Improvements in or relating to Vehicles and Means for Coupling or Attaching Draught Animals thereto.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Vehicles and Means for Coupling or
Attaching Draught Animals thereto.
A communication from GUSTAV ADOLF FRAAS, of 6, Petergasse, Dresden-
Altsdadt, in the Empire of Germany, Inspector to the German Tram Car Co.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.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:-
This harnessing device is mainly intended for two-horse carriages, though
vehicles to which it is applied may readily be fitted for driving with one horse, or
more than two (say four or six) horses. It essentially differs from the present
method of connecting the horse to the carriage by traces and using a pole for
turning, it being unprovided with either a pole or traces, and the horses being
attached within pairs of shafts such as are used in one-horse carriages.
The usual pole is here replaced by a short central longitudinal rod pivotted
to the fore carriage. This rod partly serves for transmitting the pull of the horse
to the carriage and is provided for this purpose with a whiffle tree; and it also
serves for turning, being so connected with another rod by means of a pivot
that this latter rod is only movable in a vertical plane, an eye or ring secured
to the shaft of the near-side horse being adapted to slide on the said rod. This
whiffle or steering rod is thus adapted to follow readily every rising or falling
motion of the shafts, without in the least inconveniencing the animals, while
when the horses move sideways the pivotted fore-carriage is caused by this rod to
turn in the corresponding direction; in the case of heavy vehicles such as carts
the shaft of the off-horse may also be provided with an eye or ring sliding upon
the steering rod independently of the before mentioned eye of the near-side limber
or shaft so that both horses may jointly assist in giving the right direction to
the vehicle. This substitution of whiffle or steering rod for the pole offers the
advantage that it enables both the whiffle tree and the pairs of limbers to
remain in a horizontal position even should the ground on which the carriage
and horses stand, for the time being, not be level, but present a slope in one
or the other direction or be made uneven by stones or other obstacles lying in
the way.
When one wheel of the carriage passes over a stone or the like, and
should it even be entirely overturned no damage or injury can result therefrom
either to the horses or vehicle. In the old arrangements provided with a pole
whenever a horse fell to the ground it was necessary to raise the horse to be
able to disengage it. In cases where the horse did not quite fall down it yet
received through the shock a blow from the pole, or the harness was damaged.
The present improvement is adapted to prevent all these inconveniences.
formerly a collision between two carriages occurred considerable injury was done
to the animals by the poles, it not unfrequently happening that a horse was
killed on the spot. Besides it is well-known that horses themselves very
cleverly avoid any impediments lying or standing in their way, while the
presence of a pole is apt to hinder them from displaying this instinct. It will
be understood that being dangerous to animals the poles will prove so also to
man, as persons are very often prevented by the pole from avoiding the
advancing carriage and are thus run over. The danger of this is greatly
decreased by the facility offered to the horses by the present arrangement in
moving in all directions. As before stated horses are secured within pairs of
limbers which being attached directly to the carriage enable the usual traces
to be dispensed with. Each horse is thus connected with the carriage at one
Where

page_text: Between
point on each side, by a jointed or pivotted connection. The traces attached
at one end to the collar or collar-braces are each provided at the point where
they meet the belly-band with links carrying laterally projecting pegs.
these pegs are inserted the limbers provided with suitable eyes through which
are passed pins or bolts to complete the attachment. These bolts form the
turning pivots of the joint and therefore the free movements of the animals are
in no way impeded. This connection also offers the advantage of allowing of
a ready unharnessing in case of need, it being sufficient for the purpose to
remove the bolts. To this end suitable straps lead from the bolts to the
driver's box or seat. This arrangement therefore constitutes an instantaneous
unharnessing device the advantages of which in the case of runaway horses or
the like are obvious considering especially the failure of all the complicated
mechanisms which have been hitherto devised for a similar purpose.
The limbers are pivotted to the whiffle-trees which themselves are not capable of
turning, while the limbers may move in the vertical plane. This motion of the
limbers is limited by springs which being placed underneath the pivots tend to
maintain the limbers in the horizontal position. When a horse slips or falls each
of these limbers independently of the others is capable of yielding thereby pro-
tecting the animal from injury and itself remaining free from damage which was not
the case in old arrangements.
Another peculiarity of this device is that in stopping it is the hind part of the
body of the horse that sustains the strain and not as usual the fore-part acting
through the medium of the pole and pole chains whereby the fore-legs are over-
strained and subject to premature lameness, while it is well-known that nature has
made the hind part much stronger and better capable of exercising the effort
required. It should further be observed that the whole of the present harnessing
device is preferably made of iron, all fragile and expensive parts being dispensed
with. The limbers may, if required, be nickel plated and other decorative
additions may be made without materially increasing the cost price.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side view of the improved harnessing device and the front portion of
the carriage the whole in operative position.
