AN IMPROVED CLIP OR FASTENING SUITABLE FOR TRACES BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS OR THE LIKE
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN STEPHEN WALLEY, of Whitchurch, in the county of Salop, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for AN IMPROVED CLIP OR
FASTENING SUITABLE FOR TRACES BOAT LOWERING APPARATUS OR THE LIKE to
be as follows:-
=
The present and most usual arrangement for attaching the harness traces to
vehicles is a curiously curved hook; this is difficult to undo at any time no matter
whether the traces be slack or tight and especially when a horse has fallen.
Now my invention is designed to hold the trace securely, yet so that no matter
what be the strain on the trace it can instantly be detached without backing. It
consists of a pair of jaws or stirrups secured by one or preferably two bolts or a
metal strap or other secure attachment to the cross piece to which the trace hooks
are usually attached. The free ends of the jaws are connected below by a
connecting piece, and have a holding pin sliding in their eyes more particularly
described hereafter. These jaws are so arranged that when the trace end is laid on
between the jaws and rests on the connecting piece with its end abutting against
the base or junction of the jaws, the trace hole must be exactly in position for the
holding pin. In the base of the jaws I prefer to place a transverse cylindrical hole
with bearing of smaller diameter at one end, and through this smaller end I place a
pin hereafter called the spring pin forming one leg of a U with the holding pin
before mentioned. The spring pin has a nut or screw in its free end with head just
fitting the cylindrical contour of the hole, and between the head and the bearing in
the hole I place a spiral spring preferably a little compressed; the bend of the U
uniting the two pins is the handle and is sufficiently projecting for a person to get
one or more fingers between it and the jaw when in position nearest the latter.
The mode of operation is as follows: the Ŭ with its pins being pulled out sufficiently
for the holding pin to be withdrawn clear of the space between the jaws, the trace
is inserted and the pins released. The spring causes them to rebound back till
the holding pin fills the two holes in the jaws and the hole in the trace. The trace
is now secured and can only be released by the drawing back of the U and
consequently of the holding pin. I have herein described but one way of carrying
out my invention, but it is obvious that the spring can be arranged in a variety of
"

page_text: ways. It could be constructed of a flat plate and caused to bear directly on the
holding pin, the latter having good bearings and thus the spring pin would not be
required. Or the spring could be placed on the other end of or on each side of
the jaw base secured to a cross piece in considerably projecting spring pin, the main
desiderata being a holding pin held in place through the jaws by a spring,
a convenient arrangement for withdrawing it by the thumb or fingers while the
hand has a purchase in the cross bar-and simplicity, compactness and non-liability
to get out of order are ensured.
In these latter respects I consider the plan herein first described superior to any
other,

page_text: I; JOHN STEPHEN WALLEY of Whitchurch, in the county of Salop, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVED CLIP Or
FASTENING SUITABLE FOR TRACES, BOAT-LOWERING APPARATUS, OR THE LIKE
"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,
Fig 1 is a plan,
•
Fig 2 a side elevation, and
* Fig 3 cross section of my invention as applied to the shaft of a vehicle.
Fig 4 perspective view of invention as applied to the cross tree of vehicle.
Fig. 5 perspective view of same provided with nut and screw for fastening it to
the body of the vehicle.
Fig 6 shews the invention in combination with a block and sheave for use in
lowering ships' boats or other weights.
Like letters relate to like parts in all the drawings.
The present and most usual arrangement for attaching the harness traces to
vehicles is a curiously curved hook; this is difficult to undo at any time no matter
whether the traces be slack or tight, and especially when a horse has fallen.
Now my invention is designed to hold the traces securely so that no matter what
be the strain on the trace, it can instantly be detached without backing. It
consists essentially of a pair of jaws or stirrups A, B secured by a metal strap 0¹
or bolt C or other secure attachment to the splinter bar; shaft or other place to
which the trace hooks are usually attached. The free ends. A and B of the jaws
those furthest from the fastening are connected by a connecting piece D, and have
a holding pin E sliding in their eyes, more particularly described hereafter. These
jaws are so arranged that when the trace end is laid in with the end abutting
against the connecting piece D and at the same time resting against the junction of
the jaws, the trace hole will be exactly in position for the holding pin E to enter.
The apparatus can be arranged thus or the other way up as set forth in the
provisional specification, but which ever way it be arranged there should be a bed
for the end of the strap to rest on (either the connecting piece or the shaft itself)
and an abutment so as to stop it at the point where the two holes, the one in the
apparatus for the pin, and the one in the strap exactly coincide, by this means the
strap, by being placed in position, is guided exactly to its right place-In the base
or bracket F carrying the jaws. I prefer to place a transverse cylindrical hole
with bearing of smaller diameter at the end fand through this smaller end I place
a pin G forming one leg of a U with the holding pin E before mentioned. The
pin G has a head or enlargement H or a nut and screw may be used on its free end
which fits the cylindrical contour. of the hole, and between the head or nut and the
bearing in the hole, I place a spiral spring I preferably a little compressed; either
the bend G¹ of the U uniting the two pins, or the end H of pin G may be used as
a handle and if the bend be so used it is made sufficiently projecting for a person
to get one or more fingers between it and the jaw when in position nearest the
latter (as shown Fig. 6).
The mode of operation is as follows:-
The U with its pins being pulled or pushed out sufficiently for the holding pin E
to be withdrawn clear of the space between the jaws the trace is inserted and the
ning aland
L
+37
.

page_text: the two holes in the jaws, and the hole in the trace. The trace is now secured, and
can only be released by the drawing back of the U, and consequently of the
holding pin E.
Referring more particularly to the various Figures.
Fig. 6 shows a form of attachment described in the first part of my provisional.
specification, and in which the bend of the U is used to draw out the pin.
Figs 1. 2. 3. show other forms in which the free end H of pin G projects beyond
its socket and is used to push-out the U, and with it the trace pin E.
Figs 4 and 5 also show different methods of attaching the trace fastening.
Fig 6. shows an arrangement of my apparatus for boat lowering. By pulling on
the U of the lower fastening, or even in urgent necessity on the U of the fastening
connecting the blocks with the davit, the boat is instantaneously loosed.
I have herein described but one way of carrying out my invention, but it" is
obvious that the spring can be arranged in a variety of ways. It could be
constructed of a flat plate and caused to bear directly on the holding pin, the latter
having good bearings, and thus the spring pin would not be required. Or the
spring could be placed on the other end of, or on each side of the jaw base secured
to a cross piece on the considerably projecting spring pin, the main desiderata being
a holding pin held in place through the jaws by a spring, a convenient arrangement
for withdrawing it by the thumb or fingers while the hand has a purchase in the
cross bar, and simplicity, compactness, and non-liability to get out of order are
ensured.
.
In these latter respects, I consider the plan herein first described superior to any
other.
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 :-
1st The improved clip or fastening, substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the various drawings, and for the purposes set forth.
2nd. A clip or fastening suitable for traces or boat lowering or the like, having
a pair of jaws, one on each side of the trace or loop that is to be held or released,
and a holding pin passing through both those jaws and the trace or loop, and held
in place (when not forcibly pressed back) by a spring substantially as described.
3rd A clip apparatus for traces having two jaws, a support supporting the trace
in position between the jaws when the pin is withdrawn and serving with a
terminal stop to guide the trace end into position and a pin capable of being
withdrawn or held in place passing through the jaws and trace when in position,
substantially as described.