NOVELTYJOHN E. TORBERT, JR.
Patented May 4, 1937
This invention relates to a novelty adapted to be applied to a
horse or other animal and serves not only as a novelty to attract
attention and afford amusement to observers, but also as a shield and
as a safety device to prevent a horse from being struck and injured by
automobiles moving along a road and approaching the horse from the
rear.
One object of the invention is to provide a device of this
character adapted to be supported and held in place by engagement with
the tail of the animal and carrying safety reflectors disposed at
opposite sides of the animal's tail so that when a person is riding a
horse along a road at night and an automobile approaches the horse
from the rear, the signals will be illuminated by reflecting light
from the headlight of the automobile and thus permit the driver of the
automobile to see that there is a horse ahead of him and eliminate
danger of the automobile striking and injuring the horse.
Another object of the invention is to provide the attachment with
a shield disposed at the back of the horse under the tail where it
will serve as a wind deflector.
Another object of the invention is to so mount the shield that it
may have movement towards and away from the horse as the horse raises
or lowers it tails and to also provide a wiper mounted for oscillating
movement across the shield and having an actuating member adapted to
be connected with the horse's tail so that as the horse moves its tail
to push off flies, the wiper will be moved back and forth across the
windshield and the glass forming part of the shield kept clean.
This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
wherein
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the device applied
to a horse, the size of the attachment relative to the horse being
somewhat exaggerated for sake of clearness.
Figure 2 is a view in elevation looking at the device from the
rear with the actuating arm or lever in section, the view being taken
along the line 2-2 of Figure 3.
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure
2.
Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4
of Figure 2.
This attachment, which may be referred to as a novelty or as a
combined windshield and safety device for a horse or other animal, is
to be applied to the horse, as shown in Figure 1, and when in place
will attract the attention of persons attending a horse show or the
like and afford a great deal of amusement. The device is also of
practical value as it serves very effectively as a shield, also as a
safety device to prevent accidents due to the driver of the automobile
failing to see a horse ahead of him when driving during dark nights.
While the device has been shown applied to a horse, it will be
apparent that, by making it of the proper size, it may be applied to
dogs and other animals.
The mounting plate or bridge 1 of this device is formed of stiff
metal and is of sufficient length to project from opposite sides of a
horse's tail. Circular plates 2 are secured against the outer face of
the mounting plate or bridge 1 by rivets 3 passed through the
depressed central portions 4 of the plates 2 and, upon referring to
Figure 4, it will be seen that marginal portions of the plates 2 are
spaced from the mounting plate in order that the inner flanges of
securing rings 5 may be engaged between the plate 1 and marginal
portions of the plates 2. These rings serve to secure domes 6 formed
of transparent material. Each of the rings 5 is a split ring having
lugs 7 at its ends through which a screw 8 passes and it will be
readily seen by inspecting Figure 2 that when the screws are
tightened, the bands will be contracted about the plates 2 and
marginal portions of the domes 6. One of the domes is colored red and
the other green or blue, thereby conforming to the colors of port and
starboard lights and they will display these colors when illuminated
by light from the headlights of an automobile approaching a horse from
the rear. Plates 9 and 10 are secured against inner and outer faces
of the bridge or plate 1 by rivets 11 which also serve to secure the
leaf 12 of a hinge 13 against the plate 10 and, upon referring to
Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the plates 9 and 10 are formed
with arms 14 and 15 which project in opposite directions from the
upper edge of the plate 1 and are secured to a substantially U-shaped
clamping band 16. This band is formed of resilient metal and has its
arms converging toward their free ends where they diverge to provide
lips 17. A strip of padding 18 is provided as a liner for the clamp
16 and has its end portions carried outwardly over the lips 17 and
secured, as shown in Figure 2. Therefore, the clamp will be provided
with a soft liner and can engage about and firmly grip the horse's
tail, as shown in Figure 1, and firmly hold the device in its proper
position with the intermediate portion of the plate 1 extending under
the horse's tail and the light reflecting signals at opposite sides of
the horse's tail where they can be easily seen when illuminated by
light from the headlight of an automobile. A pad 19 formed of thick
felt and having enlarged circular end portions 20 joined by a reduced
neck is secured against the inner or front face of the mounting plate
1 and, upon referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the end
portions 20 are of appreciably greater diameter than the domes 6.
Therefore, these circular end portions of the pad 19 project from
margins of the mounting plate and provide ornamental borders for the
signals, as well as serving very effectively to prevent chafing. The
lower edge of the intermediate portion of the pad or sheet of felt 19
is cut to follow marginal edges of the recess 21 formed in the
intermediate portion of the mounting plate 1 and in order to bridge
this recess, there has been provided an auxiliary pad 22 formed of
felt and stitched or otherwise secured to the pad 19.
