Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1887
Specification Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887
I CHARLES HENRY ADAMS of 52 Broadway New York in the County and State
of New York, United States of America, Banker, 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 an improved blindfolding attachment for bridles, and has
for its object to provide a device, readily applicable to any bridle, and which may be
operated from the vehicle drawn by the horse, or from the saddle as the case may be,
whereby the horse's vision may be quickly obstructed when required and whereby the
obstruction may be as quickly removed.
The invention consists in providing the blind or blinkers of a bridle with pulleys,
and straps or cording attached to said blinkers passing through said pulleys, the said
straps or cords being united over the horse's neck and operated with the reins.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifi-
cation, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the
figures.
Figure 1 illustrates the application of the device to a bridle in position upon a
horse's head; and figure 2 is a front elevation of the device, illustrating in positive
lines, an open position of the blinkers, and in dotted lines the blinkers as closed.
In carrying out the object of the invention, which is primarily to stop a runaway
horse or team by depriving them of sight, small pulleys A, are attached to the inner
front edge of the blinkers a, at or near the top, which pulleys may be secured in any
approved or suitable manner.
In substantial alignment with the pulleys A, at or near the lower inner side of each
blinker a cording B. B', of leather or equivalent material, is securely attached by
rivets, sewing, or similar ineans, each of which cords is passed up over the pulley of
the respective blinkers to which it is secured, and the said cording, crossing centrally
between the blinker is then passed over the pulleys of the opposing blinkers and up
through loops upon the head strap D, between or at each side of the ears, back over
the neck, as shown in figure 1, where the two cords are merged in one.
The single cord or strap C of the attachment, when used upon a saddle horse, is
taken in the hand with the bridle-rein, and if the said horse is harnessed to a vehicle,
the single strap or cord is led back to the driver and held with the reins.

page_text: In operation, to stop or blind the animal, the line C is drawn, whereupon the
cords B. B' drawing towards the centre, bring the inner edges of the blinkers near
together, as shown in dotted lines figure 2; which also close down upon the animal's
head temporarily blinding him; as soon as the cords are slackened, the blinkers or
winkers return automatically to their normal position.
If found desirable, but one line may be employed, attached to but one blinker, the
said cord however being passed through both pulley blocks; but the construction
shown is preferred.
The loops upon the head strap D, may be omitted, without departing from the spirit
of the invention, and the cords B. B₁, be conducted either above or beneath the bridle
straps to the rear, either between or upon either side of the ears, as found most
convenient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The combination, with the blinkers or blinds of a bridle, of straps or cords
attached thereto, adapted to close said blinkers over the eyes, as set forth.
2. The combination, with the blinkers or blinds of a bridle, of straps or cords
attached to each blinker and engaging the opposite blinker, as set forth.
3. The combination, with the blinkers or blinds of a bridle, of pulleys attached
thereto, and cording also secured to the blinkers, adapted to pass over said pulleys
and over the horses neck, substantially as shown and described, and for operation as
herein set forth.
4. The combination, with the blinkers or blinds of a bridle, of pulleys attached to
their upper inner ends, and cording secured below said pulleys, adapted to pass
over the same the said cords crossing between the blinkers and over the neck of the
horse, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose herein set forth.
5. The combination, with the blinds or blinkers a, having pulleys A attached to
their upper inner sides, of cords B B', secured to the blinkers below the pulleys, she
said cords passing over the pulley immediately above it, and crossing one another,
between the blinkers over the opposing pulleys to the rear, terminating in a single
cord C, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 16th day of August 1887.