IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING VEHICLES AND DISCONNECTING OR DETACHING THE HORSES THERE- FROM
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Guiseppe Francesco Coccapieller de Guggènbhüller, of
Rome, in the Kingdom of Italy, Engineer, but at present of Stratford, in the
County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
STOPPING VEHICLES AND DISCONNECTING OR DETACHING THE HORSES THERE-
FROM."
Sealed the 22nd August 1876, and dated the 24th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Guiseppe Francesco Coccapieller
de Guggènbhüller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th
February 1876.
GUISEPPE FRANCESCO COCCAPIELLER DE GUGGENBHÜLLER, of Rome, in the King-
dom of Italy, but at present of Stratford, in the County of Essex, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING VEHICLES AND DISCONNECTING OR
DETACHING THE HORSES THEREFROM."
My Invention has for its object the provision of means for stopping vehicles and
disconnecting or detaching the horses therefrom in or with facility and in an
expeditious manner.
In carrying out my Invention I apply against the nave of each wheel a small
wheel which is screwed on to the axle journal, and in which there is fitted a pin
or other suitable contrivance which acts by means of a spring at the required
moment.
The apparatus is operated by means of a ring placed in any suitable position in
the carriage itself, and which works a chain in immediate communication with the
pin or other contrivance, as before mentioned, in such a manner as to stop or
hold the nave of the wheel, pressing it without concussion and shock against
the cap.
On disconnecting the mechanism the wheels are free to turn in any direction;
by these means I am enabled to dispense with the breaks or drags ordinarily
employed.
This Invention is invisible, and it is applicable to all descriptions of vehicles by
changing the axles. In order to prevent liability to accidents and obviate the delay
when the horses fall or become restive, I construct a splinter bar with two or four
pincers or similar holding contrivances, according as the vehicle is drawn by one or
two horses; and I employ a fifth or additional pincer or holding contrivance to the
[Price 6d.]

page_text: extremity of the pole when an additional horse or pair of horses in front are used.
The former sets of pincers or holding contrivances are fixed in the splinter-bar by
means of a band of iron which surrounds the splinter bar, and is attached by screws
or otherwise. At the under part of the forecarriage I provide a pivot which holds the
additional pincer or holding contrivance when such is employed. I also provide a
pin or other convenient device which actuates the pivot in the splinter bar, in order
to open simultaneously the pincers or holding contrivances, which liberate the rings
or hooks in such a manner that by pulling a ring, as in the case for stopping the
wheels, the horses are immediately disconnected, a hook being provided at the
extremity of the pole or two spring keys for liberating the two rings by which the
chains of the horses are attached when a pole is used. Rings are also provided for
disconnecting horses in single harness; the horses being thus disconnected from the
driving gear remain connected by the reins to the body of the carriage itself.
:
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Guiseppe Francesco
Coccapieller de Guggènbhüller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
September 1876.
GUISEPPE FRANCESCO COCCAPIELLER DE GUGGENBHÜLLER, of Rome, in the King-
dom of Italy, Engineer, but at present of Stratford, in the County of Essex.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING VEHICLES AND DISCONNECTING OR
DETACHING THE HORSES THEREFROM."
My said Invention has for its object the provision of means for disconnecting or
detaching the horses from vehicles, and stopping the latter with facility and in an
expeditious manner. In order to effect this object I employ certain devices which
are arranged, combined, and operated as herein-after described, reference being had
to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
The part of my Invention which relates to disconnecting horses instantaneously
from a vehicle is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Figures 1 and 3 are detail elevations taken at right angles to each other of the
imechanism for detaching the horses and a portion of a carriage shewn partly in
section.
Figure 2 is a plan of the under side corresponding to Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to Figure 3, with a portion of the upper plate
removed.
Figures 5 and 6 are general views drawn to a smaller scale, Figure 5 being a
sectional elevation and Figure 6 a plan illustrating the application of my Invention.
The preceding Figures (1 to 6) refer to arrangements of apparatus to be employed
when the vehicle is drawn by two or more horses.
Figure 7 shews the mode of connecting single harness to the shaft.
The apparatus is actuated by pulling the cord or chain a by means of a ring a¹
placed at any convenient part of the vehicle, which has the effect of releasing the
catch or pincers 5 to which the fore horses are attached simultaneously with the
catches or pincers 1, 2, 3, 4, holding the pins m, or other devices, to which the traces
of the pole horses are connected.
The mechanism by means of which this result is obtained consists of a bell crank
lever b working on a pin b¹ carried on the framework A of the carriage, one end of
which lever is attached to the cord a, whilst the other end carries a jointed arm c
passing through the splinter bar B. This arm when the cord a is pulled releases
pins d, d, from their respective holes in the extremity of the moveable jaw b² of the
catch or pincers 5 and in the plate h, which latter slides upon the splinter bar B
and actuates, by means of pins i fitting in holes in the said plate, the moveable jaws
of the catches or pincers 1, 2, 3, 4. As soon as the pins d, d', are released the
spring k-causes the catch or pincers 5 to open and assume the position shewn in dotted

page_text: lines in Figure 2, whereby the fore horses are disconnected, whilst the spring
pushes the plate / forwards into the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 4, and
opens the whole of the catches or pincers 1, 2, 3, and 4 simultaneously, thus bringing
them into the position also shewn by dotted lines in that Figure.
In order to close the catches or pincers for the purpose of reconnecting the horses
the jaw be of the catch or pincers 5 is closed and the plate h is pressed back into its
original position, thus closing the catches or pincers 1, 2, 3, 4, and causing them to
embrace the pins m or other appliances for attaching the traces which have been
previously placed in position; the spring n will then elevate the arm c, causing the
pins d, d', to re-enter their respective holes in the moveable jaw 62 of the catch or
pincers 5, and in the plate h, thus locking all the parts firmly in position as
before.
The moveable jaws of the catches or pincers are by preference made slightly longer
than the fixed jaws, in order to facilitate their disengagement from the pins or other
devices employed.
The Invention is equally applicable to vehicles drawn by one horse, in which case
the harness of the same should be provided with four rings, two on the lateral straps
or tugs, which support the shafts, and two on the breeching straps, which rings are
passed over the shafts, as shewn applied to one of the shafts at 5 and 6, Figure 7,
the object of this arrangement being to enable the horse to be readily released from
the shafts when required. If the vehicle is drawn by two horses, two rings 7 and 8,
(see Figure 5) are passed over the pole, and connected to the chains at the forc
part of the harness, and then held in position by spring catches 27 which when
they open allow the rings 7, 8, to pass. Or the rings 7, 8, may be carried on spring
hooks 27, as shewn in Figure 6, which admit of their being readily slipped off
when required.
Hooks, rings, or other suitable devices may be substituted for the pins m, to
which the traces are attached if desired.
When pins are employed, as shown in my Drawings, they are provided with a
collar m turned upon them, a projection n¹ underneath the catch or pincers, and a
small plate or bracket o under the splinter bar (see Figure 1), which plate or bracket
is intended to support the pin m and hold it securely.
This part of my Invention is also applicable to railway vehicles for coupling the
motor to the vehicles, so as to admit of its being instantaneously disconnected or
detached, when it is required promptly to stop the train.
A convenient arrangement which may be employed as an auxilliary to my
apparatus, is illustrated in Figure 5. It consists of a devise for holding the horses
by the reins, after they are disconnected from the vehicle, in order to prevent injury
to the animals or accidents by their running away.
The extremity of the reins constantly remain secured to a strap fastened to the
hook p, under the splash board g of the vehicle, near the feet of the driver in such
a manner, that the horses when they have proceeded for a distance, of say about
two yards from the pole, will remain attached to the vehicle by means of the
retaining hook p, the tail of which is provided with a spring 7, and is enclosed in
a case 8, so as to act when required in a similar manner to the hand of a driver
yielding and drawing in the reins alternately.
When my Invention is applied to two-wheel vehicles, the same should be provided
with a support forked at the upper part, and having at the lower extremity a small
iron shod wheel or roller. The support is suspended by a hinge at the fore part of
the vehicle, so as to be capable of being raised or lowered as required, by means of
a chain under the control of the driver of the horses. This chain is provided with
two rings, one of which maintains it when drawn up out of use, whilst the other
holds it stationary in its lowered position, when it is required to disconnect the
horses suddenly. By means of this arrangement the shafts of the vehicle are pre-
vented from falling to the ground, and throwing the occupants forward.
Another part of my Invention which is illustrated by the vertical section, Figure 8,
consists in mechanism for stopping or locking the wheels instantaneously.

page_text: . It may be applied both to two-wheel and to four-wheel vehicles, in the case of four
wheel vehicles I prefer to apply apparatus to both the fore wheels and the hind
wheels, the one or the other being brought into action according as it is required to
arrest a forward or a retrograde motion. In my Drawings I have illustrated its
application to the hind wheels.
When under any circumstances it is desired to arrest the motion of the vehicle,
the rings 10 of the two wheels (one only of which is shewn in my Drawings) are
pulled simultaneously, each of which immediately liberates the extremity 11 of a
spring 12 from a loop in the projecting end 13 of a pin 14, whereby the pin
impelled by a spring t is formed outwards and caused to enter one of a series of
holes 15 formed in the nave of the wheel 16. The pin 14 is carried by a disc 17
screwed upon the axletree 18, and when such pin is caused to engage with the
revolving wheel the disc 17 partakes of the inotion of the latter, and becomes
screwed up, so as to bear against the side of the nave of the wheel 16 and press it
forcibly, but without concussion against the cap or washer 19.
When it is required to replace the disc in its position, the vehicle is to be moved
backwards if operating with the hind wheels, and forwards if with the fore wheels,
thon pressing the pin 14 back with the thumb, it will be held in position by the
end 11 of the spring 12.
The Invention is applicable to vehicles. of every description drawn by horses,
including existing vehicles which may be readily converted to the improved
system.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The employment for connecting or attaching the motors to vehicles of
pincers or holding contrivances having opening and closing jaws, constructed and
arranged in such a manner that by the act of drawing a chain, cord, or other
suitable tractive appliance, the jaws shall be opened and the motors be instan-
taneously disconnected or detached, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Secondly. The peculiar combination of apparatus for opening simultaneously a
series of pincers or holding contrivances, substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described, and as illustrated by my Drawings.
Thirdly. Effecting the stopping of roadway vehicles, by the employment of brake
wheels screwed upon the axles of the vehicles, so as to be capable when brought
into action of bearing or pressing against the sides of the wheels of the vehicle,
substantially in the manner hercin-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Guiseppe Francesco Coccapieller de Guggen-
bhüller have to this my Specification set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth
day of September One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six..