A NEW APPARATUS FOR INSTANTANEOUSLY PROVISIONAL SPATION RELEASING HORSES PROM CARRIAGES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Germain Prioleau, of Montignac-sur-Vezère,
Département of Dordogne, in the Empire of France, Harness Maker, at
present residing at 3, Percy Street, Fitzroy Square, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "A NEW APPARATUS FOR INSTANTANEOUSLY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Germain Prioleau at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd November 1864.
I, GERMAIN PRIOLEAU, of Montignac-sur-Vezère, Département of Dordogne,
in the Empire of France, Harness Maker, at present residing at 3, Percy
Street, Fitzroy Square, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NEW APPARATUS FOR INSTANTANEOUSLY
RELEASING HORSES PROM CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
It must be understood that horses when in harness are connected with the
carriage first through the traces, which serve for drawing the carriage;
secondly, through the breeching straps, which serve for drawing back; and,
thirdly, through the shaft tugs, from which the shafts are supported. Thus
when the horse and carriage are in motion if the traces are suddenly dis-
connected from the buckle by which they are attached to the collar, the horse
will run on, leaving the carriage behind, and carrying with him the shaft tugs,

page_text: which will glide away from the shafts. As to the breeching straps, if instead
of being tied to the shaft they are attached to a back strap according to the
Russian method of harnessing, they will follow the shaft tugs, so that the
unfastening will be complete. The difficulty was to find a kind of buckle that
could be instantaneously unfastened by any person from the carriage, and it is
this that forms the subject of my present Invention. To effect this I have
invented a buckle which is provided with mechanism by which the tongue is
moved forward and backward. For buckling the tongue is carried forward,
and is held in that position by a spring. For unbuckling, an elbowed lever
acted upon by a cord (the end of which is within reach of the driver), presses
against the spring, and releases the tongue, which being no longer held
forward recedes from the hole of the strap. It will be then easily understood
that if the horse runs on, the traces will be released from the collar, the
shaft tugs will glide away on the shafts, and the horse will be completely
unfastened.
Should it. be found inconvenient to attach the breeching strap as above
suggested, the following method may be resorted to:-The breeching strap is
fastened to a bent metallic band on the shaft, the fore end of which band is
made to act as a spring and press against the shaft; the connection will be
made by the breeching strap being inserted in the said bent metallic band,
but the strap will get out of it when the horse gets out of the shafts.
Lastly, the breeching may be made of two separate parts connected together
on the croup of the horse by means of a metallic pin, which if withdrawn by a
cord within the reach of the driver will release the horse.
The above description' applies to a single-horse carriage. For two-horse
carriages the same kind of buckle may be used to unfasten the traces. As to
the breeching straps, instead of connecting them as usual to a ring at the end
of the pole, I furnish that end with a cylinder of iron or other suitable metal,
having on each side a bent piece of iron or steel, the fore end of which acts as
a spring, pressing against the said cylinder. The ring of the breeching strap.
is forced in the said spring piece, from which it will easily get out when the
horse released from the traces steps away from the carriage.
.....
Although my
Invention is particularly applicable to cases when the.horses
run away, and when it is necessary to instantaneously release them it will
readily be understood that my system may be practically used when it is
desired to promptly take out the horses.

page_text: r
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Germain Prioleau in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GERMAIN
PRIOLEAU, of Montignac-sur-Vezère, Département of Dordogne, in the Empire
of France, Harness Maker, send greeting.
***
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Germain Prioleau, Her special licence that I, the said
Germain Prioleau, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Germain Prioleau, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "A NEW APPARATUS FOR INSTANTANEOUSLY RELEASING HORSES FROM
CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Germain
Prioleau, my executors or administrators, by an..instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should' particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next.and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Germain Prioleau,, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:
It must be understood that. horses when in harness are connected with the
carriages, firstly, through the traces, which serve for. drawing the carriage;
secondly, through the breeching straps, which. serve for drawing back; and,
thirdly, through the shaft tugs, from which, the shafts are supported. Thus
when the horse and carriage are in motion, if the traces are suddenly dis-
connected from the buckle by which they are attached to the collar, the
horse will run on leaving the carriage behind and carrying with him the
shaft tags, which will glide away from, the shafts. As to the breeching
straps, if instead of being tied to the shafts they are attached to the back strap,

