IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE COLLARS AND IN ATTACHING TRACES THERETO."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gambling, of Chichester, in the County of Sussex,
Saddler, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE COLLARS AND IN
ATTACHING TRACES THERETO."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gambling at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th April 1877.
GEORGE GAMBLING, of Chichester, in the County of Sussex, Saddler.
MENTS IN HORSE COLLARS AND IN ATTACHING TRACES THERETO.'
"IMPROVE
My Invention of improvements in horse collars has for its object to avoid the use
of hames, and also to improve the bearing of the collar by so constructing it that all
pressure on the windpipe is avoided.
The Invention also comprises improved means of attaching the traces to the
collar.
According to my Invention I make the collar in two halves, united by a hinge
joint at top, and connected at bottom by a long curved link or bow hinged or
jointed to one half of the collar, and connected to the other half by a bayonet
fastening or equivalent locking device. By unfastening the link the two parts of
the collar which work on the hinge joint at top are readily opened out so as to pass
freely on to the animal's neck, and when closed.and secured by the link the latter
keeps the parts of the collar at the proper distance apart at the lower end to avoid
any pressure on the windpipe and chest.
Instead of using hames separate from the collar I employ two iron frames, ono
for each half of the collar, curved to the proper shape and of flat or slightly curved
form in cross section, and to the inner side of these hames I attach a strip of thick
leather upon which the necessary padding is applied, the whole being covered with
leather enclosing the said iron frames which are thus contained in the collar. The
traces are attached to arms forged on the said iron frames and projecting outwards
from the collar by means of screw studs, each passing through one of a series of
holes in the trace, so that the latter may be lengthened or shortened, as required,
and the trace passes through a loop on the end of the said ann, or the traces may
be otherwise attached. These are placed rather higher on the collar than the

page_text: usual point of attachment of the traces, so that the draught tends to draw the
collar downwards and the pressure is wholly on the shoulders of the animal and
not on the under side of the neck.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Gambling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
October 1877.
GEORGE GAMBLING, of Chichester, in the County of Sussex, Saddler.
MENTS IN HORSE COLLARS AND IN ATTACHING TRACES THERETO."
" IMPROVE-
My Invention has for its object to avoid the use of hames, to make the collar
lighter, to improve its bearing, and to avoid all pressure on the windpipe of the
animal.
The Invention also comprises improved means of attaching the traces to the
collar.
According to my Invention I make the collar in two halves, united by a hinge
joint at the top or withers and connected at the bottom or throat by a curved link
or bow jointed to the one half of the collar, and connected to the other half by a
spring bolt, so that it may readily be unfastened to allow the two parts of the
collar to be moved apart sufficiently to pass freely on to the animal's neck without
going over the head. When connected by the link the parts of the collar are
kept at such a distance apart at the lower end as to avoid any pressure on the
windpipe and chest..
Instead of using hames separate from the collar I employ two frames, one for
each half of the collar, bent to the proper shape and preferably of slightly curved
form in cross section, the necessary padding being applied to these frames and the
whole covered in the same way that collars are usually covered except that the
iron frames are enclosed in the collar. The traces are attached to outwardly pro-
jecting arms, rivetted or otherwise fixed to the said frames by means of spring
bolts passing through holes in the traces, the ends of which enter slots formed for
their reception in the arms. These arms are placed rather higher on the collar than
the usual point of attachment of the traces, so that the draught tends to draw the
collar downwards and the pressure is wholly on the shoulders of the animal and
not on the under side of the neck.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a front view of the collar complete, the link being dis-
connected and the collar opened out; Figure 2 represents a front view of the iron
frame only of the collar, closed and secured by the link or bow; Figure 3 represents
a cross section of the collar (about full size) taken on line 1-1, Figure 1.
The other Figures represent on a larger scale (about full size) detatched views
of the trace and link attachments.
A, A, are the two frames of the collar (made preferably of malleable cast iron of
the form shown in Figure 3) hinged together at B. The lower ends are a sufficient
distance apart to entirely avoid pressing on the animal's windpipe, and are con-
nected by a link or bow C jointed at c to the one half of the frame and secured to
the other half by a spring bolt D; E are the draught arms to which the traces are
attached; one of them is shown separately in back view in Figure 4, top view in

page_text: spring bolt D is similar to the bolt F, and traverses a socket & cast on the one
frame A in which the end of the bow C is received and secured by the bolt passing
through the eye c'. This bow, which serves also for the attachment of the pole
chains or straps in the case of double harness, is jointed to the frame A, as shown,
and is so curved as to entirely avoid touching the neck of the animal so that the
windpipe is left ontirely free. In making up the collar on the frames A a strip of
thick leather G, Figure 3, is first attached to their inner convex surface, and to
this foundation the pads H are attached, the whole being covered with leather, &c.
as usual,
For cart horses a strong wooden frame, bound with iron, and similarly padded and
covered, would be used, the frame being hinged at the withers and connected at
the throat, as above described; but instead of the draught arms the traces or thill
tugs would be attached in the usual way.
Having described the nature of any Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. In a horse collar made in two halves hinged together at top, connecting the
lower ends by a long curved link or bow which holds the ends at a sufficient
distance apart, and is itself so shaped and applied as to avoid all pressure on the
animal's windpipe, substantially as shown and described.
2nd. The curved link or bow hinged at one end to one half of the collar and
connected to the other half by a spring bolt, substantially as shown and described.
3rd. A horse collar made up on frames A of the form shown, hinged together at
top and connected at bottom by a link or bow and provided with suitable trace
attachments, substantially as shown and described, said frames being enclosed in
the collar and serving in lieu of the ordinary hames.
4th. The combination with the frames constructed and applied in the collar as
specified, of draught arms, each formed with a socket and provided with a spring
bolt to receive and secure the ends of the trace, substantially as shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Gambling, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
GEO. GAMBLING. (L.S.)