Year: 1886

page_text: We, WILLIAM HENRY HANNAN of Palermo in the county of Oswego, state of
New York, Lumber Dealer, HARRIET EMILY HANNAN of Palermo in the county of
Oswego, state of New York, a 'house-keeper, LEWIS MILLER of Mexico in said
county and state, carriage manufacturer, and MAURICE LAUCHLIN WRIGHT of
Mexico in said county and state, being one of the United States of America, a
county judge 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:—
f"
This invention relates to the class of thill-couplings in which the hinge pin is
integral with the thill iron, and the draft eye has a section thereof hinged to
permit of introducing the hinge pin into the draft eye; and the invention consists
in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter.fully described,
and specifically set forth in the claims..
is a
The invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings, wherein Figure 1 is
a side view of my improved thill-coupling. Fig. 2. is a vertical transverse section
thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are side views of the draft-eye, shown in its closed and
open positions. Fig. 5 is a detached plan view of the portion of the thill iron
which is formed with the hinge pin. Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the thill-
coupling. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on line xx, Fig. 4. Fig.
detached plan view of the wire cams and parts connected therewith; and Fig. 9.is
a detached plan view of the bail, which is connected with the aforesaid cams and
locks the hinged portion of the draft eye in its closed position. Fig. 10 is a plan
of an alternative pattern of my improved thill iron, and Fig. 11 is a side elevation
of an alternative form of draft eye with three projections for grooves placed at
different levels.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parta
C represents the usual clip, which is fastened to the forward axle and adapted
for the attachment of the thill. This attachment I form as follows:-Either
the clip C or clip bar C¹ we form with a forward projecting shank, e, which
I

page_text: .
terminates in the draft eye, composed of a rigid lower half, and formed with a
rearward projection c, which is somewhat indented on its top. The shank e is
provided on its under side with a rigid perforated lug, r, in which we pivot two
cams, dd, arranged at opposite sides of the said lug. These cams we form of a
single piece of wire bent at the centre into the shape of a loop, i, and bent at the
ends of said loop into coils d d, and having the extremities bent toward and in
line with each other, as illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the extremities 7
being inserted into the perforated lug r, and constituting the pivot of the cams d d.
In the coils or cams d d is hung a bail, f which reaches up on opposite sides of
the shank e and across the top thereof at a sufficient elevation therefrom to allow
the said bail to be swung over onto the projection of the hinged section 61 of the
draft eye when closed, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings..
By swinging the loop i of the cams d d forward against the underside of the
draft eye the bail f is drawn down tightly on to the projection o, and the hinged
section b¹ of the draft eye is thus retained in its locked position, and when in this
position the cams d d are slightly forward from their pivot on the lug r, as shown
in Figs. 1, 2, and 8. of the drawings, and thus the said cams are partly locked in
their position, so as to guard against accidental loosening of the hold of the bail ✔
- on the projection c.
T represents the thill iron, which is bifurcated and is formed with a rigid hinge
pin, a, in the bifurcation, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Around this hinge
pin we wrap a bushing, n, of leather or other suitable material, and in coupling
the thill to the vehicle we throw down the loop i of the cams d d, and thereby
carry the latter rearward and upward, and thus loosen the bail f from the pro-
jection c, so as to allow said bail to be swung back to liberate the hinged section b
of the draft eye. Said hinged section can then be raised and thrown forward, to
allow the hinge pin a, with its bushing n, to be introduced into the draft eye, and
when this is accomplished the hinged section b¹ can be swung back and the bail f
thrown forward and across the projection c. Then by swinging the loop i forward
and against the under side of the draft eye the thill is securely coupled to the
vehicle. Fig. 10 shows an alternative form of thill iron, with the hinge pin a,
formed with a head a¹, fitted as indicated by dotted lines or other suitable means
into a boss t formed at one end of the thill iron T. In order to provide for the
tightening of the slackness caused by the wearing of the bush n. Fig. 2. we
provide an alternative form of draft eye with three projections or grooves coc
shown at different levels on the upper half of the draft eye b¹. By placing the
bail Fig. 9 alternately on the higher or lower grooves or projections the draft eye
is adjusted to the position required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is-
1st. The thill iron T, formed with the hinge pin a and provided with the
bushing n, in combination with the draft eye composed of the fixed lower half, b, and
the upper half b³, hinged to the forward portion of the lower half and provided
with the rearward projection c, the cams à d, pivoted on the shanke of the draft
eye, and the bail f connected with said cam and adapted to be placed across the
projection c, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described, set forth
and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
2nd. In combination with the thill iron T, formed with the hinge pin a, the
clip C, formed with the shank e, eye section b, and perforated lug r, the eye
section 61, hinged to the forward portion of the section b and formed at its rear end
with the rearward projection c, the cams dd, formed of a single piece of wire bent
at its centre to the shape of the loop i and bent at the ends of said loop into coils'd,
and having the extremities bent toward and in line with each other and inserted
into the perforated lug r, and the bail f, hung on the coils d d and embracing the

page_text: shank e and projection c, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described,
set forth and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
3rd. The thill iron T formed independently of the hinge pin a and fitted into a
boss t at one extremity of the thill iron T substantially as described and shown in
Fig. 10.
4th. A series of projections or grooves upon the upper half of the draft eye b²
Fig. 11. provided for the proper adjustment of the draft eye round the bush n.
Fig. 2. substantially as and for the purposes herein before described, set forth and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.