RELEASING RUNAWAY OR FALLEN HORSES FROM AND INSTANTLY LOCKING ALL THE WHEELS OF, 4 WHEELED VEHICLES
Year: 1886

page_text: Wheels of, Four Wheeled vehicles.
I JOHN GRIFFIN Coach Builder 127 Hockley Hill Birmingham do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for RELEASING RUNAWAY OR FALLEN HORSES
FROM AND INSTANTLY LOCKING ALL THE WHEELS OF, 4 WHEELED VEHICLES to be
as follows:-
The trace bolts are firmly fixed in square holes in the shafts, allowing spaces of
exactly the thickness of the futchell end' flaps, between the collars or nuts of.trace
bolts, and the shafts.
Slots are cut across the bottom edges of the futchell ends into the shaft bolt
holes, so as to enable the shafts to be inserted in their places without unscrewing
or taking out the shaft (or trace) bolts. The shafts are then supported in position
by means of 2 claw (or lug) ended springs which are bolted at their back ends, to
the futchell blocks. The claws or lugs of springs being now in the slots cut into
the futchell ends, no amount of pulling or backing of the horse can remove the
shafts from their position, but if the horse falls down, his weight coming upon
the shaft, will instantly release it (the shaft) from the vehicle, (thus saving it
from being broken and the journey delayed or terminated, as the shaft can be
almost instantaneously replaced in its proper position) and the driver can in the
same moment instantly lock the wheels by means of a small foot lever (or other-
wise) connected with drags, which fall into their places immediately they are
touched, and by one single movement.
To release runaway horses a lever is attached by a fulcrum to the inside of the
futchell flap on each side of the Vehicle, then by means of two small wire or other
kind of cords carried from the ends of the levers, through the bottom of the body
and then terminating in a large sized metal ring, or else a lever, the driver
or occupant is enabled, when horses are running away and in case of necessity to
instantaneously detach the shafts or pole and bar from the Vehicle. The impetus
TEQ 1

page_text: given to the vehicle would be immediately checked by means of the drag shoes,
which of course would be applied, before releasing the horses, either to the front
wheels only, or to the whole set.
-
Where a pole and bar is used for a pair of horses, the chop blocks are peculiarly
made and fixed in several different ways, so as to suit the different ways the
splinter bars may be made, whether on the top, against the front, or underneath
the futchells.
The invention can be fitted to almost any 4 wheeled vehicle.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Instantaneously Releasing Runaway Horses or Fallen Horses
from, and Instantly Locking all the Wheels of, Four Wheeled
Vehicles.
I, JOHN GRIFFIN, of 127, Hockley Hill, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Coach
Builder, 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 reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and
to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is to say :-.
The chief object of my Invention is to provide means whereby runaway horses
or fallen horses can be instantly released from the carriages to which they are
harnessed a further object being to provide means for instantly locking all the
wheels of four wheel vehicles.
On the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 represent in end elevation and
side elevation respectively part of a four wheel carriage to which my Invention is
applied; Fig. 3 is a side elevation and Fig. 4 a plan of the shaft releasing mechanism
on an enlarged scale separately; Fig. 5 is a separate view of the end of the shaft ;
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the operation of the shaft releasing mechanism as
hereinafter set forth.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
a is the back end of one of the shafts in which the trace bolt b is firmly fixed
(see Fig. 5) leaving spaces equal to the thickness of the futchell end flaps c¹, c³,
between the shaft a and the nut b¹ and collar 6. Across the bottom edges of each
of the futchell ends c¹, c³, is a slot d communicating with the holes for the bolt b
so as to enable the shaft to be inserted in its place without removing the trace
bolt b. The shafts are each supported in position between the futchell ends c³, c³,
by a claw-shaped spring e, which springs are secured at the back by bolts e¹, e¹, to

page_text: the futchell blocks, from which no amount of pulling or backing can remove the
shafts. If however the horse harnessed to the shafts a should fall the shafts will
be depressed (see Fig. 6) by the horse's weight thus forcing down the spring ⚫ to
the guard (which prevents the spring being moved down too far) and allowing
the trace bolt b to slide forward out of the slots d when the shaft a will be
released and disconnected from the carriage and so prevented from being broken.
The shaft can readily be replaced by first depressing the end of the spring e and
then inserting it between the futchell flaps and allowing the bolt b to slide into
the slots d.
When the horse falls down it is necessary that the motion of the carriage should
be speedily arrested which I effect by drag shoes or skids which lock_either the
front or back wheels or all four of them and are arranged as follows:-In front of
each wheel is provided a skid or drag shoe f (see Figs. 1 and 2 which illustrate
this part of my Invention applied to the front wheels only) which is carried by
the extremity of a rod g hinged at its top end gl to the axle flap or otherwise
arranged so that the drag shoe f can be raised and lowered in front of the wheel.
The said rods g and their skids f are kept in suspension (as shewn by dotted lines)
by a cord or cbain h which is attached to the rod g and then carried round suitable
pulleys through the bottom of the vehicle and its end hooked on to a hook j or
other appliance so as to be convenient to the driver's hand. When the cord or
chain h is released the skids f will fall under the wheels and so lock them. By
suspending the rods g at a point g¹ situate a little in advance of the centre of the
wheel the skids f will be away from the tyre when raised (see Fig. 2) and when
dropped down the skids will be prevented from slipping behind the wheel. Skids
can be applied to the back wheels of the carriage similarly to, and as well as, or
independently of, the skids above described applied to the front wheels thereof.
In order to instantaneously release runaway horses and the shafts to which they
are harnessed from the carriage I provide for each shaft a lever k free to turn on a
fulcrum fixed to the futchell flaps. The said levers k are so shaped that when
the lower end kl is moved towards the driver the upper end will strike the end
of the shaft a, force the trace bolt down out of the slot, and thus disconnect the
shafts and horse from the vehicle (see Fig. 8). Cords or chains m are attached to
the lower ends of the levers k and led up conveniently to the driver around
suitable guide pulleys n.
When the shafts and horse have been disconnected from
the carriage it can be speedily brought to a stand by the skids above described
which would be applied before releasing the horse.
When a pole and bar are used for a pair of horses the chop block to which the
splinter bar is attached is connected to the futchell plates in a similar manner to
that in which the shaft above described is connected so as to be instantly released
therefrom on the horse or horses running away or falling down. An example of
this modification is illustrated by Fig. 9 in which o is the chop block to which the
splinter bar p is attached. The chop block has at each side a projecting pin q
which fit in the slots d and are there held by the spring e in a manner similar to
which the trace bolt b is held as above described.
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 means by which a horse or horses and the shafts of a four wheeled
vehicle to which it or they is or are harnessed are instantaneously released from
such vehicle on the horse or horses falling down, substantially as described and
shewn.
2nd. The means by which the driver is enabled to release a runaway horse or
runaway horses, and the shafts to which they are harnessed, from a four wheeled
vehicle substantially as described and shewn.
3rd. The means by which the driver is enabled to lock either two or all four of
the wheels of a four wheel carriage substantially as described and shewn.

page_text: 4th. The futchell plates c¹, c', slots d, and the shaft having a fixed trace bolt b
in combination with the spring e, which maintains the trace bolt in the slots d and
allows of its being quickly released when required substantially as described and
shewn.
5th. The combination with slotted futchell plates c¹, c³, as described, and the
spring e, of the lever k by means of which the shaft can be released from the
carriage when required, substantially as described and illustrated.
6th. The combination with the slotted futchell plates c¹, o and the spring e as
described, of a chop block o having side pins q fitting the slots d, substantially as
à described and for the purposes set forth.