this invention, Fig. 9 showing the horse running away, the apparatus
being out of action, and Fig. 10 showing the horse being pulled up by the throwing
of the apparatus into action.
1 is a drum or rotary body, hereinafter called a drum, upon which is wound the
cord or chain 2 through which a curbing or restraining action is to be exerted on
the horse when the apparatus is thrown into action. This drum is fixed upon a
shaft 3 that is mounted to rotate in a pivoted bearing 4 and is provided at one end

page_text: with a friction wheel or roller 5 adapted to be brought into driving connection with
the boss 6 of one of the carrying wheels 7 of the vehicle. The bearing 4 is pivoted
at 4 to any suitable fixed part of the vehicle, such for example as a bracket 8
carried by the fixed wheel axle 9, or one of such axles when two are used, and is
connected through suitable connections, as for example the lever arm 10, rod 11,
bell crank lever 12 and rod 13 with means such as a hand lever 14 (Fig. 7) placed
in a convenient position to be operated by the driver, or it may be by an occupant
of the vehicle. As will be seen the arrangement is such that normally when the
said hand lever 10, or equivalent device, is retained in the lowered position shown
in Figs. 1 and 9 it will hold the wheel or roller 5 on the drum shaft 3 out of contact
with the wheel hub or boss 6 by which it is to be driven, but upon raising the said
hand lever or equivalent device (see Fig. 10), it will turn the pivoted bearing 4
into a position in which the said wheel or roller on the drum shaft will be brought
into driving connection with the said wheel hub or boss so that the drum 1 will
then be rotated and wind up one end of the flexible connector 2 the other end of
which, suitably guided, as by the guide roller 15, is connected by branches 2ª led
through suitable eyes 16, or equivalent guides, to the bit 17 or other part by which
the head of the horse will then be drawn down. In the case of a vehicle having
two axles, the front one of which is mounted to turn about a vertical pivot 18,
as in the arrangement now being described, the branches 2ª of the flexible connector
may be led around the said pivot by the eyes 16 as shown, and be connected with
the portion 2 of the connector 2 wound upon the drum, preferably by a block 2
provided with a roller 2 around which the connector forming the branches 2 passes,
as shown more clearly in Figs. 5 and 6 which are elevations at right angles to each
other. By this means the vehicle can be turned without interfering with the
working of the apparatus.
In other arrangements of apparatus according to my invention the drum is
mounted to turn about one end of the axle between one of the wheels thereon and
the body of the vehicle, and is so arranged that it can be thrown at will inte
driving contact with the boss 6 of the said wheel so that it will then be rotated
thereby and cause the partial winding up of one end of the flexible connector 2 the
other end of which is in connection, through the branches 2, with the horse's head.
In such cases the end of the fixed axle upon which the drum moves axially, will
need to be turned cylindrically, or be provided with a sleeve having a cylindrical
outer surface.
Fig. 11 is a vertical section showing an arrangement of this kind, in which
the drum which is grooved externally as shown, is formed at one end with a
hollow conical extension 1 adapted to fit a correspondingly formed portion 6ª
of the adjacent wheel boss 6. At the opposite end the drum is formed with an
annular groove 1" to receive the bent ends 19a of two rods 19 fixed to a slide
block 20 that is arranged to work on the wheel axle 9 and is acted upon by a
spring 21 and by a lever or equivalent device under the control of the driver or au
occupant of the carriage, and acting through suitable connecting mechanism, the
arrangement being such that by operating the said lever or equivalent device the
drum extension 1ª of the drum can be forced with any desired degree of pressure
into frictional contact with the portion 6 of the boss of the wheel so as to be rotated
thereby and wind up one end of the cord or chain the other end of which is con-
nected by branches, led through suitable eyes or equivalent guides, as in the herein
previously described arrangement, to the bit, or other part by which the head of
the horse can be drawn down.
In the arrangement shown, the slide block 20 is moved laterally, to put the drum
in gear with the boss, by an eccentric 22 working in a correspondingly formed
bearing in the said block and carried by a vertical shaft 23 provided with a sprocket
wheel 24 by which it can be driven through an endless chain, from a similar
sprocket wheel fixed upon a shaft arranged to be directly operated by the driver or
by an occupant of the vehicle. The spring 21 serves to disengage the drum from
the boss when the eccentric is turned in a direction to move the slide block to the
-

