AN IMPROVED SLIPPING APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO VEHICLES FOR ENABLING POLE CHAINS, TRACES, AND OTHER PARTS OF HARNESS TO BE READILY DETACHED IN THE EVENT OF HORSES FALLING DOWN, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Frank Conway Morris at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st October 1883.
CHARLES FRANK CONWAY MORRIS, of 35 St Thomas's Street, Southwark, in tho
County of Surrey, "AN IMPROVED SLIPPING APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE
TO VEHICLES FOR ENABLING POLE CHAINS, TRACES, AND OTHER PARTS OF HARNESS
TO BE READILY DETACHED IN THE EVENT OF HORSES FALLING DOWN, WHICH
APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
"
My Invention relates to improvements in the slipping apparatus described in a
previous Patent N° 4946 dated 11th November 1881, granted to myself and Frank
Howard Bennett, and the object is to materially simplify and reduce the cost of
construction of such apparatus.
My improved slipping apparatus is applicable to all purposes in which it is
desired to provide means for readily detaching a chain, rope or other attachment
from a part to which it is connected when in use, but from which it may be
necessary to disconnect it while a strain or pull is being exerted thereon, and it is
especially applicable to the attachments for connecting the harness of horses to
carriages or other vehicles, so that should the horses fall down, in which case a
great strain is frequently brought to bear on the attachments, the slipping apparatus
may be easily actuated, and thereby release the harness and permit the horses
to rise, while the apparatus under ordinary circumstances will form a secure and
efficient connecting piece between the parts to be joined together.
I will proceed to describe my improved slipping apparatus as applied to the
connection of pole chains, traces or other parts of harness to carriages or other
vehicles, and its application to other purposes will be readily understood.
According to the present invention my improved slipping apparatus or "slip
hook" consists of two arms, one of which is formed at its inner end with an eye,
shackle or other means for connecting it to the vehicle, pole chain or hames, aud
the other end is bent round so as to form rather more than half a circle, the
extreme end extending a certain distance beyond the centre line or axis of the
main part of the arm which is straight. To the extreme end of this bent part is
pivotted the other arm which is also bent so as to form rather more than half a
circle, the end of which extends beyond the point at which this second arm is
pivotted to the first arm, the inner surface of the rounded part of the first arm

page_text: being recessed or cut away to receive such extended part of the second arm, so
that when the two arms are closed the circle is completed between them and forms
an eye to receive the link of the chain or other part.
The main part of the second arm is straight and when the two arms are closed
it lies parallel with and preferably rests upon the straight part of the first arm,
but does not extend as far as the eye in the inner end of the latter, so that it is
somewhat shorter than the first arm. The free end of this shorter arm is suitably
formed for enabling it to be readily grasped so as to turn the arm on the pivot.
The operation is as follows:-Supposing the longer arm to be connected to the
hames or to the vehicle by the eye at its inner end, and the link of the pole chain,
trace or other part of the harness to be inserted in the eye formed by the outer
ends of the two arms, and the arms then closed, any pressure or pull exerted on
the pole chain or other part will bear on that part of the circle of the shorter arm
which extends beyond the point where the two arms are pivotted together and so
tend to force the straight parts of the arms more firmly together, thereby forming
a secure and efficient connection. When it is desired to disconnect the polo chain
or other part of the harness, the shorter arm is pulled outwards, and if any
pressure or pull is being exerted on the pole chain or other part, a very slight
movement of the arm will cause the pull to be brought to bear on that part of the
circle of the shorter arm which is on the other side of the pivot, so that the
pull itself will tend to open the arms, and the link of the pole chain or other part
will then slip off the shorter arm. The leverage of the shorter arm will enable it
to be easily turned the short distance necessary to shift the point at which the
pull on the pole chain or other part is brought to bear.
So as to prevent the shorter arm turning on its pivot when the pole chain or
other part of the harness is slack and consequently exerts no pull upon the eye of
the slip hook, a rubber ring, strap, or a metallic ring may be mounted to slide on
the straight part of the longer arm, and shaped so that it may fit tightly over the
end of the straight part of the shorter arm, and exert sufficient pressure to prevent
it shaking off, and if necessary a spring may be fitted on the end of the shorter
arm to aid in keeping the ring in position. To open the arms it will then be
necessary to slide the ring back off the end of the shorter arm.
Although have described my improved slipping apparatus or slip hook as
applied to the connections of harness to vehicles, it will be readily understood that
the same may also be applied as a lock chain release in the skidding of the wheels
of vehicles, or to tackle for lowering boats and other purposes on board ship, and
generally to purposes in which it is necessary to provide a ready means of
disconnecting two parts while a strain or pull being exerted thereon."