Improvements in Thill-couplings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
Improvements in Thill-couplings.
I, GEORGE HENRY FERNALD, of North East, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to quick-shift anti-rattler thill-couplings.
My object is to so construct a quick-shaft anti-rattling thill-coupling, that,
when the bail is slipped over the rear end of the clip-bar, it will not slip off while
the lever is being operated to produce tension upon the spring to hold the bail
in place.
My further object is to improve the detail construction and general utility of
devices of this character, and to that end my invention consists in the several new
and novel features of construction, and combination of parts hereinafter described
and which are specifically set forth in the claims hereunto annexed.
It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying draw.
ings, in which,
Fig. 1, is a side view of my device, showing it in the position it would occupy
after inserting the bolt into the eyes of the thill irons, the bail placed over the
end of the clip iron, ready to produce tension upon the spring to hold the parts
in place.
Fig. 2, is a cross section through the center of what is shown in Fig. 1,
except that it shows the lever partly depressed, and showing the position which
the bolt in the lever would take with respect to the eye, when putting tension
upon the spring. Fig. 3, shows a similar view when the lever is forced clear
around to hold the spring in position.
Fig. 4, is a front view of the device complete and when located as shown in
Fig. 3.
a are the ordinary thill clips suitably secured in the ordinary way to the axle a¹,
and 6 is a thill iron adapted to rest and fit between the clips in the ordinary
way, and b is a clip bar secured in the ordinary way.
c is a U-shaped bolt, one end c being adapted to pass through the eyes of the
thill clip iron for the purpose of holding them together and the other end d
being constructed somewhat round or oval shaped, and having recesses d¹ in its
body to receive the strap e, by which it is secured rotatably to the strap spring e¹,
constructed substantially in its normal position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of
the drawings.
The strap spring e¹ has its forward end bent into a curve, as shown at f to
engage frictionally with the rear end of the thill iron when in use, thereby
preventing play, and subsequently noise or rattling, and the opposite end is pro-
vided with an elongated eye fr.
The strap e is constructed somewhat hook-shaped, the one end being adapted
to be secured by a rivet or otherwise to the spring e', and the opposite or hook-
end engages the end d of the bolt c, at the recess d. By providing the end d

page_text: with a recess and allowing the strap e to engage with it prevents lateral dis-
placement.
g is a lever having an eye g¹ and bolt h at one end, and a shoulder l. To this
shoulder is loosely secured a bail m, said bail being so constructed as to form
a recess m¹ at its upper end to pass around the clip bolt o and to form a bearing
on top of the clip bar b¹. The bolt is adapted to engage with the elongated eye f
in the strap spring.
To operate my device, I first pass the end c¹ of the U-shaped bolt into the eyes
of the clip and iron, holding it in such position that the curved portion f of the
strap spring will allow it to pass in, then by a backward movement, I allow it
to assume the position shown in Fig. 1, and place the bail m upon the clip bar,
as shown. Then by forcing the lever g down from the position shown in Fig. 1
to that shown in Fig. 2, the bolt travels to the inner bearing of the elongated
eye fl, so that the future movement of the lever g tends to draw the bail down-
wardly and slightly forward, thereby preventing the upper end thereof from being
disengaged from the bar b'. When the lever passes at the point down and for-
ward of the fulcrum point in the shoulder 7, the bar h begins to move rearwardly
in the elongated eye f¹, until it moves to the extreme end and the lever is held
in position by the tension of the spring, as shown in Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
A quick-shift anti-rattling thill-coupling, comprising a strap-spring, being
slightly curved at one end, its opposite end provided with a cam-lever, to which
is secured a bail, and a U-shaped bolt having one end oval-shaped in cross
section in two of its edges, its opposite end adapted to engage the eyes of the
clip and the thill-iron, and a strap securing the U-shaped bolt through said
recesses to the spring, as set forth.
Dated this 11th
T... 1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.