IMPROVE- MENTS IN SHAFT SHACKLES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office, No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHAFT SHACKLES."-A communication from abroad by Louis
Hollenback, of Belleville, State of New Jersey, United States of
America.
Sealed the 24th April 1866, and dated the 27th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th November 1865.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAFT SHACKLES," a communication, to be as follows:-.
The nature of the said Invention consists in making a moveable double jaw
shaft shackle, having conical bosses or lugs on the inside of each jaw, so as to
fit a concave seat formed in the eye of the shaft iron, and thus by means of a
screw bolt passing transversely through the jaws and eye of the shaft iron
hold the parts firmly together. By this arrangement the wear of the shaft
iron is transferred from the screw bolt to the conical lugs; and, as a matter

page_text: of course, by drawing up the nut on the screw bolt the parts are made to fit
closely together, and thus not only give great security in the attachment of
the shafts or poles to the axle-tree, which prevents the loosening of the nut
on the bolt by the jarring motion it is subject to when in use, but at the same
time prevents all rattling noise of the parts without the intervention of any
rubber or other elastic packing. These shackles can be made of either
wrought or malleable cast iron, and are cheaper than any shackles now in use
for such purposes.
But to describe the said Invention more particularly reference will be made
to the accompanying Drawings, the same letters of reference referring to like
parts.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shackle as attached to the axle-tree
and shaft iron; Figure 2 is a detached view of the shackle, showing the
moveable jaw opened; Figure 3 is a detached view of the shaft iron; and
Figure 4 is a detached view of the screw bolt.
A is the axle-tree, and B the clip for securing the shackle to the said axle-
tree by means of screws and nuts C and C passing through the tang D of
the stationary part or jaw E; F, is the moveable jaw of the shackle, and is
secured to the stationary part by the screw C. passing through a hole in the
end of the said jaw so as to work on it as a centre pin. On the inner faces
of the jaws are formed bosses or conical lugs G, through the centre of which
is a bolt hole for the passage of a screw bolt H, to hold the two jaws together
upon the end of the shaft iron J. The eye of this shaft iron is made concave
to correspond with the shape of the conical lugs G. The object of this is to
prevent any rattling of the parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robert Lake, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the said
William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHAFT SHACKLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
forming a part thereof, the same letters of reference wherever they occur
referring to like parts.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the shackle as attached to the
axle-tree and shaft; Figure 2 represents the shaft iron or eye for attaching to
the shackle; Figure 3 is a view of the shackle with the moveable jaw open
to admit the shaft iron; Figure 4 is a detached view of the bolt.
Letter A is the axle-tree of the vehicle, upon which is secured by means of
a loop or clip B the stationary jaw C of the shackle. Letter D represents the
moveable jaw of the shackle, which has for its centre of motion the end of
the front screw bolt E of the clip B. The object of this arrangement is to
admit of opening the moveable jaw to take in or let out the end of the shaft
iron F between the hollow conical journals G, G, formed on the inner faces
of the jaws. It will be obvious that by making the moveable jaw to work on
a centre pin, working like a hinge joint from the side of the stationary jaw,
the same action in the jaw (that is, opening and closing on the shaft iron).is
produced, and therefore contemplate operating the moveable jaw by either
mode of attachment to the stationary jaw as circumstances may require, as
the one mode of attachment is deemed the equivalent of the other mode of
attachment. To keep the jaws closed upon the eye of the shaft iron a screw
bolt H passes through the two hollow conical journals G, G, and also through
the eye of the shaft iron. By this means the jaws of the shackle are kept

page_text: firmly bound to the shaft iron, which being made with a countersunk eye
corresponding with the shape of the conical journals G, G, prevents all
rattling motion of the parts, and should the parts wear away by use it can be
remedied at once by the simple operation of tightening up the nut on the
screw bolt H.
Having now described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I will proceed to set forth what is claimed as new,-
1st, the combination of a moveable jaw with a stationary jaw, whether
attached thereto by means of the clip bolt or by a hinge joint working from
the side of the stationary jaw, as herein-before set forth.
2nd, the combination with the stationary and moveable jaw, operating as
berein-before set forth, of the hollow conical journals attached to the jaws and
shaft iron, for the purposes substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (LS.)