Improvements in Attachments for Thills or Shafts of Carriages, Buggies, or similar Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Attachments for Thills or Shafts of Carriages,
Buggies, or similar Vehicles..
We. WILLIAM ROBERT CHAPIN, ARCHIBALD LAW LINDSAY, JOHN
W. HOWARTH, and JOHN MELDRUM ROBERTSON, all citizens of the United
States, residing at the City of Scranton, County of Lackawanna, and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Inventors, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to attachments for the thills or shafts of a carriage,
buggy or similar vehicle which are designed for use as supports for said thills
or shafts, and for connecting the back-band and the belly-band of the harness
therewith, and the object of the invention, is to provide an improved device of this
class which is simple in construction and operation, and by means of which the
shafts or thills of a vehicle may be quickly and easily connected with the harness,
or whereby the harness may be quickly and easily connected with the shafts or
thills.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification.
The attachment contemplated in this invention, consists of two parts, which are
pivotally connected and one of which is adapted to serve as a connection for the
back-band and the other as a connection for the belly-band of the harness, and the
first named part, consists of a buckle provided with two downwardly directed
shanks or arms, the lower side of which are provided with outwardly directed
circular or segmental carrying jaws or hooks, into which in practice, the thills
or shaft is dropped; and the other part consists of a locking lever pivotally
mounted between the shanks or arms of the other part and provided at its upper
end with an outwardly curved hook or jaw, and at its lower end with a downwardly
directed shank which is provided at its lower end with a slotted cross head, with
which the belly-band is connected or a buckle may be substituted for said cross
head.
The shape or form of the jaws or hooks, is such that in their normal position,
the ends thereof, come together and form a perfect ring, and by pressing or pulling
outwardly on the lower end of the shank of the lever, the said jaws and hooks may
be separated, and the shaft or thill dropped thereinto, and then by releasing said
shank or by pressing backwardly thereon, the jaws or hooks will be again brought
together and securely held the shaft or thill.
This construction in which the hook or jaw of the lever is omitted, and said lever
is pivotally mounted between the shanks, and curved outwardly, downwardly and
backwardly, and provided at its lower end with the slotted cross head, which serves
as a connection for the belly-band.
In order to connect the thill or shaft with this form of holder or attachment, the
lever is turned upwardly, and the shaft or thill is dropped into the carrying hooks,
and then said lever is depressed into the position.
This attachment is simple in construction and operation, and perfectly adapted
to accomplish the result for which it is intended, and it is evident that changes in
and modifications of the construction herein described may be made without
departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.
Dated this 20th day of August 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents,

page_text: Improvements in Attachments for Thills or Shafts of Carriages,
Buggies, or similar Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM ROBERT CHAPIN, ARCHIBALD LAW LINDSAY, JOHN W.
HOWORTH and JOHN MELDRUM ROBERTSON, all of No. 1025 N. Washington
Avenue, in the City of Scranton, in the County of Lackawanna, and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Inventors, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in thill tugs, and similar coupling
devices, and the object thereof is to provide an improved device of this class which
is simple in construction aud operation, and of which the following is a full, clear
and exact specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which
it appertains, to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this
specification.
My improvement is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement
are designated by the same letters of reference throughout the several views,' and
in which-
Fig. 1, is a side view of the tug clamped on to the thill; and,
Fig. 2, is a view looking endwise of the thill, showing the construction, the
dotted lines showing the lever thrown back to receive the thill, while the full lines
show the lever in place to hold the thill.
In the accompanying drawing, A, represents the thill; B, represents the double
hook for carrying the thill, it being made with a loop at the top to buckle to the
back band of the harness, while the curved lever C, is hinged to the double hook B,
by the rivet D, and the lower end is made with a loop, into which the belly-band is
fastened.
To connect the thill, the lever C, is thrown up, as indicated by the dotted lines,
when the thill is placed into place and the belly-band buckled, which holds the
thill in place without the usual play attending the same.
The thill may be covered with leather, if desired, to prevent the wear on the
wood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A shaft-tug consisting of the combination of a carrying-hook and a guard-
lever pivoted at one end to the shank of the hook and curved outward and
downward, and means to attach the hook to the back-band and the lever to the
belly-band, substantially as shown and described.
2. A shaft-tug consisting of the combination of a double carrying hook and
a guard-lever pivoted at une end to the shank of the hook and curved outward
and downward, and means to attach the upper end of the hook to the back-baud
and the free end of the lever to the belly-band, substantially as described and set
forth.
Dated this 4th day of January 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.