US710156A - Bridle and bit. - Google Patents

Description

Nu. 7|o,|56. Patented sept. 3o, |902.

\ B. w. Kmm, 1n.

BRIDLE AND BIT..

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1902.)

(No Model.)

WW1/mo@ 35% UNrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Y BENJAMIN W. KINDIG, JR., OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRIDLE AND BIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,156, dated September 30, 1902. Application tiled January 21, 1902. Serial No. 90,682. (No model-l To 1r/ZZ whom, it 11i/wy con/067%.

BeitknoWnthatLBENJAMINW.KIND1G,Jr., a citizen ofthe United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Bridle and Bit, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel bridle and bit for horses, but is concerned more particularly with the production of the improved bit, the novel features of the bridle being such only as are necessary to the attachment of the bit to the bridle and its manipulation b y means of the reins or lines.

The difficulty of managing what is known as a pulling horse,or one which takes the bit in its teeth, is Well understood by all horsemen, and many attempts have been made to provide a bit which cannot be held between the teeth of the horse when considerable pull is exerted upon the lines by the driver. As a result of these efforts a great many severe curb-bits have been placed upon the market; but those with which I am familiar are objectionable, for the reason that while they insure the control of the animal their use upon a spirited horse invariably results in injury to his mouth.

The object of my invention is to provide a bit which, while being exceedingly severe, in that it brings the horse surely under the control of the driver, will nevertheless be incapable of injuring the horses mouth.

To the accomplishment of this object and others subordinate thereto, all as will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention in its preferred embodiment comprehends that construction and arrangement of parts to be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In said drawing I have illustrated the, bit and bridle in perspective as applied to the head of a horse, the horses head being indicated in dotted lines. I

The bridle may be of any construction except in those particulars which will be noted; but itpreferably consists, as usual, of the' cheek-straps 1 and 2 and the head-band 3, secured to the rosettes 4, to which are also secured the crown-piece 5 and the throat-latch 6. To the front ends of the face-pieces 7 and 8 of the overdraw 9 is secured an overdraW-bit 10, having its ends turnedv up and provided with eyes 11 to facilitate the attachment of the face-pieces.

The nose band or strap 12 instead of having its ends attached to the ends of the bit in the ordinary manner is buckled to a pair of guide-rings 13 and 14, disposed upon the overdraW-bit and located just outside of the corners of the horses mout-h. These guide-rings 13 and 14 are designed to receive and guide the ends of a iiexible loop-bit 15, preferably in the form of a leather strap, looped around the lower jaw of the'horse and crossed in the mouth over the tongue. The ends of the bit 15 are provided with bit-rings 16, to which the reins or lines 17 are buckled, as shown.

An essential feature of the invention in one aspect thereof is the flexible loop-bit encircling the lower jaw of the horse and crossed in his mouth, and it is for this reason that I have stated any preferred form of bridle to be applicable for use in connection with my invention. I find it to be desirable, however, to employ the guide-rings 13 and 14supported upon vthe overdraW-bit, as described, and the construction is also improved by the provision of means for supporting the outer ends of the bit 15 in their proper positions. In the present embodiment of the invention this supporting means comprises the cheekstraps 1 and 2, which are preferably brought down at the inside of the ends of the bit 15 and are looped around said ends, as shown at 18, and buckled at 19, the bit ends being provided with keeper-loops 2O adjacent to the guide-rings 13 and 14 in the normal positions of the parts to maintain the proper relative positions of the cheek-straps and bit.

It will now be seen that under oldinary conditions the loop-bit will not be severely constricted around the horses jaw; but as the ends of the bit pass through the guide-rings supported upon the overdraw-bit a slight pull upon either line or rein will cause one end or the other of the overdraw-bit to be drawn back slightly for the purpose of properly guiding the animal. Under conditions demanding,r greater severity, however, exaggerated pnll upon the lines will draw the ends of the bit through the guide-ring, constricting the loop-bit around the jaw with such IOO force as may be necessary to insure the control of the horse. The presence of the overdraw-bit between the teeth will prevent the animal from gripping the loop-strap between his jaws or from chewing `the strap.

From the foregoing it will appear that I have produced a practical andefiicient bridle and bit by means of which the control of the animal may be accomplished by only such se- Verity as is necessary and which will under all circumstances preclude the possibility of injury to the mouth; but While the present embodiment of the invention appears at this time to be preferable I do not limit myself to the details of construction illustrated and described,as, on the contrary, I reserve the right to eifect such changes, modifications, and variations thereof as may be suggested by experience and experiment and embraced Within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim isl. The combination with an overdraw-bit provided with guides, of a exible loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of a horse and having its ends passed through said guides.

2. The combination with an overdraw-bit provided with guides, ot a flexible loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of a horse and having its ends passed through said guides, and means forsupport-ing the ends of the bit beyond the guides.

3. The combination with an overdraw-bit provided with guides, of a loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of ahorse and having its ends passed through the guides, and cheek-straps secured to the ends of the loopbit beyond the guides to support said ends.

4. The combination with a bridle including cheek-straps, an overdraw and a nose-strap, of an overdraw-bitconnected to the overdraw, guide-rings encircling the overdraw-bit and connected to the ends of the nose-strap, a flexible loop-bit designed to encircle the lower jaw of a horse and having its ends passed through the guiderings and connected to the lower ends of the cheek-straps, and means for attaching the lines to the ends of the loop-bit.

5. A flexible loop-bit designed to be looped around the lowerjaw of an animaland crossed in the mouth, and provided at its opposite ends with means for the direct attachment of the lines.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMIN W. KINDIG, JR.

Witnesses:

WADswoRTH M. GEORGE, JOHN C. DEETER.

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