Improvements in Harness.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
Improvements in Harness.
I, MORTIMER C. FLACK, of Lake Geneva, in the County of Walworth, and
State of Wisconsin, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in harness, and has particular reference
to the guide rings employed on the hames, and to the spreader rings employed in
double harness.
As is well known, the flat reins are now extensively used and are preferable for
many reasons; and furthermore, that said reins are injured by becoming twisted,
which twisting naturally occurs in rear of the rein guides, the reins being flat and
twisted first on one side and then on the other naturally the edges thereof are
strained more than the intermediate portions and hence become turned as it were at
the edges and rendered unfit and unsafe for use.
The objects of my invention are to so construct the guide rings employed at
the hames, and also the guide rings employed in double harness, as spreaders so
that they will prevent the twisting of the reins after the same have once been
placed in position.
This might readily be accomplished by a peculiar formation of the opening in
the rings, and inasmuch as it is often necessary to withdraw the reins from the
rings, it is essential that the openings in the rings be sufficiently large to permit
of the ready passage of the buckles and other attachments of the reins.
With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain features of
construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawing:
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a hame section or a portion of a pair of hames,
the same having a rein and rings therefor, all constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a modified construction of ring.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of that guide ring employed at the side of the hames
the same being shown open.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the modified construction of the ring shown in
Fig. 2.
Like numerals indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawing.
1 designates the hame section, and from the side of the same projects a pair of
vertically opposite eye-bolts 2, in which is loosely mounted a pintle or trunnion 3,
formed upon one side of a metal frame or ring 4 and beyond the ends thereof.
The ring or frame may, if desired, be secured rigid with the hame section,
but I prefer that the same should be pivoted as shown.
The ring or frame comprises, in the present instance, upper and lower end bars 5
and 6, respectively, and inner and outer side bars 7 and 8, respectively, the
trunnions being a continuation of the inner bar 7.
The upper end-bar 5 is, at its center, reduced to form a bearing-portion 8,
which passes through an elongated slot 9, formed in a vertical central tongue or
swinging-bar 10. The lower end of the slot 9 is formed with a counter-sink 11,
and seated therein is a coil spring 12, whose upper end bears against the bearing
portion, and therefore exerts a tendency to press the tongue downward. The
tongue is very little longer than the vertical width of the opening in the frame or
ring, and therefore, when not otherwise influenced, the spring projects the lower.
end of the tongue below the edge of cross-bar 6 of the ring or frame. The lower

page_text: extremity of the tongue has a slight protuberance or lug 13, and the same is
designed to engage with a counter-sink or seat 14 formed in the center and at the
inner side of the cross-bar 6. The seating of the lug in this cross-bar is accom-
plished by elevating the tongue 10 against the tension of the coiled spring 12.
When once settled it will be seen that the bar is practically rigid and forms a
dividing bar within the ring or frame whereby the latter is divided into two spaces
or openings. It will be obvious that by elevating the tongue and swinging the
same outward the opening in the ring is thus doubled in width and will readily
permit of the passage therethrough of lines or reins having buckles and other
accessories.
In single harness, the line 15 passes between the inner bar 7 and
the tongue, and in double harness the same, except the spread-rein which passes
between the outer bar 8 and the tongue, as is shown in the present instance. If
desired, a loose sleeve or ferrule 16 may be mounted upon the inner bar 7 or any
of the other bars. This completes the construction of the guide bar employed
at the hames, and I will next proceed to describe the construction of the
spreader ring.
17 designates the spreader ring, and the same may be of ivory, metal, bone, or
any other material. A curved sheet metal plate 18 fits within and over a portion
of the ring 17, the said plate being provided at its edges with a plurality of
flanges or clips 19 arranged in pairs and bent to clasp the ring whereby the plate
is secured rigidly thereon. The plate 18 is formed of spring metal and beyond
the lower-most clips 19 is curved inward out of its original line forming a spring
tongue 20, which has a perforation 21, therein. The upper end of the plate 18
has hinged thereto as at 22, a tongue or bar 23 whose lower end is provided with
a lug 24, which by a depression of the tongue 20, may be brought into alignment
with the perforation 21 and upon the liberation of said tongue may be engaged
thereby so that the bar or tongue 23 is rigid and subdivides the ring in the same
manner as the bar or tongue 10 does the frame or ring 4.
Of course, changes may be made in the manner of attaching the tongue to the
ring, as for instance, in the modification which I have shown. The ring 24 is
therein shown as of metal provided with perforations and having a portion reduced
forming bearing portion 25, and at a point opposite the same provided with an
internal enlargement 26, having counter-sink or seat 27.
28 designates a tongue which is provided with an elongated slot 29 that receives
bearing portion 25, and which has at its lower end a counter-sink and seated therein
a coiled spring 30 which, at its upper end, bears against the bearing portion of
the ring. A lug on the free end of the tongue or bar may be made to engage
with the counter-sink in the enlargement 26 in a manner heretofore indicated.
From the foregoing description, in connection with the drawing, it will be seen
that I have provided a ring which, when the tongue or bar is in position renders
the opening in said ring so small as to prevent the turning of the reins or lines,
and hence any twisting of the same whereby the reins or lines are preserved from
being torn by reason of such twisting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
1. The hereindescribed line-guiding spreader-ring, the same having at one side
a reduced bearing portion and in line therewith a counter-sink or seat, in combina-
tion with a tongue having an elongated slot loosely mounted on the reduced
bearing portion, a spring interposed between the end of the slot and the bearing
portion and a lug on the free end of the tongue adapted to engage with the
counter-sink in the ring, substantially as specified.
2. The combination with a hame, a pair of eye-bolts extending therefrom, of a
frame or ring having end trunnions engaging with the eye bolts, and an inter-
mediate pivoted tongue adapted to close or subdivide the frame, substantially as
specified.

page_text: 3. The combination with a hame, and a pair of eye-bolts projecting therefrom,
and in vertical alignment of a ring or frame having opposite trunnions at its
inner corners, and its upper side between its ends reduced to form a bearing portion,
and its lower side provided with a counter-sink, a tongue having an elongated slot
whose lower end is provided with a lug engaging with the counter-sink, and a
coiled spring seated in the slot and at its upper end bearing against the bearing
portion, substantially as specified.
4. A harness-ring comprising a frame, a spring pressed tongue yieldingly pivoted
at its end to one side thereof and extending there-across, and having a projection
at its opposite end adapted to catch in an aperture in the frame, and a spring
connected to the tongue for normally holding the same in engagement with the
aperture, substantially as specified.
5. The frame, the tongue slotted at one end to loosely engage and reciprocate
upon the same, and extending there-across, said tongue being provided at its outer
free end with a lug for engaging an aperture in the frame, and a spring seated in
the slot of the tongue and bearing against the frame to normally press the
tongue in a yielding manuer into engagement with said aperture, substantially as
specified.
Dated this 24th day of November 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.