IMPROVEMENTS IN HARNESS, OR ARRANGEMENTS USED FOR TRACTION BY ANIMAL POWER, AND WHEN CARRYING LOADS UPON ANIMALS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fraser Fowlie, of Barrow-in-Furness, in
the County of Lancaster, Ship and Insurance Broker, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARNESS, OR ARRANGEMENTS USED FOR
TRACTION BY ANIMAL POWER, AND WHEN CARRYING LOADS UPON ANIMALS.”
Sealed the 19th May 1874, and dated the 1st January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fraser Fowlie at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st January 1874.
I, JAMES FRASER FOWLIE, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of
Lancaster, Ship and Insurance Broker, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARNESS, OR ARRANGEMENTS
USED FOR TRACTION BY ANIMAL POWER, AND WHEN CARRYING LOADS UPON
ANIMALS," to be as follows:-
-
.
The object of my Invention is to equalize and regulate the strain
and reduce the jerk and concussion to which horses and other draught
animals are subjected when drawing ploughs, harrows, carts, wagons,

page_text: and other vehicles, or when employed in other tractive purposes, and
also when carrying loads; and my Invention consists in introducing
between the animal and the plough, harrow, cart, wagon, or other
vehical, an elastic arrangement which may be formed by means of metal,
india-rubber, or other springs, or by other elastic substances.
The elastic arrangement is introduced into the harness, or is attached
to the plough, harrow, cart, wagon, or other vehicle to be drawn, so
that the tractive strain of the animal, and the concussion caused by
the plough, harrow, cart, &c., coming in contact with any substance
impeding the draught, as also the vibration from irregular loading on
the animal's back, will pass through such arrangement, which will thus
equalize the strain, and modify the jerks and concussions.
In carrying loads by animals a similar elastic arrangement to that
above described for tractive purposes is introduced into the harness
or connections between the animal and the load which it carries.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Fraser Fowlie in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FRASER FOWLIE, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster, Ship
and Insurance Broker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Fraser Fowlie, Her
special license that I, the said James Fraser Fowlie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Fraser
Fowlie, my 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 HARNESS, OR ARRANGEMENTS USED FOR TRACTION BY ANIMAL
<<

page_text: ין
POWER, AND WHEN CARRYING LOADS UPON ANIMALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Fraser Fowlie, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Fraser Fowlie, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and the accompanying Drawings (that is to
say):-
The object of my Invention is to equalize and regulate the strain,
and reduce the jerk and concussion to which horses and other draught
animals are subjected when drawing ploughs, harrows, carts, wagons,
and other vehicles, or when employed in other tractive purposes, and
also when carrying loads; and my Invention consists in introducing
between the animal and the plough, harrow, cart, wagon, artillery
wagon, or other vehicle, an elastic arrangement which may be formed
by means of metal, india-rubber, or other springs, or by other clastic
substances.
The elastic arrangement is introduced into the harness, or is attached
to the plough, harrow, cart, wagon, or other vehicle to be drawn so
that the tractive strain of the animal, and the concussion caused by
the plough, harrow, cart, &c., coming in contact with any substance
impeding or causing irregularity in the draught, as also the vibration
from irregular pressure or loading on the animal's back, will pass
through such arrangement, which will thus equalize the strain, and
modify the jerks and concussions.
In carrying loads by animals a similar elastic arrangement to that
above described for tractive purposes is introduced into the harness or
connections between the animal and the load which it carries."
The manner in which my Invention is carried into effect is illustrated
by the Figures upon the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
For tractive purposes an elastic link or arrangement is introduced
into the traces or chains connecting the hame on the collar or breast

