Improvements in Traces for the Harness of Horses and other Beasts of Burden.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1899 -Accepted, 15th Apr.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Traces for the Harness of Horses and other Beasts of
Burden.
I, SAMUEL JAMES PRESCOTT, of 33, Church Street, Camberwell, London, S.E.,
in the County of Surrey, Pawnbroker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
-
My present invention relates to traces for the harness of horses and other beasts
of haulage, and consists of certain modifications of, and improvements upon, the
manner of using the special material employed for such purposes described and
shewn in my previous Patent No. 15690 of A.D. 1895.
My said previous patent describes and shews the construction of a fabric or
material, the rolling of same into cylindrical formation, and the employment of
the said material, inter alia, in the construction of traces for the harness of horses
and other beasts of haulage, and in Figs. 4 is shewn, and in the specification
described, how the ends of the said traces may be connected to the hame plates F,
by the means of pins or rivets passing through the substance of the said material and
engaging with the said plates F, but I have since found in practice that such pins
or rivets or their equivalents by passing through the said traces, lessen the strength
of the latter, while the oxidation of the said rivets or pins causes the decomposition
of the traces, and to provide means for obviating these defects is the object and
purpose of my invention, which I attain by the construction and use of certain
appliances adapted to grasp and hold the ends of the said traces, without lessening
the strength or impairing the life of same.
In order that my said improvements and the manner in which I purpose using
the same, may be fully understood, I have hereunto appended two sheets of
drawings, of which.
Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is a sectional view of the parts of one form of an appliance for
the purposes of my invention, illustrating the manner in which the end of the trace
is grasped thereby, when closed together, Fig. 2 being an outer view of the said
appliance when so closed around and grasping the trace.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section through Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a section of the trace before being enclosed and grasped as in Fig. 3,
Figs. 5 and 6 being sections of Fig. 4 upon the lines A B and CD respectively.
Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the parts of another form of appliance,
Fig. 9 being a section illustrating the junction of Figs. 7 and 8 grasping the trace
as hereinafter explained.
Figs. 10 and 11 are also perspective views similar to Fig. 7 and 8, but illustrating a
further modification, Fig. 12 being a section illustrating the junction of Figs. 10
and 11 grasping a modified form of trace, as hereinafter explained.
Referring to the views in Sheet 1. According to this arrangement I carry my
invention into effect by providing a trace A of the rolled fabric referred to by C
in my said previous patent, but for the purposes of my present improvements, I
prefer to form the said rolled trace with a hollow passage a therein, which may

page_text: extend entirely through the trace or at one or both ends only, and in either or both
ends of such passage I force or otherwise fix a wood, metal, or other tapered
plug b, adapted to preserve and maintain the solidity of the said end when enclosed
by the appliance hereinafter described.
According to this arrangement, the said appliance consists of a cast or wrought
cylindrical hollow chamber, made of any kind of metal or combination of metals,
and formed in two parts B and B¹, both tapered internally and externally, and a
pair of these I cause to grasp and enclose either end of the trace A, that is to say,
for attaching the back end of the said trace to the vehicle, or the front end to the
hames of the collar, or both, but in the accompanying drawings I have chosen to
show its adaptation for attachment to the hames only, the arrangement of the
opposite end (when used) for attachment to the vehicle being so nearly the same
as to be understood without further illustration. The end of the trace A being
placed between the parts BB' as at Fig 1, the said parts would be then placed
in the jaws of a vice, or be otherwise pressed together, until their edges meet,
when they may be retained so closed together by the means of a ring C, forced upon
one end and retained in position by a pin or screw or screws c, and such closing together
of B and B would compress the end of the trace A into the same tapered form as
that of the interior of themselves, the plug b-serving to.maintain.the diameter and
solidity of the forward end of A, while its diameter at the opposite end of BB¹
would be compressed to that of the diameter of this end of these, thereby rendering
it impossible to withdraw A-from B-B¹ by any force, since the diameter of the outer
end of A is greater than that of the inner-end of the combined pieces. B B¹.
The opposite ends of BB' are constructed at dd' to form when closed together.
a neck e, and before closing these as stated. I insert between-d-and-the-stem-of-
a ring, hook, shackle, or other device D, adapted to engage with the hames of the
collar of the animal in the usual or most approved way, the inner end f of the stem
of D being so enlarged as to be embraced and held by when these are closed
and held together by a ring or collar such as E, the length and other formation
of the stem of I) being such as to permit E to be slid thereon while the necks d¹
are placed around the said stem, when the said ring or collar E may be forced over on
to d d and be thereon retained by a screw or screws or the like, if desired.
