Improvements in Devices for Supporting or Carrying the Weight of Lorry and other Shafts.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1896-Accepted, .1st Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Supporting or Carrying the Weight
of Lorry and other Shafts.
We, THOMAS COOKE of 49, Old Hall Street in the City of Liverpool, Harness
Maker and ROBERT EDWARDS of 51, Old Hall Street aforesaid, Team Owner
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a device whereby the shafts more especially on
lorries and drays, which weigh several hundred-weight, are supported without
their weight coming on the horses.
The invention consists essentially in a spring attachment which is coiled round
the coupling pin and has one arm passing out under the shaft capping and
another shorter arm passing out under a plate beneath the carriage capping. The
longer arm is fixed to the shaft capping by a staple at its end which is curved
round to prevent it catching immediately below the slote. By this arrangement it
will be seen that as there is nothing below the two arms, the shaft is free to be
turned up when not in use but even when the horse has been withdrawn from it
will not fall to the ground as the shorter arm comes up against the plate beneath
the carriage capping and thus acts as a fulcrum to prevent the longer arm from
descending further. We prefer to have two pairs of these springs the members of
each part being fastened together by one or more ferrules. Other forms of
spring levers fulcrumed between the cappings can be used.
Dated the 14th day of January 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Devices for Supporting or Carrying the Weight
of Lorry and other Shafts.
We, THOMAS COOKE of 49, Old Hall Street, in the City of Liverpool, Harness
Maker and ROBERT EDWARDS of 51, Old Hall Street aforesaid, Team Owner,
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 has for its object a device whereby the shafts more especially of
lorries and drays, which weigh several hundred-weight, are supported without
their weight coming on the horse, and the horse is given some assistance to recover
himself should he stumble.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings which show an inverted plan view of my
invention applied to a lorry.
The invention consists essentially in a spring attachment A which is coiled
round the coupling pin B and has one arm a passing out under the shaft capping C

page_text: and another shorter arm a passing out under a plate beneath the carriage capping.
The longer arm a is fixed to the shaft capping C and slote C' by staples D. We
prefer to have two pairs of these springs, the members of each part being fastened
together by one or more ferrules E. By this invention it will be seen that as there
is nothing below the two arms, the shafts are free to be turned up when not in use,
but even when the horse has been withdrawn from it will not fall to the ground,
as the shorter arm a' comes up against the plate beneath the carriage capping, and
thus acts as a fulcrum to prevent the longer arm a from descending further. To
attach the spring to a wagon all that is necessary is to draw the coupling pin or
bolt B and slide on the springs, placing the springs close up to each outer eye-
bolt and securing the small staples D to the capping and slote. By varying or
adding to the thickness of the plates beneath the carriage capping and against
which the shorter arms a' press, the shafts can be adjusted to whatever height is
required.
Other forms of spring levers fulcrumed between the capping can be used, thus
for example flat steel springs may be provided instead of coiled ones, the spring
lever in that case being fulcrumed on the coupling pin by a bracket or its
equivalent, the longer arm of each spring lever being fixed to the shaft capping
and the shorter arm coming up beneath the carriage capping, or secured to the
axle-tree or other part by chains. By means of these chains, the shafts can be
adjusted to whatever height they may be required by simply adjusting the
length of the chain to suit requirements.
The spring lever may, if desired, be made sufficiently elastic to enable the shafts
to go easily to the ground if so required by applying pressure thereon.
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. As a device for supporting or carrying the weight of lorry or other shafts, a
spring lever mounted on or pivoted to the coupling pin or bolt, said spring lever
having one arm fixed to the shaft capping (and) or slote and another passing under
the carriage and either coming against the carriage capping or coupled by a chain
to the axle-tree or other fixed point substantially as described.
2. A spring lever mounted on or pivoted to the coupling pin or bolt, one arm of
which is secured to the under side of the shafts, and the other projecting under
the carriage and coming up against the plate beneath the carriage capping or
coupled by a chain to a fixed point, thus acting as a fulcrum to prevent the other
arm descending substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The device for supporting or carrying the weight of lorry or other shafts
substantially as described and shown on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of Jul 1906
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.