Improved Means of Facilitating the Drawing of Wheeled Vehicles by Attached Draught Animals.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 10th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Facilitating the Drawing of Wheeled Vehicles
by Attached Draught Animals.
I, THOMAS HARGREAVES BRIGG, of Thornton Road, Bradford, Yorkshire, Machine
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows :-
This Invention has reference to improved means of facilitating the drawing of
wheeled vehicles by attached draught animals, and consists in the hereinafter described
improved method and means of varying the tractive power of the draught animal
automatically in accordance with the resistance of the load, by transferring the exact
proportion of weight to the forward quarters of the animal necessary to enable it
to effect the draught with the minimum expenditure of force.
In accordance with the present improvements, I pivot each shaft to the upper end
of a lever at its side of the vehicle, the lower ends of the levers being pivotted to a
scroll projecting from the fore-carriage and secured to it and to the splinter-bar, and
I tie or connect a forward portion of each shaft to a lower portion (intermediate of
the pivots) of its respective lever, thus preventing the shaft from rotating upwardly
upon the said pivot. I also connect each of the traces to a trace-hook pivotted 10
the upper end of a lever at its side of the vehicle and immediately in the rear of the
aforesaid lever, the lower ends of these levers being also pivotted to the aforesaid
scroll. Through each of such levers and the splinter bar I pass a bolt which is
attached to a flat or other suitable spring rearward of the splinter-bar and which
has a constant tendency and is of sufficient strength to keep the levers to which
the traces are attached against the splinter-bar and out of contact with the afore-
said levers to which the shafts are attached, when the vehicle is in light draught
or is travelling on comparatively level ground, in which cases the animal depends
upon its own weight for its tractive effect, the spring, however, at other times
(that is when the vehicle is in heavy draught, or upon any abnormal increase of
resistance of the load due to any increase of gradient, obstacles to be overcome or
other reason), yields, owing to the excess of the pull of the attached animal and
consequently allows of the aforesaid levers to which the traces are attached
bearing against the levers to which the shafts are attached at points immediately
in the rear of the latter attachments, and so yields in proportion to the forward
pull of the animal, and which is resultant in causing weight to be transferred in
such proportion through the shafts and the saddle or the collar to the forward
quarters of the animal thereby increasing its weight in proportion with its forward
pull, and enabling it to effect the draught (if not beyond its capability) with a
minimum expenditure of energy; the resultant of the forward and downward
pressure giving precisely that angle of draught (which is ever varying) necessary to
overcome the obstacle with the greatest ease; and which means possess the advantage
of being automatic in operation and in releasing the animal from the added
weight immediately the occasion for its increased tractive effect is past, and the
further advantage of materially assisting the animal in starting the vehicle which
requires an expenditure of greater energy than the subsequent keeping of the
vehicle going requires, and when the vehicle is started are automatically operative
in releasing the animal as aforesaid.
The aforesaid, means may also be caused to be operative in partially bearing the
animal from its fore quarters when travelling over smooth and comparatively, level
ground in order to afford it rest and which means may be brought into operation
by a hand or foot lever actuated by the driver or other wise.
Dated this 6th day of June 1880
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improved Means of Facilitating the Drawing of Wheeled Vehicles
by Attached Draught Animals.
I, THOMAS HARGREAVES BRIGG, late of Thornton Road, Bradford, Yorkshire but
now of Lynton House Lonsdale Road, Barnes, Surrey Machine Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of the said 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 an improved system and means of connecting draught
animals to four wheeled or two axled wheeled vehicles, and to four wheeled or two
axled wheeled agricultural and other ground implements whereby the animal will be
enabled to effect the draught with the minimum expenditure of energy.
According to the ordinary system of connecting draught animals to such vehicles
and implements, the animals tractive energy, especially when in heavy draught, is
materially diminished by the tendency of the traces to rotate the animal on its hind
feet; which robs it of weight at the fore quarters and of the tractive power thereof (as
the animal will at such times vainly endeavour to get an effective foothold) and throws
an unnatural proportion of its weight, and all added weight due to the inclination of
the traces, upon its hind legs, whereby the animal is quickly tired and its energy is
wasted.
