Improvements in Apparatus for Detaching Horses from Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 7th Jan. 1893-Accented 11th Feb. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Detaching Horses from Vehicles.
I, JEAN SCHMIT, of Avenue de la Gare, Luxemburg. Carriage Builder, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus whereby the driver
of any kind of vehicle is enabled to instantaneously detach or release the horse or
horses attached thereto, and to annul their influence on the vehicle.
The apparatus consists of a number of sliding bolts for maintaining in position
the shafts or the traces from which all the said bolts can be detached completely
and at once so as to release the horse or horses from the vehicle, by simply causing
the rotation or turning of a key engaged in a suitable lock.
The mechanism for operating the apparatus consists of a lock fixed below the
pintle of the vehicle, to the bolt of which there is attached one end of a rod the
other end of which is connected to the system of sliding bolts.
To this lock there is fitted a square key the stem of which passes through the
pintle of the vehicle and terminates within reach of the hand of the driver in a
handle or hand-wheel, by means of which the driver can turn it in the lock. This
key, in turning, moves with it the bolt of the lock and causes the rod which is
fixed thereto to move back. This rearward movement of the said rod causes the
withdrawal of the sliding bolts and effects the detaching of the horse or horses.
In applying the apparatus to a one-horse carriage, the forward end of the rod
actuated by the lock, is connected to the ends of the rear arms of two levers
arranged crosswise on a fixed pivot, and the forward arms of which terminate in
the swing-bar which is hollow.
At the end of each of these arms in the swing-bar is connected one end of a rod
which passes through the swing-bar in the direction of its length and the other end
of which projects from the end of the swing-bar and there forins the sliding bolt to
which the shaft is fixed.
A helical spring arranged about the rod in the swing-bar tends to maintain the
end or sliding bolt of the rod in its projecting position at the end of the swing-bar.
The rings to which the traces are fixed are provided with a rod or stem in one
side of which there is a notch. This stem passes through the swing-bar and is
maintained in position by a projection on the spring rod of the sliding bolt which
engages in said notch.
When, by reason of the rotation of the key in the lock, the rod fixed to the
latter is drawn back, it carries with it the rear arms of the crossed levers the
forward arms of which are by this movement brought nearer to each other, and
their ends in the swing-bar draw back the spring rods. This rearward movement
of the said rods disengages the projections on these rods from the notches in the
stems of the rings of the traces, and at the same causes the ends of the spring
rods constituting the sliding bolts to which the shafts are fixed, to enter the
swing-bar.
The horse with the traces and the shafts is thus completely detached from the
vehicle.
In applying the apparatus to a vehicle drawn by two or more horses, the rings of
the traces are connected to the swing-bars as above by means of stems with notches
in which engage sliding bolts provided with small spring rods fixed in the interior
of the swing-bar.
An arrangement of cords or belts passing over small pulleys in the swing-bar
connects the end of said rods to the rod of the lock in such a manner that when the
lock is drawn back it draws back all the sliding bolts which disengage the traces,

page_text: For vehicles with four horses the hook to which the "leaders'
attached by a similar sliding bolt.
"
are attached, is
The head of the pole is provided inside with mechanism comprising levers
analogous to the one employed for disengaging the shafts and the traces of a
vehicle drawn by one horse, and when the rod of the lock is drawn back, these levers
in moving nearer to each other, detach the head of the pole which separates from
the latter with the chains or attachments of the horses.
When the horses are fastened or coupled up after the manner of a "daumont,"
the lock is located in the middle of the pole.
Dated this 12th day of Anril 1892
J. SCHMIT,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Detaching Horses from Vehicles.
I, JEAN SCHMIT, of Avenue de la Gare, Luxemburg, Carriage Builder, 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 :-
of
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus whereby the driver
any kind of vehicle is enabled to readily detach or release the horse or horses
attached thereto should it or they run away or become unmanageable.
The apparatus consists of a number of sliding bolts for maintaining in position
the shafts or the traces from which all the said bolts can be detached completely
and simultaneously so as to release the horse or horses from the vehicle, by simply
turning a handle or key (hereinafter referred to as a key).
The mechanism for operating the apparatus consists of a device herein called a
lock fixed below the pintle of the vehicle and to the bolt or movable part of which
is attached one end of a rod the other end of which is connected to the system of
sliding bolts.
This
To this lock there is fitted a square key the stem of which passes through the
pintle of the vehicle and terminates within reach of the hand of the driver in a
handle or hand-wheel by means of which the driver can turn it in the lock.
key, in turning, moves the bolt of the lock and causes the rod which is fixed
thereto to move back. This backward movement of the said rod causes the
withdrawal of the sliding bolts and effects the detaching of the horse or horses.
In applying the apparatus to a one-horse vehicle, the forward end of the rod
actuated by the lock bolt, is connected to the ends of the rear arms of two levers
arranged cross-wise on a fixed pivot, and the forward arms of which terminate in
the swing-bar which is hollow.
At the end of each of these arms in the swing-bar is connected one end of a rod
which passes through the swing-bar in the direction of its length and the other end
of which projects from the end of the swing-bar and there forms the sliding bolt to
which the shaft is fixed.
A coiled spring arranged about the rod in the swing-bar tends to maintain the
end or sliding bolt of the rod in its projecting position at the end of the swing-bar.
The rings to which the traces are fixed are each provided with a rod or stem in
one side of which there is a notch. This stem passes through the swing-bar and is
maintained in position by a projection on the corresponding spring rod of the
sliding bolt which engages in said notch.
When, by reason of the rotation of the key in the lock, the rod fixed to the
latter is drawn back, it carries with it the rear arms of the crossed levers the forward
arms of which are by this movement brought nearer to each other, and their ends
in the swing-bar draw back the spring rods. This rearward movement of the said

