Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan.. 1896
I, ANTOINE Jean Baptiste PIÉTRI of 5 Rue Mazagran, Paris in the
Republic of France, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
My invention has for its object an absolutely unbreakable shaft for vehicles,
which incurs no risk of being broken even should the horse fall, or should any
other cause arise, such as so frequently happens with the wooden shafts at present
employed.
My improved shaft resists perfectly the effects of traction exerted thereon by
the horse, but if by reason of an accident it is subjected to abnormal transverse
strain, it becomes deformed without breaking, and may be straightened with the
greatest ease on the spot, either by hand or in any other suitable manner.
These qualities result from its special construction, in which I utilise the great
flexibility of steel as well as the quality which compressed paper possesses of being
easily pushed out of shape.
I therefore form the core of my improved shaft of steel, and on 'this core
I arrange in a special manner a layer of compressed paper, the whole being in
turn covered with a coating, preferably of leather, which may be varnished or
painted for the purpose of obtaining the appearance and elegance of the ordinary
wooden shafts, from which my improved shaft in nowise differs as regards its form
and dimensions.
.
"
My unbreakable shaft is essentially composed of a wooden part near the fore
carriage of the vehicle, a prolongation of this part of compressed paper, a strip of
steel which runs under the aforesaid parts and assists their connection; and finally
a cover preferably of leather. The wooden part of usual section is of sufficient
length to allow of the joint between it and the part of compressed paper being
formed at such a part of the whole length of the shaft as is least exposed to
accidental breakage by the fall of the horse or any other cause whatever. The
joint is made by the ends of the parts being stepped or formed with two.separate
inclined surfaces having a small projection which assures their solidity, whether the
line of joining be straight or bent from one end to the other, and in this case the
connecting edges of the ends of the two parts are bevelled. Bolts, rivets, or even
a sleeve, or one or two bands firmly fasten these ends one with another, and both
with the cover plate or core of iron or steel on which the wood and the compressed
paper are exactly fitted.
The part of compressed paper is formed preferably by placing sheets of tarred
paper united by pressure, one above the other in such a way as to form a resistant
and elastic whole, at the same time shaping it into suitable forms and dimensions
by means of suitable tools.
The wooden part is strengthened in its rear part by means of two metal plates
let into and screwed to the wood. A hole bored transversely through the iron
pieces and through the wood is intended to receive the pin which attaches the shaft
to the fore carriage. A stop may be arranged a little in front of this hole in order
to hold the shaft raised, and prevent it when raised from striking against the
coachman's box.

page_text: -
Finally, the front end of the shaft may be fitted with a cap or ferrule, and the
whole, wood, iron plates, compressed paper and steel core is covered with a casing
or wrapping of leather varnished or otherwise, or of cloth, indiarubber, or other
suitable material. This casing may also be wrapped with cord of flax, hemp or
the like coated with varnish, and lines may be painted giving my unbreakable shaft
the appearance of the ordinary wooden shafts.
My improved shafts are also provided with the usual metal fittings for retaining
"the harness etcetera and with the metallic ferrule at the end already mentioned. In
place of employing tarred sheet paper compressed for forming the elastic part of
the shaft, I may also employ rings or wrappings of compressed paper through
which the steel plate may pass or not as may be desired.
may also replace the paper part by a similar piece of any other suitable material
capable of giving similar results.
The leather cover may also be solid or perforated and I also reserve the right to
replace the steel part by two suitable strips, one above and the other below, or if
need be to place them alternately with bands of compressed paper in a manner
similar to that in which springs are formed.
Dated this 19th day of March 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant. :
W44
I, ANTOINE JEAN BAPTISTE PIETRI, of 5, Rue Mazagran, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Gentleman, 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 has for its object an absolutely unbreakable shaft for vehicles,
which incurs no risk of being broken even should the horse fall, or should any
other cause arise, such as so frequently happens with the wooden shafts at present
employed.
My improved shaft resists perfectly the effects of traction exerted thereon by the
horse, but if by reason of an accident it is subjected to abnormal transverse strain,
it becomes deformed without breaking, and may be straightened with the greatest
ease on the spot, either by hand or in any other suitable manner.
These qualities result from its special construction, in which I utilise the great
flexibility of steel as well as the quality which compressed paper possesses of being
easily pushed out of shape.
I therefore form the core of my improved shaft of steel, and on this core I
arrange in a special manner a layer of compressed paper, the whole being in turn
covered with a coating, preferably of leather, which may be varnished or painted
for the purpose of obtaining the appearance and elegance of the ordinary wooden
shafts, from which my improved shaft in nowise differs as regards its form and
dimensions.
In the accompanying drawings there is shown as an example this improved
shaft.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on a reduced scale;
Figure 2 is a cross section in natural size on the line 1-2 of Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively an elevation and plan of the end of the shaft
near the fore carriage.
My unbreakable shaft is essentially composed of a wooden part a near the fore
carriage of the vehicle, a prolongation of this part a of compressed paper f, a strip

