An Improved Harness-hook.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1898 -Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1898
An Improved Harness-hook.
We, ERNST IMMANUEL GRAYN, Banking-House Clerk of No. 15, Graumannsweg,
of the City of Hamburg, German Empire, and SALLY MATHIAS, Merchant, of
Wiesbaden, German Empire, 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 or connected with harness-hooks the
object we have in view being to bring the hook when employed, by means of the
tractive force induced upon it, into such a position that the locking-device, shutting
one end of the hook remains in all cases discharged, or free from pressure, so
that it cannot be caused to burst and may always easily be opened by hand so
that the parts of the gearing connected by the hook might be immediately un-
coupled on demand; the shutting-mechanism coming to activity not before the
tractive power ceases to act upon the hook.
In the first place the hook is intended to be used for coupling the spring-tree-
bar of carriages and the chain-traces or strings, or the hame-couplings to the
steering-chains of the pole, without however excluding other modes of application.
The invention is illustrated by the enclosed drawing in which:-
-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the hook, showing locking-device closed.
Fig. 2 a perspective view of a part of the hook, showing locking-device
opened.
Fig. 3 a sectional view showing the co-operating parts.
And Fig. 4 an external view, partly in section showing a modification of the
locking-device.
In all the figures the same letters mean the same parts.
The hook consists substantially of a straight shaft k which has at one end a
bow b arranged with a spring-bolt a and which is at the other end provided with
a hooked nose c which may be closed by a sliding bar d or a locking-spindle e.
The upper part of the bow b is provided with a shoulder against which the
ring 9 presses when the hook is employed or exposed to traction. This shoulder b
thus acts to hold the hook in the proper position so that the locking-mechanism
remains discharged as shewn in Figures 1 and 2. By this means the tractive
power is split up into two lateral powers, one of which presses down the hooked
nose c and the other tends to follow the line of traction, and the result of these
two powers is the inclined position of the hook as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The
construction and effect of the hook depend therefore on the principle of the
parallelogram of forces. The load is fastened to the ring g beneath the shoulder
and the ring 9 presses against this shoulder as soon as the hook is exposed to
traction exerted on it by the string or chain-traces and trace-ring h.
The trace-ringh will thus always be pressed against the upper corner c¹ of the
hooked nose c and the shutting mechanism d will remain free from pressure in
all positions and not be injured by the pressure of this ring as long as the
tractive force acts.

page_text: The locking-device is therefore not liable to be burst by the tractive power and
needs only be constructed strong, enough to carry the loose hanging chain or
string.
This arrangement by which the hook acquires automatically an inclined direction
to the line of force, affords security against unintentional loosening and opening.
For the greater the strain is, to which the hook is exposed, the stronger the trace-
ring will be pressed into the upper corner c¹ of the hooked nose. From this it
will be clear that the shutting-mechanism d can always easily be opened by
hand, and that the trace-ring may be removed by turning same by one hand, as
the hooked nose c is not too long and the ring h acts like a lever when it is turned
round, as may be seen from Fig. 2.
The locking-device may be constructed in a different manner, for instance as
shewn in Fig. 3 as a sliding bar d arrested by a spring-bolt e or as in Fig. 4 by
a spring-bolt e only; but for the present invention it is of importance that this
arrangement remains always free from pressure when the hook is exposed to
traction and that it prevents it from falling out of the ring as soon
as the
tractive force ceases to act. Finally the construction of the hook is such as that it
might be inserted and employed at once with the existing harness.
It affords absolute security against unintentional opening, permits loosening
by hand in every position and by this means a quick release for the draught
horse or cattle under difficult and dangerous circumstances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed. we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. An improved harness-hook, consisting of a shaft k provided at one end with
a hook-bow having a shoulder 61 in its upper part, against which the ring
presses when under strain, thus holding the hook in an inclined position for the
purpose of relieving the locking device from pressure and shutting the hooked
nose for the trace ring h, of the opposite end of the hook, substantially as described.
Claim 2. In or with harness hooks the combination with a locking device cf
the hooked nose c and the use of a spring bolt e, engaging with the sliding bar d,
see Figure 3, or otherwise as shewn in Figure 4, operating for the purposes set
forth.
Dated thi
1
T
1000