An Improved Coupling for the Thills or Shafts of Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 25th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coupling for the Thills or Shafts of Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM HENRY TYDEMAN, Blacksmith, and PATRICK WEBSTER
SWEENEY, County Judge, both of Walsenburg, Huerfano County, Colorado,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The thill or shaft coupling of this invention is constructed with a clip by which
it may be fixed to an axle. From the clip forward, there extend two side plates
between which the parts of the coupling are mounted. They consist mainly of a
fixed pin which takes into a recess formed in a head at the end of the shaft and of
an excentrically mounted locking and unlocking lug which takes into a curved
recess on the side of the shaft end opposite the fixed pin. The shaft end can only
be disengaged from the coupling after the shaft has been considerably raised, say,
to an angle of 45°. A spur on the excentric lug prevents the shaft from descending
below a certain height. The shaft end is inserted in the coupling by raising it to
the perpendicular or rather more rearwardly.
Dated this 9th day of August 1893.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coupling for the Thills or Shafts of Vehicles.
•
We, WILLIAM HENRY TYDEMAN, Blacksmith, and PATRICK WEBSTER
SWEENEY, County Judge, both of Walsenburg, Huerfano County, Colorado,
United States of America 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 a thill or shaft coupling in which the.
shaft irons may be inserted and locked in an expeditious and convenient manner
and to form the coupling in such a manner that when the shaft iron is in draught
position in connection with the coupling these two parts cannot be disconnected and
when a disconnection is desired the shaft iron must be carried upward and rearward
and removed from the coupling whilst in that position.
In the drawing
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the coupling shewing the draught iron with a
portion of the pole or shaft nearly in draught position therein.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof with the draught iron in the same
position.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section shewing the shaft iron carried up nearly to the
position from which it may be removed.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section shewing the position of the shaft iron when it is
about to be removed and the position of the locking dog.
A is the shaft iron which terminates at its lower end in a head B the forward
face 10 of which is cylindrical and has a transverse recess 11 approximately semi-
circular in cross section. In the opposite or rear face of the head B there is a
second transverse recess 12 somewhat U or V snaped in cross section its outer

page_text: portion or mouth being wider than its inner portion, and immediately below this
recess there is a concavity 17.
The body of the coupling comprises a clip D adapted to be attached to an axle E
and from the forward face of this clip there extend two parallel horizontal
arms 14 and 15. A pin 16 is passed through both of the arms near their upper
edges and rigidly secured therein and a second pin 17 is passed through the forward
portion of the arms. The rear pin 16 is adapted to enter recess 12 in the shaft
iron whilst the forward pin is the fulcrum for a locking dog F. This latter
comprises a body 18 fitting between the arms 14, 15, a projecting rib 19 and a
tooth 20, which prevents the body 18 from dropping down when the shaft iron is
in the draught position and checks the shaft iron.
When the shaft iron A is in position in the coupling the pin 16 is seated in the
contracted portion of recess 12 and rib 19 fills recess 11, tooth 20 then projecting
upward and rearward. It is obvious that the shaft iron cannot be disconnected
from the coupling when the parts are in this position as the greater the pull on the
shaft the firmer this is locked in the coupling. The shaft iron may however be
removed expeditiously and conveniently by carrying the shafts upward and
rearward to the position indicated in Fig. 3 when the heads B of the shaft irons
are rocked forward, thereby forcing ribs 19 of the locking dogs both forward and
upward and the final movement necessary in disconnecting the shafts from the thill
coupling is to lift the heads of the shaft irons out of the coupling while the shafts
are in the rearwardly inclined position.
In removing the shafts, ribs 19 will be thrown forward and downward as shewn
in Fig. 4 thus offering no impediment to the outward passage of the shaft irons.
The concavity 13 is provided in order that the shaft irons may be readily inserted
in the couplings, to do which the shaft irons are held upright or somewhat
rearwardly inclined, the recesses 12 brought opposite to and entered on pins 16,
the dogs then carried upward until the ribs 19 enter the recesses 11, the shaft
irons thereupon forced downward and thereby locked, somewhat in the nature of a
cam lock, between pins 16 and ribs or projections 19 of the locking dogs.
The coupling is prevented from rattling by placing an elastic block 21 against
the clip D and between the arms 14, 15, the head of the thill or shaft iron engaging
when in the coupled position, against said elastic block.
It will be understood that the device may be employed either in connection with
a pole or with a shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
The general construction, arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
coupling for the thills or shafts of vehicles, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 28th day of February 1894.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.