Improvements in Carriages.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 10th Jan., 1891
Improvements in Carriages.
I THEODORE WITTKUGEL of 355 City Road London in the County of Middlesex
Instrument Maker do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARRIAGES to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a means by which horses can be
instantaneously released from a carriage at the will of the driver.
The carriage bar (to which the traces are attached) has four metal blocks fixed on
its upper side in the position desired for the traces. These blocks are slotted and
bored to allow of the passage of a pin through the centre in a direction parallel to
the bar. Attached to the front or bottom of the bar are two independent sliding
pieces, one on each side of the pole, these pieces carry the pins which pass easily
through the above mentioned blocks and socure the traces.
The two inner pins aro somewhat longer than the outer ones so that when the
sliding piece is pushed inwards towards the pole of the carriage the inner trace is
secured first by the pin passing through an eye in the end of the trace-The outer
trace can then be inserted in its block and secured by pressing the sliding piece
home.
Each sliding piece also carries a moveable arm slightly curved and secured by a
pin or hinge to the sliding piece about 12 inches from the centre of the bar-
When the sliding piece is pushed home and the moveable arm is turned inwards
towards the pole it rests against the controlling mechanism on the carriage pole-
The ends of the moveable arms are slightly rounded so as to fit into semi-circular
recesses which are cut in a sliding metal piece working a few inches backward and
forwards on the carriage pole-This sliding piece or block can be moved outwards
or inwards along the pole by lifting or depressing a lever suitably attached and
working on an axis passing through or fixed underneath the pole-The lever is
under the control of the driver & when raised it moves the sliding block towards
the carriage The curved arms on the bar are pressed outwards the block or sliding
piece on which the pins or bolts are mounted move to the right and left & the whole
of the four traces are almost simultaneously disengaged.
When the curved arms are in their normal position that is to say when the horses
are harnessed and the curved arms engage with the sliding piece on the pole two
small projecting pins on their upper surface prevent any accidental movement as
hereafter described so that the traces cannot be relaxed unless the lever is raised-
When the curved arms are turned back towards the extremities of the bar they are
entirely freed from the action of the mechanism on the pole.
Along the top of the pole from the sliding piece to the end runs a light metal
rod controlling a pair of pins or bolts which pass into a block at the extremity of
the pole constructed on a similar principle to those on the bar-these pins secure the
front chains or straps by which the horses are attached to the pole the same lever
which presses the curved pieces on the bar outwards liberating the traces also draws
towards the carriage the rod on the pole thus freeing the chains and liberating the
horses entirely from the carriage.
Two metal bows or curved pieces are hinged on the pole piece in a vertical position
just in front of the fever and arranged so that when the harnessing is completed the
whole mechanism is locked automatically & unharnessing or releasing the horses must
be accomplished by raising the lever which frees everything instantaneously-Should
it be required to take out one horse only the safety catch ou that side should be

page_text: lifted slightly so as to allow its sliding piece to be pulled outwards thus freeing the
traces on that side only.
1 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carriages.
THEODORE WITTKUGEL of 355 City Road London in the County of Middlesex,
Instrument Maker 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 carriage bar A has four metal blocks b1, b2, 63, and 64, on its upper surface.
These blocks are slotted, and bored to allow of the passage of a pin through the
centre in a direction parallel to the bar. Attached to the front side of the bar are
two independent sliding pieces c 1. and c 2, one on each side of the pole these pieces
carry the pins d1, d2, d3 and d4 which pass easily through the above mentioned
blocks and secure the traces.
The slots in the blocks on the carriage bar are somewhat out of the centre and
arranged that they close, by the pins passing through, one after another. either
first 62, and then 61 or first 63 and then 4, so that when the sliding piece is
pushed inwards towards the pole of the carriage, the inner trace is secured first by
the pin passing through an eye in the end of the trace. The outer trace can then
-be-inserted in its block and secured by pressing the sliding piece home. The slides
are pressed, against the carriage Lar by the double spring (t) fixed-in-front of_the_
bar in the centre.
Each sliding piece also carries a moveable arm (e-1-and-e 2) slightly curved and
secured by a pin or hinge to the sliding piece about 12 inches from the centre of
the pole. The free ends of the moveable arms are slightly_rounded "and have a fixed-
-pin-(k) through a horizontal slot (1) so as to fit into semicircular recesses cut in the
sliding piece (m) on the top of the pole. The pin (k)-also forms a projection on
the top of each moveable arin. The sliding piece (m) has an elongation (n) in front
which serves as a guide-for-the-arms (e 1-and.e.2) to the semicircular recesses in (m).
The sliding piece (m) has also an oblong square hole (o) in the centro through which
the bottom portion of the lever (f) passes and the sliding piece (m) can be moved
a few inches outwards or inwards along the pole, by means of the lever (f) pressing
against the ends of the oblong square hole (o).
Along the top of the polo. runs a light metal rod (i) ending in front in two
pins or bolts (1 and p2) rigidly attached to the rod.
These pins or bolts pass into a block (y) at the extremity of the pole, constructed
on a similar principle to those on the bar and serve to secure the collar chains or
straps by which the horses are attached to the pole. To the other end of the metal
rod (i) is rigidly fixed the sliding piece (m).
Two metal bows or safety catches (1 and 2) are hinged on the pole piece (r) in
a vertical position, just in front of the lever, one on each side, they are constantly
pressed downwards by springs situated at the bottom of the slots in the pole piece
in which the bows are hinged. The whole mechanism is locked automatically in the
following manner.
After the collar chains of first the right and then the left horse have been attached
to the pole by means of the bolts (p2 and p 1) all slots for the traces in the blocks
(61 62 63 and 4) being open and the free ends of the curved arms (el and e 2)
resting against the guiding piece (n) the traces of either the right or left horse may
he secured first in the manner previously described. In pushing the slide (c.1 or c.2)
home, the projecting-pin (k) on arm (e1 ore 2) will travel exactly towards and in a
line of the metal bow (1 or h2) come in contact with the outside- curve-near the
extremity and will thereby lift the bow allowing for its passage, as soon as this has

page_text: been accomplished the extremity of the bow will drop behind the projecting pin (k)
thus arresting all movement on the part of arm (e 1 or e 2).
The pin () in the slot of arm (e1 or e 2) will now rest in its semicircular recess in
the sliding piece (m), thereby locking the bolts for the collar chains. The other
ends of arm (e1 and 2) heing hinged to the slides (c1 and c 2) the bolts for the
traces are consequently also locked.
f
The jointed lever (f) is working on an axis (s) passing through or fixed under-
neath the pole and is under the control of the driver by a strap, when raised it first
lifts by means of a pin (9 1 and g 2) the two metal bows or safety catches (1 and 2)
thereby freeing the arms (e 1 and e 2) consequently also the bolts (p1 p 2 d1d2d 3
and d4).
As soon as the lever (f) is in a straight line with its jointed lower portion a
shoulder in the centre of the joint will cause the two parts of the lever to move
together about the pivot s when pulled towards the carriage and the sliding pieco (m)
together with the rod (i) and pins (p 1 and p 2) will move in the same direction, the
curved arms (el and e2) are presse.l outwards, the blocks or sliding pieces on
which the pins or bolts (d'1 d 2 à 3 and d 4) are mounted, move to the right and left
and the whole of the four traces and the two collar chains are almost simultaneously
disengaged.
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 :-
An improved method for readily releasing horses from a carriage especially in
cases of emergency or in the event of a horse falling, by the means and in the manner
above described.
.
T. WITTKUGEL.