US1280910A - Bridle. - Google Patents

Description

.I. M. WALSH.

BRIDLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1915. RENEWED FEB. 19,19u1.

1,280,910. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WALSH, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNQR T0 WALSH HARNESS COMPANY, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF wIscoNsIN.

BBIDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed March 10 1915 Serial NO. 13,307. Renewed February 19, 1918. Serial ;No. 218,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,, JAMES M. WALSH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridles, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

The main Objects of this invention are to facilitate adjustment to horses of different sizes or having heads and necks of different sizes and forms; to reduce the quantity of leather required for a bridle; to eliminate billets or perforated strap ends for buckles, which not only require ,extra leather for adjustment, but also weaken the straps coneral figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view (of a bridle embodying the invention, partsof the front blind or winker and of the front .cheek plate of the bit :being broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section ,Of ;the ,throat latch buckle and part of the gag strap; Fig. 3 is;a frontelevation on; a smaller scale of the adjustable ,throat latch fasteningand associated gag runner; Fig. 4 isan enlarged sectional detail of the adjustable connection between the bit and cheekstrapon one side of the bridle; Fig.5 is a sectional detail view showing one of the metal ,rings or fittings for ,connecting the nose and cheek straps of the bridle; Fig. ,6 is a detail view on ,a larger scale of the lower .end .of one of the chains connecting the .cheek straps with the bit; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line .77, @F'ig. g4, ofone of the cheek plates or pieces of the bit; and RF ig. -8 is a View similar to Fig. 3, of a modified arrangement of the adjustable throat latch fastening and associated parts.

The bridle comprises cheek bands or straps a, formed integrally of leather, with blinds or winkers Z), a crown band or strap 0 inseparably connected at the ends by metal rings or fittings d with the upper ends of the cheek bands or straps and with the front or brow band or strap a, a nose band Or strap f, inseparably connected at the ends by metal rings or fittings 9 with the lower ends of edges of the leather between and parallel with its opposite faces. After the reinforcing wires have been thus inserted in the leather, the blinds are pressed between dies into concavo-convox form as indicated by theshading in ,Fig. 1, the wires being sufficiently annealed to retain the form into which they are bent.

The upper links ofthe chains y are looped around the lower cross bars of the rings 9 and are thus pivotally and inseparably con nected with the lower ends of the cheek straps a. The check plates i are formed on the upper sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and i, with outwardly anddownwardly bent books ,1, with which corresponding links of the chains ,7' on opposite sides of the bridle are engaged, thereby adjustably connecting the bit with the cheek straps and providing for lengthening and shortening the bridle for horses of different sizes or having heads of vdifferent lengths.

The hooks Z are bifurcated, as shown in Fig. l, and dogs m are pivoted therein to retain the links on the hooks in engagement therewith, as shown in Fig. 4. Below the hooks -Z the plates i are formed on the Outer sldes with guideways or keepers n, for confining-the lower ends of the chains 7' and preventing them from rattling and Wearing. These guideways are formed at the sides, as shown in Figs. 4: and 7, with grooves 0, which are open at their lower ends and closed at their upper ends, and the lower links of the chains have their cross bars extended to form lateral projections 19, which enter these 7 grooves from the lower ends and by engagement with the closed upper ends thereof, prevent accidental separation of the bit fromthe chains in case the'chainsare disengaged from the hooks Z. The plates 2' are formed, as shown in Fig. 1, at the sides of the guideways a with a series of openings 9 for adjustable attachment to the bit of the reins r and check 8, which are provided at their ends with hooks t and u.

For the sake of appearance the openings 9 are symmetrically formed on both sides of the guideways n, and the guideways are of reticulated construction corresponding with the links of the chains.

A strap or band '22, designated the gag strap and made in a single piece or in two sections stitched or otherwise fastened to check 8 are guided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. One of the gag runners is formed at its lower end wlth an eye y, and the other with a loop a. The throat latch 2, is provided at one end with a hook 3, for detachable en gagement with the eye '1, and at the other end with a buckle or fastening for adjustably connecting it with the gag strap 4) 0n the opposite side of the bridle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This buckle or fastening preferably consists, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, of a plate 4:, formed on opposite sides with ears 5, between which the gag strap a; is guided, and a loop or ring 6 formed with a cross bar around which the end of the throat latch is looped and fastened, and with a sleeve 7 pivotally mounted on a cross pin between the ears 5. The sleeve 7 is formed on the side toward the plate 4C approximately at right angles to the sides of the ring'o, with two studs 8, adapted to engage with any pair of two series 'of holes in the gag strap 1) when the ring 6 is turned down against or parallel with said strap. The gag strap 4) or the perforated end thereof, is made enough Wider than the throat latch 52, to providethe same cross section exclusive of the buckle holes and give it the same strength as the throat latch. The end of the throat latch to which this adjustable fastening is attachedmay be placed inside of the gag strap 12, as shown in Fig. 3, and as Viewed from the front of the bridle, or the arrangement reversed, as shown in Fig. 8,

and as viewed from the rear of the bridle, the throat latch passing outwardly through the gag runner frame between the pulley w and the cross bar above it towhich the gag strap a) is fastened. T The latter arrangement is preferable, as it facilitates the ad justment of the throat latch when the bridle is on the head of a horse.

