Improvements in Horse-hitching Devices.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895
Improvements in Horse-hitching Devices..
I, URIAH EDNEY MILLER, of Heilig's Mill, in the County of Rowan, and State
of North Carolina, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in horse-hitching devices.
The object of the present invention is to provide for vehicles a hitching device
whereby a draft animal or animals will be securely held against forward or
backward movement, and which will dispense with the ordinary hitching strap or
line, and weight or post.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement
of parts hereinafter. fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and
pointed out in the claims hereto appended.
In the drawings.
:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle provided with a hitching device
constructed in accordance with this invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional
view of the rear portion thereof.
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Figure 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the standard, showing the
pulley and the pivoted frame.
Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the top of the standard:
Figure 5 is a detail view of the hook.
Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
1 designates, a standard, designed to be secured to, an axle at, each side of a
vehicle, and provided with a foot portion 2, which is arranged beneath an axle 3
and which is secured thereto by a clip passing over the axle. The standard is
provided on its rear-face and the bottom of the foot portion 2 with supporting
Hanges 4 and it has on its front side adjacent to the foot portion bearing flanges 5,
which engage the rear side of the axle.
At the top of the standard is a substantially rectangular bearing frame 6,
receiving a pivot frame 7 and consisting of sides 8 and 9. The side 8 is formed
integral with the standard, and the other side 9 is constructed separate and secured
at its ends by bolts 10 and 11 to the standard, and to the top of the side. 8 and these
sides are provided with horizontal sockets 12. receiving cushions 13.
The cushions 13 consist of cylindrical blocks of rubber and form bearings for
journals 14 of the pivot frame 7 to enable the latter to swing noiselessly. In the
pivoted frame 7 is journaled a pulley 15 which is mounted on a bolt, 16 and which
is held normally against the lower portion of the pivot frame by a spiral spring 17
seated in a recess or cavity in the top of the pulley and designed to render the
pulley noiseless.
:
A hitching strap or line 18 which is connected to the bit and which passes through
hame rings or the like, and a guide 19 of the adjacent shaft passes rearwardly around
the pulley and has secured to it a hook 20 which is adapted to engage the rim of the
adjacent wheel, and which is provided with a weighted handle portion 21. The
hook is provided with a transverse piece 22 to. which is connected the hitching
strap or line, and a short strap 23 extending from the hook to a loop or keeper 24
of the adjacent shaft.
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page_text: 2
When it is desired to hitch the draft animal the hook 20 which is provided with
a contracted mouth or entrance is engaged over the rim of the wheel, and the
handle portion being weighted, prevents any accidental disengagement. If the
horse should attempt to move forward, the hitching straps or lines will be drawn
backward by the forward rotation of the wheel, instantly checking the animal, and
should it attempt to back the wheels will be positively locked. If the animal
should attempt to turn to the right or left the wheel which moves forward will draw
the companion hitching strap or line rearward and bring the horse back to its
proper position.
The connecting strap or line is provided with a loop or keeper 25 to receive the
hook when the latter is not in use, and the hitching straps or lines are provided
with snap-hooks 26 and rings 27 to enable them to be readily disconnected when it
is desired to permit a horse to water at a stream. The driving lines are provided
with rings 28 which may be connected with the snap hooks when desired.
In extreme cases with vicious horses the traces can be disconnected from the road
cart, thereby throwing the entire weight of the vehicle with the wheels locked on
the hitching lines. This forms an effective check and will prevent such horses from
moving forward.
It will be seen that the bitching device is simple and comparatively inexpensive
in construction and positive and reliable in operation, and that it dispenses with the
ordinary hitching strap and weight, and hitching posts.
It will also be seen that by making the hitching straps or lines separable' it is
unnecessary to leave the vehicle when it is d'esired to water the draft animal.
It will also be understood that the hitching apparatus may be readily applied to
any ordinary vehicle employing either one or two horses.
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 this invention.
Having now particularly described. and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
.. claim is
1. The combination with a vehicle, of upward extending standards located
between the wheels and the body of the vehicle and mounted on the axle and
provided at their tops with pulleys, hitching lines passing around the pulleys and
designed to be connected at their front end's with the bit, and hooks carried by
the said lines for engaging the rims of the adjacent wheels, substantially as
'described.
2. In a hitching device, the combination with a vehicle, of standard's mounted on
the axle adjacent to the wheels and provided with vertical pulleys, hitching lines
designed to be connected to the bit and composed of sections having snap hook
connections, said hitching lines passing around the pulleys, hooks connected to the
rear ends of the hitching lines, and the short connecting straps extending from the
books to the shafts and provided with loops for the reception of the hooks,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
.
'a
3. In a hitching device, the combination with a vehicle, of a hitching line,"
standard secured to the axle and provided at its top with a rigid frame, a pivot
frame journaled on the rigid frame, a pulley mounted in the pivot frame and
receiving the hitching lines, and a hook connected' with the hitching line,
substantially as described.
4. In a hitching device, the combination with a vehicle, a hitching line, a
standard secured to the axle and provided at its top with a rigid frame and having
sockets at opposite sides thereof, elastic blocks arranged in the sockets, a pivot
frame journaled in the elastic blocks, and' a pulley mounted in the pivot frame and
receiving the hitching line, substantially as described.
5. In a hitching device, the combination with a vehicle, a hitching line, a standard
secured to the axle and provided at its top with a rigid frame and having sockets

page_text: at opposite sides thereof, elastic blocks arranged in the sockets, a pivot frame
journaled in the elastic blocks, a pulley mounted in the pivot frame and provided at
its top with a recess, a bolt passing through the pulley, and a spiral spring seated
in the recess and interposed between the pulley and the top of the pivot frame,
substantially as described.
6. In a hitching device, the combination with a vehicle, of a hitching line
provided with a hook, of a standard having a foot piece secured to the axle, said
standard being provided with bearing flanges engaging the rear side of the axle, a
rigid frame arranged at the top of the standard and composed of sides 8 and 9 the
side 8 being formed integral with the standard, and the side being bolted to the
standard aud to the top of the side 8, sockets arranged at opposite sides of the frame,
elastic blocks fitted in the sockets, a pivot frame journaled on the elastic blocks,
and the pulley mounted in the pivot frame and receiving the hitching line,
substantially as described.
7. In a hitching device, the combination of a vehicle, a standard mounted on the
axle and arranged adjacent to a wheel between the same and the body and carrying
the pulley, a hitching line designed to be connected to the bit and passing around
the pulley, and a hook connected intermediate of its ends to the hitching, line
and having a contracted mouth or entrance and provided with an extension
forming a handle and holding the hook in proper position substantially as and for
the purpose described.
Dated thin 17th dox of Tune 1805
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.