page_text: rods disengages the projections on these rods from the notches in the stems of the
rings of the traces, and at the same time draws the outer ends of the spring rods,
constituting the sliding bolts to which the shafts are fixed, into the swing-bar.
The horse with the traces and the shafts is thus completely detached from the
vehicle.
In applying the apparatus to a vehicle drawn by two or more horses, the rings
of the traces are connected to the swing-bars as above by means of stems with
notches in which engage sliding bolts provided with small spring rods working
in the interior of the swing-bar.
An arrangement of cords or belts passing over small pulleys in the swing-bar
connects the end of said rods to the rod of the lock in such a manner that when
the lock is drawn back it draws back all the sliding bolts which disengage the
traces.
For vehicles with four horses the hook to which the "leaders" are attached, is
connected by a similar sliding bolt.
The head of the pole is provided inside with mechanism comprising levers
analogous to the one employed for disengaging the shafts and the traces of a vehicle
drawn by one horse, and when the rod of the lock is drawn back, these levers in
moving nearer to each other, detach the head of the pole which separates from the
latter with the chains or attachments of the horses.
66
When the horses are fastened or coupled up after the manner of a daumont "
the lock is located in the middle of the pole.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings
Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a plan and underside view, and
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the lock, the latter Figure showing the means by which
it is caused to operate.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the front frame part of a one-horse vehicle having my apparatus
applied thereto.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal part section of the swing-bar.
Figs. 5 and 5B are detail views of the ring to which the traces are attached.
The remaining figures are hereinafter referred to.
A is the body of the lock. B is a rod fixed to the bolt of the said lock. D is
the key by which the lock A is operated. This key is of square section and is
provided with a handle or hand-wheel V.
To the forward end of the rod B are pivoted two bars C C¹ which are also
connected to the rear ends of two levers S S₁ pivoted together cross-wise upon a
fixed pin E. The forward ends of these levers project into the hollow swing-
bar Y. The end of each lever S S that is within the swing-bar, is connected to
the corresponding end of one of a pair of rods L (Fig. 5) the other ends a a',
of which project from the end of the swing-bar and form bolts to which the shafts
of the vehicle are fixed. A spiral spring H surrounding each rod L, presses
outward the corresponding bolt a or a'.
bb are the rings to which the traces are fastened. These rings are each provided
with a stem ¹ in one side of which is a notch d. This stem is inserted in an
aperture in the swing-bar, and is kept in place therein by a projection on the
corresponding rod L which engages in its notch d.
By turning the key D in the lock A, the rod B can be drawn back by the bolt,
moving with it the rods C C and causing the crossed levers S S¹ to turn on their
pivot E.
This movement draws back the spring-rods L, and disengages their projections 9
from the notches d of the stems of the rings thereby freeing the traces.
Simultaneously the bolts a, a' are drawn back into the swing-bar thereby releasing
the shafts. In this way the horse is freed entirely from the vehicle.
Referring now to Figs. 6 to 11,
Fig. 6 is a plan of the front frame part of a two-horse or four-horse vehicle to
which my invention is applied.
Fig. 7 is a part view to a larger scale of the internal mechanism of the swing-bar.

page_text: Fig. 8 shows a pole-head, partly in section, to which is applied mechanism
analogous to that shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the front part of a carriage, showing the position of
the key D within reach of the hand of the coachman.
Figs. 10 and 11 are transverse sections on the lines O, T, and O'T', respec-
tively of Fig. 7.
Fig. 12 is a detail view.
Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, and 9 to 12 inclusive are the rings for the traces.
These rings are connected to the swing-bar as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 5,
by stems having notches in which engage bolts M arranged to slide in guides
secured in the interior of the swing-tree and forced outward by springs M'. The
bolts M are adapted to be drawn back by cords or straps k k which pass over small
pulleys P P in the swing-tree and are connected to the bolt B of the lock in such
a manner that when the said bolt B is drawn back by the rotation of the key D
in the lock A, it pulls back the cords k k¹, and with them the bolts M which then
release the rings 6 of the traces from the vehicle.
When applying my invention to four horse vehicles I provide on the end of the
pole a detaching hook E (Fig. 8) to which the leading pair of horses are suitably
connected. The head of the pole is provided with a cup or end piece having
fitted in it a pair of levers e connected by a spring-rod e¹ and a cord e" to the bolt B
of the lock. The hook E is formed on or secured to a cup which fits over the end
piece of the pole, and has holes or recesses into which project the cranked ends of
the levers e, there being corresponding holes in the said end piece.
On the bolt B being drawn back by turning the key the levers ee are drawn
into the interior of the head of the pole and the hook E with its socket becomes
detached together with the chains or fastenings of the horses.
For harnessing or putting to in the "daumont" (French) fashion, the lock a is
as hereinbefore stated placed in the middle of the pole.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for disconnecting an unmanageable horse or horses from a vehicle
comprising a lock adapted to be operated by a key and the bolt of which is
connected by suitable means such as rods and levers or cords to bolts working in
the swing-tree or in the head of the pole to which are attached the shafts, traces
or chains to which the horse or horses is or are fastened, the arrangement being
such that by turning the key in the lock, the bolt of the latter can be drawn back,
and the bolts carried by the swing-tree or pole thereby disengaged from the parts
with which they were engaged, so as to release the horse or horses substantially as
herein described.
2. Apparatus for detaching a horse or horses from a vehicle, constructed substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference respectively to and shown in Figs. 1
to 5 inclusive; in Figs. 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12, and in Fig. 8 of the accompanying
drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 7th day of January 1893.
JEAN
SCHMIT,
By L. W., per F. B.