Improvements in Thill Supports.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thill Supports.
I, JAMES QUINN LEMMON, of Latrobe, in the County of Westmoreland, and
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Gentleınan, 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:-
The invention relates to improvements in shaft-supports. The object of the
present invention is to improve the construction of shaft-supports, and to provide a
simple and inexpensive one, which will be positive and reliable in operation and
strong and durable, and which will be automatic in its operation and adapted to be
readily applied to a running-gear.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrange-
ment of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.
In the drawings: -
Figure 1-is a side elevation of a shaft-support constructed in accordance with
this invention and shown applied to a shaft, the latter being lowered. Fig. 2 is a
similar view, the shaft being raised.
.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the shaft support, the shaft being elevated.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of the bracket arm.
Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the guide-plate or keeper.
Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
1 designates a horizontally-disposed bracket arm, extending forward from a
front axle 2, and having its front end 3 curved upward, and provided at its rear
end with a pair of depending arms 4 arranged in front and rear of the axle 2, and
having their lower terminals threaded and connected by a tie-plate 5 and receiving
nuts 6 whereby the bracket arm is secured to the front axle. The upwardly-
curved end 3 of the bracket-arm 1 has pivoted to it the lower end of an upwardly-
extending brace 7 which is provided with a series of perforations 8 whereby the
brace may be adjusted to enable a shaft 9 to be held elevated in the desired
position.
The upper end of the brace 7 which is curved is provided with a handle 10 and
it is provided a short distance below the handle with an inclined or downwardly-
extending recess 11, which is adapted to engage a guide plate or keeper 12 secured
to the shaft, whereby the shaft is maintained in its elevated position, as illustrated
in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.
The guide-plate or keeper 12 is curved to conform to the configuration of the
rear portion of the shaft and is arranged on the lower face of the same, and is
provided with substantially centrally-arranged longitudinal slots for the reception
of attachment bolts 13 and it projects laterally outward beyond the shaft and is
provided in the projecting portion with a longitudinal opening 14 to receive the
brace 7. The rear edge of the plate 12 is enlarged and rounded to provide an
engaging portion 15 which fits in the recess or notch 11 of the curved brace 7.
When the shafts of a vehicle are lowered the parts are arranged substantially as
shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings and as they are raised to an
clevated position such as is shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings the
brace swings rearward and automatically engages the plate or keeper.

page_text: It will be seen that the shaft-support is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in
construction, that it is strong and durable and that it is positive and reliable and
automatic in operation.
Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be
resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages
of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
The combination with an axle and a shaft, of a shaft support comprising a
horizontal bracket arm secured to the axle and extending forward therefrom and
curved upward at its front end, a curved plate secured to the lower face of the
shaft and projecting laterally therefrom and provided with an opening, and having
a transverse rib 15 located at the back of the said opening, and a curved brace
arranged in the opening of the plate and pivoted at its lower end to the bracket
arm and provided at its upper end with a handle, and having a recess or notch
adapted to engage the rib 15 of the plate automatically when the shaft is raised,
substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of February 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.