Improvements in and relating to the Harnessing of Horses to Vehicles, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Harnessing of Horses to
Vehicles, and Apparatus therefor.
I, MAXIMILIAN ARTHUR KRAUSE, of Stadtbahnhof Börse Bogen 7-10 Berlin, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, and German Empire Merchant 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 present invention relates to improvements in the harnessing of carriage horses
which have for their object the simplification of the present system of harnessing
and at the same time to secure that the horses will be considerably relieved, and their
labour when attached to the carriage or waggon will be considerably lessened.
According to this invention the pole customary in carriages and 'waggons for two or
more horses, as also the shafts usual for one horse, together with their accompanying
parts and the traces are done away with, and the said parts are replaced by metal
tubes which in their form are similar to the shafts at present used for one horse,
and are connected to the carriage without the usual splinter-bar so that they at the
same time act as the pole and also as the traces, for which purpose they are brought
into connection with the harness of the horse. This connection is according
to this invention so arranged that both in the direction of the effective draught, as
in the opposite direction when the draught tubes are used for stopping the carriage
or waggon, the transmission of the power is effected through an elastic intermediate
element, so that an injurious action both upon the horses as upon the carriage or
Each horse is harnessed
waggon through violent jerks and strokes will be avoided.
between two of these draught tubes, of which in the case of a pair of horses the
inner tube receives such a form that it cannot interfere with the free movement of
the other horse.
In the accompanying drawing :-
Figure 1 is a partial elevation and partial section of the front part of a draught
tube of this kind.
Figure 2 is a view and section through the connecting link of the draught tube
with the harness.
Figure 3 shows the arrangement of a draught tube for the harnessing of four
horses.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are respectively side view, end view, and view from beneath
of the parts to which the leading horses in four-in-hand teams are harnessed.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 are respectively side view, section on the lines
Figure 7 and view from above of the connecting link between the draaght tube
and the harness.
of
boss at the front
The draught tubes are preferably cold drawn steel tubes a with
end and which are curved in a similar manner to the well known shafts for single
horses. Upon these tubes the pieces bare adjustably secured, the perforated parts
of which 6 which when desirable can be combined to form a sleeve 62 (see
Figures 1 and 3) embrace the tube a, and their perforated projections 63 serve to
effect the attachment of the draught tube to the harness of the horse in a suitable
manner. Upon each tube a are also placed near the end of the draught tube, at a
suitable distance at each side of the pieces 6 adjustable rings c c', which serve to
support spiral springs d d', the other ends of which are supported against the

page_text: -eyelets of the pieces b. In this manner it is secured that when draught is exercised
in the direction of the draught of the waggon, as also when the waggon is stopped
by means of the draught tubes, the pressure communicated through the pieces 6 to
the harness and thence to the draught animal and from the same to the waggon or
carriage will be an elastic or yielding one. When the waggon or carriage is yoked
with four horses there is interposed between the hindermost spring d and the hinder-
most adjusting ring e another piece e (Figure 3) which with its eyelet pieces el e¹ also
works upon the tube a and is provided with an eyelet piece e, a hook or other
suitable arrangement whereby the traces of the front horses may be secured. By
means of the adjustable rings cc the degree of tension on the springs can be
regulated as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A method of yoking carriage and waggon horses in which the pole and the
traces are replaced by two metal tubes a for each horse, upon which tubes pieces b
are arranged for the connection of the tubes with the harness of the horse substan-
tially as described and shown.
2. In the method of harnessing according to Claim 1, the adjustable arrangement
of the pieces b and the support of the saine between spiral springs d d which
springs find a firm support against the adjusting rings c c¹ upon the said tubes
substantially as described and shown.
3. In the method of harnessing according to Claim 1 the arrangement of an
adjustable piece e having loops or perforated pieces e hooks or other suitable
mechanism placed between the hinder springs and the hinder adjusting ring for the
securing of the traces of the front horses, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 1st day of December 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.