US3776197A

US3776197A - Tongue strap

Info

Publication number: US3776197A
Application number: US00325947A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Hughes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-01-22
Filing date: 1973-01-22
Publication date: 1973-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-04

Abstract

A tongue strap for animals comprising a long, narrow flexible band, preferably of rubberoid material, formed with a first transverse slot near one end, a second transverse slot farther from that end and a third transverse slot still farther from that end, the other end of the band being threaded through the first slot from the inside to the outside to form a first adjustable loop to enwrap the animal''s tongue, and the one end of the band being threaded through the third slot from the outside to the inside and then through the second slot from the inside to the outside and then being brought into and secured in mating relation to the other end of the band to form a second adjustable loop to enwrap the lower jaw of the animal.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Hughes TONGUE STRAP [76] Inventor: Richard E. Hughes, Frederick St.,

Jeffersonville, lnd. 47130 [22] Filed: Jan. 22, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 325,947

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 594,201 1 1/1897 Frothingham 2/338 X Primary ExaminerLouis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. N. Eskovitz Attorney-Harold B. l-lood 5/1965 Shin'od 119/96 X Dec. 4, 1973 v [5 1 ABSTRACT A tongue strap for animals comprising a long, narrow flexible band, preferably of rubberoid material, formed with a first transverse slot near one end, a second transverse slot farther from that end and a third transverse slot still farther from that end, the other end of the band being threaded through the first slot from the inside to the outside to form a first adjustable.

loop to enwrap the animals tongue, and the one end of the band being threaded through the third slot from the outside to the inside and then through the second slot from the inside to the outside and then being brought into and secured in mating relation to the other end of the band to form a second adjustable loop to enwrap the lower jaw of the animal.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures TONGUE STRAP The present invention relates to a tongue strap for animals, and primarily for untrained horses. A young and untrained horse will frequently fight, and seek to eject, the bit which is placed in his mouth and to which the bridle is attached. Sometimes he actually succeeds in ejecting the bit; but even more often his struggles will result in injury to his own tongue. In training horses, then, it is desirable so to restrain the animals tongue that he cannot use it to push against the bit; and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a strap constructed, arranged and designed to accomplish that function.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan of a flexible band constituting the major element of my invention and embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the tongue strap in the condition in which it is offered for sale to users;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the strap as threaded and secured for use;

FIG. 4 is a reduced, somewhat diagrammatic section through the tongue and lower jaw of a horse and showing the tongue strap in use position; and

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the head of a horse wearing the tongue strap of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral indicates generally the body of a tongue strap constructed in accordance with the invention. Said body comprises a long, narrow, flexible band 11 tapered at one end 12 and provided at its other end 13 with a tab 29 adapted to be folded back upon the body of the band to mount a buckle 14 or other equivalent fastening means. In the illustrated embodiment, the end 12 of the band is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes 15 for selective cooperation with the tang of the buckle l4.

Near said one end 12, the band 11 is formed with a first transverse slot 16 through which, as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, the end 13 of the band is adapted to be threaded from the inside to the outside to form a first loop 23. For obvious reasons, this threading is performed before the buckle 14 is mounted on the band end 13 and the tab 29 is folded back and secured in place, after a retaining ring 30 is sleeved on the band end.

Farther from the end 12, the band is formed with a second transverse slot 17 and, still farther from said end, the band is formed with a third transverse slot 18.

Since the length of the slot 16 must be somewhat greater than the width of the section of the band, and the length of the

slots

17 and 18 must be somewhat greater than the width of the body section 19, the band body is widened, as shown, in the region of each of said slots.

' In use, the pre-formed loop 23 is slipped over the end of the horses tongue and moved back to a point near the proximal end of the horses mouth. Either before or after so positioning the loop, the section 19 of the band will be threaded inwardly through the slot 18 and then outwardly through the slot 17. Now, the band section 20 will be pulled through the slot 16 to tighten the loop 23 comfortably about the horses tongue 25 and the

band sections

19 and 20 will be swung downwardly on either side of the horses lower jaw 26 until their ends are brought together, the end 12 will be threaded through the buckle and the

sections

19 and 20 will be drawn up into relatively tight embracing relation with the jaw.

Thus, the horses tongue 25 will be closely tethered against movement away from the bottom of his mouth and against withdrawal of its distal tip to a point behind a bit (not shown) whereby the horse might struggle to dislodge the bit.

It will be seen that, because the section 20 of the band is slidably received in the slot 16, the size of the loop 23 is adjustable. Likewise, the size of the loop 24 is adjustable through the medium of the buckle 14 with its tang selectively enterable in the plural holes 15. Any other suitable adjustable fastening means may, of course, be provided to secure together the

ends

12 and 13 of the band. It will be seen that the intermediate band section 22 will underlie the horses tongue.

Any suitable material may be used for the band, but I presently prefer a synthetic rubber.

In one physical embodiment of my invention which has been successfully used, the band body is approximately one-sixteenth inch thick and five-eighths inch wide except in the regions of the slots where the width is 1% inch. Each slot is one-eighth inch in width and three-fourths inch in length. The section 19 from its tapered tip to the center line of the slot 16 is 6% inches long, the section 21 from the center line of the slot 16 to the center line of the slot 17 is 4% inches long, the section 22 between the center lines of the

slots

17 and 18 is 1% inches long and the section 20 from the center line of the slot 18 to the fold retaining the buckle 14 is 9% inches long. I have found that these dimensions are such that a device so constructed may be efiectively used on almost any size horse.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tongue strap for animals comprising a long, narrow, flexible band, said band being formed with only a first, a second and a third transverse slot, each slot being proportioned and designed to receive and pass a portion of the length of said band, said first slot being disposed nearer to one end than to the other end of said band and said other end of said band passing through said first slot from the inside to the outside of said band to form a first loop, said one end of said band then passing from the outside to the inside of said band and into said loop through said third slot and from the inside to the outside of said band through said second slot, and cooperative fastening means to join said ends to form a second loop.

2. The tongue strap of claim 1 in which said first loop is proportioned and designed to surround the animals tongue, the band portions disposed between said second and third slots are proportioned and designed to underlie the tongue, and said second loop surrounds the animals lower jaw.

3. The tongue strap of claim 2 in which said fastening means is adjustable whereby the sizes of said loops respectively may be adjusted.

4. The tongue strap of claim 1 wherein the portions of said band extending from said third slot to said one end and from said first slot to said other end are narrower than the portions of the band wherein said slots are formed.

Claims

2. The tongue strap of claim 1 in which said first loop is proportioned and designed to surround the animal''s tongue, the band portions disposed between said second and third slots are proportioned and designed to underlie the tongue, and said second loop surrounds the animal''s lower jaw.