Improvements in or relating to the Harnessing of Horses or the like to Carriages or other Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVIDIONALITICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Harnessing of Horses or the like
to Carriages or other Vehicles.
I, JOHN ALFRED WOOLLEY, Senr., of Nettleham, in the County of Lincoln,
Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the harnessing of horses or the like
to carriages or other vehicles, and its object is to provide more convenient means
for attaching, and detaching the horse form the vehicle, the said means being
also under the control of the driver so that he can at any time instantly release
the horse from the vehicle, for example if the horse or horses should bolt or fall
down.
In carrying out this invention the ends of the traces are attached to the vehicle
underframing, or a transverse bar connected thereto, in the following manner.
At each point on the vehicle underframing or the transverse bar connected
thereto, where a trace is to be connected,, I secure to the said framing or bar, a
preferably metal bracket or strap so formed as to leave a space betwen the inner
face of the bracket and the face of the framing or bar, into which space is placed
the end of the trace.
The end of each trace is secured between the bracket, and the framing or bar,
by a connecting bolt or pin which passes through the bracket and trace, and into
a hole in the framing or bar.
The upper end of each connecting bolt is connected to the outer end of an arm,
the whole of which latter are mounted on a transverse shaft mounted in bearings
secured to the underframing. This shaft is also provided with a lever which may
be arranged to be operated by either the hand or foot of the driver.
The connection between each bolt and arm may be so arranged, that each bolt
may be raised and lowered by an attendant, when the hand or foot lever is in its
normal position, independently of the others, for convenience in attaching one
trace at a time, the hand or foot lever being only used when it is desired to
withdraw the whole of the connecting bolts simultaneously.
In the case of a single horse in shafts, the back band is made so that the loops
will slip off the shafts. The kicking strap instead of being connected to the
shafts is connected to the traces, and it thus supports the ends of the latter when
they are released from the vehicle.
When a breach-band is employed the ends of the latter may be connected to
the shafts in the same manner as the traces are connected to the vehicle framing,
and the connecting bolts may be connected to and operated by the same mechanism
as the connecting bolts of the traces.
If preferred I may employ in connection with the detaching lever a locking
arrangement or prop which is brought into action simultaneously with the release
of the traces, to prevent the shafts from falling to the ground.
The releasing arrangement may be also connected to the brake and thus apply
the latter at the same time.

page_text: When a pair of horses are used in connection with a pole, and the horses collars
are connected to the fore end of the said pole, I make the connection to the pole in
the same manner as the trace connections, and raise the connecting bolt or pin
by a lever pivotted to the pole. This lever is connected by a rod or cord to an
arm on the transverse shaft previously referred to.
1000
Improvements in or relating to the Harnessing of Horses or the like
to Carriages or other Vehicles,
I, JOHN ALFRED WOOLLEY, Senior, of Ham Mills, Taunton, in the County of
Somerset, late of Nettleham, in the County of Lincoln, Miller, 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 relates to improvements in the harnessing of horses or other
draught animals to carriages or other vehicles, and its object is to provide more
convenient means for attaching and detaching the horse or horses from the
vehicle, the said means being under the control of the driver, so that he can at
any time instantly release the horses from the vehicle, for example if they should
bolt or fall down.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying draw-
ings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my invention applied to a vehicle pro-
vided with shafts for a single horse.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing my invention applied to a vehicle
arranged for a pair of horses.
Figure 3 is a perspective view, showing detail of part of the arrangement shown
in Figure 2 drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a modification of the arrangements
shown in the previous figures.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying out this invention the ends of the traces are attached to the vehicle
underframing, or the shafts, in the following manner.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 1 the traces A, (only one of which is
shown in this figure) are connected to the shafts B, and at the point of attachment
of each trace, I secure preferably to the underside of the shafts, a bracket or
strap C, formed as shown with a part C¹ which is a suitable distance from the
said shafts.
The end of each trace A, which is preferably formed with a loop as shown, is
placed in the space between the face of the shaft B and the part C on the corre-
sponding bracket C, and is secured by a connecting pin or bolt 1) which passes
through the shaft and part C₁ of the bracket, and also through the loop at the
end of the trace, when the latter is placed in this position.
The pin or bolt D may if preferred only pass through the shaft, or the bracket,
instead of both as above described.
The upper end of each pin or bolt D is connected to the free end of an arm E,
and the latter are mounted on a transverse rocking shaft F carried in bearings
secured to the underframing G. This shaft F is provided with an arm H which