To change the adjustment of the throat latch, the ring 6 is turned up and awayfrom the gag strap '0, therebywithdrawingthe and thereby engaging the studs 8 with the opposite pair; of holes. 7

The'shank of the hook 3 is formed, as shown in Fig. l,"with an opening, and the hook is so shaped that inorder to engage it with or remove it from the eye y, thesh ank has to'be'turned up intoa position transverse to the plane of the gag-runner. Accidental disengagement of the hook from the eye is thus prevented without using a spring or other retaining means.

All the metal fittings of the bridle, such as the rings (Z and g, the hooks t and u, the gag runners w, the hook 3 and the ring 6, having bars on which leather straps are looped and fastened as shown in Fig. 5, are formed at the ends of such cross bars with guards t), which lieclose to the opposite edges of the straps, and between said guards with antifriction tongues 10, which lie between the folds of the strap ends. The guards9 prevent the straps from" slipping lengthwise of the bars around which they are looped, and the tongues 10 prevent'the'm from turning thereon. Friction and wear between the leather and metal are thus avoided, and the life of the bridle is materially prolonged.

All billets or loose strap ends and leather or other loops are eliminated in the construction of the bridle, thereby effecting a material saving of leather and improving the appearance of the bridle.

With the exception of one section or end of the gag strap 17, andthe buckle or fastening for adjustably connecting the throat latch therewith, perforation and weakening of the leather for the fastening and adjustment of buckles having tongues, according to the usual practice in making harness, are also avoided, thereby further increasing the strength and durability of the bridle.

The chains j, besides providing 'for'the adjustment of the length of the bridle, afford means for the adjustment of the length ofthe check .9, the hooks a being engaged for this purpose with any of the, links of the chains between the cheek straps a and the hooks Z. The hooks tof the reins may also be connected with any of the links of the chains above the hooks Z, to relieve horses havin sore 0r tender mouths from more or less of the pull on the reins.

Various changes in minor details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from th principle and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a bridle the combination of check straps, chains connected with said straps, and a bit having cheek pieces provided with means for adjustably fastening the bit to said chains and with guideways forming keepers for confining the surplus portions 0 the chains in lace.

2. In a. bridle the combination of check straps provided with metal rings at their lower ends, chains connected at one end with said rings and provided at the other end with links having stop projections, and a bit provided with cheek pieces having on the upper sides hooks with which links of the chains are detachably engaged to vary the length of the bridle and formed with guideways -for the chains below the hooks, the upper ends of the guideways being restricted to engage with the stop projections on the chains and prevent their withdrawal upward from the cheek pieces.

3. In a bridle the combination of check straps, chains connected at their upper ends with the lower ends of said straps and having stop projections at their lower ends, and a bit provided at the ends with cheek pieces having hooks on their upper sides for adjustable connection of the chains with the bit and formed with a series of openings for adjustable attachment of reins and below the hooks with guideways for the chains, the upper ends of the guideways being restricted to prevent the withdrawal of the chains upwardly from the cheek pieces.

4:. In a bridle the combination with the crown strap, of a gag strap attached to the crown strap, gag runners attached to the ends of the gag strap, and provided one with an eye and the other with a loop, and a throat latch provided at one end with a hook, passing loosely through the loop of one gag runner, and adjustably connected at the other end above the gag runner with the gag strap.

5. In a bridle the combination with the crown strap, of a gag strap attached to the crown strap thereof and provided at the ends with gag runners one of which is formed with an eye and the other with a loop, said gag strap being formed adjacent to one end with two roWs of holes, a throat latch passing through said loop and pro vided at on end with a hook for detachable engagement with the eye, and a fastening adjustably connecting the other end of the throat latch with the gag strap and comprising a plate having ears on opposite sides between which the gag strap is guided and a ring having a cross bar around which the end of the throat latch is looped and fastened and another cross member pivoted to said plate between its ears and provided with studs adapted to enter opposite holes in the gag strap when the ring is turned down.

6. In a bridle the combination with the cheek straps, of chains connected at their upper ends with the lower ends of the cheek straps, a bit having cheek pieces formed on the upper sides with outwardly and downwardly bent forked hooks to engage opposite links of the chains and below the hooks with guides for the chains, and dogs pivoted in the forked ends of the hooks and adapted to turn inwardly and downwardly against the cheek pieces for holding the chains on the hooks.

7. In a bridle the combination with the cheek straps, of chains connected at their upper ends with the lower ends of said straps, a bit having cheek pieces provided with outwardly and downwardly projecting hooks for engagement With opposite links of the chains and with keepers below the hooks for confining the surplus portions of the chains in place, and means for locking the chains in engagement with said hooks.

In witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. WALSH.

Witnesses:

J OE Joan, A. H. FLATLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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