page_text: band of the draught animal and vehicle, plough or harrow, or article
being drawn, or such an elastic arrangement is formed in or attached
to the hame or breast band, or is formed upon or attached to the vehicle
or other article being drawn.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an clastic link. a is a cylindrical
casing having connecting links b at one end, as shown; C is a piston.
and rod within the casing having a connecting link d screwed on at
its outer end, as shown; and e is an helical spring which abuts against
the piston (c) at one end, and the end of the casing (a) at the other
end, as shown.
Fig. 2 shews a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 an end view of a
similar clastic arrangements to that represented by Fig. 1, but without
the connecting links (6); this arrangement may be secured by screws
or bolts to the shafts, or other parts of the vehicle or article to be drawn,
where the traces are to be connected. When the traces have to be
connected to a hook it may be arranged to slide and have a helical
spring or a flat or series of flat india-rubber or other springs applied
to make it elastic. The end of the casing (a) or other part of it may
be connected with or form part of the hame projecting at about a right
angle therefrom.
The connecting link of the hame for the traces or traction chains
may be made elastic, as shown by Fig. 4, a side, and Fig. 5, an edge
view, where f represents part of the hame, g, the elastic connecting
link and hook. Or the elastic connecting links in the traces, or those
attached to the hames and vehicles may be made as shown in Fig. 6,
a side, and Fig. 7, an edge view. a is a flat link hinged to the hame f,
and c is a hook having a cross head c¹ and two projecting pins c² which
pass through holes in the end of the link a, as shewn, and are rivetted
into a cross bar c³ into which a central pin c* is also rivetted.
each pin there is an helical spring e, as shown.
Around
The
Fig. 8 shows part of a hollow metallic hame f in section, in which
there are two helical springs e arranged as shown; c are pistons con-
nected to wire or other rope or chain d which passes, as shown, partly
round the anti-friction pulleys h having bearings on the hame.
traces are connected with the loop in the rope or chain. In this
arrangement the pulleys (h) may be dispensed with, the rope or chain
sliding over a round smooth surface. In that case one or more flat

page_text: bow springs, like that shown by (p) Fig. 11, may also be secured
to the collar to act against the hame, which in this case is made
to work to and fro loosely upon the collar, the spring pushing it forward
upon the collar, and the action of the draught pulling it back against
> the ends of the bow spring and collar.
In applying my Invention to provide against shocks coming upon
the back of a draught or a carrying animal, I make the saddle or
part interposed between the back of the animal and the load elastic.
Fig. 9 is a side section of one half of a saddle for a "back band,"
and Fig. 10 is a plan of the same. Both halves of the saddle are
exactly alike. ¿ is the ordinary frame of wood which is padded as
usual; j is the ordinary channel plate for the "back band," except
that it is mounted on the wood frame so as to rise and fall vertically;
kare brackets secured to the wood frame, between which brackets
(there are two on each half) the channel plate ; works the slotted
end plates j attached by a screw to the wood frame, keeping the
channel plate ; in its proper position in its lengthway, the screw
and slot limiting the range of clastic movement. Under the channel
plate there is a flat bow spring 7 secured by a rivet ³, and the ends
of this spring rest upon washers ", each of which is secured by a
screw, the head of which passes through a slot in the end of the
spring, and thus keep the ends in position while leaving the channel
plate free to vertical movements.
Fat and helical springs arranged in a variety of ways and india-
rubber may be substituted in place of the spring shown if desired.
Combined with an clastic saddle, and as a substitute, an elastic link
or links may be introduced into the "back band,” constructed as shown
in Figures 1, 6, and 7, or in any other equivalent manner, and in place
of either an elastic saddle or back band an elastic connexion may
be made with the shafts of the vehicle or other article to be drawn.
Fig. 11 shows a side view, and Fig. 12 an end view of an elastic
arrangement as applied to the shaft of a cart or other vehicle.
m is
part of the shaft; n, a staple part screwed to a cross plate n¹ under
the shaft, which cross plate has a flat bow spring p secured to it by a
bolt. This flat bow spring may be reversed and bolted to the under
side of the shaft, the free ends of the springs pressing against the
screws; or a series of helical springs might be substituted, as partly

page_text: shewn in dotted line in place of a flat bow spring or springs. The
hook for the back band is placed on the staple parts (n), and the
hooks for "draught" and "backing" may be separately attached to
the shafts.
India-rubber or other elastic material may be put upon the shaft
as a band to which the back band may be attached, and elastic arrange-
ments may be made in a great variety of form without departing from
my Invention. I therefore do not limit myself to the details or elastic
materials herein given, but claim as my Invention, elastic or spring
arrangements attached to, or connected with, or forming part of the
hames, traces, or draught chains, and elastic arrangements formed in
or combined with the hooks or parts of the carriages, vehicles, ploughs,
harrows, or other articles to be drawn by animal power, and also making
the saddles of draught animals or animals carrying loads elastic, or the
"back bands," or the connection or connections between the back bands
and load elastic, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fraser Fowlie, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-