CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF COLLARS FOR HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
MUSSELWHITE, of Devizes, in the County of Wilts, Saddler, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixteenth day of July, 1825, in the sixth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Musselwhite, His especial licence, that I, the said Thomas Mussel-
white, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Musselwhite, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF COLLARS
FOR HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas Musselwhite, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Musselwhite, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say) :-
My improvements in the manufacture or construction of collars for horses
are designed to prevent the collar from rocking or spreading, which in ordi-
nary collars takes place after having been sometime in use, and by getting out
of a proper shape gall the shoulders of the horse by shifting from the points
of bearing.
The novel features of my improved collar are,-
First, its softness at the bearing points.
Secondly, its general stability of structure, which arises from the manner of
packing it, to be hereafter explained, and from the introduction of an iron
framing; and,
Thirdly, the introduction of joints or openings at top by which the collar
may be slipped on to the horse's neck without passing over his head.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed Fig. 1 shews one of the improved collars
complete; Fig. 2, the iron framing detached from the collar; Fig. 3, the out-
side whaling; Fig. 4 a strip of leather in which a cane is sewed for the
purpose of forming the projecting part in front of the collar which confines
the harness hames; Fig. 5 is the packing of one side of the collar having a
piece of cork enclosed; Fig. 6 is the piece of leather for covering the pack-
ing Fig. 7 is also a leather called the barge, for bracing up the outside
lining and Fig. 8 is another piece of leather to be laid upon the iron frame
in the throat part, for the purpose of preventing the iron from hurting the
throat of the horse. Fig. 9 is the piece of cork cut to the suitable form for
one side of the collar which is intended to be enclosed in Fig. 5. The iron
framing shewn at Fig. 2 consists of a strong rib a, a, a, intended to extend
round the collar, having eye pieces at top for straps to pass through, as seen
at Fig. 1. To this is attached, by means of a bent pin b, the iron rod c, c.
There is an enlargement at the bottom part of this rod which the bent bin b
is fastened into by a rivet, and from whence the bent pin passes through a
hole in the bottom part of the rib a, and is there stopped by its shoulder.
The pin is screwed up tight by a nut, and by that means the rib a and the
rod c are held together, as shewn at Fig. 2. The top ends of the rod c are
united by two pieces d, and made fast together by a pin and turn-button, or
this may be done by other means.
Having prepared so much as the iron framing of the collar, I then attach

page_text: to it the cane and its strip of leather, Fig. 4, by placing the cane on the front
side of the rod c, Fig. 2, and having brought the edge of the leather round
the rod, sew it firmly together. I next take the whale leather, Fig. 3, and
the barge leather, Fig. 7, and sew them to the edge of Fig. 4, close under the
iron c.
I then take the padding, Fig. 5, which has been stuffed with soft
material, and having previously inserted the piece of cork, Fig. 9, and attached
the usual lining, sew them to the leather on the outside of the rod, and placing
the leather, Fig. 8, upon the throat part of the iron, brace the whole up together
and finish the collar in the shape shewn at Fig. 1. When the collar is to be
put on to the horse, the straps of the iron a, a, are unbuckled, and the top of
the rod c opened at d, the housing e, which is attached by straps, at the same
time slipping off. The neck of the horse may now be passed through the
opening, and the collar afterwards buckled together, by which contrivance
the inconvenience and injury which sometimes occurs in passing the collar
over the head of the horse is avoided.
As it is a matter of considerable importance, and one of the objects
which I have in view, to make collars which shall exactly fit the neck and
shoulders of any particular horse, I have invented a simple apparatus by
which I am enabled to take the measure of the horse's neck with very great
accuracy, which apparatus is shewn at Fig. 10. This consists of several
curved pieces of iron or brass graduated into inches upon their faces, which
pieces slide through staples, and have finger screws to fix them. In taking
the measure of the horse's neck I slide these pieces until the edges of the
staples standing at corresponding marks, (that is, inches and parts of an inch)
and having screwed them all tight, I observe the dimensions, and make my
collar accordingly.
As there are several parts of my improved collar which are not new in their
construction, I wish to observe, that my claim of Invention consists,―
First, in the iron framing shewn at Fig. 2, which is to give stability to the
collar.
Secondly, in the cane passed round the rod c, for the purpose of holding the
hames; and,
Thirdly, in the introduction of the cork, Fig. 9, into the padding, which is
to afford clasticity when pressed against by the horse's shoulder in the act of
drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Musselwhite, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.
THOMAS (L.S.) MUSSELWHITE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1825, the aforesaid Thomas Musselwhite came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.