AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR TRAINING AND TESTING COURSING DOGS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Everatt Hind of. Goole in the County of York.
for an Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR TRAINING AND
TESTING COURSING DOGS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Everatt Hind at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th September 1883.
WILLIAM EVERATT HIND of Goole in the County of York "AN IMPROVEMENT'
IN APPARATUS FOR TRAINING AND TESTING COURSING DOGS"
For the purpose of training and testing coursing dogs it has been proposed to
have a model in the form of a hare, rabbit or other animal moved rapidly over
the ground by means of a rope or band travelling along a sunken tube or trough.
When such apparatus is employed, the dogs at the end of the course. find that the
animal pursued by them is not real, and consequently, the system often fails to
áctuate them after a first trial. In order to avoid this difficulty, I according to my.
invention, provide, at the end of the course, apparatus so arranged that the model
disappears and that a real animal, which may be a dead one, is projected forwards
so that the dogs when they seize it are satisfied. This may be effected in various.
ways. According to one arrangement, the model passes into a trough-or tube
inclined downwards so as to disappear, and by its entrance into this trough or tube
it acts on a trigger which releases a spring that projects the real animal from a
case containing it, and closes the aperture of the trough or tube.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Everatt Hind in the Patent Office on the 4th March 1884.
WILLIAM EVERATT HIND of Goole in the county of York "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN APPARATUS FOR TRAINING AND TESTING COURSING DOGS"
For the purpose of training and testing coursing dogs, it has been proposed to
have a model in the form of a hare, rabbit or other animal moved rapidly over the
ground by means of a band or rope travelling along a sunken tube or trough.
When such apparatus is employed, the dogs at the end of the course find that
the animal pursued by them is not real, and consequently the system often fails to
actuate them after a first trial. In order to avoid this difficulty, I, according to
my invention, provide, at the end of the course, apparatus so arranged that the
model disappears and that a real animal, which may be a dead one, is projected
forwards, so that the dogs, when they seize it, are satisfied.
The accompanying drawings shew apparatus which I employ for this purpose.
Fig 3 is a sectional plan fig 2 is a longitudinal section and fig. 1 is a transverse
section. The model animal M, which is, in this case supposed to be moved rapidly
along the ground by traction of a cord running along a slotted tube C, when it is
reaching the end of its course, passes under one leaf B of an angle door or valvo,
and striking against the other leaf R moves the two leaves into the position
indicated by the dotted lines B' R', the leaf B' closing the inlet with a slope 80
that the dogs pursuing the model meet with no abrupt stop. Within the structure,
mostly underground, at the end of the course, a real animal L which may be dead,
is placed in a tube against a spring K, which, by means of a guided rod H and a
chain or cord attached thereto, liad been previously drawn up by a winch W. The
winch cord or chain being detached, the spring K is held in compression by the
edge of a lever D entering a notch. in the head G of the rod H. The lever D is
pivotted at E and its end bears against the leaf R, so that when this leaf is pushed
inwards by the model animal M, the lever D is raised out of the notch of G, thus
releasing the spring rod H. The spring K being thus released, suddenly expands,
propelling the animal Lout of the tube, and the dogs that had pursued the model
animal, can turn aside to devour the real animal. Fig. 4 is a part longitudinal
section and fig. 5 a part sectional plan shewing a modified construction of the
mechanism for releasing the spring rod. In this case, the head of the spring rod
which is fitted to slide along two guide rods S S, is held by one arm of a bell crank
lever F, the other arm of which is held down by one arm P of another boll crank N.
The latter lever is pivotted at O and has its second arm extending across the path
of the model M. When the model M pushes the lever N to the position indicated
by the dotted lines in fig 5, the arm P being moved off from above the arm of F,
leaves that lever froe, and it allows the spring rod H to escape.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claims in respect of apparatus for training and testing coursing
dogs by causing a model of an animal to move rapidly along the ground for their
pursuit
Arranging at the end of the course of the model animal, mechanism whereby the
model is made to disappear and a real animal is propelled into viow of the dogs,
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
In Witness whereof. I tho said William. Everatt Hind have hereunto set my
hand and seal this third day of March in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight
hundred and eighty-four.