A New and Improved Trace and Tug for Horses and other Cattle.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 29th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1899
A New and Improved Trace and Tug for Horses and other Cattle.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE THOMAS, Painter & Decorator, c/o W. J. Pollard, of 3, Rown-
ham Place, Hotwells, Bristol, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention refers to a cheaper, stronger, neater and more effectual means for
attachment of horses, and other cattle, to every class of veichile," i.e. tram cars,
buses, breaks, waggons, waggonettes, cabs, carts, trolleys, drays or anything else
of the like.
And is intended to replace the present leather traces & chain tugs, for that
purpose now in use.
And is composed as follows, viz.:—
By means of a flexible steel wire of suitable length being looped at each end,
with the nessary thimbles, for strengthining the eyes or loops, with a small peice
of chain with hook, for lengthening or shortening purposes attached to loop one
end, of wire, and small hook, attached to loop the other end of wire, the wire being
covered with suitable material, to prevent chaiffing, and protect from rust, (e.g) such
as rubber, leather, canvas, etc., etc.
1 1000
ARTHUR GEORGE THOMAS.
Painter & Decorator.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Trace and Tug for Horses and other Cattle.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE THOMAS, of 15, Islington Road, Southville, Bristol, formerly
of 3, Rownham Place, Hotwells, Bristol House Decorator, 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:-
My invention relates to new and improved traces or tugs for traction purposes,
and has for its object to provide traces that will be lighter and neater in appearance,
and possess greater strength, than the leather traces now in general use.
My invention consists in making the traces of flexible strands of wire braided
or twisted together to form a rope or coil, either round like a cable, or flat like a
thick tape or ribbon or several braided strands of wire may be laid side by side
and joined together by a serving or covering of thin wire wound round the strands,
and thus a flexible wire band is formed; suitable attachments are provided whereby
the wire traces can be fastened to the hames or other part of the harness and to

page_text: the vehicle; the round or flat series of wires and the attachments being covered
with leather or similar suitable material, to match the other parts of the harness.
This invention and suitable means whereby the same may be put into operation,
will be described in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Figure 1 represents à length of wire cable with loops and eye thimbles, attached
at one end to a harness hame, the other end having the ordinary chain and hook
for attachment to the shaft or other part of the vehicle; Fig. 2 shows a number of
strands of wire braided or twisted together to form a band or ribbon, so that when
covered, it will have the appearance of an ordinary leather trace, but will be of
much smaller dimensions; Fig. 3 shows a round braided wire quadrupled and
formed with a loop at each end to receive the eye thimbles; this also makes a ribbon
with a neat appearance when covered with leather; Fig. 4 shows another method of
fastening the thimble to which a ring, loop, or chain is attached to the wire cable;
and Fig 5 shows a flat curb chain which is placed at the end of the trace for use
on the studs of private carriages and the like.
In making the traces, pieces of flexible wire as described, either cable or ribbon
shaped, are cut of the required length and spliced round ordinary metal eye
thimbles, as shown in Fig. 1, ready for attachment to the hames and carriages
by the usual linked appliances; or if the means for fastening these to the cable
be by a thimble and cleats, as shown in Fig. 4, the thimbles are put over the ends
of the wire and the cleats fastened thereto by rivets as shown; or, according to
Fig. 3, a piece of braided round wire may be cut about four or six times the
length of the required trace, and then by winding it round, and forming loops
in the ends for insertion of the eye thimbles, as shown, a strong trace with a loop
at each end is formed, of ribbon shape, which is served in the usual way by winding
fine wire round it before it is covered with leather.
Any of the ordinary or special links and hooks now in use for attaching traces
to hames and vehicles may be employed in connection with my improved traces,
as the eyes and rings, as shown in the drawings, enable them to be used in the
same way as ordinary leather traces.
#:
For private carriages and the like, a curb or flat chain, shown in Fig. 5, is
attached to the trace and placed round the ordinary stud on the carriage, and
secured in position by a buckle, slide or grip. The traces and any part of the
attachments may be covered with leather or other suitable material, to correspond
with other parts of the harness.
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 traces and tugs for use with vehicles of all kinds for traction purposes,
making them from flexible wire rope, either coiled round like a cable, or braided
into a tape or band, instead of the ordinary leather traces, whereby strength,
lightness and neatness are obtained, substantially as described.
2. In traces for traction purposes, the use of round or flat braided wire ropes
of a flexible nature in combination with any special or ordinary fastenings for
attaching traces to hames and carriages, substantially as and for the purposes
herein described.
Dated this 18th day of February 1899
J. G. WESTLAKE,
Applicant's Agent, 2, John Street, Bristol.