An Improved Apparatus for Releasing Runaway Horses and other Animals from Carriages and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Releasing Runaway Horses and other
Animals from Carriages and other Road Vehicles.
I, HARRY HALL of 15 Bolton Street, Brixham, in the County of Devon, Captain
in the Merchant Service, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide carriages and other road vehicles with
simple and efficient means or apparatus for releasing runaway horses. The danger
and loss of life which often results from the horses in a vehicle taking fright and
bolting or running away is, by the use of my invention, entirely obviated.
According to this invention I provide the fore part of the vehicle with a transverse
rod which is placed beneath the driver's seat and supported in suitable bearings.
This transverse rod is provided with a worm wheel actuated by a worm on a vertical
shaft which passes through the driver's foot board and is provided with a crank or
hand wheel or other suitable means for actuating within easy reach of the driver.
To the aforesaid transverse rod are fixed two or more semi-cylindrical cups or collars
which normally engage with the pivoted tips or points of hooks firmly secured to
the underframe of the vehicle. On to these hooks are passed the ends of chains or
straps carrying at their forward ends a detachable cap or caps fitting over the end of
the pole or shafts. To these chains or straps the ends of the traces are attached.
When the hand wheel is turned the transverse rod is rotated causing the semi-
cylindrical cups or collars to turn away from the front of the pins, the tips of which
now turn on their pivots, thus releasing the chains attached to the detachable cap or
caps on the pole or shafts and freeing the said detachable cap or caps together with
the traces attached thereto. The animals can thus be released by rotating the hand
wheel, and allowing them to run away with the detachable cap or caps and the
traces.
If desired the worm may also actuate another worm wheel fixed to a supplementary
transverse rod carrying brakes which are applied to the hub or nave of the wheels
when, or immediately after, the animals are released.
Dated this 22nd dox of Fob 1800
"
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Releasing Runaway Horses and other
Animals from Carriages and other Road Vehicles.
I, HARRY HALL, of Cavern Road, Brixham, in the County of Devon, Captain in
the Merchant Service, 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 this invention is to provide carriages and other road vehicles with
simple and efficient means or apparatus for releasing runaway horses. The danger
and loss of life which often results from the horses in a vehicle taking fright and
bolting or running away is by the use of my invention entirely obviated.
According to this invention I provide the fore part of the vehicle with a transverse
rod which is placed beneath the driver's seat and supported in suitable bearings.
This transverse rod is provided with a worm wheel actuated by a worm on a vertical
shaft which passes through the driver's footboard and is provided with a crank or

page_text: hand wheel or other suitable means for actuating within easy reach of the driver. To
the aforesaid transverse rod are fixed two or more semi-cylindrical cups or collars
which normally engage with the pivoted tips or points of hooks firmly secured to the
underframe of the vehicle. On to these hooks are passed the ends of chains or straps
carrying at their forward ends a detachable cap or caps fitting over the end of the
pole or shafts. To these chains or straps the ends of the traces are attached.
When the hand wheel is turned the transverse rod is rotated causing the semi-
cylindrical cups or collars to turn away from the front of the pins, the tips of which
now turn on their pivots thus releasing the chains attached to the detachable cap or
caps on the pole or shafts and freeing the said detachable cap or caps together with
the traces attached thereto. The animals can thus be released by rotating the hand
wheel, and allowing them to run away with the detachable cap or caps and the
traces.
..If desired the worm may also actuate another worm wheel fixed to a supplementary
transverse rod carrying brakes which are applied to the hub or nave of the wheels
when or immediately after the animals are released.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters are used to indicate corresponding parts
throughout.
Figure 1 is a plan of the fore part of a pair horse carriage and pole with my
invention adapted thereto;
Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the main transverse rod A and the releasing
gear ;
Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of the supplementary rod B to which the
brakes C for the hubs of the front wheels are secured;
Figure 4 shews the mechanism for actuating the releasing gear, and for simul-
taneously applying the brakes C to the hubs of the front wheels; and
Figures 5 and 6 shew details of the releasing gear.
The main transverse rod A is free to rotate in suitable bearings D rigidly affixed
to the fore part E of the vehicle. This rod A is actuated by means of the worm
wheel F keyed to the rod A, and gearing with a worm G on a vertical shaft H
which passes through the driver's footboard and is provided with a crank or hand
wheel J or other suitable means for actuating within easy reach of the driver (see
Figure 4). The bottom of the vertical sbaft H turns on a foot plate K shewn in
Figure 1 fixed to the fore part of the carriage.
