US886511A - Safety attachment for horse-blankets, lap-robes, &c. - Google Patents

Description

No.'886,511. PATENTED MAY 5, 19-08.

J. E. HUNTER.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR HORSE BLANKETS, LA'P ROBES, &o APPLIOAT ION FILED APR.15,1905.

Witnesses I V Attorn'eys y" ms mmms Fgrtns co., wAsmncron, n. c

JOHN E. HUNTER, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR HORSE-BLANKETS, LAP-ROBES, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Application filed April 15, 1905. Serial No. 255,775.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Safety Attachment for Horse-Blankets, Lap- Robes, &c., of which the following is a specification. Y

Ordinarily, horse blankets and the like when placed upon a horse are not connected thereto so as to prevent unauthorized removal, and it frequently happens that such blankets are stolen, and therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide for securing a blanket upon a horse in a simple and improved manner either by connecting the opposite edges of the blanket or by connecting the blanket directly to the harness according to whether or not the harness is in place upon the animal.

Another object of the invention is to guard against having the blanket torn fromits fastening or otherwise damaged in an unauthorized attempt to remove the blanket while at the same time to enable the convenient authorized fastening and unfastening of the blanket without disconnecting any of the parts of the harness.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, shownin the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, propor-- tion, size and minor details may be made, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the blanket of the present invention applied to a horse and secured thereto independently of the harness. Fig. 2 is a detail inverted plan view of the blanket. Fig. 1) is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the blanket secured to one of the terret rings of a harness. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view taken through the blanket and one of the braces or guards therefor.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawing.

In describing the present invention, reference will be had at first more particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawing wherein 1 designates any ordinary or preferred form of horse blanket which is reinforced by a pair of guard members, preferably chains designated 2 and 3 respectively, which cross one another at substantially right angles at about the middle of the blanket. Each chain is contained within a casing or sheath 4 of canvas, leather, material of the same character as the blanket or any preferred material, the edges of which are connected by one or more rows of stitches 5, and said stitches are also employed to connect the casing to the blanket. The guard members 2 and 3 are preferably located upon the inner or under side of the blanket and for this reason are incased to prevent annoyance to the horse and in order that the chain may not be exposed to the external air. At suitable intervals each chain is connected to the blanket by means of a metallic clip 6 in the nature of a staple which passes through the blanket and the casing and has its opposite ends intertwisted to effectively connect the chains to the blanket in a simple and convenient manner.

At the front end of the blanket there is a guard chain 7 contained within a casing 8 and secured to the extreme front edge of the blanket in the same manner as described for the chains 2 and 3, this chain 7 and the adj acent chain 2 of course being connected. The ends of the chain 7 project beyond the casing 8, one projected end of the chain being provided with one or more rings 9 and there being a padlock 10 having its shackle engaged with the opposite end of the chain.

When the blanket is placed upon a horse which is not harnessed, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the ends of the chain 7 are brought together beneath the neck of the horse and secured by the padlock 10, whereby the blanket is fastened against accidental displacement and also against unauthorized removal. The lock being connected to the chain 7 and the chain 7 being connected to the adjacent chain 2, it is impossible to tear the lock and the chains from the blanket, and even if this were possible the blanket would be damaged to such an extent as to be of no use.

If the horse is harnessed and it is desired to secure the blanket to the harness, the lock 10 is removed from the chain 7 and employed to lock the ring 11 suitably connected to the chain 2, to one of the terret rings 12 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, wherefore the blanket is conveniently and effectively connected to the harness to guard against unauthorized removal thereof.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, the ring 11 has been shown attached to the chain 3, while in Fig; 2 it has been shown attached to the chain 2, either of which locations may be em loyed with equal facility.

While it is preferred to have the lock 10 removable in order that it may be employed in connection with the chain 7 or with the ring 11, this lock 10 may be permanently attached to the chain 7 and another lock used to fasten the ring 11 to the harness.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the guards and fastening devices of the present invention may be a plied to any ordinary or preferred form of b anket without in any manner changing the latter and it is, of course, proposed to locate the said members at the most advantageous oints according to the size and shape of the blanket. By employing chains to form the guards, the blanket may be folded into comact form when not in use, and when the blanket is upon a horse the guard chains do not annoy the animal while at the same time they prevent tearing of the blanket from its fastenings and also prevent cutting of the blanket from its fastenings without entirely destroying the same, wherefore the unauhorse when temporarily thrown over the latter to serve in the capacity of a blanket.

It will be observed from an inspection of the drawing that the longitudinal chain 2, the transverse chain 3 and the front chain 7 are all provided with two separated sheaths and that the ends of said sheaths adjacent the points of connection between said chains are separated from each other so as to leave free spaces upon the chains.v This arrangement produces an economical construction.

disposed longitudinal chain extending from end to end of the blanket, a centrally disposed transverse chain extending from side to side of the blanket, a short chain at one end of said blanket connected mid-way to one end of said longitudinal chain, a sheath for each chain made of flexible material wholly surrounding said chain, the edges of the sheathing material being oined together and to said blanket by stitching, additional metallic fastenings passing at intervals through the blanket, chain links and sheath, and an int'erengaging locking device on each end of said short chain.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

W. T. DINWIDDIE, OBED CooLEY.

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