Improvements in Whippletrees.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Whippletrees.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, of the Excelsior Engineering Works, Plymouth, in
the County of Devon, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;-
My invention relates to whippletrees of the kind described in the Specification
of former Letters l'atent granted to me No. 6681 of 1885, the object of my inven-
tion being to make such whippletrees stronger and neater in appearance than
heretofore.
According to my invention instead of using bars of U-shape in transverse
section I use bars of O-shape, that is to say, the bars instead of being left open
have the edges turned in towards one another so that they are more or less of
O-shape in transverse section. Those portions of the bars which are designed to
carry attachments may be left with the edges apart so that the attachments may
be introduced into the hollow of the bars.
It will be readily understood that, whippletrees, the bars of which are con-
structed as hereinbefore described, have a niuch neater appearance and also possess
greater strength than whippletrees constructed according to the said former patent.
In constructing a whippletree designed for three horses abreast, I advantage-
ously connect the adjacent end of the draught bars of the whipple to a common
hook. I also make use of a spring swing bar for the hook attachment which bar
is very advantageously used for shunting and tipping purposes.
Dated this 4th day of March 1899
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Whippletrees,
I, WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, of the Excelsior Engineering Works, Plymouth, in
the County of Devon, Engineer, 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 whippletrees of the kind described in the Specification
of former Letters Patent granted to me No. 6681 of 1885, the object of my inven-

page_text: tion being to make such whippletrees stronger and neater in appearance than
heretofore.
According to my invention instead of using bars of U-shape in transverse
section I use bars of C-shape, that is to say, the bars instead of being left open
have the edges turned in towards one another so that they are more or less of
C-shape in transverse section. Those portions of the bars which are designed to
carry attachments may be left with the edges apart so that the attachments may
be introduced into the hollow of the bars.
It will be readily understood that whippletrees, the bars of which are con-
structed as hereinbefore described, have a much neater appearance and also possess
greater strength than whippletrees constructed according to the said former patent.
In constructing a whippletree designed for three horses abreast I advantage-
ously connect the adjacent ends of the equalizing bars of the whipple to a common
hook. I also make use of a spring swing bar for the hook attachment which bar
is very advantageously used for shunting and tipping purposes.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-
Figure 1 is a plan of a three horse whippletree constructed according to my
invention; and
Figure 2 is a transverse section to a larger scale of one of the bars of the
said whippletree:
Figure 3 is a plan of a one horse whippletree provided with a spring swing
bar according to my invention:
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a front view and a side sectional view of the
same drawn to a larger scale.
Referring to Figure 1 a is the back bar provided with the link or hook for
attachment to the vehicle. , are the equalizing bars pivoted to the back bar
and the adjacent ends of which bars e, are connected to a common hook d
which serves for the attachment of the centre draught bar o. f, f are the remain-
ing draught bars connected to the outer ends of the bars c, c.
The bars a, c, o
and are formed in transverse sections of C shape, as shewn in Figure 2, that
is to say, the bars are bent to the form shewn with the edges turned in towards
one another.
By the described construction I produce a whippletree which has fewer working
parts and is stronger and neater in appearance than heretofore.
Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, f is the swing bar whereby the whippletree
can be attached to the horse by a chain g or the like. The bar fi is pivoted to a
bracket connected to the whippletree and is held in the position shewn in the
drawing by a spring loop or staple also attached to the whippletree. The said
loop has a chain or cord attached thereto whereby it can be moved so as to
disengage it from the end of the bar f¹, which, owing to the pull on the chain g
will be turned back on its pivot and release the said chain.
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. A three horse whippletree composed of a series of bars of C section, the
said series comprising a back bar, two equalizing bars pivoted thereto and three
draught bars, the adjacent ends of the equalizing bars being connected by links
to which the centre draught bar is attached, the other draught bars being con-
nected to the outer ends of the equalizing bars, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a whippletree of a draught hook having a hinged or
swing bar held by a spring on to which a cord, chain or the like is connected
in such a manner that the said spring can be readily disengaged from the swing
bar, substantially as described.
3. The manufacture and use of the improved whippletree herein before described
and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.

page_text: 4. The combination with a whippletree of a hook having a spring swing_bar
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of
the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 2nd day of January 1900.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.