US3478493A - Adjustable curb bit - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 18, 1969 c. L. WELTON 3,478,493

ADJUSTABLE CURB BIT Filed March 15. 1967 INVENTOR. Fig.4 Chofles L. Welron A'ITORNEYS United States Patent 3,478,493 ADJUSTABLE CURB BIT Charles L. Welton, Weltons Western Wear, Saratoga, Wyo. 83231 Filed Mar. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 623,257 Int. Cl. B68b 1/06, 1/08 US. Cl. 54-7 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to bridle bits, and more particularly, to curb bits, a primary object of the invention being to provide adjustable rein levers on a curb bit.

Another object of the invention is to provide anovel and improved curb bit with adjustable rein levers which permits the same bit action in controlling a horse to be obtained by lightweight riders who exert a light pull on the reins as by heavy riders who naturally exert a comparatively heavier pull on the reins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a curb bit having adjustable rein levers which may be used with equal facility and effectiveness by either a small person with limited strength, such as a child, and by a larger, comparatively stronger person.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved curb bit which is built and arranged for easy attachment to standard bridles adapted to receive a conventional curb bit, and requires no additional special equipment for adjusting or using it.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved curb bit having adjustable rein levers which is a simple, neat-appearing, low-cost, rugged and durable unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention comprises certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts and elements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims and illustrated in preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the head portion of a horse wearing a bridle harness including the improved curb bit constructed according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric, elevational view of the curb bit per se.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bit, but on an enlarged, scale compared with FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional portion as taken from the indicated line 44 at FIG. 2, but on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary portion, partly in section, as taken from the indicated arrow 5 at FIG. 3, but on an enlarged scale.

FIG. -6 is a transverse sectional view as taken from the indicated line 6-6 at FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view as taken from the indicated line 7-7 at FIG. 5.

A bridle with a curb bit is desirable for horses which are somewhat hard to control since a pull of the reins will rotate the bit about its port, the bar extending across the horses mouth, to press the port against the animals jaw and tongue as the chin strap of the bridle is pulled tight. To prevent cutting the animals mouth, the bit port is rounded and smooth with the result that an animal may resist a substantial pressure on the bit without being in- 3,478,493 Patented Nov. 18, 1969 jured. Such pressure is elfected by the pull of the reins attached to lever arms at each side of the bit, and it follows that the amount of pull required to effectively rotate the bit in an animals mouth is directly related to the length of these lever arms.

conventionally, a curb bit is manufactured as a unitary structure with the length of the rein levers being selected for an average type of use as with an average horse. Where it becomes necessary to use longer or shorter rein levers, for example if the horse is difficult to control, or if the rider is a lightweight individual, a special curb bit of suitable proportions will be used. Such special bits, necessarily manufactured as custom items, can become quite expensive.

Accordingly, there exists a need for curb bits having variable length rein levers, and the present invention was conceived and developed with such a need in view. It comprises, in essence, a curb bit having rein levers which are easily adjustable in length.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved curb bit B is adapted to be used with any common type of bridle harness H such as that illustrated at FIG. 1. The bridle H is formed as an assemblage of straps including the upper headstall straps U and a throat latch I which secure the bridle to the head of the horse. The headstall straps and throat latch join at a swivel connector S at each side of the bridle, and a check piece P extends from each swi-vel connector S towards the horses mouth to connect with the bridle ring 10 of the curb bit B. The bridle also includes a noseband N and a chin strap C. Each end of the band N and each end of the strap C connect with the bridle ring 10 of the bit, the noseband extending over the nose of the horse and the chin strap C extending underneath the horses jaw.

The curb bit B is also conventional in its general form. A transverse mouth port 11 forms an axis or fulcrum of the bit. A side arm 12 is afiixed to each side of this port 11, and the arms 12 are adapted to be pulled and rotated to rotate the port 11. The straight arm 12 shown in the drawing is one style of bit. Another style of bit provides for a curved portion of the arm adjacent to the port; however, the present invention can be effectively used with either style, or even other styles of bits not shown herein. The center portion of the port is ordinarily olfset as at 13 to relieve the horses tongue when it is rotated and pressed against the animals jaw. Each arm 12 is formed with an enlarged head 14 at its connection with the port 11 to facilitate construction of the bit and to prevent the bit from moving sidewise in the horses mouth. One mode of construction is with the rod forming the port extending through a hole in each head 14 and then being riveted or welded into position.

Each side arm 12 includes a short portion, a bridle lever 15 which carries the bridle ring 10. This lever 15 is so positioned as to normally lie in approximate alignment with the horses lips when the chin strap is relaxed.

Rotation of this bridle lever 15 will move the ring 10 upwardly to pull against the chin strap and to reactively press the port against the horsess jaw. Each side arm 12 also extends oppositely from the lever 15 to form a rein lever 16. The rein lever is angled slightly from the axis of the headstall lever, preferably to hang in a depending position when the bridle lever 15 is in its relaxed position, aligned with a horses lips, and when the horses head is elevated to normal position. Each rein lever 16 carries an eye 17 at its bottom end whereto the reins R are attached so that a pull of the reins may rotate the levers to pull against the headstall ring and to pull the port against the horses jaw, thus providing an efiective control of the horses movements.

