Improvements in Draft Devices for Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Draft Devices for Vehicles.
We, ALBERT BARTHOLOMEW WEBSTER, Blacksmith,
ROBERT CEPHAS
GOULD, Ice Pedlar and MARY CHARLENA GOULD Gentlewoman, all of Leicester,
in the County of Worcester, State of Massachusetts United States of America do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide an elastic draft of novel construction
adapted to be applied to the crossbar or wiffletree of a carriage or waggon, or to
the shaft-iron fastened to the shafts of the said carriage or waggon, the said elastic
draft being free from metal bearings, whereby disagreeable sounds arising from the
grinding of the elastic draft upon metal bearings are obviated, and whereby rattle is
overcome.
In accordance with our invention the elastic draft is preferably made in two
pieces or parts, which are secured to the shaft iron when the carriage is newly fitted,
or to the cross-bar or whiffletree on opposite sides of the centre thereof when old
work is repaired, so that they may be readily applied to cross-bars and whiffletrees
of different lengths-that is, to the cross-bars and whiffletrees of different sized
carriages. Each part of the elastic draft is provided with a projection preferably
made detachable therefrom, which constitutes a tug-holder, to which the tug is
secured, and each part has co-operating with it a non-metallic guard or stop,
preferably a strap, to avoid rattle, by which the movement of the elastic draft is
fimited.
Our invention therefore consists, essentially, in the combination, with the cross-
bar, of an elastic draft composed of two independent parts or pieces, each made from
a single bar of metal having one end firmly fastened and its other end free and
provided with a tug-holder, and a non-metallic guard or stop to prevent the
forward movement of the said draft and obviate rattle.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1890.
F. W. BAKKER,
Applicants' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Draft Devices for Vehicles.
We, ALBERT BARTHOLOMEW WEBSTER, Blacksmith, ROBERT CEPHAS
GOULD, Ice Pedlar, and MARY CHARLENA GOULD, Gentlewoman, all of
Leicester, in the County of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRAFT DEVICES FOR VEHICLES, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide an elastic draft of novel construction
adapted to be applied to the cross-bar of a carriage or wagon, or to the shaft-
iron fastened to the shaft of the said carriage or wagon, the said elastic draft being
free from metal bearings whereby disagreeable sounds arising from the grinding of
the elastic draft upon metal bearings are obviated.
In accordance with our invention the elastic draft is preferably made in two pieces
or parts, which are secured to the shaft-iron or cross-bar on opposite sides of the
centre thereof, and are preferably bent between their ends forming a U-shape, one
end being secured to the shaft-iron or cross-bar, and the other end left free and
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page_text: provided with a tug holder on which the usual tug is hitched; and having a strap
or guard co-operating with the elastic draft to limit its forward movement.
This form of our invention may be readily applied to cross-bars of different
lengths, that is to the cross-bars of different sized carriages and wagons.
Our invention therefore consists essentially in the combination with the cross-bar
of an elastic draft-composed of 'two independent parts or pieces, each made of a
single bar of metal, having one end firmly fastened and its other end free and
provided with a tug holder, and a guard or strap to limit the forward movement of
the said draft, substantially as will be hereinafter described.
Other features of which our invention consists will be described hereunder and
pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is an inverted plan view of a section
of a pair of shafts to which an elastic draft embodying our invention is secured.
Figure 2, is a modified form of our elastic draft showing it secured in a box and
provided with a metal guard.
Figures 3 and 4, show modified forms of securing our elastic draft to the shaft-
iron or cross-bar.
Figure 5, shows our invention as secured in a box with pivot motion.
Figure 6, is a detail view showing the box or centre fastening applied to the
cross-bar.
The shafts A and cross-bar a may be of any usual or well known construction.
The shafts A and cross-bar a as shown in Fig. 1 have secured to them on their
underside, shaft-irons a¹ each consisting of two arms band 61; the arm 6 being
bolted to the shaft A and the arm b' bolted or otherwise fastened to the cross-bar a.
The arm as shown in Fig. 1 has secured to it our improved elastic draft B
which is preferably made of a single piece or bar of steel bent in a U-shape, the
ends being drawn to a taper. The end c is secured to the shaft-iron and is twisted
over and provided with holes through which the usual bolts securing the shaft-iron
are passed, the said bolts being secured by nuts.
The tug holder C and one end of the strap or guard C¹ are riveted to the free
end d of the elastic draft; and the other end of the strap C' is passed under and
behind the cross-bar and preferably secured thereto by a screw, or in any other
suitable manner.
The strap or guard C' we prefer to make of leather.
prevent the forward movement of the draft.
This guard is intended to
The tug holder may be formed integral with the draft. Or the tug holder may
be fastened to the draft by riveting as shown in Fig. 1. Or the jointure may be
effected by inserting the free end of the draft into the tug holder as shown in
Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Other desirable means may be employed for attaching. the tug-
holder to the draft.
As shown in Fig. 5 our elastic draft may be secured to the cross-bar a at its
centre. In this form it consists of two straight bars of steel eeThe inner ends of
these bars are secured in a box or keeper f which box is pivotally connected to a
plate g by a pivot h, the said plate being attached to the cross bar a. by bolts.
The pivot extends through the box, plate and cross-bar and is held in place by
a nut.
Whilst we may use the form of elastic draft just described, we prefer to employ
that shown in Fig. 1.
We may employ sound deadening material which may consist of any suitable non-
metallic substance, and this is intended to overcome the sounds arising from the
bearings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with a vehicle cross-bar, of an elastic draft composed of two
independent pieces or parts, each piece or part being made from a single bar of metal,

page_text: and being bent between the ends in a U-shape, having one end firmly fastened to
the shaft-iron or cross-bar, and its other end free and provided with a tug holder;
and a non-metallic guard to limit the forward movement of the said draft to obviate
rattle, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a vehicle cross-bar, of an elastic draft composed of two
pieces or parts, secured to the said cross-bar, each piece or part being made from a
single bar of steel, secured at one end to the cross-bar and having the other end free
and provided with a tug holder and strap, constituting a guard or stop for the said
elastic draft, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the shaft-iron or cross-bar of a vehicle, of an elastic
draft having one end inserted in a box and firmly fastened to the cross-bar or shaft-
iron, the other end being free and provided with a tug holder and the forward
movement limited by a guard or stop, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the cross-bar, of an elastic draft made of one continuous
piece of metal, the centre thereof secured in a box upon a plate and pivotally
connected to the under or upper side of the cross-bar; and the ends left free and
provided with a tug holder, and limited by a strap, substantially as described.
5. The combination with the cross-bar, of an elastic draft made in one continuous,
piece, the centre thereof rigidly secured to the cross-bar, the ends free and provided
with a tug holder and a guard or stop to limit the power of movement, substantially
as described.
Datad this 23rd day of April 1801
F. W. BARKER,
Applicants' Agent.