Improvements in Means for Releasing Runaway or Fallen Animals from Road Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Releasing Runaway or Fallen Animals
from Road Vehicles.
I, HERMAN RUDOLPH BUDDENBORG, of The Elms, Muswell Hill, London, N.,
Nurseryman, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in connection with road vehicles generally,
for the purpose of instantly releasing the horse or horses or other animal or
animals that have been drawing the same when such animal or animals has or
have fallen or runaway, my said invention being designed more especially for
preventing a repetition of the serious injuries and loss of life that has occurred to
the occupants of carriages and other vehicles under such circumstances.
My invention consists of a specially designed frame to which the shafts for a
single horse, or other animal, or the pole for a pair may be connected, the said
frame being so constructed as to partly fit upon the fore part of the under car-
riage. while a member forming part of the said frame slides into a passage or
chamber formed in the under carriage and beneath the transil-plate, and is therein
held and firmly retained by a vertical pin passing through a hollow cylinder or
tube, connecting the under-carriage and transel plate with the bearing plate of
the vehicle, the said pin being adapted to be withdrawn, and the said frame and
animal or animals released, by the operation of a lever within reach of the driver
and an occupant of the vehicle, this movement of the said lever also actuating the
brake and arresting the progress of the vehicle.
In order that my said invention and the manner of its operation may be fully
understood. I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings in which I have chosen
to illustrate my invention in connection with a victoria or like pleasure carriage,
and in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of such a carriage, the fore part of which is in section
to show the manner in which I find it most convenient to arrange my invention in
connection therewith.
Fig. 2 is a much enlarged plan view of the under-carriage of same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional diagrams illustrating the manner in which the
frame, to which the animal or animals is or are harnessed, is connected to, and
released respectively from the vehicle.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagram of the locking pawl and ratchet hereinafter
explained.
In carrying my invention into effect I so arrange the under-carriage B of the
vehicle that the transil plate A of this has a central tubular portion C upon its
cross plate D, which passes freely up through a central hole in the bearing plate E
fixed by stays F to the under fore-part of the carriage body in the usual way, the
said tubular portion C being threaded upon its upper end to receive a nut or
nuts G, which, when screwed home serve, to retain A in connection with E,
while the portion C forms the pivot by means of which A may oscillate in the
usual way beneath E, without disconnection therefrom.

page_text: The plate A has bolted, screwed, or otherwise fixed upon its under surface a
long narrow chamber H, preferably of rectangular formation in cross section, and
extending fore and aft for the entire width or more of the plate A, the said
chamber H having in its upper and lower surfaces holes a and a¹ respectively
(Fig. 4) immediately beneath, and coinciding with, the passage through the
tubular portion C of A.
The horse or horses or other animal or animals would be harnessed to a metallic
frame J, provided at 661 for the reception of a pair of shafts c, if for single
harness, and at d for the reception of a pole e if double harness is required. The
said frame J is so formed as to fit upon the extending ends B¹B₁ of the fore-part
of the under-carriage B, and is provided at its back face with an extending
plate K of such dimensions and formation in cross section as to slide freely into
and occupy the whole of the chamber H, as at Figs. 1 and 3, the said plate having
a through hole f in such a position, that when the said plate is forced home into
the chamber H, as in Fig. 3, the said hole f would be in alignment with the
holes and a¹ in H.
At or about the centre of the width of the coachman or drivers footboard is
fixed a metallic frame or a pair of metallic plates L, which carry a transverse
spindle a, upon. which is mounted a grooyed wheel or circular plate M, a portion
of the periphery of which is removed to receive the lower end of a lever N, of
such formation as to lie (when not in use) upon the coachmans footboard, as
shewn by full lines in Fig. 1. a division being formed in the mat, or footboard,
or both, to receive the same if necessary. At a convenient part of the periphery
of the grooved plate or wheel M is pivotally mounted one end of a link O (Figs. 3
and 4), the opposite or lower end of which is pivotally connected to the upper end
of a pin P, adapted to freely slide vertically within the tubular extension C of E,
and when the plate K is pushed home into the chamber H as at Fig. 3, and the
lever N is placed in its lowest position, shewn by full lines at Fig. 1, the said
Din P would also occupy the holes a and a¹ in H, and the hole f in K, as at
Fig. 3. thus locking the plate K in position, from which it cannot be removed
while the lever N is down, but should the animal or animals bolt and become
unmanagable, or fall and require releasing from the vehicle. the coachman or
driver would raise the lever N into the position shewn by dotted outline in Fig. 1,
such movement of N serving to partly rotate the grooved plate or wheel M into
the position shewn in Fig. 4, thereby raising the pin P out of contact with the
plate K, and releasing the latter. so that if the coachman then dropped the reins
the animal or animals would pull the frame J and plate K clear of the vehicle as
at Fig. 4, thus leaving the vehicle and its occupants behind. By the same move-
ment of the lever N the animal or animals may be released if fallen or disabled.