Figure 2 is a plan of the arrangement, and
Figures 3 to 7 are detail views hereinafter more fully referred to.
Upon the fore-carriage at a a¹ is arranged a spindle b (Figs. 1 to 3) in such
a manner that although capable of turning it may not be shifted longitudinally. To
prevent this spindle however from turning too readily it is checked by the friction
spring resting against a flattened portion of the said spindle. Upon this
spindle is mounted the whiffle-tree d adapted to turn on the pivot d¹. To the
ends of this whiffle-tree are similarly pivotted the trees e by means of pins or
bolts e. To the ends of the trees e are pivotted at f¹ the limbers fin such a
manner that they may rise or fall as required, but are not capable of any
lateral motion independently of the trees e. The heads of the limbers are provided
with springs (Figure 4) which having their free ends engaging with the
under-side of the heads of the trees e maintain the limbers in a horizontal
position.
At its front end the spindle 6 carries vertical lugs between which is pivotted
at g¹ the rod g so as to swing in a vertical plane. This steering rod slides within
the eye f3 secured to the inner limber of the near-side horse. If required a similar
eye may be provided on the inner limber of the off-side horse as well and the
rod 9 slide in both. These eyes should be so proportioned, however, as to leave
sufficient room for the rod to work therein in case of the whiffle-tree assuming an
inclined position and it is by them that any side movement the horses are
caused by the driver to perform, say when the carriage is to be turned, is trans-
mitted to the steering rod 9. When the limbers are moved upwards or downwards
the said steering rod will freely follow their movements without in the least
interfering with the horses. The limbers are connected with the harnessing

page_text: proper by the links or fittings (Figs. 6 and 7) which are secured to the traces v
at the points where they meet the girth or belly-band w. The eyes (Fig. 7)
arranged opposite to each other serve for fastening the belly-band. To the eye 2
is connected the strap z whereby the horses are enabled to stop the carriage when
required, and to the eyes 3 in four-horse carriages are hooked the traces of
the leaders. The links or fittings h also carry the lugs between which are
inserted the eyes f of the limbers f a bolt i in each completing the pivot joint.
These bolts or pivots i are so constructed that while they remain securely
enough in place during the motion of the carriage they may by one pull at a
string connecting them with the driver's seat be unhooked so that the horses are
instantaneously unharnessed. For this purpose the bolts are provided each
with a spring having a projection which enters a recess or perforation in the
upper of the lugs (Fig. 6) by which arrangement the said bolts are prevented
from slipping out accidentally. To the free end of each spring is attached a
cord which passes through a perforation in the head of the bolt i, and through
suitable guiding rings or eyes provided along the harnessing and finally joins the
other cord so that one common cord leads up to the driver's seat. When this
cord is pulled the spring together with its projection is caused to enter a groove
or recess provided for the purpose in its bolt i whereupon the bolt may be with-
drawn from its lugs * and the eyes f* of the limbers released or in other words the
connection between the horses and the carriage severed.
i
It will be understood that the details of construction are susceptible of various
modifications without departure from the principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
b
1. In apparatus such as described the substitution for a pole of a central longi-
tudinal spindle such as 6 pivotted to the fore-carriage and adapted to accomplish the
double purpose of transmitting the pull to the carriage through the medium of a
whiffle-tree d and of enabling the carriage to be turned in the desired direction by
means of a rod such as g pivotted thereto and upon which rod is adapted to slide an
eye or ring such as f³ provided on the inner shaft or limber of the near-side horse,
or if preferred two such eyes or rings each secured to one of the inner shafts or
limbers substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
2. The harnessing of horses in forks or combined shafts and whiffle trees such
as ef the connection being established by inserting eyes such as f* on the shafts
between lugs h provided on junction fittings such as h attached to the harness
proper and by passing through each such fitting a bolt or pin such as i substantially
as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
3. In apparatus such as described limbers or shafts such as fin relation to which
cross trees such as e connecting them, which in themselves are not movable may be
displaced in a vertical plane and supported in a horizontal position by springs such
as f²; so that in case of a horse falling to the ground each limber independently of
the others may by overcoming the resistance of the spring yield in the downward
stroke substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete harnessing
apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 11th dox of June 1891
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.