US29370A - Apparatus for rescuing- horses from fire - Google Patents

Description

E. FRENCH.

Stable Stall No. 29,370. PatentedJuIy 31, 1860.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA FRENCH, OF BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS.-

.APPARATUS FOR RESCUING HORSES FROM FIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,370, dated July 31, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISHA FRENCH, of Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Horse-Rescue for Rescuing Horses from Fires; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus detached; and Fig. 2 is a view of the same attached to the side of a stall, and also showing how the rescue-rope, chain or wire, may be supported and carried over any number of stalls to the stable-door, or entrance, however remote.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters in both figures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe its construction and operation.

In the conflagration of barns and stables, owing to the rapid spread of the flames, smoke and heat, many valuable horses are often lost, because it is impossible to get at them, untie and lead them from danger.

The nature of my invention, therefore, consists in a certain combination and arrangement of devices whereby a person, standing at the door of the barn, or stable, however remote from the stall, by simply pulling a rope or chain, may instantly not only unhitch a horse, but also lead him out.

A is a plate about twelve inches long and six Wide, (more or less) of cast or wrought iron, or hard wood plank, into. which are fastened two iron staples, b, b, as shown in Fig. 1.

C is an iron bolt about eight inches long, two wide, and one inch thick, (more or less) passing through the staples, I) Z), one edge resting against the plate A. Through the lower extremity of this bolt is a round hole to receive the halter ring 9; and near the upper end is an oblong slot through which passes the spring-latch, D, which is made of sheet steel bent so as to form a loop, d, to receive the ring e-one extremity of said spring-latch being also bent so as to stand out from the other, as shown in Fig. 1, so

that, after being passed through the slot,v

it will spring open and confine itself sufficiently fast, and, resting on the upper staple I), prevent the bolt, C, from dropping, or drawing out.

6 is a ring passing through loop, d.

f is a chain, one end of which is linked to ring 6, the other to the halter-ring g.

H is a rope, chain or wire, attached to the ring 6, and passing thence, as represented in Fig. 2, above the stall or stalls to the barn, or stable, door, being supported by the flat spring, 8, s, which may be opened at the bottom to receive it and hold it sufficiently tight, but not so tight that a moderate pull will not release it. Each stall may have a separate rope, H, or one may answer for a number of stalls by attaching to it shorter ropes and confining them to the rings, 6, in the different stalls.

The plate A is fastened to one side of a stall five or six feet from the floor and near the crib, so that the horses halter may be conveniently hitched to the ring g.

The operation of the apparatus hardly needs an explanation. It is obvious that by pulling rope, H, spring-latch D will be with drawn; bolt C will drop, or be drawn, from the staples b b, and as H is connected wit-h the halter-ring, g, by means of chain f, the horse is not only unhitched but also attached to the end of a long leading line (H) by which he can be conducted from the stall, or stable, with the greatest despatch,-thus saving, in case of fire, the animal, without endangering the life of the man. The apparatus will also be found of value for lead ing from a stable vicious horses which it is not safe to approach from behind.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination and arrangement of the rope H, springlatch D, connecting chain f, halter-ring and sliding bolt C, substantially as described and for the objects specilied.

ELISHA FRENCH. .VVitnesses MINOTT E. HUNT, CHAS. H. Dow.

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