In order that when the lever N has been so raised the same may remain in that
position automatically, so as to leave the hands of the driver free, I provide upon
one and either end of the spindle a ratchet wheel R (Figs. 1 and 5) with which
engages a pawl h connected to a spring i, the tension of which (when in the posi-
tion shewn by Fig. 5 with its upper notch engaging with the pin ) would serve
to force the pawl h into connection with the ratchet R and prevent the return
motion of this and the lever N, but when the lever N is to he again lowered, for.
re-locking the plate K in H, or for other purposes, a pull'imparted to the spring i
in the direction of the arrow Fig. 5 would cause the notch m of the said spring
to engage with the pin k, and so release the pawl from the ratchet R, and to
effect such upward pull upon i I provide a rod, cord, or chain n, extending from i
(Fig. 5) to a suitably arranged lever or handle p within the reach of the driver,
substantially as in Fig. 1.
In vehicles of this type there is generally provided at the rear of the well and
beneath the hack seat of the vehicle, (Fig. 1) a transverse rod or spindle r. upon
either or both ends of which is or are a brake arm and block s. adapted to be
placed in contact with the hind wheel or wheels by the means of a brake lever
within easy reach of the driver. For the purposes of my invention I firmly attach

page_text: to the said transverse rod r, centrally of its length or thereabouts, a depending
arm t, provided with a suitable spring, the tension of which serves to keep the
arm t away from the back of the vehicle, and the brake block or blocks s off the
hind wheels of same. To the said arm is connected one end of a chain, cord,
or wire w, which, passing through the bottom of the vehicle under and over suit-
able guides or pulleys has its opposite end passing beneath and connected to the
forward part of the grooved plate or wheel M, (shewn more graphically by Figs. 3
and 4) and by means of this the raising of the lever N, for releasing the plate K
previously described, would, by the partial rotation of M impart a pull upon the
cord or the like w, in the direction of the arrows (Figs. 3 and 4) and the conse-
quent pull upon the arm would place the brake blocks s hard upon the hind
wheels, and so brake and stop the vehicle directly the animal or animals is or are
released.
In certain cases such as collisions or the like, where the coachman may be
thrown from his seat, in order that the occupant of the vehicle may operate the
release of the animal or aniníals and brake the vehicle in the manner described, I
may provide in connection with the lever N a cord, wire, or chain, passing there-
from beneath the coachmans seat, and through the box to the interior of the
carriage (as suggested by the dotted line S in Fig. 1) and terminating with a
tassel or other suitable hand-hold, a pull upon which by the occupant of the car-
riage would raise the lever into the position shewn by dotted outline in Fig. 1,
and the animal or animals be released and the vehicle stopped as described.
Although I have shewn and described my invention as applied to a pleasure
carriage, it is obvious that I may, by a slight and unimportant modification of the
several parts set forth, adapt the same for use in like manner upon any four
wheeled vehicle, without departing from the principle involved.
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:―
1st. The herein described method of and means for releasing runaway or dis-
abled animals from road vehicles, substantially as described and shewn.
2nd. In an improved method of and means for releasing runaway or disabled
animals from road vehicles, the combination of a frame such as J, having an
extension plate K adapted to slide within a chamber H provided in the fore-
carriage B of the vehicle, the said plate being retained in the said chamber and
released therefrom by the means of a pin P, connected by a link 0 to, and
actuated by the partial rotation of a grooved part-wheel or plate M, mounted
upon a spindle g, and operated by the raising of a lever N, within the reach of the
driver and the occupant of the vehicle, the raising of the said lever also impart-
ing a pull upon a cord, chain, or wire w for actuating the brake of the vehicle,
the said lever being automatically retained so raised by a ratchet wheel R and
spring pawl h, the whole connected and operating substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and shewn.
DJ
7
LT
54
1000
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings. Liverpool Street, London, E.C.
Agent for the Applicant.