According to the aforesaid improved system, the animal when travelling on com-
paratively level ground or in light or normal draught, is caused to exert its tractive
efforts through the traces in a normal manner, but upon the occurrence of any increase
of gradient or of any other occasion of increase of resistance (whether temporary or
prolonged) when the animal is in heavy or abnormal draught, its increased tractive
efforts exerted through the traces are caused to be automatically operative through
the instrumentality of the shafts or of the pole or of the equivalent thereof in bringing
a downward force in proportion to the increased resistance to bear upon its fore
quarters, whereby the aforesaid tilting tendency of the traces is counterbalanced and
the animal's weight is kept naturally distributed upon its four legs, so that the work
will be kept equably distributed thereupon. Moreover, owing to the resolution of
such combined tractive and vertical forces (which are ever varying in accordance
with the resistance of the load due to variations of the gradient and other conditions
of the roadway being traversed, and with the tractive efforts necessary to overcome
the same), the results of the most economical line of draught are automatically
obtained under all such variations, so that the animal will be saved from all
unnecessary labour and its efforts will be utilized to the best advantage.
The improved attachment consists of a trace lever or levers, a rigid shaft or pole
lever or levers and a spring or springs, so arranged and combined as that the springs
prevent the trace levers from acting upon the shaft levers while the vehicle is in
normal draught, but allow of their acting thereupon in such a manner as to cause
them to be operative in effecting the result aforesaid upon the occurrence of any
abnormal resistance of the vehicle, and upon their resistance being overcome by the
increased tractive efforts of the animal.
The accompanying drawings illustrate various modifications of the Invention.
Fig. 1, represents a side elevation of the fore part of a two axled wheeled vehicle
with the improved attachment applied thereto.
Fig. 2, represents a plan view thereof.
Fig. 3, represents, in full lines, a side elevation of a further modification, the
dotted lines illustrating a variation thereof.
Fig. 4, represents, in plan view, a further modification.
In the modification represented in Figs. 1, and 2, 5, represents the trace levers
which are pivotted at, 6, to an extension, 7, projecting from the fore-carriage, 8, or
may be otherwise suitably supported thereby. The traces, 9, are connected to such
levers, and to the hame at, 10, or may be passed partly around pulleys, 11, carried by
the haine and connected to the shafts as represented in dotted lines.

page_text: 12, represents the shaft or pole-levers which also are pivotted to the extension from
the forecarriage or may be otherwise suitably supported thereby, and may be made
of a rigid formation, or in parts jointed at 13, and tied by a connection, 14.
15, represents the trace lever controlling springs which also are supported by the
extension from the forecarriage, or may be otherwise suitably supported thereby.
These springs are connected to the trace levers by radial rods, 16, and links, 17, or in
any other suitable manner, and are of a sufficient strength to keep the trace levers in
their normal position of inoperation upon the shaft levers so long as the vehicle is
in normal draught, but upon the occasion of any abnormal resistance of the vehicle,
the resistance of such springs is overcome by the increased tractive efforts of the
connected animal, and the trace levers are drawn against the points, 13, of the shaft
levers, causing the latter to turn about their pivotted connections, 6, and to bear
downwardly upon the forequarters of the animal (through their connection thereto at
24 or at, 18, or where connected at the forequarters), with a force proportionate to
the pull through the traces, and which is effective in neutralizing the increased
tendency of the traces to raise the forequarters of the animal by tilting it upon its
hind feet, and in attaining the object of the Invention..
The shaft levers, in the foregoing modification and in the modifications hereinafter
described, may be so proportioned as that the downward pressure to be exerted by
them will be in exact proportion to the resistance of the load, and to the animal's
tractive efforts, or as that such pressure will be proportionately increased to corre-
spond with the increase of weight on the hind legs due to the resolution of such
tractive and downward forces.
In the modification now under consideration the fulcrums 6, of the levers 5, 12,
are represented as coinci.lent and as supported by the same scrolls, 7, (projecting from
the forecarriage, 8,) as support the springs, 15, which in full lines are represented as
of a coiled formation, and the shaft levers, 12, are jointed at, 13, their arms being
tied by the connection, 14, which prevents such levers from rotating upwardly on
such joints, but I wish it to be understood that the formation and arrangement of the
trace levers or lever, the trace lever controlling springs or spring and the shaft levers
or lever, which constitute the essential parts of the improved draught attachment, may
require to be modified in accordance with the nature and construction of the vehicle
or implement to which the attachment is to be applied. As an example, the dotted
lines, 15, represent a spring of a flat form applied behind a splinter bar, 20, and as
connected to and controlling the levers, 5, by means of bolts, 19.
In the modification represented in Fig. 3, the levers, 5, and 12, are mounted on
different centre pivots 6, 6, which are supported by the forecarriage springs, 21, or
by any convenient part of the forecarriage, the springs, 15, being carried by the
same iron, 7, which supports the lever, 5, and the iron 7, being steadied by a flat
spring, 22.
The levers, 5, are provided with trace hooks, 58, which are formed with stops, 5b,
and are passed through slotted extensions, 12ª, of the levers 12. In lieu of pivotting
the horizontal part of the shaft lever to its vertical part at, 13, it may be extended
back as dotted at, 13ª, and supported by any suitable part of the forecarriage, in which
event the vertical part of such lever may be provided with an arm, 12b, carrying a
slotted connection, 12°, through which the shaft passes and by which it is supported,
and which, when the vertical portion of the shaft lever is actuated by the trace lever
as aforesaid, causes the horizontal part thereof to exert the desired downward
pressure.
In the modification represented in Fig. 4, both levers, 5, are horizontally disposed,
and carried by the same support 7ª, bolted to the forecarriage, and are connected by
a common spring, 15, the action of which upon the levers, 5, is limited by stops, 23,
projecting from the forecarriage. The shaft levers may be mounted in the manner
represented in full lines in Fig. 3, in this arrangement the resistance of the spring is
more and more easily overcome as the trace levers are pulled further and further
away from the stops and the action of the trace levers upon the shaft levers is corre-
spondingly increased.

page_text: The improved attachment is also of advantage in materially assisting the animal in
starting the vehicle, which requires a greater expenditure of energy than the subse-
quent keeping of the vehicle going requires, and the advantage of being automatic in
its aforesaid action upon the animal and in reducing the said downward pressure
simultaneously in and with exact ratio to the reduced tension, of the traces when the
vehicle is started or is in the act of surmounting any obstacle.
The Invention is also applicable to sledges bath chairs and other ground vehicles
and implements which have fore and aft bearings upon the ground.
3+
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. The system of connecting draught animals to vehicles and ground implements
having fore and aft bearings upon the ground, by spring controlled trace levers, and
by rigid shaft or pole levers supported by the vehicle or implement and so arranged
as that any excess of pull through the traces beyond the resistance of the trace
lever springs is caused to be operative through the shaft or pole levers in bringing
a downward pressure upon the animal's forequarters whereby the tilting tendency of
the traces is counterbalanced, as set forth.
2. In a draught attachment for such vehicles and implements, in combination, a
lever or levers' connected to the animal by the traces, a rigid shaft or pole lever
or pole levers connected to the animal at the forequarters, and a spring or springs
withholding the trace levers from operating upon the shaft levers when the vehicle is in
normal draught, the said trace levers, shaft levers and springs being supported by the
fore part of the vehicle and so arranged that upon any abnormal resistance of the vehicle,
when the resistance of the trace lever controlling springs is overcome, the excess of
pull exerted through the traces is caused to be effective through the shaft-levers in
bringing a downward pressure upon the animal's forequarters, whereby the tilting
tendency of the traces is counterbalanced, as set forth.
3. The improved draught attachments hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
1. ** Dated this 1st day of April 1890
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.