To the transverse rod A two, four, or other number of cups or collars L are rigidly
affixed. Four are shewn in the drawings and this number is preferred for a pair
horse carriage. The circumferences of these cups or collars L are partially cut away,
so that when the rod A is turned round on its axis these cups or collars will close
over the tips or points of pivoted hooks M and lock them in position. The hooks M
are pivoted at N between the cheeks O of a frame P firmly secured to the fore part E
of the vehicle. As the two outer cups or collars L are placed on the extremities of
the transverse rod A these hooks M may be placed in a horizontal position as shewn
in Figures 1 and 2, but with the two inner collars L' the hooks M will have to be
placed vertically and are preferably provided with a shoulder or stop to prevent them
turning over towards the rear so that they are only free to move from the vertical
position forwards. Figure 5 shews one of the end collars L in two elevations taken
at right angles to each other and an end view, and Figure 6 shews side elevation,
plan, and end elevation of one of the frames P with its pivoted hook M. The inner
collars Land hooks M¹ are not shewn separately, as they will be easily understood
from the foregoing description.
On the end of the pole Q is a detachable cap R carrying the ordinary chains or
straps S for attachment to the collars of the horses, and also with two additional
chains or straps T sufficiently long to reach back to and loop over the inner pivoted
hooks. M. To these chains or straps T the inside traces of each horse are attached,
the outer traces being secured to intermediate chains, straps, loops or hooks, secured

page_text: to the outer pivoted hooks M. The chains or straps T and the additional hooks,
loops, etc. U may if desired be dispensed with and the inner and outer traces
secured directly to the pivoted hooks M and M', but this will necessitate a rotation of
the transverse rod A every time the horses are put into or taken out of the carriage
and therefore the attachment of the traces to intermediate chains, loops etc. fixed
to or otherwise attached to the pivoted hooks is preferable.
To release the horses when running away or "bolting" the hand wheel J is turned
rotating the shaft H, worm G, and worm wheel F thus rotating the transverse rod A
and turning the collar away from the front of the pivoted hooks M and M'. The
hooks M and M' now turn over on their pivots N and release the intermediate chains
etc., and the traces allowing the horses to run away taking with them the traces and
the detachable cap R from the end of the pole Q. In the case of vehicles having
shafts, a cap on the end of each shaft may be used if required. In Figures 1 and 2
the mechanism is shewn released. When in this position the loops or hooks of the
chains or straps T and the intermediate chains, straps, etc. U are hooked on to the
pivoted hooks M and M', the wheel handle J is then turned causing the rod A to
rotate and the collars L to lock the hooks M and M' thus offering a rigid attach-
ment for the traces. The wheel J is then locked in this position, and may be
released when danger threatens.
The supplementary rod B is placed immediately in rear of the rod A, and is
provided with a worm wheel V gearing with the worm G on the vertical shaft H.
The rod B rotates in suitable bearings W on the fore part E of the vehicle, and
carries at its ends arms X to the ends of which are attached the brake blocks C.
As the rod B is rotated the blocks C are caused to bear against the hubs of the front
wheels and thereby stop the vehicle. This arrangement will be sufficiently well
understood without further description by referring to Figures 1 and 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
1 claim is
(1) For releasing runaway horses the arrangement of mechanism hereinbefore
described consisting of a transverse rod A rotating in bearings on the fore part of
the vehicle and having collars L fitting over the tips or ends of hooks M pivoted to
frames P secured to the vehicle the said transverse rod being actuated by the driver
through a worm and wheel or their equivalents substantially in the manner described
and illustrated.
(2) In combination with the arrangement of mechanism described and claimed
in the first claiming cause hereof, the supplementary rod B carrying the brakes C
which are applied to the hubs of the fore wheels simultaneously with the release of
the horses or other animals substantially as described and shewn.
(3) In apparatus for releasing the traces of runaway horses or other animals, the
use of a detachable cap or caps fitting over the end of the pole or shafts substantially
as and for the purpose herein before set forth and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
(4) My improved apparatus for releasing runaway horses and other animals
substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 4th day of November 189.
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.