AN IMPROVED HALTER BLOCK FOR STABLE PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Holmes, of Pleystowe Capel, in the County of
Surrey, Esquire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED HALTER BLOCK FOR
STABLE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th April 1860, and dated the 31st October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Holmes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1859.
I, JOSEPH HOLMES, of Pleystowe Capel, in the County of Surrey, Esquire,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
HALTER BLOCK FOR STABLE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to detach the block from the halter in a
more speedy manner than heretofore, and is effected as follows:-The block
being made of any suitable material, is divided into two halves, and hinged
together at the back, the front being supplied with a suitable spring catch;
within the two is cut a chaunel to allow of a strap passing through, and in in
the centre of this channel is placed a stud pin on one half the block passing
into a hole for its reception in the other half; said pin takes into holes formed
in the strap, so that should a horse get hung up, the block can be instantly
detached and the strap released, or should a horse's head be required to be
brough down while cleaning, &c., the same can be done by inserting the pin
into one of the holes in the strap nearer the head stall.

page_text: The same kind of block may be applied to chains or ropes, in the former
instance by making indentations within the block to fit the chain, and in the
latter by any suitable spring grip.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Holmes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPHI
HOLMES, of Pleystowe Capel, in the County of Surrey, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Holmes, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Holmes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Holmes, 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 term therein expressed, 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
"AN IMPROVED HALTER BLOCK FOR STABLE PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Holmes, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 late of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Holmes, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this Invention is to detach the block from the halter in a more
speedy manner than heretofore, and is effected as follows:-The block being
made of any suitable material, is (by preference) divided into or formed in two
halves hinged together at the back, the front being supplied with a spring catch
which holds them together and forms a grip, by releasing which, the pin which
retains the halter is withdrawn from the holes or links, as the case may be, and

page_text: it is immediately liberated. Within the block a channel is formed to allow of
the halter passing through it, and a pin is caused to pass through and take into
one of a number of holes formed in the halter, or one of a number of links
(when of chain) by which it is held. Should a horse get hung up, the block
may be instantly detached by the withdrawal of the pin, and the strap or chain
halter released, or should a horse's head be required to be brought down while
cleaning or otherwise, it can be done by inserting the pin.into one of the holes
or links of the halter nearer the head stall.
↑
The same kind of block may be applied to rope halters by simply forming
knots on the rope at convenient intervals, as substitutes for the holes or links
before described, the block being retained between two contiguous knots,
which perform the same office as the pin in the double block.
In order to shew more clearly the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of applying the same, I have appended hereto an illustrative Drawing and
description thereof, in which the same letters of reference apply to similar parts
in each of the several Figures.
Figures 1, 2, 3 are internal, external, and sectional views of a double block
or block in two halves, as applied to a strap halter; Figure 4 is a sectional
view of the same, as applied to a chain balter; Figures 5 and 6 are sectional
and external views of a solid block applied to a strap halter, being also
applicable to a chain halter by a suitable enlargement of the mortice or channel
through it; Figure 7 is a sectional view of a solid block, with the pin and
spring catch arranged in another manner.
Figure 8 is a vertical section of a double block, as applied to a rope halter.
A is the block of wood (usually elm) or metal; B, a hinge uniting the two
halves of the block (when in two pieces); C, (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, a spring
catch formed with a latch head at one end, and secured by a screw at the other
to the block, being sunk in a groove or recess D, so as to be beneath the external
surface of the block; E, a locking plate let into the face of one half of the
double block; F, a recess sunk to receive the latch head of the spring catch G,
and large enough to permit the thumb or finger to press down the catch and
release the block; G, a channel in one half of the block to receive a flat
leather, hemp, or chain halter; H, a pin fitted in the channel G, over which any
one of the holes or links of the halter is passed; I, a hole in the opposite half
of the block, into which the end of the pin H is inserted, pressing against a pad
of elastic material, as india-rubber, &c., for the purpose of tightening the hold
of the spring catch C; K, the halter; L, a metallic lining to the holes in the
strap balter, by which it is rendered more durable.
In Figure 4 the pin is shewn of metal for greater durability, the halter

page_text: being of metal chain; Figures 5 and 6 shew the solid block, with modes of
holding and releasing the retaining pin. C, the substitute for the spring catch
and hinged block shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, M being the spring which
retains the pin H formed on the end of the catch C. This form of block
accomplishes the same object as the divided or double block, in both cases the
pin H passing across the mortice and through the halter. When a rope halter
is used, as Figure 8, the hinged double block is used with the spring catch C
to grip the halter and to release it when desired.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
applying the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details herein described, so long as the essential features of my
Invention are retained; but what I do claim is the method herein-described,
of detaching the block from the halter by means of a moveable pin, whether
such pin be fixed to a part of the block and move with it, or moveable in the
block by forming part of or being moved by a spring catch or lever, to which
it is jointed or otherwise connected.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Holmes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
Witness,
AMH. H. RENTON,
12, Buckingham St.,
Adelphi.
JOSEPH HOLMES. (L.S.)