The lower leaf 23 of the hinge 13 carries a windshield 24
consisting of a glass 25 secured between inner and outer bordering
plates or rings 26 and 27, the inner ring 26 having an upwardly
extending tongue 28 upon which the hinge leaf is secured by the rivets
29. An arm or lever 31, formed from a length of metal rod which may
be brass or any other stiff metal, has its upper end portion bent to
form a rocker shaft 32 which is rotatable engaged through a bearing
sleeve 33. This bearing sleeve is rigidly mounted through the tongue
28 at the lower hinge leaf 23 and by referring to Figure 3 it will be
seen that the rocker shaft or shank 32 projects from ends of the
bearing sleeve and carries collars 34 which are securedly held in
fixed position by set screws 35. Arms 36 extend downwardly from the
collars and at their lower ends carry U-shaped clips 37 which project
towards the glass and carry wipers 38. The wipers are of a
conventional construction and have operative engagement with opposed
faces of the glass so that when the wipers are moved across the plate,
the glass will be thoroughly cleaned. At its lower end, the actuating
arm or lever 31 carries a resilient U- shaped clamp 39 lined with
felt, as shown at 40, and of the proper dimensions to engage about a
horse's tail, as shown in Figure 1. It will thus be seen that when
the horse swishes its tail in order to remove flies, the arm or lever
will be swung transversely of the windshield and the shank or rock
shaft turned in the bearing. During this movement the wipers will be
swung back and forth across the glass and the glass thoroughly
cleaned. As the windshield is secured to the lower leaf of the hinge,
it may have movement towards and away from the horse when the animal
raises or lowers its tail and, therefore, movements of the animal's
tail will not be interfered with and the animal will not be subjected
to discomfort when the device is in place. The inner collar moves
through the recess in the lower portion of the mounting plate 1 during
movement of the windshield towards the horse but it will be prevented
from having direct contact with the horse as it engages the felt strip
22, as clearly shown in Figure 4.
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:
1. A windshield, means for mounting the windshield at the rear
of a horse, and a wiper for the windshield having operating means
adapted to be actuated by movement of a portion of the horse.
2. A windshield, means for mounting the windshield at the rear
of a horse under the horse's tail, and a wiper for the windshield
having operating means adapted to be actuated by movements of the
horse's tail.
3. A windshield, mounting means for the windshield including a
member engageable with a horse's tail to suspend the mounting and the
windshield under the horse's tail, and a wiper for said windshield
having operating means including a member adapted to engage the
horse's tail and cause actuation of the operating means when the
horse's tail is in motion.
4. A windshield, a mounting for said windshield including a
member adapted to grip a horse's tail and suspend the mounting and the
windshield at the back of the horse with the windshield under the
horse's tail, a wiper for said windshield, an operating lever for the
wiper movable transversely of the windshield, and a member carried by
said lever for gripping a horse's tail and causing the lever to move
with the horse's tail to operate the wiper.
5. A windshield, a mounting for said windshield including a
member adapted to grip a horse's tail and suspend the mounting and the
windshield at the back of the horse with the windshield under the
horse's tail, a wiper for said windshield, an operating lever disposed
vertically and having its upper portion provided with a shank
journalled through the windshield, said wiper being fixed to the shank
and having movement across the windshield when the shank is turned by
swinging movements of the lever, and means carried by said lever for
gripping a horse's tail to cause movement of the lever with the
horse's tail.
6. In a device of the character described, a mounting plate of a
length to extend under a horse's tail and project from opposite sides
thereof, a clamp extending upwardly from the plate midway the length
thereof for gripping a horse's tail and suspending the plate, a hinge
having upper and lower leaves, the upper leaf being secured to the
plate under said clamp, a windshield under the mounting plate secured
at its upper end to the lower leaf of said hinge for swinging movement
towards and away form a horse, a bearing sleeve extending through the
upper portion of the windshield under the hinge, a lever extending
vertically and having its upper portion bent to form a shank
journalled through said sleeve and projecting from ends of the sleeve,
wipers for front and rear faces of the windshield having rods provided
with collars at their upper ends secured about projecting portions of
the shank whereby the wipers sweep across the windshield when the
shank is rotated, and a clamp at the lower end of said lever for
gripping the lower portion of a horse's tail and causing the lever to
swing transversely of the windshield to turn the shank when the
horse's tail is moved transversely, said lever also causing the
windshield to be moved forwardly and rearwardly by the horse's tail.
7. In a device of the character described, a mounting plate, a
hinge midway the length of said plate, a clamp extending upwardly from
the plate over said hinge for gripping a horse's tail and suspending
the plate under the horse's tail with end portions of the plate
projecting from opposite sides of the horse's tail, a windshield under
said plate secured at its upper end to said hinge for swinging
movement forwardly and rearwardly, a wiper for said windshield and an
actuating lever for the wiper carried by said hinge and having a clamp
for gripping a horse's tail whereby the wiper and the windshield will
be moved by movements of a horse's tail.
8. In a device of the character described, a mounting plate, a
hinge midway the length of said plate having an upper leaf secured to
the plate, a clamp extending upwardly from the plate over said hinge
for gripping a horse's tail and suspending the plate under the horse's
tail with end portions of the plate projecting from opposite sides of
the horse's tail, a sheet of padding secured against the inner face of
said plate an having enlarged end portions for covering inner faces of
end portions of the plate, a windshield under the plate between the
enlarged end portions of said padding secured at its upper end to the
lower leaf of said hinge, a wiper for the windshield, and operating
means for said wiper pivoted to the lower leaf of the hinge adapted to
be connected with and actuated by movements of the horse's tail.
9. In a device of the character described, a mounting plate of a
length to extend under a horse's tail with end portions projecting
from opposite sides thereof, suspending means for said plate, a sheet
of padding secured against the inner face of said plate, intermediate
portions of the plate and padding being formed with aligned recesses
forming a passage leading from their lower edges, an auxiliary sheet
of padding carried by the first mentioned padding and bridging said
passage, a windshield hinged to said plate above the recess and
depending from the plate with its upper portion covering the recess, a
lever having a shank at its upper end journalled through said
windshield, front and rear collars carried by said shank, wipers
having arms carried by and depending from said collars, the front
collar and arm being movable through the passage into and out of
engagement with the auxiliary padding, and means for connecting said
lever with a horse's tail.
JOHN E. TORBERT, JR.