Improvements in and relating to Harness Attachments for Road Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Harness Attachments for Road
Vehicles.
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM GREEN, Gentleman, and GEORGE ALBERT SWANN,
Wheelwright, both of 51 Stanbury Road, Peckham S.E., do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved means for attaching the harness of horses
to the pole centre shaft or equivalent of an omnibus, van or any other road
vehicle, and has for its object the provision of increased facilities for disconnecting
said harness at any time that this may be desirable, but more especially when the
animal or animals fall down; and it is essential to release them quickly.
In carrying our invention into effect, we provide a shoe of metal or other
suitable material shaped so as to be readily adapted to the pole or its equivalent,
the end of which fits the shoe, leaving a clear interior space. The inner face of
the end of said shoe is furnished with a collar or other device carrying a spiral,
volute or elastic spring, which retains by its tension a stud or bolt, said stud or
bolt passes through the end of the shoe and terminates in a cross handle or lever.
The hole through which said bolt or stud passes is preferably square, or of other
angular form, and the bolt or stud is similarly shaped close to the cross handle
before mentioned. Upon each side of the shoe are fitted two slides cach carrying
a ring or shackle for attachment to the harness. Said slides may be freely drawn
out of the angular or other grooves or slots when the cross handle or lever is
placed at right angles to them, so as to be clear of the ends thereof; and are
locked firmly in place when said cross handle or lever is placed so as to cover
the ends.
In using the device or contrivance, according to our invention, the harness is
attached to the shackles or rings in the usual manner, and these, attached to the
slides are slid into position, the cross handle drawn out against the tension of the
spring until the square or rectangle is clear of the hole, turned round to right
angles so as to cover the ends of the slides, and also fit the square or other hole,
and is allowed to fall back into place-when the slides are firmly locked.
When it is desired, by reason of the animal or animals falling to quickly release
the harness, the cross handle is drawn out, turned at right angles, and released;
and the slides, to which the harness is attached, drawn out so that said harness is
clear of the pole.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular conformation or shape of the
whole or any part of the device nor to the material or materials of which it is
made, the essential features being the detachable sliding shackles or rings, and
locking handle or lever in connection with a suitable spring.
Dated this 4th day of June 1891
FREDERICK WILLIAM GREEN.
GEORGE ALBERT SWANN.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Harness Attachments for Road
Vehicles.
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM GREEN, Gentleman, and GEORGE ALBERT SWANN,
Wheelwright, both of 51, Stanbury Road, Peckham, S.E., 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 :-
According to this invention the harness attachments to the pole of a road
vehicle are arranged in such a manner that the harness can readily be detached in
case of accident, as we shall explain referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1. is a side view, Fig. 2 is an end view and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section
of a socket for the end of a pole with attachments for harness arranged according
to our invention.
The socket S has within it a tube T containing a spring surrounding the stem of
a turn buckle B which projects in front of the socket. The stem has a square
neck fitting in a square hole of the socket to prevent the buckle B from turning
unless when it is pulled out in opposition to the spring so as to bring the neck b
outside the socket. The shackles L for attaching the harness are jointed to slides D
of dovetail form fitting into dovetailed slots in the socket S. While the turn-
buckle B is in the position shewn in Fig. 2, the slides D are held in the slots,
but should it be required to detach the harness rapidly, the turnbuckle B is drawn
out to clear its neck from the hole and then is turned one quarter round as
indicated by the dotted lines B' in Fig. 2, leaving the slides D free to be drawn
out. The slides D instead of being parallel to the upper and lower sides of the
socket may be inclined somewhat downwards in front rendering it more easy to
detach them when a horse is down.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In combination with the socket at the end of the pole of a vehicle and a pair of
shackles, dovetail slides for the shackles and a spring turnbuckle arranged and
operating substantially as described.
Dated his 7th day of ML 1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants,