An Improved Tongue and Neck Yoke Attachment.
Year: 1886

page_text: DI PUITIVATION.
An Improved Tongue and Neck Yoke Attachment.
I, RICHARD THOMAS COOK of Virginia City, in the county of Madison and
Territory of Montana, United States of America 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 consists in a metal point or socket constructed with a close
inverted hook on its forward end, for carrying the neck-yoke on the poles or
tongues of two-horse wagons and other vehicles, the same to be applied to the front
end of the pole or tongue, and having the neck-yoke engage with its hook by a
loose ring or loop connection, substantially as herein shown and described, and
whereby greater safety is insured, the neck-yoke being prevented from working off
the pole or tongue in case of any accident to the harness, and other advantages, as
hereinafter specified, are obtained.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
both the figures.
Fig. 1 represents a top view of a vehicle pole or tongue in part with neck-yoke
and my improved attachment applied, and Fig. 2 a partly broken and sectional
side view of the same.
A is the pole or tongue in part, and B the neck-yoke. C is a hollow metal
point, cap, or socket, which is firmly driven on and secured to the forward end of
the pole or tongue, and which is constructed with an inverted and backwardly-
pointing front book, b, bent upward at its nose end, so as to nearly come in contact
with the body of the point or socket on its under side. The cap or socket C is also
constructed with a shoulder, f, above the nose of the said hook. The neck-yoke B
is carried on the pole or tongue, or rather on the hook-shaped point or socket c
thereon, by a loose ring or loop, d, attached to the centre of said yoke, as by eyes c,
and arranged to engage with the close hook b of the point. By means of this
pole or tongue and, neck-yoke attachment not only is there greater safety than
with the ordinary means employed to connect the neck-yoke with the pole or
tongue, inasmuch as there will be no liability of the neck-yoke to come off the
pole or tongue of itself in case of accident to the harness, but it provides for the
pole being made many inches shorter than usual, saving both wood and metal.
..
77

page_text: Furthermore, the improved attachment will prevent the lines or reins from working
over the end of the pole, as commonly occurs with the ordinary attachment when
loosing the reins to allow the horses to drink from streams or troughs, and which
often results in accidents; nor is the improved attachment, which should be made
of the best of iron, unsightly, but neat, light, and strong.
The contracted space e between the body of the point or socket c and the nose or
upper rear end of the hook 6 provides for the ready engagement and disengage-
ment of the ring or loop d of the neck-yoke with or from it when required, but
not for the accidental detachment of the neck-yoke.
I am aware that a hook-shaped cap differently constructed and arranged has
been used on the ends of whiffletrees as a trace-fastener; such, therefore, I do not
claim.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
The combination, with the pole or tongue A of a vehicle, of the within-described
attachment, consisting of a hollow cap or socket, c, applied to the front end of the
pole or tongue and provided with a shoulder, f, and a downwardly and backwardly
projecting hook, b, having its nose arranged to occupy a position on the under side
of the pole or tongue, and bent upward to within a short distance of the forward
end and under side of the cap or socket, the whole for use in connection with the
neck-yoke B and its ring or loop d, substantially as described, set forth, and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.