US2295365A - Bull control - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 8, 1942'. E. L. sPARKHAN BULL coNTRoL 'Filed Jan. 9, 1941 @w am,

Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNiTE STATES PATENT OFFICE BULL CONTROL Ervin L. Sparkman, Three Rivers, Tex. Application January 9, 1941, Serial No. 373,848

(Cl. 11S- 142) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved construction of bull control adapted to be applied to and worn on the head of a bull for preventing the bull from tearing through or under fences or gates.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide a novel form of bull control having means for readily adjusting the device to correctly and comfortably fit the head of a bull and having a portion thereof connected to a ring disposed in the bulls nose and which is adapted to be actuated by engagement with a fence or gate should the bull attempt to tear through or beneath the fence or gate to cause the movement of said portion to apply a pull to the nose ring.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a bull control so constructed that it can be comfortably worn by a bull and will not irritate or chafe the head or face of the bull and wherein the part thereof connected to the nose ring will be so supported as to apply no pull or pressure on the nose ring until or unless the bull attempts to tear through or under a fence or gate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view showing the bull control applied to the head of a bull and in its normal position,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the bull control,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View of the bull control taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the bull control taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of FigureV 1,

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing a modified form of means for attaching the device to the head of the bull, and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, I0 designates generally the bull control, comprising the invention, and which is shown in Figure 1 in an applied position on the head of a bull, designated generally II.

The bull control I0 includes a forehead engaging band I2 which is adapted to be disposed across the forehead and which is provided with a plurality of spaced openings I3 `at each end thereof. A strip of cushioning material I4, such as rubber, felt or the like is disposed on the inner side of the intermediate portion of the band I2 and connected thereto by the fastenings I5 for holding the band I2 out of direct contact with the forehead for preventing the band from irritating or chafing the forehead. A rod I6 is shaped, as illustrated in Figure 3, to engage around the back of the head II and is provided with correspondingly arranged substantially parallel threaded ends II which are adapted to be selectively positioned in the openings I3 at the ends of the band I2. Each of the threaded ends I'I is provided with a pair of nuts I8 for engaging opposite sides of the band I2 for retaining the rod I6 in adjusted positions relatively thereto. The intermediate portion of the rod I6 which engages the backv of the head II is encased in a flexible tube of suitable cushioning material such asy rubber, designated I9. The band I2 and the rod I6 are formed of malleable metal which can be shaped to iit the head of the bull.

A metal strap 20 is secured by the fastenings 2| to the intermediate portion of the forward side of the forehead band I2 and is provided intermediate of its ends with an outwardly offset portion 22 which forms with the complementary portion of the forehead band I2 an elongated slot 23 for receiving the intermediate portion of an elongated metal bar 24 which is disposed therein sufciently loose, as seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5, so that the bar 24 can slide freely up and down or transversely of the forehead band I2. However, the bar 24 is sufficiently wide so that it will be prevented from turning or swiveling in the slot 23. The lower portion of the bar 24 is disposed along the front of the face of the bull and said lower portion is provided adjacent its lower end with an opening 25 for receiving a split ring or link 26 which is loosely connected to a ring 21 disposed in the nose of the bull for loosely connecting the bar 24 to the ring 21. The bar 24, adjacent its lower end is provided with a pad 28 of cushioning material and which, may be of a material corresponding to the cushioning strip I4, and which is disposed on the inner side of the bar 24 and connected thereto by a fastening 29 for engaging the nose of the bull and for holding the lower portion of the bar 24 out of engagement with the face and the nose. The bar 24 extends substantially above the head II, as illustrated in Figure 1, and as seen in Figure 2, the upper end of the bar 24 is bent forwardly and downwardly to form a hook 30. The intermediate portion of the bar 24 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 3| for selectively receiving a nut and bolt fastening 32 which rests upon the upper edge of the forehead band I2 to limit the downward movement of the bar 24.

