Traces of Common Road Vehicles.
Year: 1885

page_text: Traces of Common Road Vehicles.
I ALFRED DISS of West Bergholt in the County of Essex, Builder and Contractor
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR ATTACHING AND RELEASING THE TRACES OF COMMON ROAD VEHICLES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the facilitating the attachment or connection of
the traces to common road vehicles and the instantaneous releasing of the same
therefrom in cases of accident such as the falling of the horse, whereby the cutting
of the traces or other part of the harness is rendered unnecessary, and consists of
a sliding bolt or pin combined with a helical or other spring working in a bracket
or holder attached to the rear ends of the shafts or to the cross bar said pin forming
the attachment for the trace when in its normal position that is to say projected
outwards by the spring, and instantly releasing the trace when moved inwards for
that purpose by the attendant. In carrying out my said invention I prefer to
surround one end of the sliding bolt with a belical spring the two being contained
inside a guiding socket or cylinder formed on the bracket and provided with a
removeable cap or cover to afford ready access to the parts for oiling and at the
same time protect them from dust. The sliding bolt may be withdrawn or shifted
so as to release the trace either directly by a handle or projection on one end thereof
or indirectly through the intervention of a pivotted lever engaging with the said
bolt. In the first case the handle is maintained in a position convenient for access
by a key on the bolt engaging with keyways inside the guiding socket or cylinder.
The protruding end of the bolt when in its normal or outward position enters a
corresponding hole or socket formed in a lug on the before mentioned bracket
which serves as a support to the end of the bolt against the strain of the trace and
also effectually prevents the displacement of the latter from the said bolt until it is
withdrawn.
HOLL
1007

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Attaching and Releasing the
Traces of Common Road Vehicles.
I ALFRED DISS of West Bergholt in the County of Essex Builder and Contractor
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:-
1
This Invention has for its object the facilitating the attachment or connection of
the traces to common road vehicles and the instantaneous releasing of the same
therefrom in cases of accident (such as the falling of the horse) without cutting or
injuring the traces or other part of the harness and consists essentially of a sliding
bolt or pin combined with a helical or other spring working in a bracket or holder
attached to the rear ends of the shafts or to the ends of the cross or draught bar,
Baid pin forming the attachment for the trace when in its normal position that is
to say projected outwards by the spring and instantly releasing the trace when
withdrawn inwards for that purpose by the attendant.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a full sized plan view of my trace
attaching and releasing apparatus or spring "trace-hook" detached from the shafts
or draught bar.
Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the same showing it attached to
one of the shafts of a vehicle.
Figure 3 is an underside plan view of the apparatus.
Figure 4 is an underside plan view on a smaller scale of a pair of shafts and
cross bar with the said apparatus fixed in position thereon.
A is a metal bracket or casting comprising a hollow chamber or socket a,
flanges b for facilitating the securing of the same by preference to the underside of
the rear end of each of the shafts B, and by preference also provided with a lug c
for enabling it to be also secured to the cross bar C as shown in figures 2 and 4.
This casting A when thus fixed serves to strengthen the junction between the
shafts and cross bar. d is a pin or bolt by preference of steel sliding longitudinally
in the guiding socket a and provided at its outer end with a knob or handle e.
A helical spring ƒ contained inside the socket surrounds the said pin or bolt and
bears at one end against the end of the socket or chamber, and at the other against
a pin or collar g on the sliding bolt. Access is afforded for oiling the bolt by the
small lubricating aperture h in the upper side of the socket which may be closed
by a cover to exclude dust and dirt. The knob or handle e facilitates the with-
drawal of the pin or bolt by the hand of the attendant when it is desired to release
the traces i i, which may be provided with metal eyelets or holes for the reception
of the protruding end of the sliding pin or bolt when the trace is to be connected
as shown in figure 4.
The protruding end of the bolt when maintained in its normal or outward
position under the influence of the spring fas shown clearly in figures 1, 2 and 3
enters a corresponding hole or socket formed in a side cheek or lug k forming a
portion of the before mentioned bracket or casting A which lug serves as a support
to the end of the bolt against the strain of the trace and also effectually prevents

page_text: the accidental displacement of the trace from the bolt until the latter is withdrawn
as shown by the dotted lines in figure 2. In connecting the trace the bolt should
first be withdrawn by the knob or handle and then allowed to pass through the
opening in the end of the trace by the action of the spring.
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:
.
The peculiar apparatus for the instantaneous attaching and releasing of the
traces of common road vehicles consisting of a bracket or casting specially adapted
for attachment to the shafts and draught bar, or both, and containing a sliding pin
or bolt forced outwards by a spring, so as to pass through the trace, a knob or
handle being provided for withdrawing the said bolt, and a side lug or cheek for
receiving the protruded end of the bolt and preventing the accidental displacement
of the trace therefrom as specified.