IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAFT TUGS
Year: 1884

page_text: TRỤ VIDIONAL SPECIFICATION,
I JAMES COTTRELL, Junior, of 30 West Street St. Philips in the City and
County of Bristol Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of my said. Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAFT TUGS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in or applicable to harness, the
object being to provide an easy and safe means of attaching or releasing a horse
from the shafts of any vehicle, also in the case of a horse falling down while in the
shafts to afford ready means of releasing it without trouble or without cutting the
harness.
This Invention has reference to that part of the harness called and well; known
as the "tug" and is carried out as follows:-
3
I construct the body of the tug of leather of two or more thicknesses and in two.
parts provided with a strip of light iron or other metal in each part. At the
lower end of each piece of the iron there is made a half hinge which on being made
to hinge together allows the top part of the "tug" when open to fall back..
At the upper end of the tug is a deep socket in which works a screw bolt so cut
as to work and become tight when half turned,
A slot is cut in the upper end of the top part of the "tug" to allow it to drop
over said bolt when the tug is closed for work.
Near to the bottom of "tug "I provide a movable (or in some cases and where
desirable a fixed) metal loop rivetted so as to allow it to turn round. The object
of having this loop movable is to allow the backband to "give." a little as the
horse moves thereby taking part of the strain off the backband.
The Invention is worked out as follows:-The backband passes twice through
the buckle of the "tug," thence down the back thereof and through the aforesaid
metal loop; the point of the strap or backband is then is then buckled on the belly-
band before the horse is attached to the conveyance. The shaft is then dropped
into the tug as it is open and the top part thereof is brought over and laps over
and is bolted by the before mentioned bolt by said bolt being turned a half turn to
the right, its being a deep cut screw it cannot move until wanted, thus safely
securing the shaft in its place.
Should the horse fall while at work or be required to be taken from the
conveyance the bolt is turned half turn to the left and the aforesaid top part being
at the same time raised the shaft can be removed at once and the horse immediately
freed.
These "tugs" can be constructed so as to suit the requirements of the work or
in whatever shape desired.

page_text: COLLECTE
I JAMES COTTRELL Junior of 30 West Street St. Philips in the City and
County of Bristol, Saddler do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAFT TUGS" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the Figures and 5
letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention' relates to certain improvements in shaft tugs the object being to
provide an easy and safe means for attaching or releasing a horse from the shafts
of any vehicle, also in the case of a horse falling down while in the shafts to afford
easy and ready means of releasing it without cutting and spoiling the harness.
In the Drawings annexed hereto is shown the construction of my improved tug
Fig. 1 being a front view of the tug open; Fig. 2 like view of tug closed. Fig. 3
like view of metal body of tug and showing the suspension of the buckle and the
spring arrangement.
1
In carrying the Invention into practice:-I construct the body of the. tug as 1
shown in Fig. 3 of a strip or strips of metal A provided with a hinge a at any
convenient part and to this metal body are fastened by any suitable and convenient
.means on.each side thereof strips of leather B of one or more thicknesses as
desired but shown in the Drawings Figs. 1 and 2 of one thickness only.
The buckle C for fastening the backband E to the tug is fitted between the inside 2
leather B and the metal body A by sewing the two leathers together or by any
other convenient means so that a new buckle may be fitted when desired without
much trouble.
•
In one end of the outside leather B and metal band A of the tug is provided a
deep socket c in which works a screw bolt c¹ and cut in the other end of the tug is
a slot 6 for reception of the screw bolt c' and for fastening the tug.
Near to the bottom of the tug I provide a movable (or in some cases and where
desirable a fixed) metal loop E for reception of the backband D and in the case
where a movable loop is used it is so rivetted screwed or fastened as to allow it to
turn round the object being to allow the backband D to "give" a little as the
animal moves thereby taking part of the strain off said backband D.
The Invention is worked out as follows:-The backband D passes through the
buckle C of the "tug" thence down the back thereof and through the said metal
loop E the point d of the backband D is then buckled on to the belly band (not
shown in the Drawings) before the horse is attached to the conveyance. The shaft
is then dropped into the tug when open as shown at Fig. 1 and the top part is
brought over and the slot b fits the bolt c¹ which bolt c is then turned a half turn
to the right thus closing the tug as shown in Fig. 2 and its being a deep cut screw
it cannot move until desired thus effectively securing the shaft in its place.
Said bolt c¹ is kept in position when closed by a stop spring underneath the
metal body and provided with two sturts projecting upwards and fitting closely up
to each side of the nose of the bolt c'. To open the tug I depress the spring by
means of a button provided at any suitable part of said spring and proceed as
hereinafter described.
Should the horse fall down while at work or be required to be taken from the
conveyance, the bolt e' is, turned half turn to the left and the upper part of the tug
which is provided with, the slot b is at the same time pulled upwards when the
shaft can be removed and the horse immediately freed.
These improved tugs can be constructed so as to suit the requirements of the
work or in whatever shane desired

page_text: 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:-
Firstly. A shaft tug constructed as herein described and as shown in Figa. 1, 2
and 3 of the Drawings.
Secondly. The deep socket c screw bolt o¹ and slot b and spring arrangement as
fastening for the tug as herein described and as shown by the Drawings.
Thirdly. The movable (or fixed) metal loop E as and for the purpose herein
set forth and shown by the Drawings.
Fourthly. The suspension of the tug A. B a on the buckle C so as to allow of the
buckle C being removed and another substituted as herein set forth and as shown
in Figs. 1, 2, 3 of the Drawings.
E. J. COLSTON FEAR,
17, Redcliffe Street, Bristol,
Agent.