An Improved Harness Attachment for Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Harness Attachment for Vehicles.
I, JOHN ELDRIDGE NORWOOD, of Sykesville, Carroll County, State of
Maryland, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of my 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 an improvement in vehicle-shafts to adapt the same for
attachment of the harness, without the use of a single-tree, traces, or shaft-loops,
and with only one point of attachment on each side and also with provision for
cushioning the strain in pulling and backing.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a part of the wagon-body,
running-gear and shaft and showing the releasing device in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the shafts and a portion of the wagon-body and
showing the harness.
Figure 3 is a side view of the tension device of the releaser.
Figure 4 is a plan view of same.
Figure 5 shows an inside side-elevation of one shaft and harness-attachment
thereon.
Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section of the shaft and harness-attachment.
Figure 7 shows a cross-section on a larger scale, on the line 7-7 of Figure 5
Figure 8 shows a side view of the slide-piece with the plate, F, of the casing
removed, and the neck of the shank of the harness-attachment in cross-section.
Figure 9 shows a similar view of the lock, the parts thereof being in the released
condition.
In carrying out my invention 1 provide a metallic tubular shaft, or shaft-end, A,
with a suitable cap, a, fastened on its outer extremity, and a tongue, b, projecting
from the other or inner extremity, for fastening the tubular shaft-end to the shaft
proper, A, over which it fits, bolts, a', also passing transversely through the
shaft proper, and shaft-end, to fasten them together. Said shaft-end has a
longitudinal slot, d, in one side and extending out of the inner extremity, whereby
it will be seen that should the shaft-end, A, become loose on the shaft proper,
owing to the shrinkage of parts, the shaft-end may be contracted by tightening up
the bolts, a', so as to make it tightly fit the shaft. A slide-way, c, extends on both
sides of the slot, d, a portion of its length and projects over the rounded surface of
the shaft to form slide-ways or flanges, c.
The end of the tubular shaft is tapered and the threaded end of the tapered
bolt, B, is externally secured to said tapered end by the cap-nut, a, which may be
extended, as shown, to form the shaft-end. The head b' of the threaded-bolt has
a screw-thread, e, cut thereon, and one end of a spiral-spring, C, engages the said
thread. This spring occupies the tubular shaft-end, and its opposite end engages
a screw-thread, f, on a block, D, movable longitudinally in said shaft-end. A
roller,, within the tube is loosely connected with this block and travels along
the interior of the tube and laps over the slot and serves as a carrier for the
block.
A neck, E, formed integral with the block, passes through the slot, d, in the
inner tubular shaft-end and connects the said block with a slide-piece, c¹, on
the exterior of the shaft, and formed with hook-slips, g, which engage the back
of the flange, c, of said slide-way and hold the slide-piece on the same.
The neck, E, also has a slide-way, h, formed by the hook-clips, h', to receive a
harness-attachment, which, in the present instance, comprises a center-piece or
P

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frame, G, having four loops to which the back-band, belly-band, tug-strap, and
breeching are respectively attached. A foot-piece, F, is secured to the said center-
piece by the shank, i. The center-piece, however, is not limited to the construction
shown because its form may be varied without departing from my invention. Said
foot-piece is adapted to fit in the slide-way, h, and a lock within the case holds this
foot-piece in the slide-way. This lock, in the present instance, comprises a latch, n,
for engaging the end of the foot-piece, F, and is pivoted at the middle; said
latch has an end, n³, projecting out of the casing. A trigger, p², has a head, p,
which slides on a stationary rod, u; a spiral-spring, v. on the rod tends to keep the
trigger-head pressed under the latch-head, as in Figure 8, at which time the latter
is holding the foot-piece, F, in position. A plate, F', shown only in Figure 7,
serves to confine the lock and rod in the case. An arm, p³, is attached to the
trigger, and has a hole in which the end of the cord, S, is secured. When it is
desired to detach the harness from the shafts by relensing the foot-piece, F, it is
simply necessary to pull back the trigger to withdraw the upper edge, 2, of the
trigger-head from under the lower edge, 7', of the latch, n, as in Figure 9.
