An Improved Thill Supporter.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Thill Supporter.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Elan Murphy, of Glasgow, Kentucky, U.S.A.
Inventor,) to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved thill-supporter, and the object of the
invention it to provide means for retaining the thills in a raised position when out
of use.
The invention comprises a kind of bracket which projects from the axle, and
which has an upwardly extending piece of metal secured thereto by a ferrule or
loop at its end, in such manner that it can be adjusted to any convenient height on
the bracket, by means of a set screw. This upwardly extending piece of metal
comes under the thill and retains it in any desired position. In order to prevent
the possibility of the thill falling heavily upon the support, a spring is interposed
between the thill-iron of the bracket, to receive the impact.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1891
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Thill Supporter.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Elan Murphy, of Glasgow, Kentucky, U.S.A. Inventor),
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
Fig. 1 is a side view of my shaft-supporting and anti-rattling device.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the shaft raised.
Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a modified form of anti-rattling device.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the anti-rattling device shown in Fig. 2.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail views of the anti-rattling device shown in Fig. 3.
This invention is an improvement in shaft or thill-supporting devices, and its
object is to uphold the thills of a vehicle so that the animal hitched thereto will be
relieved of all or the greater portion of the weight thereof when in harness, aud
the accidental dropping of the thills to be prevented, and the same upheld when
the animal is unhitched; and to this end the invention consists essentially in a
spring-arm attached indirectly to the axle beneath the shaft or thill, and in a
rigid arm and an adjustable piece thereon whereby the position of the spring-arm
is regulated.
The invention also has for its object to prevent rattling of the thills in their
couplings, and all will be clearly understood from the following description and
claims.
Referring to the drawings by letters, A designates a vehicle-axle ; B a metal
plate lying transversely of and under the axle and secured thereto by a clip and
nuts, as shown. The plate projects forward slightly beyond the axle and has
rigidly attached to its outer end an upstanding forwardly-bent rigid arm C which
may be curved somewhat like the rear end of the thill T below which it stands.
D designates an adjustable collar slipped on arm C and adjustably secured
thereto by a set-screw d which may be engaged with either of a series of sinks e in
Price 6d l

page_text: arm C, and the arm may be headed, as at c', to prevent the collar being slipped off.
The collar has a front rearwardly projecting stud d', as shown, which impinges
against the lower face of a rod E.
To the front end of rod E is attached one end of a flat spring F which is curved
forwardly and upwardly and has a half-loop e at its free end in which rests the
front portion of thill T. The thills are preferably attached direct to the axle, as
suggested in Fig. 2, but may be connected to plate B by means of a bolt passing
through upstanding perforated ears at the sides of the plate and through the iron
attached to the rear end of the thill, as shown. By slipping the collar upward on
arm C rod E is allowed to lie close to said arm, holding the shafts in a horizontal
position, but by lowering collar D on arm C the rod E is drawn or turned back-
ward, so that the shafts or thills will be raised, or can be thrown back and held
upright. The spring F may be formed integral with the rod E.
H represents a hollow block which is secured to plate B just in front of the
thill, and I is a loose plug in said block resting upon the spring which tends to
project the plug. The plug is retained in the block by a pin which passes there-
through and through slots in the side of the block, as shown, permitting the plug
to play vertically. This plug bears against the inner side of the thill-iron t and
forces the same upward at all times causing it to bind on its confining-bolt and
preventing rattling.
In Fig. 3 the block H is replaced by a stud J having a tooth j on its top, and an
eccentric-bored angularly-faced rubber washer K is slipped on the thill-iron before
the iron is fastened to the shaft, and the washer bears upon stud J and thereby
forces the thill upward, and to prevent the washer from turning it has notches k in
its faces which may engage the tooth j, as shown.
The arm E, and springs F are bent to suit the curves of the thills of the vehicle
to which they are attached, and a holding device is provided for each thill.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination of the upstanding arm attached to the axle, the adjustable
collar thereon, and the thill or shaft, with a rod interposed between the thill
and arm, and rendered adjustable by the collar, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2. The combination, of the plate attached to the axle, the upstanding arm at the
front end thereof, and the thill, with the rod pivotally connected to said plate and
lying between the thill and arm, and the collar playing on said arm and regulating
the position of said rod, for the purpose of and substantially as specified.
3. The combination, with the thill and its iron, and the hollow block H attached
thereto, and the vertical-removable spring-controlled plug I, loosely confined in said
plug, and bearing against the thill-iron and exerting an upward pressure there-
against, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination, of the plate clipped to the axle and having a curved
upstanding arm at its front end, and a collar on said arm, with a rod pivoted to said
plate and overlying said arm, and having a spring attached to its upper end to
uphold a thill, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, of the thills, the upstanding arm, and the spring-rod for
sustaining the thills, with the device for forcing the thill-iron upward, constructed
substantially as described, all as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1801
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.