page_text: of steel e which runs under the aforesaid parts a and and assists their connection,
and finally a cover g preferably of leather.
The wooden part a of usual section is of sufficient length to allow of the joint a¹
between it and the part of compressed paper being formed at such a part of the
whole length of the shaft as is least exposed to accidental breakage by the fall of
the horse or any other cause whatever. The joint a¹ is made by the ends of the
parts being stepped or formed with two separate inclined surfaces having a small
projection which assures their solidity, whether the line of joining. be straight or
bent from one end to the other, and in this case the connecting edges of the ends
of the two parts a and f are bevelled. Bolts, rivets, or even a sleeve, or one or
two bands firmly fasten these ends one to another, and both with the cover
plate e or core of iron or steel on which the wood and the compressed paper are
exactly fitted.
The part of the shaft is formed preferably by placing sheets of tarred paper
united by pressure, one above the other in such a way as to form a resistant and
elastic whole, at the same time shaping it into suitable forms and dimensions by
means of suitable tools.
The wooden part a is strengthened in its rear part by means of two metal plates >>
let into and screwed to the wood. A hole bored transversely at through the iron
pieces b and through the wood a is intended to receive the pin which attaches the
shaft to the fore carriage. A stop d may be arranged a little in front of this hole c
in order to hold the shaft raised, and prevent it when raised from striking against
the coachman's box.
Finally, the front end of the shaft may be fitted with a cap or ferrule 61 and
the whole, wood, iron plates, compressed paper and steel core is covered with a
casing or wrapping g of leather varnished or otherwise, or of cloth, indiarubber, or
other suitable material. This casing g may also be wrapped with cord of flax,
hemp or the like coated with varnish, and lines may be painted giving my
unbreakable shaft the appearance of the ordinary wooden shafts.
My improved shafts are also provided with the usual metal fittings for retaining
the harness etcetera and with the metallic ferrule b¹ at the end already mentioned.
In place of employing tarred sheet paper compressed for forming the elastic part f
of the shaft, I may also employ rings or wrappings of compressed paper through
which the steel plate e may pass or not as may be desired.
I may also replace the paper part by a similar piece of any other suitable material
capable of giving similar results.
The steel cover or core may also be solid or perforated and I also reserve the
right to replace the steel part by two suitable strips, one above and the other
below, or if need be to place them alternately with bands of compressed paper in a
manner similar to that in which springs are formed.
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. An unbreakable shaft for cabs and other vehicles consisting essentially of a
core composed of one or more flexible steel strips and a covering or layer of
sheets of paper tarred and compressed and fixed or applied thereon, said core
running through or beneath the entire length of the paper part of the shaft, aud
also through or beneath a wooden butt which forms the prolongation of and is
attached to the compressed paper part, and which is also fixed to the steel strip
and carries the metal fittings for connecting the shaft with the fore carriage of the
vehicle, said shaft being further totally or partially covered with a casing of leather.
or of other suitable material varnished or otherwise, and provided with the ordinary
harness fittings, substantially as hereinbefore described and showu on the
accompanying drawings.
2. The improvement in shafts for cabs and other vehicles consisting in forming
them for a portion of their length of compressed or moulded paper or like material

page_text: strengthened by a suitable metallic core, or by one
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 19th day of December 1895.
or
more metallic strips
WM. P. THOMPSON,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agent for the Applicant.