A tension device for the cord, S, is on each shaft; this device is shown in
Figures 3 and 4, and comprises two grip levers, s, whose ends project from a case, w;
each lever has a biting-jaw, s, and is pivoted at, . A spring, a, bears on the inner
side of each lever and thereby the two jaws, sa, are pressed toward each other and
thus the cord, S, which is between the jaws is gripped.
The releasing cord, S, passes down through the bottom of the wagon to the shaft-
brace, A'; here it is divided longitudinally into two parts, each part passing along
underneath each shaft through eyes, s', and through the tension device, w, and connects
with the trigger-arm, p³. Normally when driving the cord will have a slack between
the tension device, w, and the trigger, as shown in Figure 1, to allow the casing
..containing the lock and trigger to have play. The tension device operates in such
manner as to permit the cord to be drawn toward the wagon but prevents it from
being drawn the other way; to release the horse and harness from the shafts a
person in the wagon has only to pull on the cord, S, to draw back the trigger and
allow the latch, n, to release the foot-piece, F. If the pull is not sufficient to
operate the trigger, it will at least stretch the cord tight, and when the horse moves
forward the casing containing the lock and trigger will also move slightly and the
strain will come on the tight releasing-cord, S, which holds the trigger stationary,
hence the latch, n, will be released and drop, and thereupon the foot-piece, F, will
be drawn out from the slide, h, and the horse and harness detached from the
shafts.
It will be seen that the releasing-cord and tension device constitute means for
readily detaching the horse in case he runs away.
In order to deaden any noise which might be made by the movement of the spiral
spring, C, within the metal tubular part, Å, I have provided a muffler which consists
of one or more circular disks, z, of raw hide or other material suitably secured cross-
wise of the spiral spring and, being larger than the cross-section of said spring,
project beyond its sides and prevent it from rubbing against the sides of the tube.
The spring, C, serves to cushion the pull and backward strain, and eases the
horse's shoulders, and also does away with the so-called horse-motion, as the springs
take up the jerks and jars. The single spring shown serves for cushioning the
forward and the backward movement, compressing in one instance and expanding
in the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination of the tubular vehicle-shaft; a spring located within the
tubular part; and means for connecting the spring in the shaft with parts of the

page_text: spring located within the tubular part; a center-piece or frame for the attachment
of parts of the harness; and means, passing through and sliding in the said slot in
the shaft, for connecting the center-piece with the spring in the shaft.
3. The combination of the tubular vehicle shaft, having a longitudinal slot; n
spring in said tubular shaft and secured at one end thereto; a sliding-piece fastened
to the other or free end of the spring; and a center-piece for the attachment of the
parts of the harness and connected through the slot in the tubular shaft with the
said sliding-piece.
4. The combination of the tubular vehicle shaft, having a longitudinal slot; a
slide-way on the shaft and having projecting side flanges parallel with said slot; a
spring in the tubular shaft; a sliding-piece connected with the spring and having
clips which take over the flanges of the slide-way; a center-piece or frame for
the attachment of parts of the harness; and means for securing the said center-
piece to the said sliding-piece, as described.
5. The combination of the tubular vehicle shaft, having a longitudinal slot; a
spring within the shaft; a bolt having one end attached to the spring, and screw-
threads at its other end; a cap-nut which turns loosely on the end of the shaft and
engages the threaded end of the bolt; a sliding-piece moving in a slide-way outside
the vehicle shaft and connected to the rear end of the spring through the slot in the
tubular shaft; a center-piece for the attachment of parts of the harness; and means
connecting the said sliding-piece with the center-piece.
6. The combination of the releasing trigger on the shaft; a cord connecting
with said trigger and passing along the shaft to the vehicle; and a tension device
on the shaft through which the cord passes, said tension device operating to permit
the cord to be drawn toward the vehicle but preventing it.from being drawn the
other way.
Dated this 25th day of November 1893.