IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES, AND IN THE MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE TRACES THERETO AND RELEASING THE SAME THEREFROM
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES, AND IN
THE MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE TRACES THERETO AND RELEASING THE SAME
THEREFROM."-A communication from abroad by Ludwig Fehrmann,
of Potsdam, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th July 1874.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION SPRINGS FOR
VEHICLES, AND IN THE MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE TRACES THERETO AND RELEASING
THE SAME THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in traction springs to
be interposed between the ends of the traces and the part of the vehicle

page_text: to which the traces are usually attached, for the purpose of lessening the
shocks and consequent injurious sudden strains upon the horses,
resulting from unevenesses of the road as also from the sudden starting
of the vehicles from a state of rest.
According to the present Invention such traction springs are con-
structed of a metal tube closed at one end, and having an opening at the
other end through which a rod enters the tube, such rod having at its
inner end a plate or head fixed thereto, while at its outer end it has a
hook to which the trace is attached. Upon the rod is placed a length of
caoutchouc tubing which abutts at one end against the head or plate on
the end of the rod, and at the other end against a shoulder on the end of
the metal tube through which the rod enters it. On the closed end of
the metal tube is fixed or formed a hook or eye by means of which the
tube is attached to the whippletrec or splinter bar of the vehicle.
When a tension is put on the traces by the pull of the horse, the rod
of the traction spring is drawn somewhat out of the metal tube, and the
caoutchouc tube is thereby compressed more or less between the head on
the rod and the shoulder on the metal tube, according to the degree of
tractile force exerted, and on any sudden increased resistance to the
motion of the vehicle occurring owing to the unevenesses in the road, a
further compression of the caoutchouc tube will be effected whereby the
transmission of any sudden shocks through the traces will be prevented;
in like manner the unequal motion of the horses will by means of this
apparatus be converted into a uniform pull on the vehicle.
In place of employing a single caoutchouc tube for the springs as
above described, a number of caoutchouc dises with metal washers inter-
posed between the discs may be used, the before-mentioned rod to which
the traces are attached. being passed through central holes in the discs
and washers. Or a helical steel spring may be used in place of the
caoutchouc tube or discs.
When the traction spring is attached to a fixed splinter bar it is
preferred to fix the tube or casing of the spring rigidly to the splinter
bar by means of a screw bolt passing through a hole in the splinter bar,
and screwing into a boss on the casing of the spring. The foot plate,
that is usually fixed to the top of the splinter bar, is in this case attached
to the top of the said casing.

page_text: This Invention relates further to means whereby in the case of kicking
or restive horses, the traces may be readily detached from the said
traction spring cither by the action of the horse itself in kicking against
the races or by the driver. For this purpose the rod of the spring is
formed with a cranked outer end terminating in a vertical pin, on to
which is fitted loosely a socket with rims at its upper and lower ends,.
over which socket the ends of the traces are placed in a similar manner
to the ordinary "rolling bolt" of vehicles. A spring is attached to the
side of the said vertical pin which is made to press against the inner
surface of the socket sufficiently to keep it in its place, but which will
readily yield so as to allow the socket to slip off the pin when the trace
is kicked in an upward direction by the horse.
When it is desired that the socket shall only be capable of being freed
from the pin by the driver, the pin is made with a nose at its upper end
which overhangs the upper flange of the socket, and the before-
mentioned spring is made to press against the socket so as to keep it
under the said nose until the driver by means of a cord or rod attached
to the socket draws this laterally against the action of the spring, so as
to free it from the nose of the pin when the socket can be slipped off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 4th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special
license, that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors, adminis-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Denton
Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-

page_text: after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES, AND IN THE MEANS
FOR ATTACHING THE TRACES THERETO AND RELEASING THE SAME THEREFROM," a
communication to me from abroad by Ludwig Fehrmann, of Potsdam,
in the Kingdom of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors or administrators, by au
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six*
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in traction springs to
be interposed between the ends of the traces and the part of the vehicle
to which the traces are usually attached, for the purpose of lessening the
shocks and consequent injurious sudden strains upon the horses, resulting
from unevenesses of the road, as also from the sudden starting of the
vehicles from a state of rest.
According to the present Invention such traction springs are con-
structed of a metal tube closed at one end, and having an opening at the
other end through which a rod enters the tube, such rod having at its
inner end a plate or head fixed thereto, while at its outer end it has a
hook to which the trace is attached. Upon the rod is placed a length of
caoutchouc tubing which abutts at one end against the head or plate on
the end of the rod, and at the other end against a shoulder on the end
of the metal tube through which the rod enters it. On the closed end
of the metal tube is fixed or formed a hook or cyc by means of which
the tube is attached to the whippletree or splinter bar of the vehicle.
When a tension is put on the traces by the pull of the horse the rod
of the traction spring is drawn somewhat out of the metal tube, and the

