Improvements in Harness Buckles and Shaft Tugs.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application; 22nd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 8th June, 1595
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Harness Buckles and Shaft Tugs.
I, WILLIAM ALBERY, of 49 West Street, Horsham, in the County of Sussex,
Saddler and Harness 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in harness buckles and shaft tugs, and
has for its chief object to enable a horse to be easily and expeditiously released
from its harness and vehicle, which object I effect by the peculiar construction
and arrangement of buckle and shaft tug hereinafter described, whereby the
unbuckling of traces and straps in a state of tension and the removal of the tugs
from the shafts is greatly facilitated.
I will now proceed to fully describe my invention and the manner of performing
the same, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters
refer to corresponding parts in all the figures, and in which
:―
Fig. 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation on the line 1-2 Fig. 1,
of my improved harness buckle.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the buckle when opened for the release of the
strap.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and Fig. 5 is an elevation at right angles to Fig. 4,
illustrating my improved construction of shaft tug.
Fig. 6 shews the tug partly opened.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a is the buckle frame and is the tongue, which
latter, in lieu of being pivotted upon the heel bar of the buckle, as is usual, is
pivotted at c to a lever arm d which in turn pivots upon the heel bare of the
buckle. When the buckle is in its normal closed position the free end of the
leverd bears upon the upper side of the tongue b, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
The act of raising the lever d withdraws the tongue b from the front of the
buckle (see Fig. 3) and-releases the strap or trace.
I prefer that the front of the buckle and the free end of the tongue where it
passes through the strap f should be curved upwards, which permits the strap or
trace to pass through the buckle in a perfectly straight line (see Fig. 2), this
greatly adds to the life of the strap or trace, which nearly always first gives way
at the bend where it passes up from beneath the buckle to the tongue.
I prefer also to provide the buckle with a second heel bar e¹ to which the fixed
strap g is secured, thereby avoiding any risk of the said strap interfering with the
free movement of the lever d.
The above described buckle is intended to be applied to traces, pole straps,
kicking straps, back bands, shaft tugs, and the like.
Referring to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the frame of the tug is made in two portions h
and which are suitably hinged together at i. The frame is intended to be
covered with leather, which I have omitted from the drawing for the sake of
clearness. At the free end of the outside portion there is pivotted the hook
or catch k, adapted to engage with the staple or catch piece / on the inside portion h.
The lower portion of the pivotted hook or catch k is formed with a slot m through
which is passed the belly band strap n, and the hook or catch k is so constructed
and arranged that the act of pulling outwards the said strap n will release the
said hook from the staple (see Fig. 6), when the tug will be opened out and the
shaft may then be lifted from out of the same in lieu of requiring the tug to be
ED
017

page_text: slipped over the end of the shaft as is necessary at present. I prefer to connect
the back band n' with the tug by means of a buckle constructed as before described
with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, except that the heel end thereof is bent at
about right angles so as to allow the back band to pass freely between the said
buckle and the inside of the tug (see Fig. 4), thus keeping the back band clear
of the belly band strap n. A buckle of ordinary construction may however be
used for connecting the back band with the tug if preferred. It will be understood
that my improved buckle may be used in connection with shaft tugs of ordinary
construction for connecting the back band therewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A harness buckle in which the tongue is pivotally connected with a lever
which is in turn pivotted upon the heel bar of the buckle, substantially as and for
the purpose described and illustrated.
2. A harness buckle as set forth in the preceding claim, in which the front of
the buckle and the free end of the tongue are curved or bent so as to permit the
strap or trace to pass through the buckle in a straight line, substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated.
3. A shaft tug made in two portions hinged together at the top and locked at
the bottom by means of a pivotted hook or catch on one portion adapted to engage
with a staple or catch piece on the other portion, the said hinged portions being
unlocked by pulling outwards the belly band strap, which is attached to the said
pivotted hook or catch, substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated.
4. A shaft tug made in two portions hinged together at the top and unlocked
by pulling outwards the belly band strap, and connected with the back band by a
buckle of the construction set forth in Claim 1, the heel of the said buckle being
bent at right angles or thereabouts so as to permit the end of the back band to
pass freely down the inside of the tug, substantially as described and illustrated in
Fig. 4 of the annexed drawings.
.
Dated this
22nd day of April 1895.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.