IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR CONNECTING POLES AND SHAFTS TO BUGGIES AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I HENRY BEDFORD SLEEMAN of 32 Victoria Road, Clapham Common in the
County of Surrey Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR CONNECTING POLES AND SHAFTS TO BUGGIES
AND OTHER VEHICLES a communication to me from abroad by. William Henry
Ray of North Adelaide in the Province of South Australia Coach Builder and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of the invention is to do away with the need of using bolts nuts
screws or such like joints for coupling poles or shafts to vehicles and to provide a
coupling by which poles and shafts may be coupled to vehicles of all kinds with
greater facility and speed than with the modes of coupling and uncoupling now
in use.
For this purpose one part of the coupling is composed of a lug to be secured to
the vehicle where a shaft or pole is to be connected to it-The end of the lug has
a circular hole formed horizontally through it from one side to the other also a
radial slot of less width than the diameter of the hole passing from the hole to the
upper face of the lug and also a central vertical slot at right angles to the hole.
The other part of the coupling is composed of a T piece to be secured to the
end of a shaft or pole. The stem of the T piece is made of a width to enter the
central vertical slot. The head of the T piece is made of a width to pass through
the radial slot and a depth corresponding to the diameter of the hole so that if
the pole or shaft is inclined upwards the head of the T piece may be passed
through the radial slot and into the central hole of the lug and then if the pole.
or shaft is lowered into a horizontal position and the stem of the T piece made to
enter the central vertical slot the head of the T piece will fit to the front and back
of the horizontal hole in the lug and so will be held steadily within the hole and
in such a manner that it cannot again rise up through the radial slot. It will thus
be seen that a shaft or pole can very quickly be coupled or uncoupled with ease.
The drawing annexed shows a couping formed as above described.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the two parts of the coupling coupled together.

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan view of the same and Figure 3 is a plan view of the portion
of the coupling which is to be attached to a shaft or pole.
A is the lug to, be attached to the vehicle-A¹ is the hole formed horizontally
through the end of the lug-A2 is the radial slot and A³ the central vertical
slot B is the T piece to be secured to a shaft or pole, its head B' is of a width
corresponding to the width of the slot A2 and a depth corresponding to the
diameter of the hole A¹ and rounded at its edges so that it may fit within the
hole. The stem is of a width to enter the vertical slot A³ and preferably it is also
made of a depth greater than the width or depth of the head B¹ so that when the
head is inserted into the radial slot the part of the stem which stands out from
the head may enter the central vertical slot and serve as a guide by which when
the head has been lowered into the horizontal hole in the lug the T piece will be
in proper position for its stem to enter the vertical slot in the front face of the lug
when it is turned downwards into a horizontal position.
1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
3
The construction of a coupling for the shafts or poles of vehicles in two parts
locking the one into the other substantially in the manner herein before described
and illustrated in the drawing annexed.