IMPROVEMENTS IN HARNESS SHAFT TUGS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, STEPHEN EDWARD DAVIES, at the Office for Patents, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Saddle and Harness Maker do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARNESS SHAFT TUGS," and
in what manner the samo is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present Invention is an improvement upon that for which I obtained Letters
Patent No.2659 of 1883.
The improvements consist :-
1 In bringing the strap past the inner side of the tug, and twice through the
buckle as shown, by this means the strap itself keeps the tug from scratching and
wearing the saddle flap, and the front or outer side of the tug is uncovered for the
purposes described in the second part.
2nd In making the metal tug to open with a hinge joint and a spring fastening,
whereby the shafts can be admitted sideways while the tug being of metal, is
amply strong enough to hold its shape.
3rd In so arranging the catch that the strain shall not come upon either the
spring or the spring bolt but on a solid abutment. Referring to the Drawing which
is a perspective view of a tug thrown open.
A is the tug body, B the strap, C a "Tilbury" buckle made longer than usual,
and with tongue D swivelling on a bar E formed in one with the buckle, so as to
allow the strap to enter the buckle, pass partially round the bar, and out of the
buckle on the same side it came in at. F lining of inlaid leather or composition to
prevent the shaft grinding against the metal body of tug A. H loop. All these
parts, lettered with the same letters, may be seen in rather a different form in the
illustration of my former Patent, or are well known otherwise. J is a hinged piece
hinged at capable of being thrown back as illustrated, or of standing as shown in
dotted lines. J' a part of the hinged piece broken away in the Drawing to show
the mechanism, but in actual practice continuous as on the opposite side of slot K
Ka slot formed to enable the bolt handle L to traverse freely to and fro. L bolt
handle. Mbolt sliding in a hole in the binged piece, and having a coiled spring, or
loose stick of india rubber, in said hole between the end of the bolt and the end of
the hole nearest the hinge. N projecting abutment on metal framework A, and
forming part thereof, made slightly wedge shape so as to fit into wedge shaped
hole P in the hinged picce. This takes off the strain when the hinge is closed,
instead of leaving the other side of the tug to bear it all.

page_text: 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 The herein described improvements on and additions to the harness shaft
tug patented by me and dated May 28th 1883, substantially for the purposes herein
described.
2nd In harness shaft tugs, the combination of a metal body with "Tilbury" or
equivalent buckle, and a hinged outer side, by which means the shaft can be slid in
from the sido instead of end wise, substantially as described,
3rd In a harness shaft tug made to open from the side, an abutment on the solid
tug or the hinged piece fitting, when the hinged piece is closed, against a solid part
of the other piece, so as to take off the strain from the spring bolt, and divide it
between the two sides of the tug, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of June 1884.
WN, P, THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.