In Figures 5 and 6 a modified form of means for mounting the forehead band l2 is illustrated wherein the rod I6 and the tube I9 are dispensed with and in lieu thereof a pair of ring or eye bolts 33 are provided. The rings or eyes 34 of the ring or eye bolts 33 are relatively large and are adapted to engage over the horns 35 adjacent the head Il. The ring or eye bolts 33 also include threaded shanks extend through openings I3 in the ends of the band forehead of the bull and it will be readily apparent that the band I2 will act to retain the eye bolts 33 in engagement with the-horns 35. The threaded shanks 36 are provided with nuts I8 disposed on opposite sides of the band I2 for adjustably` positioning the band I2 relatively to the head II.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that when the bull control I0 is in position on the head II, mounted either by means of the rod I6 or the eye bolts 33, the bar 24 will be supported in adjusted positions by means of the band I2 and the fastening 32 so that it will not bear on the nose ring 21 to irritate the bull and so that the ring v2'I due to its loose connection to the bar 24 through the ring 26 can move freely to a limited degree relatively to the `bar 24. As previously stated the strip I4 and the tube I9 will prevent the band I2 and the rod I6, respectively, from irritating the upper portion of the head of the bull and the pad 28 will prevent the lower portion of the bar 24 from chang or irritating the nose and face of the bull.w However, should the bull attempt to tear through or under a fence or gate the hook 30 will engage a portion of the fence or gate, not shown, to cause an upward pull on the bar 24 which, is mounted to slide freely upwardly, to thereby apply an upward pull on the nose ring 21 which will provide an effective curb to deter the bull from attempting further Vmovement through or under the fence or gate and for discouraging a repetition of this action.

The manner of attaching or detaching the forehead band by either the means I6 or 33 is obvious, and the split ring or link 26 can for connecting it to the nose ring 2'I so that the nose ring does not have to be applied or removed with the bull control I0 and it is consequently a simple matter to either apply or remove the bull control I0 and to adjust it to fit the head II. i

While the device I0 is designed especially for use on bulls it may obviously be used on any unruly cattle.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed.

I2 for detachably mounting the band on thev be readily opened 1 36 which are adapted to y nose of the bull and of its ends, a bar Iii I claim as my invention:

1. A bull control comprising a supporting member including a forehead engaging band disposed across the forehead of a bull, means for adjustably and detachably mounting the band thereon, said band having a slotted portion intermediate of its ends, a bar having an intermediate portion slidably mounted in said slotted portion and solely attached thereby to the supporting member, the lower portion of said bar being adapted to be disposed in front of the face of the bull, means adapted for detachably and loosely connecting the lower end of the bar to a ring disposed inthe at a point a substantial distance from the forehead band, said first mentioned means comprising a rod shaped to engage around the back of the head of the bull and provided with threaded ends, and said forehead band having spaced openings at its ends for selectively receiving the threaded ends of said rod, said threaded ends being provided with nuts for detachably connecting the rod to the forehead band.

2. A bull control comprising a supporting member including a forehead engaging band disposed across the forehead of a bull, means for adjustably and detachably mounting the band thereon, said band having a slotted portion intermediate having an intermediate portion slidably mounted in said slotted portion and solely attached thereby to the supporting member, the lower portion of said bar being adapted to be disposed in front of the face of the bull, means adaptedfor detachably and loosely connecting the lower end of the bar to a ring disposed in the nose of the bull and at a point a substantial distance from the forehead band, said forehead band being provided with spaced openingsat its ends, said first mentioned means comprising eye bolts, the eyes of said bolts being adapted to engage the horns of the bull, and the threaded Shanks of the bolts being adapted to selectively engage the openings in the ends of the forehead band and having nuts for detachably connecting the band thereto.

3. A bull control comprising a supporting member including a forehead engaging band adapted to be disposed across the forehead of a bull and having a slotted intermediate portion, a bar having an intermediate portion slidably engaging said slotted portion, the lower part of the bar being adapted to be disposed in front of the face of the bull, means for loosely connecting the lower end of the bar to a ring disposed in the nose of the bull, the upper end of the bar extending substantially above the head of the bull and terminating in a forwardly extending hook, and abutment means adjustably carried by the bar for engaging the forehead band to limit the downward sliding movement of the bar so that the weight of the bar will be supported by the band to prevent a downward pull on the nose ring.

ERVIN L. SPARKMAN.

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