IMPROVEMENTS IN TERRETS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED TIEREWITHI FOR FACILITATING THE DRIVING OF HORSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TERRETS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED TIEREWITHI
FOR FACILITATING THE DRIVING OF HORSES." A communication from abroad
by Earl Wood Johnson, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th January 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN TERRETS AND APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR FACILITATING THE DRIVING OF HORSES." [A com-
munication from abroad by Earl Wood Johnson, of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide means whereby the driver of a horse
may check or uncheck the animal without leaving his seat in or upon the carriago
or vehicle and also to prevent the horse from throwing his head from side to side.
By the use of my Invention a horse is also prevented from turning within too
small a circle, thus preventing the wheels of the vehicle from being cramped under
the carriage, which frequently occurs when the ordinary appliances for guiding
and turning the horse are used.
The said Invention consists essentially in a rein guiding terret provided below
the rein aperture, with a ball receiving socket in combination with a ball or
protuberance on the guide rein, so located as to enter the socket when it is desired
to check the horse, and to be readily disengaged when it is required to uncheck
him. I prefer to include the socket within the ring which forms the terret proper
placing it therein excentrically, but I do not confine myself to this method.
A portion of the device is made adjustable, so that it may be varied as needed
to adapt it to horses of different sizes or having different habits of carrying their
beads.
Upon each driving rein, at a short distance behind the terret, when the horses

page_text: head is thrown up are fixed bulbs or balls which it is found most convenient to
make in two parts, passing a screw through them and through the rein. When
the rein is round and it is desirable not to make a hole in it the edges of the two
parts are dovetailed to fit into and correspond, each with the other, and one of the
parts of the bulb being properly tapped for the purpose a small set screw is put in 5
which being set up with its blunted point pressing against the rein, keeps the bulb
in place and its parts together the position of the bulb on the rein being determined
as hereinafter explained.
The terrets being in their ordinary position on the saddle and the months of the
ball-sockets being toward the driver, the bulbs are affixed to the driving-reins at 1
such point, as that when the horse attempts to put his head lower than desired, tho
bulb will engage in the socket and the dropping of the head will be checked.
In case the horse attempts to throw his head to either side the bulb on the rein
opposite to the side to which the head is thrown will engage in its socket, and
further turning be prevented.
My Invention will be found also to be very useful with horses who carry their
heads to one side as it will keep them square without any trouble.
To wholly uncheck the horse, the reins must be tightened with the hands held in
such position that the sockets will be below the line drawn from the bit to the
drivers' hands, when the bulbs will rise into the open part of the terret, and the 2
horse will be at liberty to put his head down or turn it from side to side.
In turning, the rein on the side toward which the turn is to be inade should be
drawn, with the bulb on the other rein remaining in the socket, as in this way the
horse will be prevented from making the turn too short. It will be observed that
_ by the use of my Invention the usual check-rein and water-hook may be dispensed 2
with and consequently a considerable-saving-in-cost-is-effected.
In making the terrets with the ball-sockets I sometimes make them of such
shape that they stand perpendicularly and not diagonally.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th July 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TERRETS AND APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR FACILITATING THE DRIVING OF HORSES." A com-
munication from abroad by Earl Wood Johnson, of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide means whereby the driver of a horse
may check or release the animal without leaving his seat in or upon the carriage
or vehicle; and also to prevent the horse from throwing his head from side to
side. By the use of my Invention the horse is also prevented from turning within
too small a space, thus preventing the wheels of the vehicle from being cramped
under the body, which frequently occurs when the ordinary appliances for guiding
and turning the horse are used.
The said Invention consists essentially in a guide rein terret, provided below the
rein aperture, with a ball-receiving socket, in combination with a ball or
protuberance on the guide rein, so located as to enter the socket when it is desired
to check the horse, and to be readily disengaged when it is required to release him.
I prefer to insert the socket within the ring which forms the terret proper, placing
it therein excentrically, but I do not confine myself to this method.
A portion of the device is made adjustable, so that it may be varied as needed to
adapt it to horses of different sizes, or having different habits of carrying their
heads.
In the accompanying Drawing-
Figure 1 is a view of my Invention as seen from the side next the driver.
Figure 2 is an edge view of my Invention.
Figure 3 represents a portion of the guide-rein of a harness with an attached
ball.
Upon each driving reign, at a short distance behind the terret, when the horses
head is thrown up is fixed a bulb or ball B Figure 3 which it is found most
convenient to make in two parts, with a screw through them and through the
rein. When the rein is round, and it is desirable not to make a hole in it, the
edges of the two parts are dovetailed to fit into and correspond, each with the
other, and one of the parts of the bulb being properly tapped for the purpose, a
small set-screw is put in, which, being set up, with its blunted point pressing
against the rein, keeps the bulb in place and its parts together, the position of the
bulb on the rein being determined as horeinafter explained.
The terrets being in their ordinary position on the saddle, and the mouths of the
ball-sockets being toward the driver the bulbs B are fixed to the guiding reins at
such point, as that, when the horse attempts to put his head lower than desired,
the bulbs B, B will engage with the socket A, A, on each side of the saddle and the
dropping of the head will be checked.
In case the horse attempts to throw his head to either side, the hub on the rein
opposite to the side to which the head is thrown, will engage in its socket. And
further turning will thus be prevented.
This Invention will also be found very useful with horses which carry their
heads to one side, as it will keep them in position without any trouble.
To wholly release the horse the reins must be tightened with the hands, and
held in such a position that the sockets A will be below the line drawn from the

page_text: bit to the drivers hands, when the bulbs B, B will rise into the open part C, C of
the terrets, and the horse will be at liberty to put his head down or turn it from
side to side.
In turning the rein on the side toward which the turn is to be made should be
drawn, with the bulb on the other rein remaining in the socket, as in this way the
horse will be prevented from making the turn too short. It will be observed that
by the use of iny Invention, the usual check rein and water hook may be dispensed
with, and consequently a considerable saving in cost is effected.
In making the terrets with the ball sockets, I sometimes make them of such
shape that they stand perpendicularly and not diagonally.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I am aware that bulbs or balls on the reins to assist in grasping them are old,
and independently I do not claim them as my Invention; also that it has been
heretoforo proposed to use a bulb on a check rein, with a socket in the water hook,
and an attached cord running back to the driver to operate the device; I do not
clain such device as it is not adjustable, as mine is, being arbitrarily limited by
being at the end of the check rein, neither does it prevent the horse from throwing
his head from side to side; further it does not dispense with the water-hook and
check rein, and requires a third cord to operate it; but I claim.
In combination, with the driving-rein terrets, provided with the ball sockets,
the driving reins provided with the bulbs or balls, whereby the check-rein and
water-hook may be dispensed with, substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
-In- witness-whereof. I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and anal this Tuzante fifth day of July in the year-of-our-Lord. One