IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES, AND IN SECURING OR HARNESSING DRAUGHT ANIMALS THERETO
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Stratford at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th February
1867.
I, WILLIAM STRATFORD, of Lincoln Street, Bow Road East, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES, AND IN SECURING OR HARNESSING
DRAUGHT ANIMALS THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in carriages or vehicles, and in securing or
harnessing draught animals thereto, has for its objects to greatly lessen the
chances of accident arising from the stumbling or falling of the horses or
other animals employed to draw vehicles, and likewise in the event of such
horses or animals falling to enable them to be more readily. detached or
released.
According to my Invention in constructing a carriage or vehicle intended
to travel upon two wheels I dispense with the shafts, as ordinarily employed,
and I substitute therefor a hollow or other bar or bars situated above the
animal's back. At the end farthest from the body of the carriage or vehiclo
and running at right angles to its length, such bar or bars is or are provided
with a curved or forked rod, or bar, or equivalent contrivance passing partly
down at each side of the animal's boily and attached to the saddle of the harness
by means of eyes or loops formed in two parts or portions hinged together and
fastened by means of a small tapped pin or bolt, the partial withdrawal of
which will enable the bar of the carriage or vehicle to be readily detached
from the saddle or equivalent portion of the harness. I further secure the

page_text: animal to the vehicle by means of straps or traces attached at one end by
hooks or otherwise to the vehicle, and at the other end to the harness by
means of buckles so arranged that by withdrawing the pins or bolts forming
the joints or hinges of such buckles the tongues thereof will be separated from
the remaining portions of the buckles, the whole of which may then be con-
veniently removed from the harness, thus detaching the straps or traces
and releasing the animal. In some cases, instead of the hooks or projections
ordinarily made use of for securing the traces to the vehicle, I employ hinged
hooks provided with suitable spring catches arranged in such manner as that
by withdrawing the catches the hinged hooks can be moved, so as instantly to
release the traces. Otherwise I secure the traces to the vehicle by means of
an arragement of buckle or shackle having ridges or recesses fittting on to
the ends of a short bar attached to the vehicle. When the trace is pulled
for the purpose of moving the vehicle the ridges or sides of the recesses of the
buckle or shackle bear against the bar attached to the vehicle, as described,
and the vehicle is moved forward, the buckles or shackles being retained in
their places by a bar or pin passing through each side of the buckle or shackle
and through a hole formed in the bar of the vehicle in such manner as that
all strain is removed from the loose bar or pin of the buckle or shackle when
the vehicle is being drawn forward, while the traces may be readily detached
from the vehicle by withdrawing such last-mentioned bar or pin. It will
hence be seen that in the event of a horse or other animal stumbling or falling
it can according to my Invention be conveniently detached or released from
the vehicle without cutting the harness, and avoiding such delay and damage
to the animal and harness, and even to the vehicle, as generally ensue under
similar circumstances with vehicles and harness constructed in the ordinary
manner.
The hollow or other bar substituted for shafts, as aforesaid, is in the case of
a two-wheeled vehicle attached to or forms part of a framing passing down-
ward at each side of the front and at the back of the vehicle to within a short
distance of the ground, and provided with small wheels, which are situated
above the level of the road, thus greatly strengthening the body of the vehicle
and supporting it when required, so as to preclude any considerable tilting
⚫ either forward or backward, and hence not only preventing the occupants of the
vehicle being thrown out from this cause, but likewise temporarily supporting
the animal when stumbling and enabling it to regain its footing without falling
upon its knees, it being well understood that in most cases a little support
only is needed to inspire such confidence in a stumbling horse as will enable i
to readily regain its footing without injury.

page_text: Bars situated above the level of the animals' backs, and provided with
arrangements, as described, for their ready release may be advantageously
employed in four-wheeled and other vehicles, and would be specially de-
sirable in the cases of omnibuses, in adapting them to which I should prefer
that the cross piece of the main bar should be provided with two separate
curved or forked rods or bars, as described, one for each horse; the positions
of such curved rods or bars may be adjusted by screws, or equivalent means,
to suit animals of various heights; I would likewise observe that eyes or loops,
buckles, and safety frames, with wheels formed and constructed substantially
as herein-before described, may in some cases be advantageously employed or
applied (either separately or two or more of them in combination) in or to
carriages, vehicles, and harness of ordinary or other construction.