In- FROVEMENTS IN HARNESS FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS, AND IN THE M
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Williams Rice, of Boston, in the County of
Lincoln, Miller and Corn Merchant, for the Invention of "In-
FROVEMENTS IN HARNESS FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS, AND IN THE
M
Sealed the 23rd November 1853, and dated the 30th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Williams Rice
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th June 1858.
I, WILLIAMS RICE, of Boston, in the County of Lincoln, Miller
and Corn Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARNESS FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS, AND IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SPRINGS FOR THE SAME," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist, firstly, in the application or addition of
springs to certain parts of harness, to the traces, either at the one end
next the hame or at the other end next the splinter bar, or other part
of a carriage to which traces are usually attached or made fast, to
the back or bearing chain or strap, and to kicking straps, by means

page_text: in each case of suitable hooks, eyes, buckles, or other convenient
fastenings.
And, secondly, of improvements in the manufacture of springs for
harness, by constructing the same of a compound or sliding metal
framing, cased or otherwise, and of one or more blocks or pieces of
vulcanized india-rubber, or of steel in a helical or other form, and of
suitable hooks, eyes, or other fastenings for securing or using the same,
and so arranged, disposed, and combined together that on the force of
a horse or other animal being applied the india-rubber or the steel will
be compressed, and on such force ceasing will return to the original
form or shape.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.
filed by the said Williams Rico in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 27th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1.
WILLIAMS RICE, of Boston, in the County of Lincoln, Miller and
Corn Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, hearing date the Thirtieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors.
give and grant unto me, the said Williams Ricc. Her special licence
that, the said Williams Rice. my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Williams Rice, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the termi
therein expressel, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HARNESS FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SPRINGS FOR THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Williams Rice, by an instrument in writing under my hand and

page_text: seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Williams Rice, do hereby de-
clare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
My improvements consist, firstly, in the application or addition of
springs to certain parts of harness, to the traces, either, at the one end
next the hame or at the other end next the splinter bar, or other part
of a carriage to which traces are usually attached, or made fast, to the
back or bearing chain or strap, so as to be interposed on either side of
and between the saddle and the shafts of a carriage, so as to support the
latter, and to kicking straps, so as to be interposed between the strap
and the shafts, or other parts of a carriage to which kicking straps are
usually secured, by means in each case of suitable hooks, eyes, buckles,
or other convenient fastenings.
And, secondly, of improvements in the manufacture of springs for
harness, by constructing the same of a compound or sliding metal
framing, cased or otherwise, and of one or more blocks or pieces of
vulcanized india-rubber, or of steel in a helical or other form, and
of suitable hooks, eyes, or other fastenings for securing or using the
same, and so arranged, disposed, and combined together that on the
force of a horse or other animal being applied the india-rubber or the
steel will be compressed, and on such force ceasing will return to the
original form or shape.
And now having set forth the nature of my said Invention, I will
proceed to describe the manner in which the same is to be and, I believe,
may be best performed.
The accompanying Drawing is illustrative rather of the second than
the first of my improvements, but it is to be understood that it repre-
sents the description or descriptions of springs which are intended to
be used under the first improvement. Either of the springs repre-

page_text: sented may be used, or, when preferred, any other suitable spring may
be applied in the manner and to any of the parts of the harness men-
tioned under the said improvement. And the mole in which I apply
such springs is by hooking them to the traces or other straps or chains,
or fastening them permanently by sewing them with wire or thread, or
by rivetting or securing in any other convenient manner.
Figures 1, and 2, are corresponding edge and side views of one of
my improved springs, in which vulcanized india-rubber is the elastic
material employed. Figures 3, and 4, are transverse sections taken at
the dotted lines marked Z, and Y, respectively drawn across both the
former Figures. The framing of the spring is of wrought iron, or of
other suitable metal, and consists of two principal portions, the loop or
bent part a, together with the check or plate b, (which is welded or
otherwise suitably connected to it) constituting one portion, and the
rod c, and together with the check or plate d. constituting the other or
remaining portion. e, e, e, are the blocks or pieces of vulcanized india-
rubber, which I prefer to make of an annular form, as shewn. The
rod c, is passed through a hole in the plate b, also through the rings,
and, lastly, through the plate d, where it is secured by a nut f, or it
may be tapped into the plate d, and the nut dispensed with, upon its
inner end, which has a screw cut upon it to receive the nut. The
plate d, is notched or partly cut away, so as to fit partly round or
against the sides of the loop a, in order to assist in keeping the several
parts in their proper positions. The outer end of the rod c, is repre-
scuted as terminating in a hook e", but any other convenient mode of
attachment to harness may be substituted. g, is a hook attachel to
the loop a, but this may be altered in any suitable manner, or may be
entirely dispensed with, if preferred; or the part a, if preferred, may be
made in a different form, so that it be adapted suitably for connexion
with harness.
Figure 5, is a side view of another of my improved springs. in
which the framing is the same as before, but a helical coil of steel wire
is substituted for the india-rubber rings. Figure 6, is an end or plan
view of the coil, which in both Figures is marked m, and drawn
as if made of round wire; but square or flat wire may be used, and

page_text: the coil may be in either case in a spiral instead of a helical form, if
preferred.
Figure 7, is a side view of another of my improved springs, in
which the framing is the same as before, but the actual spring is of
the description commonly or frequently known as a volute spring, being
composed of a strip of steel coiled in a spiral form in the manner
represented at n, in the Figure. Figure 8, is an end or plan view of
this spring.
In the Figures 5, and 7, the parts marked, are projections upon
the checks or plates of the framing for maintaining the coils in proper
position.
The action of all the foregoing springs is that of extending or
returning the several parts to their original position, when the compres-
sion caused by the use of the springs is removed.
In witness whereof, T, the said Williams Rice, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
WILLIAMS RICE. (L.S.)