An Improved Shaft-tug for Harness.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Shaft-tug for Harness.
I, ARTHUR EDWIN HART of Broken Hill in the Colony of New South Wales,
Saddler 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 :-
This invention is designed to provide an improved shaft tug for spring drays
and other vehicles. It is well known that the shaft tugs as heretofore manufactured
and used are liable in wear to lose their original shape and grip the shaft and so
wear both the tug and the shaft away. In addition to this the stitches which hold
the several parts together are in contact with the shaft and are gradually worn
through by the constant rubbing.
In the tugs manufactured according to my invention these disadvantages are
overcome. A tug body is forined of one outside piece of leather joined and
stitched externally, and packed internally with scrap leather, the stitches and
joins being so placed and formed that they are not exposed on the wearing
surface. The tig body is connected to the buckle by a strap and it is stiffened by
metal plates, the buckle being so hinged and secured that the tug retains its shape
and the buckle is held securely. In fact a tug both more ornamental and more
In order
durable than those at present in use is supplied without extra cost.
that my invention may be clearly understood I will now describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings which are about half size and in which
the same letters indicate like parts in all figures.
Figure 1. is a view of my improved shaft tug as it would appear on the shaft
looking from the shaft end shewing the buckle C and the strap loop H but the
back band is not shewn.
Figure 2 is a view of the tug and buckle without the strap as they would appear
looking from the side of the dray.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the tug and buckle on line a-b of Figure 2.
4 is a sectional view of the tug on line c-d of Figure 1.
Figure
The body A of the tug is made of sole leather in one piece blocked to the
required shape which may be that shewn more particularly in Figures 3 and 4 or
with any suitable variations for different vehicles. It is so formed that the lace
and joint A', A' in Figure 4 will be on the outside and the ends will meet at the
top as shewn at A³.
The space B inside this body is tightly packed with scrap leather and the
joint A' is drawn well together by means of the leather lace A¹.
The scrap leather packing is inserted in layers in the space B within the body A
before it is folded over and drawn together but I have not shewn the packing in
the drawing as it might tend to confuse.
When the body has been formed as before described the buckle C is placed
on the top and a black harness leather cover D is placed right round the body A,
one end overlapping at the top thus forming two ply of leather over the hinge
bar C of the buckle C. The leather cover D is skived at the ends and edges to
give a symmetrical and finished appearance. This leather cover serves the double
purpose, first of securing and holding the buckle C, and second, of hiding the
joint of the tug body.
In order to still further secure the buckle a metal strap E is provided which
fits over the hinge bar C¹ of the buckle. This metal strap E together with the
two ends of the leather cover D are secured and rivetted to the body A by copper
or other suitable metal rivets E' E'.
Mountings G, G¹ of malleable iron, brass, nickel, silver plated or other metal

page_text: are placed one on each side of the tug. They are connected and fastened by
means of rivets G³, G³, G', G' passing through the body of the tug from side to
side, and a loop H is provided to carry the strap, such loop being fastened by
the rivets H'H' to the mountings G G
The tongue C of the buckle C is hinged to the top bar C³ instead of to the
bottom bar C¹.
By the construction of the tug in this manner it has the following advantages,
besides those before mentioned. The tongue of the buckle being hinged at the
top considerably facilitates the fastening and unfastening of the back band which
does not by this plan require to be bent in the operation. It also prevents the
tongue from protruding and oscillating as it does in a tug constructed in the
ordinary way, as it is held underneath the back band and thus great saving of
wear and tear is effected. The hinging the tongue of the buckle at the top also
saves the necessity of weakening the leather holding the bottom bar of the buckle,
as the cutting of a slot therein for the purpose of fixing the tongue is obviated.
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.
1. A shaft tug formed by combining first, a body or casing A, second a packing
of scrap leather, third, a leather cover D, fourth a metal strap E, and fifth the
mountings G and G substantially as and for the purposes described and
illustrated.
2. A shaft tug and buckle and the means of forming connecting and applying
the same as fully set forth and illustrated in the foregoing Specification and
drawings.
3. A shaft tug body formed of one piece of leather in such a manner that no
stitches or joints are exposed on the wearing surface substantially as shewn and
described.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of August 1802
ARTHUR EDWIN HART.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.