provements in Trace and Collar Springs for Draught Animals.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Trace and Collar Springs for Draught Animals.
.ATLE ADOLF FRIS of 53, Gracechurch Street in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of an arrangement in combination with the "stop-link"
or links of spiral springs as now used for preventing the strain on horses' shoulders,
thus:
:
Either or both ends or any other part of this stop-link" is made in such a way
and of such a shape as to be able to release the horse from the vehicle by discon-
necting or opening part of this "stop-link" the said invention being constructed
so as to be able to open or disconnect it even though a great pressure be put on the
link or links. This is done either by providing the end, ends or otherwise of the
link or links with shackles or otherwise by means of an easily removeable pin: or
by a spring or otherwise, which will enable the stop-link or links to open by
pressing, lifting or pushing aside, or otherwise, part or parts of the link or links,-
thereby forming an opening for releasing such part or parts of the harness, trace
or traces that will set the horse free.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1894.
ATLE ADOLF FRIS.
Improvements in Trace and Collar Springs for Draught Animals.
I, ATLE ADOLF FRIS, of 53, Gracechurch Street, London, Merchant 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 draught springs interposed in the traces or otherwise
between draught animals and the vehicle hauled for the purpose of modifying the
sudden strain on the shoulders, particularly when starting the vehicle from a state
of rest.
The object of my improvement is to enable the animal to be readily unharnessed
or released from the vehicle even when there is great strain on the traces, as, for
instance, when the animal has fallen. To this end the invention consists in
providing the draught spring at one or both ends with a sort of sister-hook or split
link or shackle, one member of which is rigid and the other is capable of pivoting
about a centre and is retained in the closed position by a spring or other detent, so
as to admit of being released and swung back in order to effect the disconnection of
the parts of the traces or hames necessary to set the animal free. The pivotal
centre of the movable member is in the line of strain, so that but little strength of
the detent is requisite to keep the sister-hook or shackle closed in normal working
and but little force is necessary in order to release the detent even when the sister-
hook is under great strain, such as would be caused by the horse lying on the
trace.
'

page_text: The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
'Figure 1 is an external view of the trace spring with my improvement applied*
to one end thereof.
Figure 2 is an edge view of the sister-hook or split shackle, and Figure 3 is a
face view of the same in the open position.
A is the ordinary trace spring composed preferably of a double (inner and outer)
coiled spring attached at one end to a rod B terminating in an ordinary shackle or
draught link C, the other end of the spring being attached to another rod D
provided with the releasing link E of my invention. This is a sister-book formed
as to one half of a rigid member e in one with the rod D and as to the other half
of a movable member pivoted about a centre pin g, the two members being
"halved" together by the boss portion of the pivoted member being received in
a corresponding circular recess in the rigid member. The pivoted member forms
a mousing for the rigid member e and it is locked in the closed position by a detent
formed by the cross-head of a spring attached to the back of the member e,
the crosshead falling into rectangular notches i, k, formed in the rigid and
movable members respectively, which notches come opposite each other when the
link is closed, the crosshead received in said notches securely locking the movable
member in the closed position.
It will be observed that both the joint pin 7 and the abutting ends of the fixed
and movable members are in the direct line of strain so that there is little or no
tendency for the movable member to be forced open by a pull and consequently
there is but little strain on the detent. The ends of the crosshead h of the detent
project from the opposite faces of the shackle to afford meaus of grasping it in
order to effect the release of the member e and allow it to be thrown back as shewn
in Figure 3.
It will be obvious that if preferred the rigid member may be rather more than
half of the complete shackle so that the strain of the pull in work shall come
wholly on it and not on the pivoted member which would act as a mere mousing
for it.
I would also have it understood that the detent or cross bar instead of being
carried by a spring might be. secured in position of engagement by a thumb
screw, and connected by a chain to the fixed member to prevent it being lost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination, with the trace or collar spring, of a releasing device, being
a link or shackle constructed as described so as to permit of releasing the animal
from its harness, such device being provided with a locking mechanism or detent
for normally securing it in the closed position, substantially as specified.
. Dated this 31st day of January 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.