page_text: may be arranged to be operated by the foot of the driver as shown, or by hand as
preferred.
The connection between each pin or bolt D and arm E is effected by means of
T piece D on the bolt engaging with the forked end of the arm E as shown,
in order that each pin or bolt may be raised independently of the other by an
attendant when the arms are in their normal position, for convenience in attach-
ing one trace at a time, the rocking shaft F being only used when it is desired
to withdraw the whole of the bolts simultaneously.
The back-band may be made in the usual manner with loops that will slip off
the shafts, whilst the kicking strap may be attached to the traces, and thus
supports the ends of the traces when they are released from the vehicle.
When a breech-band is employed, the ends of the latter may be connected to
the shafts in the same manner as the traces, and the connecting pins or bolts be
connected to and operated by similar mechanism, in connection with the rocking
shaft F.
If preferred I may employ in connection with the releasing arrangement de-
scribed, a prop I which is hinged or pivotted to the shafts 13 at I', this prop is
normally held in the position shown, by a hooked arm J on the rocking shaft F
engaging with a loop Is on the free end of the prop.
The free end of the prop I is released simultaneously with the traces, and forms
a prop which prevents the shafts from falling to the ground. Instead of the
prop, I may use a device for locking the shafts in a position in which they are
clear of the ground, the said device being connected to and operated by the rock-
ing shaft F, or permanent or movable brackets may be arranged so as to project
beneath the shafts and hold them up.
If desirable the brake mechanism may be connected to and operated simul-
taneously with the releasing mechanism.
In this case the brake shaft K (see Figure 1) is provided with an arm K¹ which
is connected to an arm L on the rocking shaft F by a link M. This link M is
placed in the middle of the width of the vehicle, and is also provided with a
knuckle joint at M, in order that it will not interfere with the movement of the
pivotted underframing G.
Figure 2 shows my invention applied to a vehicle arranged for a pair of horses.
The straps or brackets C are in this case preferably placed on the upper side
of the transverse bar N of the underframing G, and the rocking shaft F may be
carried in bearings N₁ secured to the same bar as shown.
One of the straps or brackets C and a portion of the bar N and rocking shaft Fare
shown detached in Figure 3.
The rocking shaft F is provided with an arm ( which is connected by a link P
to a foot or hand lever, placed in a convenient position within the reach of the
driver.
If the collars of the horses are connected to the fore end of the pole Q, the
latter is provided with an eye Q and a pin or bolt R sliding in a hole at right-
angles to the eye. This pin or bolt R engages with a link of both collar chains,
the said links being placed in the eye and the pin R passes through them.
The pin R is raised to release the collar chains by a bell-crank lever S pivotted
to the pole Q. one end of this lever engages with the pin R and the other is
connected by a link T to an arm V on the transverse rocking shaft F.
In the modification shown in Figure 4 the transverse shaft F is carried in
bearings secured to the shaft B instead of the underframing, as in the arrange-
ments previously described.
The vehicle if of the two-wheeled type may be provided with a prop behind
or in front or both to prevent it from tipping up when the horse is released. This
prop when arranged at the back may have claws or the like formed on the end,
which when in contact with the ground will assist in arresting the progress of
the vehicle. The prop is arranged so that it will fall into the operative position
upon the horse being released.

page_text: 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: —
1. In a carriage or other vehicle the means of attaching a trace or other part
of the harness to a vehicle comprised essentially of a strap or bracket such as C on
the shafts B or underframing G and a sliding pin or bolt such as 1 passing
through either shafts or underframing or the bracket or both substantially as
described,
2. In a carriage or other vehicle the combination with the shafts B or under-
framing G of straps or brackets such as C pins or bolts D passing through the
shafts and respective brackets a rocking shaft F provided with arms such as E
to engage with the pins D and an arm such as H adapted to be operated by the
foot or hand of the driver substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a carriage or other vehicle connecting the brake mechanism to the rocking
shaft F of the trace releasing mechanism by means of a link such as M M' sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In a carriage or other vehicle the combination with the underframing G of
straps or brackets such as C pins or bolts D rocking shaft F arms E on said shaft
eye such as Q in the pole Q pin R and a bell-crank lever S connected to the
piu R and shaft F substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete harness
releasing arrangement for a carriage or other vehicle substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.