Improvements in Harness.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Harness.
We, ALFRED Wood, of Fairlight House, Folkestone, Carriage Builder, and
WILLIAM MARTIN WALTER, of 68, Sandgate Road, Folkestone, Harness Maker,
both in the County of Kent, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in fastenings of the kind referred to in
the Specification of British Patent No. 19093 of 1894 whereby traces, pole pieces,
or other parts of harness may be expeditiously disconnected and the draft animal
thereby readily released from the vehicle or other object to which it is harnessed,
and has for its object to secure increased safety and efficiency combined with
simplicity of construction and the reduction of the liability of the spring to
corrode.
According to our invention we employ a curved or hent arm, the curved end
of which is secured to the trace, pole piece or other required part of the harness,
and a sliding ring or band provided with a loop, as previously described in the
Specification Patent No. 19093 of 1894; but in place of the flat springs previously
employed, we now use a spiral spring or its equivalent (preferably of non cor-
rosive metal) enclosed in a cavity formed in one member of the fastening and
actuating a bolt which co-operates with a slot or recess formed in the other
member of the fastening. Or such spiral spring may be supplemented or
replaced by a tab, spring pin, or its equivalent passing through a slot in the
bolt.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect we will now proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of one form of device made according
to our invention showing the bolt and spring in elevation.
Figure 2 is a vertical section on line - Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional plan views of bent arms for use with roller
bolts, or for single horse traces and pole straps, respectively, showing the special
form of cavity for the bolt and spring shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 shows an alternative form of bolt which may be used with the devices
shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 6 is a similar view to Figure 1 showing a modification of the invention.
Figure 7 is a vertical section on line y-y Figure 6.
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 show modifications of bolts and springs for fitting into the
cavity in the curved arm.
Figure 12 shows a modification which may be employed when using a slotted
bolt.
Figure 13 is a similar view to Figure 1 showing a modification in which the
bolt and spring are arranged in the loop of the ring or band.

page_text: Figure 14 is a vertical section on line z-z Figure 13.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5:-
a is the curved arm to which the trace or other part 6 of the harness is secured.
a is a cavity in the free end of the arm a, and c is a bolt arranged to slide in
this cavity. d is a spiral spring which is situated within the cavity a¹ and tends
to thrust out the bolt c. e is a band or ring sliding upon the trace or other part
of the harness to which the arm a is attached and having a loop el provided with
a slot with which the bolt e normally engages. The bolt c is provided with a
lug or projection el on either side thereof which fits a corresponding recess a in
the cavity a this recess serves to support the spiral spring d, and the bottom of
it forms a shoulder which operates in conjunction with the lugs or projections c
to limit the outward movement of the holt c. The bolt e normally passes through
the slot e² and when it is required to release the trace or other part of the harness
to which the invention is applied, the said bolt is pushed up into the cavity a¹
and the ring or band e then slid off the end of the arm. a.
Referring to Figures 6 and 7 the construction here shown is similar to that
already described, but the bolt is circular in cross section and does not pass
right through the slot e²; a push piece f being provided for thrusting the said
bolt into the cavity a¹ when required.
In the modifications shown in Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11 the cavity a¹ is formed
without any recess therein and the bolt c has no lugs or projections thereon such
as c¹ in the foregoing figures, but in place of such recess and lugs or projections
a stop or stops g are provided, and the bolt in Figure 8 has notches and the
bolts in Figures 9, 10 and 11 each have a slot i engaging with the stops g to limit
its movement.
When using a slotted bolt such as shown in Figures 9 and 10 with the device
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a leather tab, spring pin, or its equivalent attached
to the sliding band e by means of a chain, cord or its equivalent may be passed
through the slot i, to serve either as an additional security to or in place of the
spring. Or a bolt such as is shown in Figures 1 and 2 may have a slot formed
in its projecting part for this purpose. Such an arrangement is shown in
Figure 12 where j is the tab or pin. This tab or pin must of course be withdrawn
before pressing up the bolt, when it is required to release the fastening.
Referring to Figures 13 and 14, the bolt c is arranged to slide in a recess ea in
the loop e. The shank of the bolt e is reduced to receive the spiral spring d and
to pass through a hole of corresponding size in the bottom of the recess e. One
end of the spring d bears upon a shoulder formed at the bottom of the recess e³
and the other end of the spring d bears against the shoulder formed on the bolt c
where the reduction of the shank commences. h is a disc fixed to the outer end
of the bolt shank, and grooved to afford a better grip when operating the fasten-
ing. The bolt e normally projects into the loop e¹ and engages with a recess a¹
in the arm a. When it is required to release that part of the harness to which
the fastening is applied, the bolt c is withdrawn by pressing down the disc h and
the ring or band then slid off the end of the arm a.
In Figures 1, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the aforesaid device each of the spiral springs
may either be used singly or have another spring (preferably coiled in the oppo-
site direction) placed within it, in order to afford additional strength, and a
headed pin (such as Figure 8) may be inserted in the top of the spring or
springs to prevent the lateral bending when the spring is compressed.
The bolt is preferably arranged to protrude downwardly so that even should
the spring, tab, or spring pin fail or break, the said bolt would maintain its posi-
tion by gravity and the fastening still hold.
The spiral springs can be made of non corrosive metal such as nickel, which
would be unserviceable when using flat exposed springs such as are described in
the Specification of Patent No. 19093 %, and by completely enclosing these springs
in one or other member of the fastening they are effectively protected from mud,
water, and forth and the fastening consequently rendered more reliable.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a fastening for harness, of the kind referred to, a spiral spring or its
equivalent completely enclosed in one or other member of the fastening, for the
purpose specified.
2. In a fastening for harness of the kind referred to, the use substantially as
described of a tab or spring pin in combination with the slotted bolt, for the
purpose specified,
3. A fastening for harness, constructed arranged and operating substantially
as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, or to Figures 6 and 7, or
to Figures 8 to 11, or to Figure 12, or to Figures 13 and 14 of the accompanying
drawings, for the purpose specified.
Totod thin 14th Ja
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.