Improvements in Sleigh Attachments.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sleigh Attachments.
.
I, CHARLES LUSTED, Senior, of La Fayette, in the County of La Fayette,
and State of Louisiana, 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 :-
The invention relates to improvements in sleigh attachments for vehicles. The
object of the present invention is to improve the construction of sleigh attach-
ments for vehicles, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient one capable
of being readily applied to carriages and other vehicles, and of being brought
into and out of operation without necessitating a driver leaving his seat. A further
object of the invention is to provide a sleigh attachment which, when thrown out
of operation will have its runners arranged a sufficient distance from the vehicle
wheels to prevent any friction or clogging through accumulation of mud on the
said wheels.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrange-
ment of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.
In the drawings :—
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle provided with a sleigh attachment.
constructed in accordance with this invention, the runners being in operative
position.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the runners being shown in
operative position in full lines, and off the wheels in dorted lines.
Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the bearing brackets.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the runners the shoe and the runner proper
being separated.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the manner of mounting the
runners.
Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the drawings.
1 designates a series of runners provided with substantially-radially-disposed
arms 2, and detachably connected with a vehicle 3 by means of bearing brackets 4
mounted on the axles of the vehicle and located adjacent to the wheels. Each
bearing bracket is constructed of suitable metal, composed of two sides and
provided with substantially horizontally disposed arms 5 receiving an axle between
them and located above and below the same. The arms 5 are provided with
openings for the reception of a vertically disposed key 6 located in rear of the
axle and engaged by a clamping screw 7 which confines the key in the openings of
the arms 5.
The substantially radially disposed arms 2 of the runners 1, extend forward
from the adjacent axle, and have their upper terminals pivotally connected to the
adjacent bearing bracket between the sides thereof eccentrically to the wheel,
whereby when the runner is swung upward, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2
of the accompanying drawings, it will be carried clear of the wheel and in advance
of the same, and when swung downward into operative position it will be carried
into close contact with the wheel. Each runner is provided with a shoe 8 having
upwardly extending side flanges 9 embracing the wheel at the bottom thereof, to

page_text: prevent any lateral movement of the runner when the latter is in operative position,.
the shoe receives the wear, is provided at its front end with a tongue projection 10,
and is secured intermediate of its ends to the runner by a bolt 11, or other
suitable fastening device passing through a perforation of the runner and having
its head countersunk into the shoe. The projection 10 is hooked into a perforation
of the runner and the latter may be readily removed when worn and another shoe
may be quickly applied to the runner..
Each pair or set of runners is connected with a transverse rock shaft 12
journaled at its ends in suitable bearings on the brackets 4 and provided adjacent
to the same with arms 13 which are connected by link bars 13", with the upper
arms of the runners whereby a toggle connection is provided and the operation
rendered positive and reliable. The terminals of the link bar 13", are bent up m.
themselves to provide loops or keepers for the arms of the rock shaft and the
runners. The rock shafts of the front and rear axles are connected by a longi-
tudinally disposed bar 14 movably connected with depending cylindrically arranged
arms 15 of the side shafts, and producing a simultaneous operation of the runners
of the front and rear wheels.
The wheel attachment is operated by a lever 16 fulcrumed intermediate of its
ends on the vehicle, and connected at its lower end with the bar 14 by a link
bar 17. The upper arm or portion of the operating lever is arranged in an
opening or slot of a segmental ratchet 18, and is located at any desired adjustment
by a spring actuated latch lever 19 engaging perforations of the ratchet. The
latch lever, which is substantially L-shaped, is fulcrumed at its angle on the
operating lever, and has its upper arm engaged by a spring 21. The operating
lever is located at one side of the vehicle and has its handle portion arrange at
one end of the drivers seat within easy reach, in order that the sleigh attachment
may be operated from that point. When it is desired to lift the runners the
vehicle should be backed slightly, sufficiently to free the runners, and then the
latter may be readily swung upward by means of the operating lever.
It will be seen that the sleigh attachment is simple and inexpensive in con-
struction, and positive and reliable in operation, that it is applicable to all
classes of vehicles, and that it will enable a vehicle to be readily converted into a
sleigh without necessitating the driver leaving his seat. It will also be apparent
that the runners of the sleigh attachment when thrown out of operation, are
carried away from the vehicle wheels to prevent any liability of the vehicle
being retarded or the wheels becoming clogged by an accumulation of mud
thereon.
Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be
resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages
of the invention.
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 I
claim is
1. The combination with a vehicle, of a sleigh attachment provided with
pivotally-mounted runners arranged to swing eccentrically of the wheels of the
vehicle, whereby when they are swung upward out of operation they will be
carried away from the wheels, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a sleigh attachment for vehicles, the combination of a bearing bracket
designed to be mounted on an axle, a runner pivotally mounted on the bearing
bracket and arranged to swing eccentrically on a vehicle wheel, a rock shaft
provided with an arm, a link connected with the arm and with the runner and
forming a toggle connection, and means for operating the rock shafts, substantially
as described.
"
3. In a sleigh attachment for vehicles, the combination of a bearing bracke
composed of two sides and provided with rearwardly-extending arms adapted to
embrace an axle, a fastening device connecting the arms for securing the bracke

page_text: to the axle, a runner provided with arms eccentrically pivoted to the bearing
bracket between the sides thereof, a rock shaft having an arm and a link
connected with the arm of the rock-shaft and with an arm of the runner and
forming a toggle connection and means for operating the rock-shaft, substantially
as described.
'
4. In a sleigh attachment, the combination of a runner provided with a per-
foration, a shoe having a projection to engage the perforation and provided at.
opposite sides with flanges to embrace a wheel, and a fastening device for securing
the shoe to the runner, substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of January 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant..