Improvements in Fastenings for Traces, Chains, and the like, used in Attaching Horses to Road Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fastenings for Traces, Chains, and the like, used in
Attaching Horses to Road Vehicles.
We, SAMUEL LOADER GAMBLE of 89 Kettering Road, Northampton Fruit
Salesman and ROBERT BARTON of 89 St. Michaels Road Northampton
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the event of horses falling when attached by means of traces chains or the
like to vehicles it is often found difficult to release them by reason of the end of
the trace or chain having to be drawn back some distance in order to pass over the
hook or retaining device.
Now the object of our invention is to render this operation more easy and to
release the animal more quickly, and in order to effect this, we provide in place of
the ordinary twisted hook (in the case of traces for light vehicles) or the usual
bent hook (in the case of breeching or other chains) a device constructed as
follows.
We attach to the side or top of the shaft and preferably to the inside or to
projections on the front of the vehicle and close to the body thereof metal plates
or carriages having their fronts and rears solid and if desired pierced for bolts or
other fastening devices so as to secure them to the rear of the shafts or to bars or
projections on the vehicle. The centre of these carriages is tubular or recessed
and if tubular has a slot on the face in which rides a device or bolt consisting of a
body plate capable of moving to and fro on the face of the tube or recessed part
and attached to a stud travelling in the slot and retained therein and kept normally
pressed forward by means of a spiral or other spring. Projecting upwardly and
forwardly from this body plate is a curved portion or arm of metal or reversed
hook and at the rear is a raised portion or projection to be acted on by the thumb
or fingers for the purpose of pulling back this spring impelled part of the apparatus
or other device may be used for this purpose.
The extreme front of the metal carriage is curved upward and slightly backward
so forming a hook over which the trace or link of chain is passed and against
which the spring impelled and moving arm is normally held.
In order to attach or release the trace or chain the moveable arm is pulled back
by the hand holding the projection when the chain or trace may be passed over
the hooked fore part of the plate or carriage and when the moveable arm is released
it is again forced by the spring close up to the hook and so prevents the chain or
trace from becoming detached.
It will be seen that when a horse is down, on the moveable arm being pulled
back and a very slight pull being exerted on the trace or chain the part engaging
the hook may readily be detached.
Dated this 27th day of September 1893.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Fastenings for Traces, Chains, and the like, used in
Attaching Horses to Road Vehicles.
We SAMUEL LOADER GAMBLE of 89 Kettering Road, Northampton Fruit
Salesman and ROBERT BARTON of 89 St. Michael's Road, Northampton
Manufacturer do hereby delare 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 :-
It is often found difficult to release horses or other draught animals from vehicles
to which they are attached by reason of the traces or their equivalents being taut
and the loops or other devices at their ends so bearing tightly against the hooks or
substitutes therefor mounted on the vehicle, the trace or chain having to be drawn
back considerably so as to permit the loop to be passed over the hook or its
equivalent. It frequently happens also that the trace or chain becomes acci-
dentally detached from the hook, loop or other device on the vehicle thus causing
some danger and inconvenience.
The object of our invention is to provide a hook or holding device capable of
being secured upon or to the vehicle or some convenient part thereof, or upon the
shafts, of such a nature as to securely hold the loop or end of a trace or chain and
at the same time be so arranged that the said trace or chain may be instantly
released therefrom by the exertion of comparatively small force, and to effect
this we provide in place of the twisted hook usually employed for light vehicles
or the bent hook used for breeching or like chains a device constructed
according to the following Specification and generally in accordance with the
illustrations on the accompanying sheet of drawings to which we shall hereafter
refer and on which
+
Figures and 2 are side elevations of the two separate main portions of a
convenient form of our device.
Figure 3 is a representation of the said device the two portions being in position
for use.
Figure 4 is a plan looking downward of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a part longitudinal section and part elevation of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the same on line - (Fig. 5).
Figure 7 is a plan of Figure 1 looking downward and showing by dotted lines a
means of firm attachment to shafts and the like.
Figure 8 shows au alternative method of forming the heel or swivel end of the
device so as to adapt it for use as a breeching hook.
The before mentioned figures illustrate a convenient form of our holding device
either provided with a ring or block at the rear to enable it to be pivoted so as to
swing laterally (if desired), or with a hollow barrel in place of the ring as shown
by Figure 8 enabling the device to be so pivoted or hung as to be capable of
upward or downward movement, or provided with lugs for fixing rigidly.
In constructing this form of our device we form or preferably cast a longitudinal
block, plate or carriage as shown in Figure 1 having a flange A on each side and
projecting therefrom. The front of this block is tapered, projected forwardly and
curved upwardly and then backwardly, as shown by B, so forming the front part or
hook of our holding device (see Figures 1, 3, 5, 7) over which the loop of the trace
or chain is passed and against which it bears when in tension. The rear of the
block or plate
formed into a ring C through which the pin or its equivalent is
passed securing the holding device to the vehicle and on which it is pivotted, or we
form this rear portion as shown by Figure 8 in the form of a hollow barrel through
which a rod or bar or staple may pass securing it to the vehicle or shaft in place of
the ordinary breeching hook; or, in some cases, our holding device may terminate

page_text: in a block having a square hole to receive the squared portion of a bolt for
attaching to the vehicle (such as a hansom cab) rigidly by means of a nut.
In the top or face of the holding device we form a recess or sunken bed D
(Figures 5, 6, 7) in which rests a spiral or other spring E. This plate or block
may have lugs with holes for screws as shown by dotted lines (Figure 7) in place
of either the ring, block, or barrel for the purpose of securing it firmly and
permanently upon a shaft.
To ride upon the flanges A A and move to and fro thereon we provide a boss or
body plate Figure 2 having projecting arms turned inwardly F F (Figure 6)
capable of embracing the flanges A A. The top or upper face G of this boss or
plate projects upwardly and forwardly so as to form a curved arm which impinges
normally against the hook or front B and so keeps the loop of the trace or chain
safely in position. On the tip of the hook B is a small recess b and on the extremity
of the arm G is a tooth g taking into 6 when the parts are normally together
preventing lateral movement, or these engaging parts may if desired be cone or
otherwise shaped so as to prevent either vertical or lateral displacement.
The rear of the sliding block (Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) is raised and shaped so as to
form a hold or pull I for the thumb or finger and by means of this the said plate is
pulled forcibly away from the hook B to which it is held normally by the spiral
spring E acting upon a pin or screw H which is passed through a screwed and
countersunk orifice J in the sliding plate.
It will be seen that the thumbpiece I being drawn back with its sliding block and
projecting arm G a loop at the end of a trace or chain may be passed over the
hook B and the sliding block being released such loop will remain safely locked
thereon. When it is desired to release it the sliding block is drawn back and a
very slight pull on the trace or chain will enable the loop to be passed over the
hook B and the animal released from the vehicle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
The safety hook or device, or any mere equivalent therefor, for securing one end
of a trace, chain, or the like to a vehicle, constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of March 1894.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
32, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.