Improvements in and relating to Chains for Automatically Releasing Horses in Fire Stations.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1900--Accepted, 4th Aug., 1900
PROVIDIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Chains for Automatically Releasing
Horses in Fire Stations.
I, CHARLES PLOW EGGAR, of 52, St. Enoch Square, in the County of the City of
Glasgow, Engineer and Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in and relating to
chains for automatically releasing horses in fire stations and consists of an im-
proved arrangement of chain and fittings which release the horse automatically as it
passes out on the opening of the door in front of it, upon an alarm of fire.
In carrying into practice the improvements of this invention two vertical
parallel bars are secured at a short distance apart at the side of the door, either
separately or as part of a frame, formed by the vertical bars and connecting hori-
zontal bars. A chain is secured to each of these vertical bars by a sliding ring,
and these chains are joined together a short distance from the vertical bars by
linking or interlacing the links of the two chains into one duplex chain in sucu
a manner that when pulled away from the vertical bars in one direction, one
set of the links are in tension and when pulled in the other direction the other set
of links are so.
The free end of one chain is secured to the tubular shank of a
semicircular shaped hook and the free end of the other chain to a spring actuated
bolt sliding within the tubular shank of the hook and closing same..
This arrangement of the chains and the hook, which is hooked on to a ring of
the horses bridle, holds the horse securely while the door in the front of it is shut,
but when the door is opened and the horse passes out, the links of the chain
attached to the spring bolt come into tension and the bolt is drawn when the hook
falls off and the horse is released.
11
1271
1000
Improvements in and relating to Chains for Automatically Releasing
Horses in Fire Stations.
I, CHARLES PLOW EGGAR, of 52, St. Enoch Square, in the County of the City of
Glasgow, Engineer and Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-

page_text: to chains for automatically releasing horses in fire stations and consists of an
improved arrangement of chain and fittings which release the horse automatically
as it passes out on the opening of the door in front of it, upon an alarm of fire.
In carrying into practice the improvements of this invention two vertical
parallel bars are secured at a short distance apart at the side of the door, either
separately or as part of a frame, formed by the vertical bars and connecting hori-
zontal plates or bars. A chain is secured to each of these vertical bars by a sliding
ring, and these chains are joined together a short distance from the vertical bars
by linking or interlacing the links of the two chains into one duplex chain in
such a manner that when pulled away from the vertical bars in one direction, one
set of the links is in tension and when pulled in the other direction the other set
of links is in tension. The free end of one chain is secured to the tubular shank
of a suitably shaped hook and the free end of the other chain to a spring-actuated
bolt sliding within the tubular shank of the hook and closing same.
This arrangement of the chains and the hook, which is hooked on to a ring of
the horse's bridle, holds the horse securely while the door in the front of it is shut,
but when the door is opened and the horse passes out, the links of the chain at-
tached to the spring bolt come into tension and the bolt is drawn when the hook
falls off and the horse is released.
In order that my invention may be readily understood and carried into practice
it is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings which
illustrate an example of apparatus in accordance therewith: and in which
Figure 1 is a general view of the apparatus and Fig. 2 is a detail view of a por-
tion of the same, partly in section, showing the most suitable mode of-constructing
the hook and the spring-actuated bolt, and of interlinking the chains connected
to these parts into a single duplex chain.
A frame consisting of two parallel bars a a' situated a short distance apart, and
secured at either end to transverse connecting plates bb by screws, rivets or
the like, is so fixed near the side of the door, that the bars a a are in a vertical
or approximately vertical position. Chains care secured to rings d linked
together at and sliding upon the bars aa respectively. The free end of the
chain is secured to the tubular shank e of the hook f, while the free end of
the chain is secured to the spring-actuated bolt g which slides within the
shank e.
This bolt is reduced in diameter for a portion g' of its length, and is
normally actuated to close the hook f by the helical or spiral spring h which
surrounds the said reduced portion g'. Both the bolt g and its actuating spring h
are contained within the tubular shank e the end of which is screwed to receive
a cap i formed or furnished with a shackle j to which the chain c is secured.
The end of the reduced portion of the bolt projects through a hole in the
cap and is furnished with a shackle to which the chain is secured, and
the spring presses against the cap and the shoulder which separates the two
portions of the bolt. When the parts comprised in this portion of the apparatus
are assembled, and the cap screwed upon the shank e, the spring his com-
pressed sufficiently to cause the bolt g to close the hook f, until the said bolt.
is drawn back by tension on the chain c¹. The hook and bolt are adapted to
engage and release a ring m attached to the bridle or other portion of the horse's
trappings the hook may be semicircular, but it is preferably formed as shown
in the drawings which more readily permits the disengagement of the ring and
the release of the horse when the bolt is drawn back from the hook by the tension
of the chain c¹.
The chains ce are joined together at a short distance from the rings d by
linking or interlacing the links of both chains into a single duplex chain, in such
manner that each link of either chain while engaging the adjacent links of its
own chain in the usual manner, also encircles the engaging portions of a pair of
adjacent links of the other chain, as shown in Fig. 2, in which portions of adja-
cent links of the chain c engaged at n are encircled by a link o of the chain c²,
while portions of the chain c¹ similarly engaged at p are encircled by a link r

