US552393A - Combined driving and check rein - Google Patents

Description

(NqModeL) R. s. PI OKETT. I COMBINED DRIVING AND CHECK REIN. No. 552,393. Patented Dec. 3l, 1895.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUFUS S. PICKETT, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

I COMBINED DRIVING AND CHECK REIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,393, dated December 31, 1895.

Application filed July 11, 1895. $erial No. 555,628. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUFUS S. PICKETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven, and in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Driving and Check Rein; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a view in side elevation of my invention as applied in working position; Fig. 2, a detail perspective view showing the manner of connecting the check-hook-carryingstrap with the collar.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The object of my invention is to dispense with the usual separate checkrein employed in addition to the driving-reins, to do away with the terrets for guiding and supporting the driving-reins, and to provide a checking device so combined with the driving-reins that the horse can be readily unchecked or the amount of checking can be varied by the driver without the necessity of his leaving his seat; and with these ends in View my invention consists in the combined driving and checking device and in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the parts thereof, as hereinafter specified.

In the drawings, A designates the saddle of a driving-harness, and B designates the collar, both of which parts can be of any of the wellknown forms, as appearing in harness now in use, except that the collaris without the usual terrets for supporting the driving-reins C.

On the saddle A is a check-hook D, andextending forward from this hook is a strap E, preferably padded up even with the saddle, as shown, and having its forward end detachably connected with the collar by any desired means, as by the strap and-buckle connection shown at E in the drawings. On this strap are several check-hooks D D D making, with hook D on the saddle, a series of hooks to allow for variation. in the amount of checking up. Attached at its opposite ends to the opposite straps or sides of the driving reins C is the cross-piece C which can be in the form of a strap; but I prefer to make it of a curved strip of spring metal or other material stiff enough to prevent its bending too sharply or shutting up when it is placed in engagement with one of the check-hooks in checking up the horse. Where the crosspiece is of metal, it is preferably covered with leather. In form it is curved as shown in the drawings. Being made stiff enough to maintain substantially such shape and to prevent any sharp bending at the point where it engages a check-hook it obviously will not interfere with the use of the reins for guiding the horse, since it will, as one side or strap of such reins is pulled on, slide easily across the rear side of the hook. Resting, as shown, on the check-hook-carrying part this cross piece C will obviously serve Well tosupport the driving-reins, so that the usual terrets on the saddle can be dispensed with.

With the construction above described and shown in the drawings the driver can, by simply pulling upon and raising the drivingreins, disengage the cross-piece C from any check -hook to entirely uncheck the horse and leave him free to lower his head to drink; or, where it is desired merely to vary the amount of checking, he can, after the crosspiece has been disengaged from one hook, lower it so as to cause it to engage any other one of the hooks. gaging any one of the check-hooks the driving-reins are made to serve also the function of a checkrein.

The operation and manner of using my combined driving and checking device, which will be readily understood from the foregoing description, are briefly as follows: With the cross-piece C in engagement with one of the check-hooks the checking will be maintained as one side or the other of the drivingreins is pulled to guide the horse, for the crosspiece will remain in engagement with the hook, merely sliding to one side or the other. When the amount of checking up is to be varied, the driver, without leaving his seat, draws upon both sides of the driving-reins and then lifts them to raise the cross-piece above the check-hook engaged by it. He can then by drawing the reins farther back or loosening them bring the cross-piece to one of the other check-hooks so that upon depressing the reins the cross-piece will drop \Vith this cross-piece enbehind the desired hook. In the manner indicated the driver can instantly vary the amount of checking up to ease the horse while going up hill and check him up shorter again when the rise in the road is passed, or he can raise the cross-piece so as to clear all the hooks to leave the horse entirely free to lower his head for drinking.

I desire it to be understood that in using the term check-hook I do not intend to limit myself to a check-device-engaging projection which is actually hooked, but that the term is employed merely as a generic one, covering any projection adapted to engage and hold the device for checking up the horse.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a driving harness, in combination with a check hook and asupport for the same, the driving reins, free to be moved with refcrence to the check hook, and a cross piece to engage the check hook attached to the opposite sides of the driving reins, and of such length as to be capable of being raised out of engagement with the check hook by movement of the reins, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a driving harness, in combination with a chcckhook, and a support for the same, the driving reins free to be raised and lowered with reference to the check hook, and a curved cross-piece attached to the reins, and adapted to engage the check-hook, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. In a drivingharness, in combination with a check-hook and a support for the same, the driving reins, and a cross-piece of spring material attached to the reins, and adapted to engage the hook, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a drivin gharness, in combination with a support on the harness, the driving reins, and a cross piece attached to the opposite sides of the driving reins and engaging the support on the harness, so as to keep the drivin g reins raised in the position which they are to have,when in use for driving the horse, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a driving harness in combination with a support carrying a series of check hooks, a cross piece to engage any one of such hooks, and a driving rein having the two sides conneeted by a cross piece and free to be moved with reference to the support carrying the check hooks, so as to disengage the cross piece from such hooks, substantially as and fol-the purpose specified.

(3. In a driving harness, in combination with the saddle and collar, a piece connected with. both, and provided with one or more checkhooks, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

'7. In a driving harness, in combination with the saddle and collar, a piece attached to one, and d etachabl y connected with the other, p rovided with one or more check-hooks, substantiall y as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a driving harness, in combination with the driving reins, and the cross-piece attached thereto, the saddle, the collar, a piece extending from saddle to collar, and a series of devices one forward of the other, arranged so that the cross-piece can be engaged with any one of them, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 92d day of June, 1805.

RUFUS S. PICKET'J.

*itnesses:

JAMES BISHOP, CHARLES MILLER.

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