An Improved Shaft Tug for Harnessing Horses to Carriages.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Shaft Tug for Harnessing Horses to Carriages.
I, CHARLES BRISTOW, of 42 Lambton Quay, in the City of Wellington, in the
Colony of New Zealand, Settler, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved shaft tug, whereby horses can be more
readily attached to carriages, and the operation of attaching them be performed with
greater safety.
It is well known that with the usual shaft tugs formed as they are of a loop in
one piece with the back strap, it is at times difficult to attach the horse to a vehicle,
more especially if it is a restive animal, for the shafts have to be lifted, and then one
end of the shaft passed into the tug, and afterwards the other shaft is lifted and the
opposite tug strained on to the end of the corresponding shaft, necessitating pushing
the vehicle backwards and forwards at a time when one hand of the operator is
employed in holding the horse.
Now by my invention, 1 dispense with the ordinary tugs made in one piece with
the harness, and attach in their places, by suitable links or fastenings, spring loops or
hooks which receive the shaft.
I form the spring loop or tug (by preference) in the shape of a hook made of
sufficient size to receive the shaft loosely therein; the hook itself facing outwards, so
that the shaft can be readily dropped into place. To secure the said shafts from
rising out of the hook or tug, I fit a spring tongue within the hook; which spring
tongue is fastened firmly to the upper end or head of the hook, crosses over the shaft
and presses against the inner side of the outer end of the said hook.
By the use of these spring hooks or tugs instead of moving the vehicle backwards
or forward to make the shafts enter the tugs, I simply drop them in, the spring
giving way for that purpose and retaining the shafts when in place.
Dated this 24th day of June 1895.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Shaft Tug for Harnessing Horses to Carriages.
I, CHARLES BRISTOW, of Marton, late of 42 Lambton Quay in the City of
Wellington, both in the Provincial District of Wellington, in the Colony of New
Zealand, Settler, 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 my invention is to provide a shaft-tug whereby animals can be more
readily attached to carriages and the operation of attaching them be performed with
greater facility and safety.
It is well known that with the usual shaft-tugs formed as they generally are of a
loop in one piece with the back strap, it is often difficult to attach the borse to the
vehicle, more especially if it is a restive animal, for the shafts have to be lifted, then

page_text: one end of the shaft passed into the tug loop and afterwards the other end of the shaft
is lifted and the opposite tug loops strained on to the end of the corresponding shaft,
thus necessitating pushing the vehicle backwards and forwards at a time when one
hand of the operator should be employed in holding the horse.
Now, by my invention I dispense with the ordinary tug loops made in one piece
with the harness and attach in their places by suitable links or fastenings spring
hooks made of sufficient size to receive the shafts loosely therein, the hook itself
facing outwards so that the shafts can be readily dropped into place. To secure the
said shaft from rising out of the hook or tug I fit a spring tongue within the hook
which spring tongue is fastened firmly at or near to the upper end or head of the
hook, crosses over the shaft and presses against the inner side of the outer end of the
said hook.
My invention is illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings on which,―
Figure 1 is an end view of my improved shaft tug.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in both the figures.
(a) is the hook forming the tug having a jaw or pair of eyes (6) near its upper
end in which is supported by a pivot (6') the tongue (c) against which the spring (d)
is made to press so as to keep the end of the tongue in engagement with the outer
end of the hook (a). A link or buckle is attached by any convenient means to the
upper end of the hook for the purpose of connecting it to the back band of the
harness, and a strap (f) may also be passed through the hook (a) and round
the back band as an additional means of securing the hook thereto.
If desired the whole of the apparatus can be covered with leather and moreover, a
spiral spring on the pivot (1) may be substituted for the spring (d) in a well known
manner and the details of my invention may be varied without departing from the
principle, which principle is to supply a hook tug into which the shafts can be
dropped, and to form a substitute for the usual loop."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
A hook tug into which the shaft can be dropped so as to form a substitute for the
ordinary loop as and for the purposes substantially as described herein and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 23rd day of April 1896.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.