As a modification of the foregoing may form the said enclosing appliances as
at B and B Figs. 7 and 8, which, in this case, are of rectangular formation in cross
section, and tapered from end to end in both denth and width. In this arrange-
ment I prefer to provide the part B2 of lesser dimensions than the part B³, so
that the former may fit within the latter, each having in the upturned rim of
its largest end a recess g, of such formation, that when B2 and B³ are placed one
within the other they collectively provide a perfectly circular aperture for the
reception of the stem of D.
The end of the trace A would be placed between 12 and B³, so that when these
are placed within the jaws of a vice or other pressure and forced one within the
other, the enclosed end of the tubular trace A would be forced to assume the shape
of the interior of B2 133, and while so held, the latter may be retained in that position
by the means of collars h and h¹ slipped thereon, and fixed by the means of screws
or pins, while the broader ends of B and B may be further secured together by
screws, bolts, rivets or the like m, passing through holes n therein substantially as
at Fig. 9. In this arrangement the compressed portion of A may or may not be
provided with a filling such as 'b or a wire in lieu thereof, as may be 'found
convenient.
In the last described modification the trace A is assumed to be circular in cross
section, where not enclosed by the clamps B2 B3, but I may by moulding pressing,
vulcanizing or other means flatten the said trace so that it may be in cross section
of the formation shewn at A¹ in Fig. 12, or approximately so, and in order to retain
it in this shape I may, during its construction, provide in its centre. a flat hand or
strin G. of metal, vulcanite, celluloid or other suitable material. For the purpose
of holding the end of such a trace the clamps B2 B3 may be formed without the

page_text: apertures g, the ring, hook, or the like D being connected to a bail H, held in
contact with B2 B3 by a bolt or the like p passing through holes h¹ h² in B2 B3 which
may also serve to hold this end of B2 and B3 together, with or without the use of
bolts or the like m passing through holes n, and with or without a collar h, the
smaller end of B2 B3 being retained together, grasping the trace A, by the means
of a collar held in position by a screw or the like c. The modification of the
clamp illustrated by Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive, are also applicable in connection with
the leather traces in ordinary use.
From the foregoing it will be understood that I am enabled by either of the
devices shewn to retain and hold either or both ends of a trace, of circular or other
shape in cross section, without the need of stitches, cords, rivets or wires passing
through the substance of the trace, and in the case of a fallen animal it would be
possible to materially assist in relieving the animal. from its harness by simply
removing the rings or collars, bolts and other means used for holding together the
clamps BB or B2 B3 as the case may be.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1st. As a means for holding the end or ends of traces as used in the harness
of beasts of burden, the construction, use, and application of a clamp, formed in two
parts, connected and held together by the means of rings, collars, or the like, and
bolts, pins, screws, or the like the said clamps also holding, a hook, ring, swivel,
shackle, or other device for connecting the said trace to the collar of the harness,
or and to the vehicle to be drawn, substantially as herein set forth and shewn.
2nd. In an improved means for connecting and holding the ends of harness
traces, such as A, the combination with such a trace of a metallic clamp, formed
in two semi-cylindrical portions B and B', adapted when closed together by force,
to grasp and hold between them the end of the trace A (having an internal plug
such as b) and a ring, hook, swivel, shackle, or the like such as D, the said clamps
being held together by rings or collars such as C and E, retained in position by
screws or pins c, substantially as herein described and shewn by Figs. 1 to 6 of
the appended drawings.
3rd. In an improved means for connecting and holding the ends of harness
traces, such as A, the combination with such a trace of a metallic clamp, formed in
two portions such as 12 and B3, adapted, when united by force, to grasp and hold
between them the end of the trace A, and a ring, hook, swivel, shackle or the like
such as D, the said clamps being held together by rings or collars such as h and h',
retained in position by screws or pins j and a bolt m substantially as herein
described and shewn by Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the appended drawings.
4th. In an improved means for connecting and holding the ends of harness traces
such as A, the combination with such or an ordinary leather trace, of a metallic
clamp, formed in two parts such as 12 and 133, adapted, when united by force, to
grasp and hold between them the end of the said trace, and a hook, ring, swivel,
shackle or the dike such as D), the latter connected to a bail such as H. swivelled upon
a bolt p, the said clamps being held together partly by the said bolt », and partly
by the means of a collar or ring h'. and screw c. with or without a holt or bolts m,
substantially as herein described and shewn by Figs. 10, 11 and 12 of the
accompanying drawings.
cool
T 1
1000
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for Applicant.