page_text: caoutchouc tube is thereby compressed more or less between the head on
the rod and the shoulder on the metal tube according to the degree of
tractile force exerted, and on any sudden increased resistance to the
motion of the vehicle occurring owing to the unevenesses in the road, a
further compression of the caoutchouc tube will be effected, whereby the
transmission of any sudden shocks through the traces will be prevented;
in like manner the unequal motion of the horses will by means of this
apparatus be converted into a uniform pull on the vehicle.
In place of employing a single caoutchouc tube for the springs as
above described, a number of caoutchouc discs with metal washers inter-
posed between the discs may be used, the before-mentioned rod to which
the traces are attached being passed through central holes in the discs
and washers. Or a helical steel spring may be used in place of tho
caoutchouc tube or discs.
When the traction spring is attached to a fixed splinter bar it is
preferred to fix the tube or casing of the spring rigidly to the splinter
bar by means of a screw bolt passing through a hole in the splinter bar
and screwing into a boss on the casing of the spring. The foot plate
that is usually fixed to the top of the splinter bar is in this case
attached to the top of the said casing.
This Invention relates further to means whereby in the case of
kicking and restive horses the traces may be readily detached from the
said traction spring, either by the action of the horse itself in kicking
against the traces or by the driver. For this purpose the rod of the.
spring is formed with a cranked outer end terminating in a vertical pin
on to which is fitted loosely a socket with rims at its upper and lower
ends, over which socket the ends of the traces are placed in a similar
manner to the ordinary "rolling bolt" of vehicles. A spring is attached
to the side of the said vertical pin which is made to press against the
inner surface of the socket sufficiently to keep it in its place, but which
will readily yield so as to allow the socket to slip off the pin when the
trace is kicked in an upward direction by the horse.
When it is desired that the socket shall only be capable of being freed
from the pin by the driver, the pin is made with a nose at its upper cnd
which overhangs the upper flange of the socket, and the before-
mentioned spring is made to press against the socket so as to keep it
under the said nose, until the driver by means of a cord or rod attached

page_text: to the socket draws this laterally against the action of the spring so as
to free it from the nose of the pin, when the socket can be slipped off.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews two of the above described traction springs attached to a
whippletree, the left hand spring being. shewn in section. The metal
casing A has a loop Fat one end by which it is connected to the whipple-
tree, at the other end a rod C enters tlirough a hole in the plate B, such
rod having at its outer end a hook to which the trace is attached, while
at its inner end it has a plate or washer D fixed to it by a screw nut.
Upon the rod C is a length of caoutchouc tubing E which abutts at one
end against the plate D on the rod, and at the other end against the
plate B of the casing. Thus when a tension is put on the rod C of the
spring by the pull of the horse, such pull is transmitted in an elastic or
yielding manner through the caoutchouc tube E to the casing A. and
through this to the carriage; by this means the transmissson of any
sudden shocks through the traces, owing to any unequal resistance to the
motion of the carriage will be prevented, and a less injurious action on
the horse will result. In like manner the unequal motion of the horse
will by this apparatus be converted into a uniform pull on the vehicle.
Fig. 2 shews a vertical section, and Fig. 3 a plan of another arrange-
ment of the apparatus. The casing A is here fixed to the top of the
splinter bar H by means of a screw bolt B screwed into a boss on the
casing.
In place of the caoutchouc tube of the previous arrangement, a
number of caoutchouc discs f are employed with metal or leather
washers g, g, interposed between them, the washers being provided with
rims to prevent the tension rod C from rubbing against the discs. The
trace is secured to the eye of the rod C by a pin I; K is the foot plate
fixed to the top of the casing A.
Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of the apparatus with the before
described contrivance for enabling the traces to be readily detached by
the action of the horse in kicking the traces. The tensión rod C of the
spring is formed with a cranked outer end n terminating in a vertical
pin upon which is fitted loosely a socket m, over which the end of the
trace is placed. A spring a is fixed to the pin n so as to press against
the socket and keep it in place, which spring will however readily yield

page_text: so as to allow the socket to slip off the pin when the trace is kicked in
an upward direction by the horse.
Fig. 5 shews another modification of this contrivance in which the
socket m is kept in place by a nose n' on the pin n, under which the
socket is kept by the pressure of the spring, so that the socket can only
be released by pulling it from under the nose n¹ either by hand or by a
cord or chain.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, what I claim is,―
First. The use of traction springs for vehicles consisting of a casing
containing a rod, the outer end of which is connected to the trace of the
horse, while the inner end bears against a spring inside the casing so
arranged that the pull of the horse is transmitted from the said rod
through the spring to the casing and thence to the vehicle, substantially
as and for the purpose herein described.
Second. The use of traction springs for vehicles constructed and
arranged as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the
Drawings.
Third. In traction springs such as are above referred to making the
sockets to which the traces are attached loose upon the tension rods and
held thereon by springs so arranged that the sockets can be readily
removed, substantially as and for the purposes herein described with
reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this First day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
D ARRT
A RAT
(.s.
L8V HU