page_text: left. 25 is the ordinary carriage spring fixed at its centre to the fixed axle 9.
Fig. 12 is a similar view to Fig. 11, showing a modified arrangement, in which the
outer side of the drum 1 is made flat and arranged to be forced into frictional
contact with a suitable plain friction surface 6b formed or provided on the adjacent
end portion 6 of the wheel boss 6, as for example, by a renewable ring as shown.
Fig. 13 is a similar view to Fig. 11 showing another arrangement in which the
drum is formed or provided with teeth or projections 1 adapted, when moved end-
ways in an outward direction to engage with corresponding teeth or projections 6°
on the wheel boss 6, and which may conveniently be formed on a ring fixed to the
said boss as shown. Or the said teeth or projections 1 may be arranged to enter
corresponding recesses in the end of the boss after the manner of a clutch.
Fig. 14 is a similar view to Fig. 11 showing a further modified arrangement in
which the drum is arranged to be quickly thrown into its operative position by
releasing a spring. The spring 21 is for this purpose arranged between the drum
and the fixed carriage spring 25 and means are provided, not only for readily
releasing the spring, so as to enable it to force the extension 1 of the drum into
contact with the extension 6ª of the boss of the wheel, but also for readily dis-
connecting these parts and holding the drum in an inoperative position on the axle 9
in opposition to the action of the said spring. Suitable means for this purpose
comprise a rod 27 arranged to slide in a guide 28 fixed to the carriage spring 25
and provided with bent or hook shaped ends 27, 27, one of which, vi. 27, is
adapted to enter the annular groove 1 in the drum 1 and engage the inwardly
projecting flange 1* thereon, and the other, ei. 27, to be engaged by a hooked shaped
part 29 carried by a slide block 20 that is arranged to slide endways
on the fixed
axle 9 and may conveniently be operated by an eccentric 22 as in the example
shown in Fig. 11, the arrangement being such that when the slide block is moved
to the right, the hook shaped part 28 will release the rod 27 and permit the
spring 21 to force the drum into frictional driving contact with the wheel boss and
upon moving the slide block to the left the drum will be disengaged by the rod 27
and held in the disengaged position against the action of the said spring.
drum instead of engaging the wheel boss in the manner shown in Fig. 14, may
engage it in the manner shown in Fig. 12, or in Fig. 13.
The
In each case a stop or equivalent device may be provided adapted to come
automatically into action to hold the drum in its operative or inoperative position,
or both, until it is required to again release the same.
A suitable device for this purpose is shown in connection with the hand lever 1+
in Figs. 7 and 8. It comprises a vertically slotted guide 30 fixed to a convenient
part of the vehicle and formed with recesses 30 and 30 corresponding to the extreme
positions of the hand lever 14 and in either of which the said hand lever will be
firmly held by the action of a leaf spring 31 but nevertheless in such a manner as to
permit of its being readily disengaged from one recess and moved into the other.
Apparatus according to my invention might in some cases be applied in connection
with means employed for operating ordinary brakes. For this purpose the brake
apparatus may be connected to the same lever, for example 14 (Figs. 1 to 8) as
that used for operating my curbing apparatus.
As will be obvious apparatus according to this invention can be constructed in
various forms; also such apparatus can be applied to more than one of the wheels
of the carriage or other vehicle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described improved construction of apparatus for exerting a curbing
or restraining action upon a horse, in which the drum or rotary body upon which
is wound the flexible connector through which the curbing or restraining action is
to be exerted, is fixed upon a shaft that is mounted to rotate in a pivoted bearing
and is provided with a wheel or roller adapted by turning movement of the bearing

page_text: about its pivot, effected by the driver or by an occupant of the vehicle to which the
apparatus is applied, to be brought into driving connection with the boss of one of
the carrying wheels of the said vehicle substantially as herein described.
2. Curbing apparatus of the kind herein referred to in which the drum is mounted
to turn about one end of an axle of the vehicle to which the apparatus is applied
and is so arranged that it can be thrown at will, by an endways movement, into
driving contact with the boss of the adjacent wheel so that it will be rotated
thereby and cause the partial winding up of one end of the flexible connector
the other end of which is in connection with the horse's head substantially as
herein described.
3. The improved curbing apparatus constructed, arranged and operating substan--
tially as hereinbefore described with reference respectively to and shown in.
Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive; in Fig. 11; in Fig. 12; in Fig. 13; and in Fig. 14 of the
drawings annexed.
Dated this 20th day of June 1894.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.