Improvements in Whiffletrees.
Year: 1892

page_text: Improvements in Whiffletrees.
A communication by THE IRION ADJUSTABLE WHIFFLETREE COMPANY, of
Pawnee City, in the County of Pawnee and State of Nebraska, United States
of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 invention has relation to whiffle-trees adapted to be used on vehicles, agricul-
tural implements and the like, and has for its object to maintain equality of strain
on the traces under varying condition and also to guard against the swinging of the
end of the whiffle-trees against the wheel and also to distribute the strain upon the
double-tree or evener; and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter
described and pointed out.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a single-tree and a portion of a double-tree;
Fig. 2 is a section on line X-X of Figure 1.
Numeral 1 indicates a portion of a double-tree, and 2, 2¹ portions or sections of a
single-tree pivotally secured thereto by means of bolts 3 and clevises 4.
To the bottom of each single-tree section is secured a bearing plate 8 adapted to
rest upon and fit a plate 5 fixed on the double-tree. These plates have circular
parts provided with annular bearings, a cross section of which is shown in
Figure 2.
6 indicates a link or bar connected to the inner ends of the single-tree sections by
pivots or bolts 7. The inner ends of said sections 2 and 2' are curved forward
substantially as indicated. The particular form of the curve, however, is not
essential, nor is it necessary that the curved parts shall extend forward as shown in
the present instance, and some of the advantages of the improvement would be
secured were they made straight.
The dotted lines in Figure indicate the extreme movement of the single-tree.
Each section has a separate pivot, and its motion about the same is more restricted
than when the pivot bolt passes through the center of a single-tree made in one
piece. Neither section can be swung back of the position of 2, as shown in dotted
lines, at the left of Figure 1. The latter cannot therefore catch in the wheels.
The strain of the single-tree upon the double-tree is divided between the two bolts 3,
and these can be made smaller than when only one is used as is customary, and it is
obvious that the double-tree will be less liable to break. It is obvious also that the
invention is applicable to a single carriage in which no double-tree is employed, and
also that the forms and proportions illustrated can be varied so long as the mechanical
principles and operation are not substantially changed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
A singletree consisting of two sections, each pivoted intermediate its ends to a
doubletree or support, and a rigid link having each of its ends pivoted to one of the
said sections, the pivots of the link being normally at one side of the intermediate
pivots of the sections and not in the same straight line with either, but adapted to
be moved by a suitable movement of the sections into the same straight line with

page_text: the intermediate pivot of either section, whereby said pivots, link, and section limit
the forward movement of the other section about its intermediate pivot, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this other of Tan 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.