IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SAFETY HOOKS FOR HARNESS- TRACES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
and Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings London for an Invention,
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SAFETY HOOKS FOR HARNESS-
TRACES" Communicated to him from abroad by William Knisley Rairigh
of St Petersburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Harness Maker
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SAFETY
HOOKS FOR HARNESS-TRACES A communication to him from abroad by William
Knisley Rairigh of St Petersburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Harness
Maker
"
This Invention relates to safety-hooks of novel construction for the tugs or traces
of barness, and to a tug or trace for harness provided at its ends with the said
hooks whereby the said trace or tug may be attached to, and detached from, the
hame of the harness at pleasure
According to this invention the main part of the hook has attached to it the
latch or jaw portion of the said book which is hinged by means of a screw to the
main part and is adapted to close the entrance thereto. The main part of the hook
is properly recessed to receive the jaw portion and is formed with a circular
chamber in which a coiled spring is placed. One end of this spring impinges upon
a projection formed in the said chamber while the other end rests in a slot or
opening made in a circular rim cast on the inner face of the said jaw. The spring
is thus held so as to always keep the jaw closed against the main part of the hook
except when opened by the hands for attaching it to, or detaching it from,
the hame, single-tree, or trace-chain. For conveniently opening the jaw, I cast it
with a lug upon its upper side. For attaching the hook to the tug or trace,
I form the main part with a tongue which is perforated and adapted to pass
between the plies of the tug or trace. The tug or trace is formed with corre-
sponding openings. In these openings are placed projections formed upon the

page_text: underside of a clamp-plate. One projection is screw-tapped to receive a screw-
threaded stud formed upon another clamp plate, which stud being screwed to its
place in the first projection completes the attachment of the hook to the tug. The
second clamp plate is so formed that its forward end serves as a lever for screwing
the stud tightly into the top of the first projection and unscrewing the same
therefrom, and the clamp plates, besides being efficient and convenient means for
attaching and detaching the hook to and from the trace, serve also as an
ornament.
The outer end of the jaw is formed with a hooked portion, which, when the jaw
is closed, laps upon a hooked portion of the main part of the hook, and with the
curved shoulder entirely closes the entrance to the main part of the hook, this
shoulder is overlapped by the hooked portion of the main part which reaches below
or beyond so that no movement or pressure of the hook, or of the ring, or staple
placed in it will open the said jaw.
The extreme end of the jaw is slightly cut away, and when the said jaw is closed,
it shuts over a lip formed upon the main portion which furnishes additional security
against danger of the jaw being accidentally opened.
In most instances the tongue will be made so that the broad sides of the hook,
when attached to the trace, will be parallel with the sides of the said trace but in
other instances the said tongue will be so formed that the broad side of the hook
will stand at right angles to the sides of the tug or trace. The end of the trace
which has the latter style of hook is the forward end and this hook is to be
attached to the ring or staple in the hame of the harness.
The rear end of the trace has the hook with its broad sides arranged parallél
with the sides of the said trace and is adapted to be attached to the single-tree or
trace-chain as the case may be.
With this construction of the hook there will be no danger of the tugs or traces
becoming accidentally unhooked and the hook can always be quickly and easily
detached; and in having a hook at the forward end of the trace, in case a hame
becomes worn out or broken, a new one can easily be substituted, or if it is desired
to change the hames of the harness this can be easily done without changing any
of the other parts of the harness.
For light driving harness, to prevent any rattling of the hook, it may be lined
with india-rubber, in this construction the hook is formed with a recess to receive
the said india rubber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal. Patent Office on the
2nd April 1883.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London " IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SAFETY
HOOKS FOR HARNESS-TRACES.' A communication to me from abroad by William
Knisley Rairigh, of St. Petersburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Harness Maker
This Invention relates to safety hooks of novel construction for the tugs or
traces of harness, and to a tug or trace for harness provided at its ends with the
said hooks whereby it may be attached to, and detached from, the hame of the
harness at pleasure
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of the safety hooks attached to the end of a
trace or tug.
Figure 2 is a section of the same taken on the line x x Figure 1
Figure 3 is a front elevation of a trace provided at both ends with the hooks
Figure 4 is an elevation of the hook removed from the tug or trace
3
Figure 5 is an underside view of the hinged jaw portion removed from the main
part of the hook..
Figure 6 is a view showing the means for making the hook noiseless
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A indicates the main part of the hook and B the latch or jaw portion of the
same which is pivoted by means of the screw c to the main part and is adapted to
close the entrance thereto as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The main part A of
the book is properly recessed as shown at f¹ Figure 4 to receive the jaw portion B
and is formed with the circular chamber a in which the spiral spring b (shown in
Figure 2) is placed: One end of this spring impinges upon the projection i, Figure 4;
formed in the chamber a while the other end rests in the slot or opening i made in
the circular rim f cast on the inner face of the jaw B. The spring is thus held so
as always to keep the jaw B closed against the main part A of the hook except
when opened by the hands for attaching it to, or detaching it from, the hame,
single-tree, or trace-chain. For conveniently opening the jaw B it is formed with
the lug d upon the upper side as shown. For attaching the hook to the tug or
trace. ČI provide the main part A with a tongue D which is perforated at g and
has a larger opening hand is adapted to pass between the plies of the tug or trace
as shown in Figure 2. The said tug or trace is provided with openings corre-
sponding with the openings g and h of the tongue D, In these openings in the
trace and tongue are placed the projections e e¹ formed upon the underside of the
clamp plate E; the projection e! is internally screw-threaded as shown in
Figure 2 to receive the screw threaded stud j formed upon the opposite clamp
plate F which stud being screwed to its place in the projection el clamps the
plate F and the plate E upon the tug or trace and completes the attachment of the
hook to the same. The plate F is so formed that its forward end serves as a lever
for screwing the stud tightly into the projection e¹ and unscrewing the same
therefrom, and the plates E and F, besides being efficient and convenient means for
attaching the hook to, and detaching it from, the trace serve also as an ornament.
The outer end of the jaw B is formed with a hooked portion k, which, when the

