Improvements in Harness and Attachments for Carriages or other Vehicles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Nov., 188
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Harness and Attachments for Carriages or other
Vehicles.
I, GEORGE BRAY of Deptford Green, Deptford in the county of Kent, Wheelwright
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to facilitate the attachment or removal of horses
from vehicles by means of improvements in the harness, such improvements consist
in an improved "back-band loop" for supporting the shafts and an improved slip-hook
for the traces.
The said improved "back-band loop "consists of a rectangular metal casting or
forging provided with lugs on one side so formed that it can be securely rivetted
or sewn to the "back-band" by means of the said lugs and stand out firmly on
the side of the horse, so that the shaft can be inserted therein with certainty and
rapidity. A small roller may be pivotted horizontally in the bottom of the loop and a
vertical roller be provided on each side to enable the shaft to be passed through the
loop without undue friction. The "breeching" on the horse is attached at each end
to a suitable eye provided on the bottom of each loop, and a projection is provided on
the shaft against which the loop abuts to take the thrust when the horse backs.
In the case of a pair of horses attached to a gun carriage, shafts are provided for
the offside horse only, no "back-band "loops are required on the near horse and the
breeching on that horse would be attached to the eye on the loop of the near side of
the off horse, so that on the unfastening of the traces, both horses could be drawn at
once from the shafts, the breeching coming with them.
The improved slip trace hook is in the form of an eye, one half of which is free to
open on a pivot or hinge, the inner end of the pivotted part fits in a groove or recess
in the shank of the hook and is retained in place by a sleeve sliding on the said shank,
which said sleeve is pressed forward by a helical spring surrounding the shank within
the sleeve, one end of this spring abuts against a fixed collar on the shank, while
the other end abuts against a flange inside the end of the sleeve, which said flange
holds the end of the hinged part of the hook in its recess.

page_text: To open the hook it is only necessary to pull back the sleeve, when the hinged
piece opens and comes out of the eye on the splinter bar. The sleeve may
conveniently be formed with an external annular projection to afford a grasp for
the hand.
My said improved slip-trace hook is applicable for tugs or pole chains, as well as
for ordinary traces.
My aforesaid improvements are applicable to any form of carriage or vehicle drawn
by horses, but are specially applicable to gun carriages, fire engines, and other
vehicles where it is important to be able to attach or remove the horses in the least
possible time.
Dated this 5th day of January 1887
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Harness and Attachments for Carriages or other
Vehicles.
I GEORGE BRAY, of Deptford Green, Deptford, in the County of Kent, Wheelwright
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:
The object of my invention is to facilitate the attachment or removal of horses
from vehicles, by means of improvements in the harness, such improvements consist
in an improved "back-band-loop" for supporting the shafts and an improved slip-hook
for the traces.
In the accompanying four sheets of drawings Fig. 1 is a front and Fig. 2 a side
elevation of the "back-band-loop"; Figs. 3 and 4 are views, at right angles to each
other, of the "slip-hook"; Fig. 4 being partly in section.
All the views are full-sized, and similar letters of reference denote similar parts
throughout.
The improved "back-band-loop" consists of a rectangular metal casting, or
forging A, provided with lugs B, B1, B2, on one side, so formed that it can be securely
rivetted or sewn to the "back-band" by means of the said lugs and stand out firmly
on the side of the horse, so that the shaft can be inserted through the loop, A with
certainty and rapidity.
A small roller is pivotted horizontally in the bottom of the loop A, to enable the
shaft to be passed through without undue friction. The "breeching" on the horse is
attached at each end to a suitable eye D, provided on the bottom of each loop, and
projection is provided on the shaft against which the loop abuts to take the thrust
when the horse backs.
al
In the case of a pair of horses attached to a gun carriage, shafts are provided for
the off-side horse only, no "back-band loops are required on the near borse, and the
breeching on that horse would be attached to the eye D on the loop on the near side
of the off-horse, so that on the unfastening of the traces both horses could be drawn
out at once from the shafts, the "breechings" coming with them.
In addition to the horizontal rollers C, I may provide a vertical roller in each side
of the loop A to further lessen the friction of sliding the shaft in or out, or I may,
if desired, dispense with rollers altogether, using simply a plain loop A with
lugs B, B1, B2, and an eye D at bottom.
The improved slip-hook for the traces, is in the form of an eye E E¹, one half
of which E is free to open on a pivot or hinge F, the inner end of the pivotted
part E fits in a groove or recess H in the shank J of the hook and is retained
therein by a sleeve K sliding on the said shank, which said sleeve is pressed forward
by a helical spring L surrounding the shank within the sleeve, one end of this
spring abuts against a fixed collar M on the shank, while the other end abuts
against a flange N inside the end of the sleeve K, which said flange holds the end of
the hinged part of the hook in its recess.

page_text: The hook can be instantly opened by merely pulling back the sleeve K
clear of the end of the hinged part E¹ of the hook, when the said hinged part will
open and come out of the eye on the splinter bar. The sleeve may conveniently be
formed with an external annular projection P to afford a grasp for the hand.
The end of the piece E¹ is bevelled, as shewn, so that to close the hook, after it
has been inserted in the eye on the splinter bar, the parts E E¹ are grasped firmly by
the hand, when the bevelled end of E¹ will push back the sleeve K allowing to
drop into the recess H and be firmly locked by the return of the sleeve, when the hook
becomes practically as firm as a solid eye.
The said improved slip-hook is applicable for "tugs," or pole chains, as well as for
ordinary traces.
My aforesaid improvements are applicable to any form of carriage or vehicle drawn
by horses, but are specially applicable to gun carriages, fire engines, and other
vehicles where it is important to be able to attach or remove the horses in the least
possible time.
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. A back-band-loop" A of rigid construction provided with lugs B, B1, B2, for
attachment to the back-band, so that it always stands open ready for the entrance or
removal of the shaft, and having an eye D for the attachment of the "breeching,"
substantially as herein set forth."
2. A "back-band-loop" A of rigid construction, provided with lugs B B1 B2, an
eye D, and a horizontal roller C, in the bottom of the loop, substantially as herein
set forth.
3. A "back-band-loop" A of rigid construction provided with lugs B, B1, B2, an
eye D, a horizontal roller C in the bottom of the loop, and a vertical roller in each
side, substantially as herein set forth.
4. A slip-hook for traces having a slank J, a hinged eye E, a recess H, sleeve K.
and spring L, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
5. The improved set of Harness Attachments consisting of the "back-band-loop"
and "
slip-hook, all constructed substantially as and for the purposes herein shewn
and described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Datad 5th day of October 1888
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, S.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.