page_text: of the chain c. The chains cc are composed of links of such length as to permit
the chains to move longitudinally with respect to each other, through a space
sufficient to operate the bolt g and to release the ring m. The chain c¹ which is
secured to the bolt g is somewhat longer than the chain c which is secured to the
hook f, the difference in the length of these chains being however less than the
distance between the bars aa¹; consequently when tension is applied to the
duplex chain from that direction beyond the bar of the frame, as when the
hook and the duplex chain in Fig. 1 are pulled to the left, such tension is
transmitted through the chain to the hook f: but when tension is applied
from the opposite direction, beyond the bar a, as when the said hook and chain
are pulled to the right, such tension is transmitted through the chain to the
bolt gwithdrawing the same against the action of its spring whereby the
ring m is disengaged, and the horse released.
The apparatus is bolted or otherwise secured to the wall or partition in such
manner that the bar is adjacent to the door: the chain is thus put into
tension and the horse automatically released as it passes out of the station.
The frame, consisting of the bars a¹ a¹ and the connecting plates bb is made
reversible so that it may readily be applied whether the door is situated to the
right or to the left of the apparatus.
The construction may be varied in some of its details for example the connect-
ing plates may be dispensed with, and the bars a a' may be otherwise secured
to the wall and the chains may be connected or interlinked otherwise
than as in the example herein illustrated and described, so long as tension may be
independently applied to either chain in the manner and for the purpose specified.
The apparatus may conveniently be made of iron, wholly or partly galvanized
to protect it from rust, and when out of use it may be hung against the wall or
partition by means of the hook, as shown in Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is:
(1) Apparatus for use in fire stations for automatically releasing a horse upon
an alarm of fire, comprising a hook adapted to receive a ring or the like attached
to the horse's bridle: a spring-actuated bolt adapted to retain the ring within the
hook, and to release the same when withdrawn against the action of the said
spring and a duplex chain the component chains of which are respectively con-
nected, to the hook and to the bolt, the tension falling alternately on either com-
ponent chain according to the direction from which such tension is applied: the
whole constructed, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
for the purposes specified.
(2) Apparatus for use in fire-stations for automatically releasing a horse, upon
an alarm of fire comprising a pair of vertical parallel bars to which are attached
a pair of chains the free ends of which are respectively attached to a hook and to
a spring-actuated bolt co-operating together to retain or release a ring or the
like attached to the horse, the chains being connected together and said ring
automatically released in the manner herein described, and the whole constructed,
arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
(3) In apparatus for use in fire stations for automatically releasing a horse upon
an alarm of fire: the combination of a hook and bolt co-operating to retain or
release a ring or the like attached to the bridle, with a pair of chains, respectively
connected with the said hook and bolt, and adapted to be put in tension alternately
according to the direction from which such tension is applied: the tension of one
chain being transmitted to the hook, while the tension of the other transmitted
to the bolt, withdrawing the same against the action of a spring or the like, and
automatically releasing the horse. substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
(4) Apparatus for automatically releasing horses, constructed, arranged, and

page_text: operating substantially as herein before described; with reference to the drawings
annexed, for the purpose specified.
Fattu THIS
OL Une
U
WM. EVANS,
Patent Agent for Applicant.
The British Patents Company,
141, West George Street, Glasgow, N.B.
WM. EVANS,
Patent Agent for Applicant.
The British Patents Company,
141, West George Street, Glasgow, N.B.