page_text: jaw is closed, laps upon the hooked portion ¹ of the main part A of the hook as
shown in Figures 1 and 2, and with the curved shoulder 7, which entirely closes the
entrance to the main part of the hook as shown in Figure 1, and this shoulder is
overlapped by the hook k¹ which reaches below or beyond in the manner shown so
that no movement or pressure of the hook or of the ring, or staple placed in it will
open the jaw B
The extreme end of the jaw B is slightly cut away or recessed as shown at o, and
when the said jaw is closed it shuts over a lip o¹ formed upon the main portion A
and furnishes additional security against danger of the jaw B being accidentally
opened.
In some instances the tongue D is made so that the sides of the hook when
attached to the tug or trace will be parallel with the sides of the same, but in other
instances the said tongue is so formed that the sides of the hook will stand at right
angles to the sides of the tug or trace as shown at A¹ Figure 3. The end of the
trace which has the latter style of hook is the forward end and this hook is to be
attached to the ring or staple in the hame of the harness.
The hook at the rear end of the trace is arranged with its broad sides parallel
with the sides of the said trace, and is adapted to be attached to the single-tree or
trace-chain as the case may be.
With this construction of the hook there will be no danger of the tugs or traces
becoming accidentally unhooked and the hook can always be quickly and easily
detached, and in having the hook at the forward end of the tug or trace, in case a
hame becomes worn out or broken a new one can easily be substituted, or if it is
desired to change the hames of the harness this can be easily done without
changing any of the other parts of the harness.
For light driving harness, to prevent any rattling of the hook the latter may be
lined with india-rubber as shown at s in Figure 6. In this construction the hook
is formed with a recess 8¹ as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, and a strip of
india-rubber 8 is forced into the cavity, where it will remain and prevent all
rattling of the hook from contact with the single-tree or staple in the harness.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim:
First The safety hook, constructed substantially as described and consisting of
the main part A and the jaw B hinged thereto, in combination with the spring b,
placed upon the screw c for holding the said jaw in a closed position, substantially.
as shown and described.
Second-The hook provided with the recess 81, in combination with the india-
rubber lining 8 whereby the said hook is rendered noiseless, substantially as
described.
Third The main part A of the hook formed with the tongue D having the
holes g and h, in combination with the clamp plates E and F, the former being
provided with the projection e and the internally screw threaded projection e¹, and
the latter with the screw-threaded stud j, substantially as, and for the purpose, set
forth.
Fourth-The main part A of the hook formed with the recess a and the
projection i, in combination with the jaw B formed with the slotted rim f, for
holding the spring b, substantially as described..
Fifth-The combination with the main part A. of the hook, of the hinged jaw B,
formed with the shoulder for entirely closing the opening in the said main part,
substantially as described.
Sixth-The main part A formed with the hook k' and the lip.o', in com-
bination with the jaw B formed with the hook k and the recess o, as, and for the
purpose, set forth.
Seventh The combination with the main part A formed, with the hook and
lip o', of the jaw B formed with the shoulder l, the hook k, and the recess o,
substantially as described.

page_text: Eighth The combination with the trace or tug C, of the main part A and
the hinged jaw B, arranged so that their sides are either parallel with the sides
of the tug or trace, or at right angles thereto, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this second day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
HENRY H. LAKE (L.S.)