page_text: according to the Russian method of harnessing, they will follow the shaft
tugs, so that the unfastening will be complete. The difficulty was to find a
kind of buckle that could be instantaneously unfastened by any person from
the carriage, and it is this that forms the subject of my present Invention.
To effect this I have invented a buckle which is provided with mechanism,
by which the tongue is moved forward and backward. For buckling, the
tongue is carried forward, and is held in that position by a spring; for un-
buckling, an elbow lever acted upon by a cord (the end of which is within the
reach of the driver) presses against the spring and releases the tongue, which
being no longer held forward recedes from the hole of the strap. It will be
then easily understood that if the horse runs on the traces will be released
from the collar, the shaft tugs will glide away on the shafts, and the horse will
be completely disconnected.
To make my Invention better understood, I will proceed to describe the
same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 shews
the general arrangements of the mechanism of my improved buckle; Figure 2,
a view of the buckle when unfastened; Figures 3, 4, and 5, some details
of the said mechanism; and Figure 6, a contrivance for connecting the
breeching strap.
a is a flat piece of metal sliding forward and backward, and provided with
a tongue b, which advances and recedes with it; this piece is shewn separately
at Figures 3, 4, and 5. It has two notches on its side, one c serving to give
it the forward motion, the other c¹ to keep it in position by engaging with a
tooth or stud on a spring. The tongue is so made as to be able to turn on its
axis e, as may be seen in Figures 4 and 5, to facilitate the introduction and
the withdrawal of the strap. d is the spring which serves to maintain the
piece a in position; ƒ and g are two arms of an elbowed lever, which turn on
its axis h; the arm facts on the spring d, and the arm g is moved to and fro
by a rod i, at the end of which is a string coming within the reach of the
driver, who, by pulling the string, causes the arm f of the elbowed lever to
press against the spring d, and the piece a being no more kept up by the said
spring, recedes with the tongue, which is disengaged from the strap, and
which tongue turning on its axis e falls and frees the strap, so that if the
horse continue to run on he will carry away the said strap, whilst the carriage
will stop, as already explained.
Should it be found inconvenient to attach the breeching strap, as above
suggested, the following method may be resorted to:-The breeching strap is
fastened to a bent metallic band k, Figure 6, the fore end of which band is
made to act as a spring and press against the shaft; the connection will be

page_text: made by the ring of the breeching strap being inserted in the said bent
metallic band, but the strap will get out of it when the horse gets out of the
shafts.
Lastly, the breeching may be made of two separate parts, connected
together on the croup of the horse by means of a metallic pin, which, if with-
drawn by a cord within the reach of the driver, will release the horse.
The above description applies to a single-horse carriage. For two-horse
carriages the same kind of buckle may be used to unfasten the traces. As to
the breeching straps, instead of connecting them as usual to a ring at the end
of the pole, I furnish that end with a cylinder n of iron, or other suitable
metal (Figure 6), having on each side a bent piece of iron or steel k, the
fore end of which acts as a spring pressing against the said cylinder. The
ring of the breeching strap is forced on the said spring piece, from which it
will easily get out when the horse released from the traces steps away from
the carriage.
The Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 represent the objects in full size; the
Figure 6 is smaller than full size, and will vary in dimensions according to
requirements.
Although my Invention is particularly applicable to cases when the horses
run away, and when it is necessary to instantaneously release them, it will be
readily understood that my system may be practically used when it is desired
to promptly take out the horses.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, I wish it to be
understood that I do not confine myself to the special mechanism which I
suggest for withdrawing, the tongue from the strap, as other contrivances
could be used to obtain the same result; but I claim as my Invention the
withdrawing the tongue by suitable mechanism, and the contrivance shewn in
Figure 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said Germain Prioleau, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
G. PRIOLEAU. (L.S.)