USRE5443E - Improvement in linings for horse-collar caps and harness - Google Patents

Description

D. CURTIS.

Lining for Horse-Collar Caps and Harness.

No, 5,443 Reissuedlunel0,1873.

AMI PHO TO'UTHOGR IFHIC C0. N. X. I OSBORNE? PROCESS,

UNITED STATES DEXTER CURTIS, TEREST OF SUN PRAIRIE, WISGON SIN, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF IN- TO GEORGE H. RICHARDS AND HENRY GILMANJ IMPROVEMENT IN LININGS FOR HORSE-COLLAR CAPS AND HARNESS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 105,917, dated August 2, 1870; reissue No. 5,251, dated January 21, 1873; reissue No. 5,443, dated June 10, 1873; application filed May 21, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DEXTER CURTIS, of Sun Prairie, in the county of Dane and State of 'Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Horse-Collar Gap and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the horsecollar cap; and Fig. 2 is acentral longitudinal sectionof the same.

Similar letters of reference in the accompan'yin g drawing denote the same parts.

The object of this invention is to more effectually prevent the chafing or gallin g of a horse, and to promote the healing of the flesh when thus galled or chafed. To these ends my invention consists, first, in a novel and peculiar construction of a collar-cap, in order, to provide for the circulation of air through the structure of the cap, as hereinafter described; secondly, in the application of a zinc surface for contact with parts of the horse liable to be galled or chafed under the harness, said surface being composed of a smooth, continuous metal sheet or plate, formed to a proper shape; and, thirdly, in the application of such lining to a collar pad or cap in such manner that the lining shall form the under surface of the cap in direct contact with and adapted to the shape of the horse where it is to be applied, and shall be supported and coverd by a metallic plate above it to which it is secured.

Horse-collar caps'have heretofore been constructed of a curved metal top-plate and a leather strip secured to the under side of the same in such a manner as to leave an air-passage between them. When the leather be comes moistened by contact with the neck, it stretches to such an extent, under the weight of the collar, as to close the air-passages and prevent the escape of moisture. The leather, therefore, becoming continually moist, is liable to chafe the neck-rather than prevent such injuries.

By constructing the lower part of a smooth sheet or plate of metal, as I propose, it can zinc, so as to neither yield under the weight of the collar to close the air-passage, nor and abraded to chafe the neck.

In the accompanying drawing, A is a plate, composed of iron, copper, or other suitable metal, bent in the arc of a circle, as shown, and secured firmly at its side edges to a second curved metal plate, B, whichis cut shorter than the'plate A, thus leaving a space, 0, between the two for the circulation of air. The lower plate is extended somewhat beyond the ends and sides of the upper plate, and bent up slightly, so as to rest firmly upon the horses neck without cutting or galling the same.

The cap is applied by being placed upon the neckof a horse, and the two ends of the collar buckled together over the plate A.

For the purpose of securing the collar firmly to the cap, the plate A is provided, upon its upper surface, with a longitudinal strap, D, of

leather or metal, so connected to said plate as to form two or more loops, E, through which the straps upon the ends of the collar are passed.

In carrying into practice the second and third parts of my invention, it is only necessary that the plate or lining which comes in contact with the flesh of the horse be made of zinc, or have its under surface covered with present a zinc surface to the flesh of the horse.

The zinc lining has both a mechanical and chemical effect, and has a tendency to prevent and also cure chafing and galls. The mechanical eii'ect consists in the exclusion of the air and organic germs by the impervious surface, and also in presenting a smooth metallic surface to the flesh of the horse. The chemical, and most important, efiect is caused by the action of the zinc plate upon the acid and saline constituents of the moist animal muscle and fluids, resulting in the production of oxide, carbonate, lactate, and other compounds of zinc. This chemical action is accomplished and very much increased by the local galvanic action occasioned by the contact of the impure commercial zinc with the-moist saline and acidulous flesh. The zinc salts, by their asbecome sticky s attach themselves to,

tringency, promote the healing of injured parts, and, by their antiseptic properties, tend to destroy the injurious organic germs previ; ously adherent to, or which might at any time the exposed wounds, The chemical action, and, therefore, the antiseptic effect, will be greatest at the edges of the wound,'where its aid would be most needed, because at this point there would be the least me -hanical protection and the greatest exposure to the air. In applying the zinc lining, therefore, itis only-necessary that the plate, sheet, or surface of zinc should be adapted to that part of the harness where it is to be used; should be formed sufficiently large to present a continuous smooth surface over the parts to be protected, so as tocover the edges of the wound, if any should be made;

and should conform in shape to the part of the horse with which it is to come in contact.

In applying the zinc lining to collar caps the plate or sheet zinc, or other plate having a zinc surface, may be employed as the under surface in contact with the skin of the horse,

Said zinc being secured to a strong upper plate of metal, which supports it and shades it from the sun, so as to keep the zinc as cool as possible during the hot weather; and for the purposeof preventing the zinc from becoming heated by the upper plate of metal, it is preferable that the upper and lower metallie plates should not be in direct contact, except Where'it is necessary for the purpose of fastening them together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The horse-collar cap, consisting of the curved metal plates A B, secured together substantially as described, so as to leave an air-passage between them, for the purposes specified.

Y 2. A horse-collar cap or pad constructed with an upper supporting-plate of iron or other suitable material, and an under surface or lining of zinc, said zinc surface or lining being adapted to'the shape of the horse at the parts where it is to be applied, and being secured to the upper plate in any suitable manner.

3. A horse-collar cap having an upper supporting-plate of iron or other suitable material, and an under surface or lining of zinc, said zinc surface or lining not being in immediate contact with the upper plate, except at the places where it is necessary to secure the under plate to the upper one for support, for the purposes herein set forth.

4. In a harness a zinc bearing surface shaped to the part of the horse with which it is to come in contact, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

DEXTER CURTIS.

Witnesses NATHAN K. ELLSWORTH, MELVILLE CHURCH.

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