from the Carriage.
Year: 1888

page_text: from the Carriage.
We, WILLIAM FLETCHER of 3 Garfield Place East Street Faversham in the
County of Kent Engineer and WALTER JEFFERY BOURNE of 80 Westgate Road
Park Place Faversham aforesaid Smith, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to enable the driver of a carriage to release the horse
or horses conveniently and instantaneously from the box or driver's seat, whenever
required for instance in case of a horse falling down or bolting off and that without
cutting or spoiling the harness. For this purpose I provide on the underside of the
splinter bar (for a single horse) two pegs on to which the traces can be hooked and I
provide slides or covers which hold the trace hooks from dropping. These slides are
normally pushed over the pegs and trace hooks by springs, and can be drawn back
to allow the trace hooks to drop off the pegs, and I may arrange other springs for
pushing them off. The slides are operated by cords which are connected to a lever
arranged convenient for the driver's hand.
For two horse vehicles I provide similar appliances for releasing at will the traces;
and in addition thereto I provide a similar fitting at the end of the pole for holding
the links from the hame straps. Cords are similarly led from the slides to the driver's
seat, so that he can release one or both horses instantly.
בד
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T
1000

page_text: Improvements in Appliances for Releasing a Horse or Horses
from the Carriage.
We, WILLIAM FLETCHER of 3 Garfield Place, East Street, Faversham in the
County of Kent Engineer and WALTER JEFFERY BOURNE of 80 Westgate Road, Park
Place, Faversham aforesaid Smith, 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 enable the driver or occupant of a carriage to
release the horse or horses conveniently and instantaneously from the box or driver's
seat (or from any other part of the carriage) whenever required for instance in
case of a horse falling down or bolting off and that without cutting or spoiling the
harness.
For this purpose we provide on the splinter bar (for a single horse) a fitting having
on its underside two pegs on to which the traces can be hooked or placed and we
provide slides or covers which keep the trace hooks or eyes from dropping. These
slides are normally pushed across the pegs and trace hooks or eyes by springs and
can be drawn back to allow the trace hooks to drop off the pegs and we may arrange
other springs for pushing them off to ensure certainty of action. The slides are
operated by cords which are connected to a handle or lever arranged convenient for
the hand of the driver or other occupant of the carriage.
For two horse vehicles we provide similar appliances for releasing at will the
traces, and in addition thereto we provide a similar fitting at the end of the pole for
holding the links from the hame straps. Cords are similarly led from the slides to the
driver's seat so that he can release one or both horses instantaneously.
In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated the invention as applied to a
two horse carriage. Figure 1 is a plan of the fitting constructed according to our
invention applied to the front end of the pole, Figure 2 a side view, Figure 3
vertical section on line A A Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan of underside and Figure 5
plan of the fitting with the cover removed. Figure 6 is an end view and
Figure 7 vertical longitudinal section. Figure 8 is plan and Figure 9 side view of
one of the shackle fittings. Figure 10 is plan of a pole and splinter bar shewing all
the aforesaid fittings applied thereto. Figure 11, is side view Figure 12 sectional
front view and Figure 13 plan of the front part of a carriage provided with our
invention.
Referring to Figures 1 to 7 the fitting is formed with a socket part B which is
fixed upon the outer end of the pole A. The fitting otherwise consists inainly of a
flanged bottom part of the section shewn in Figures 3, 5 and 7 of a lid or
upper part D which drops in between the flanges of the bottom part C and is fixed
thereto by means of a screw C₁ at each end of two slides or covers E and E, of
springs F and F which tend to keep the slides E E in the closed or normal
position shewn in Figure 4 and of a spring G which tends to force the hame strap
links shackles or eyes H H down when they are released. The upper part D of
the fitting is provided with two pegs D¹ upon which the hame strap shackles or eyes H
are normally held, the slides E keeping them up in place. The upper part D is
formed with recesses wherein the shackles H lie.

page_text: When the slides or covers E are drawn to one side that is to say, towards the
centre-line of the pole and of its fitting the shackles H can drop down the bottom
part C being formed with holes as shown at (figures 6 and 7 so that the hame straps I
become released from that pole. But in order to prevent all sticking or uncertainty
of action each end of the spring G forces down a shackle H.
Figures 8 and 9 shew the fitting on the end of the splinter bar K the middle of
same being provided with a similar but double fitting for two traces. The construction
is the same as that shewn in Figures 1 to 7.
Figure 10 shews the fittings applied to the pole A and splinter bar K and the
connections for working the several slides or covers E for releasing the hame straps
and traces. The string or cord L from the left horse hame strap slide passes over a
central pulley R under the pole fitting, and the string or cord M similarly round the
pulley R¹ crossing each other under the pole they are joined with cords from the trace
fitting in the cord L joining the cord N from the left horse left hand trace and
the cord N¹ from the left horse right hand trace, these cords L N and N¹ being joined
to a common cord Q. In a similar manner the cords M O and M¹ join into one
cord P. Then by pulling the cord P the two traces and the hame strap of the right
hand horse are released simultaneously and by pulling the cord Q the left hand horse
is similarly released. Or by pulling both the cords both horses are released.
In figures 11 12 and 13 means are shewn for actuating the cords P and Q from the
drivers seat, viz. by handles R and R' in the drivers seat V and which by rods are
connected to bell crank levers S these latter again have the end of the cords P
and attached to them, the pulleys T, T, and U, U, serving to conduct the cords
thereto.
Figure 14 shews the fittings applied to the splinter bar of a fire engine. In the
ordinary manner the splinter bar is of the length shewn in full lines and at each end
a whippletree is hooked on, onto which the traces are connected. But in the
arrangement here shown we do away with the whippletree and hinge a prolongation K'
to each end of the splinter bar K and to these prolongations K¹ we fix the outer trace
fittings.
For a one horse carriage the fittings will consist of two fittings one for each end of
the splinter bar and we connect the two traces thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
First. A fitting for traces or hame straps consisting of a peg to take a hook eye or
shackle on the trace or strap such shackle being held up in place by a cover or
slide which when drawn away from under the shackle against the force of a spring
allows the shackle to drop off the peg thus releasing the trace or strap substantially as
set forth.
Second. The construction of fitting described with reference to the accompanying
drawings and also the means for actuating such fittings and releasing the horse or
horses from the carriage.
Third. The construction of splinter bar for fire engines for the purpose of applying
the fittings thereto substantially as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1800