An Improved Lasso, chiefly designed for use as a Toy.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE LARIAT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of
New Jersey, County of Hudson and State of New Jersey, United States of
America.]
An Improved Lasso, chiefly designed for use as a Toy.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
The invention consists of an improved lasso of peculiar construction, which while
especially intended for a toy is at the same time applicable for many of the practical
uses for which such an implement is employed, such as catching animals.
If a lasso is made of light flexible rope instead of the stiff, heavy rawhide,
which is usually employed, it is impossible to make the loop remain open when
thrown so that it will fall over the object aimed at. In order to overcome this
difficulty the expedient is adopted of reinforcing or stiffening the otherwise flexible
noose-forming portion of the rope by means of a metal wire or stiff fibre, preferably
twisted about the outside of the said rope between the strands thereof, and by
swivelling this stiffened loop portion to a more flexible rope or cord, which.
constitutes that portion of the lasso, which is gathered up and held in the hand,
while the loop is thrown.
The loop of my lasso is provided with a stop which prevents its being drawn too
close, and thus when used as a toy any danger of injury to children by choking is
avoided.
My lasso is also further improved by the use of a noose-forming swivel which
slides easily on the rope A, and which is more fully described hereafter.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 shows a lasso embodying my invention.
Figure 2 shows the noose of the lasso and illustrates the action of the stop.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the swivels and of portions of the lasso
adjacent thereto, and
Figure 4 shows the noose forming swivel strap.
reinforced or
While I
A is the loop or noose portion of the lasso, which is made of
rope
stiffened by means of a wire or stiff fibre a¹, which, as herein shown, is wound
spirally around the rope on the outside thereof between the strands."
prefer to reinforce the rope in this manner I may use instead, if desired, a rope
reinforced by a stiff fibre passing through the centre thereof. In any case the
rope A is not made so stiff but that the noose may be readily drawn up, while at
the same time it is sufficiently stiff to cause the loop portion to remain open when
being swung and thrown. The reinforcing of the rope A by the metal wire or
fibre serves not only to stiffen the loop, but also to make it heavier, so as to balance
while swinging and throwing.
B is the gathering rope, made of ordinary rope or cord preferably smaller than
the rope A and swivelled thereto at C.
C is a strap, preferably of leather, within which the knotted ends a b of the
ropes A and B, respectively, are held so as to allow free axial motion of one rope
with respect to the other. The other end of the rope A is knotted at a² in the
swivel strap D, which runs loosely over the rope A, thus forming the noose.
This swivel strap D (Figure 4) is formed by a piece of leather, having a hole
in each end. Through one of these holes d' is knotted the end of the rope A, and
through the other d³, which is elongated, the rope A slides. The inner side of

page_text: this latter hole. d² is formed by the end of a tongue d³ which has the same width
as the hole, and is cut from, and forms part of, the strap itself. By means of this
tongue the swivel strap is made to slide casily on the rope A, and is prevented from
binding on said rope.
The hereinbefore mentioned stop E on the noose, is formed by a leather collar
having projecting ears, which are turned under and bound securely to the rope A.
The sliding swivel strap D strikes against the flat side of the stop E, and the
distance of the stop from the end of the rope A, determines the smallest size to
which the noose may be drawn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a lasso the combination with a loop forming rope A of the stop E, all
arranged and operated substantially as described.
2. In a lasso, the combination with a loop-forming rope A of the noose forming
swivel D, provided with the tongue d³, all arranged for the purpose substantially as
described.
3. In a lasso the combination with a flexible gathering rope B of a stiffened
loop-forming rope A, and a stop E, all arranged and operating, substantially as
described.
4. In a lasso the combination with a flexible gathering rope B of a stiffened
loop-forming rope A, arranged and operated, substantially as described.
5. In a lasso, the combination with a flexible gathering rope B of a stiffened
loop-forming rope A, and the noose-forming swivel D, arranged and operated,
substantially as described.
6. In a lasso the combination with a flexible gathering rope B, of the loop-
forming rope A, and the connecting swivel C, arranged for the purpose substantially
(as described.
Tind the T1002
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.