In this improved bit the length of the rein levers 16 is adjustable. Each rein lever 16 is formed as a tube 18 having its base merging into the arm head 14 with its extended end 19 open to slideably receive an extension rod 20. The extension rod, a solid member, snugly fits within the tube with the rein eyes 17 at its outer end. The lengths of the tube 18 and of the extension rod 20 are arranged to provide a rein lever which would be the shortest ordinarily used with a curb bit when the rod is fully retracted, and to provide a rein lever which would be the longest ordinarily used with a curb bit when the rod is fully extended.

The open end 19 of the tube 18 is formed with a coneshaped taper 21 having longitudinal slots 22 to permit this end to be squeezed against the rod in the manner of a collet to lock the rod in the tube at any selected position. This end is also threaded as at 23 to receive a lock nut 24 whose base 25 meshes with the taper 21 to effect a tight squeezing action whenever the. nut is tightened upon the tube. To facilitate gripping and quick tightening and loosening of this nut, its surface is suitably corrugated or knurled.

A simple construction holds each rod in its tube against rotation so that the eye 17 will always be properly aligned with respect to the arm 12. A major reach of the rod is formed wtih a flat surface 26 as by a simple milling operation and an identation 27, formed in the body of the tube adjacent to the lock nut 24, faces and contacts the surface 26. To prevent the rod from falling out of the tube should the lock nut 24 become accidentally loosened, the flat 26 does not extend to the inner end of this rod, but terminates a short distance therefrom to provide an abutment 28 which cannot move past the indentation 27 when the rod is extended. Accordingly, with the indentation adjacent to the end 19 of the tube, whenever the abutment 28 contacts the indentation 27, the rod 20 is at its furthest extended position.

In the manufacture of this improved bit, the port 11 and the upper portions of the arms 12, including the heads 14, bridle levers 15 and bridle rings 10, may be manufactured in any conventional manner. The tubes 18 may be prepared separately and then welded or otherwise attached to the head 14. Another mode of manufacture, as where the arms 12 are drop-forged, is to form and subsequently drill the tube portions 18 of the arms 12. Likewise, the extension rod 20 may be a simple forging with the rein eye 17 formed as a unitary part thereof, or of rod stock with the eye 17 rolled or welded to the end thereof. The rods 20 must be assembled into the tubes 18 prior to the forming of the indentation 27.

Each rod 20 is fitted and rotated to a proper position into the tube 18 before a press or die strikes the tube to form the indentation 27.

I have now described one preferred form of my invention in considerable detail. However, it is obvious that others skilled in the art can devise and build alternate and equivalent constructions which are within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a curb bit of the type having a mouth port adapted to extend transversely across the mouth of a horse and an arm at each side thereof substantially normal to the axis of the mouth port, with one portion of each arm extending generally upwardly from its connection with the mouth port when the bit is worn by a horse to constitute a first lever having an eye for connection with a bridle and with a second, opposing portion of each arm extending generally downwardly from its connection with the port to constitute a rein lever having a rein eye at its end for connection to a rein, wherein said rein lever comprises:

a first member connecting with the mouth port and a second member carrying the rein eye slidably engaged with the first member to extend therefrom, and

a means for interlocking said members at selected positions to provide for the lengthening and shortening of the aforesaid rein lever.

2. In the organization set forth in claim 1, wherein said first member of each rein lever is tubular and where in the second, extended member thereof is a rod telescopically fitting within said first member and said interlocking means to secure the rod at a selected position within the tubular member is mounted at the end of the said tubular member.

3. In the organization set forth in claim 2 including a means at the rod and at the tube adapted to prevent the rod from rotating within the tube.

4. In the organization set forth in claim 2 wherein said interlocking means comprises slits and threads at the end of the tube and a lock nut threaded upon the end of the tube, and being adapted to squeeze the slitted end portions of the tube together as the lock nut is turned into position.

5. In the organization set forth in claim 2 wherein the extension rod is flattened at one side and an indentation is formed in the tubular wall adapted to bear against the flattened side to prevent the extension rod from being rotated.

6. In the organization set forth in claim 5 wherein the means for preventing rotation of the rod within the tube comprises a flattened reach at one side of the rod and an indentation in the tubular wall adapted to bear against the surface of this reach.

7. In the organization set forth in claim 6, including an abutment at the inner end of the rod adapted to contact the indentation when the rod is at its fully extended position, whereby to prevent the rod from falling out of the tube should the holding means become accidentally loosened.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 140,010 6/1873 Carpenter 547 186,371 1/1877 Short 54-7 1,154,704 9/1915 Leyson 28758 X 1,164,801 12/1915 Frazier 28758 X 1,185,388 5/1916 Fairchild 28758 X 1,240,582 9/1917 Kirsch 28758 1,684,830 9/ 1928 Heffelbower 27942 X 1,988,807 1/1935 Pierson 27942 X 3,125,396 3/1964 Bertram 5 X 3,304,692 2/1967 Lovell 547 ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 54-15

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