Improvements in Trace and Pole Chain Attachments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1896--Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trace and Pole Chain Attachments.
We BENJAMIN SAMUEL WESTON Engineer, of 5 Parkholme Road Dalston, in
the County of London, and HENRY STAINES WILTON, Saddler, of 457 and
459 Oxford Street also in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to he
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
These improvements relate to the means of attachment of traces used in single
and double harness and also to the pole attachments, either for chain or strap, and
are intended to give the means of instant release when the horse has fallen. Our
safety devices may be attached to, or used with, any existing trace or pole chain
(or strap), or moved from one harness to another at will. The trace at present
used in double harness, is attached to the roller bolt of the whipple tree by means
of a sliding loop formed by passing the trace through the ring attached to its end,
the loop being pulled tight over the roller bolt, the subject of our improvement is
to form this loop by securing the trace ring in a detachable manner to a slide
moving upon the trace, and which we construct as follows:-
Drawing 1, Fig. 1, shows the safety device in section, seen vertically, Fig. 2, the
device seen horizontally.
In Fig. 1, the trace A, passes round the roller bolt B, where the ring C (likewise
in section, and from which the usual leather pull-back piece has been removed, as
it is not required in this system) enters a recess, D & D, in either side of the slide,
shown in Figs. 1, 2 & 3, where the levers E & E closing over it, are held by a
projection upon the locking piece F jointed thereto, and actuated by a volute
spring H, the projection on the piece F passes under the catch G, thus securely
holding the ring C, the trace loop thus formed, is passed over the roller bolt B and
pulled tight in the usual manner, the position of the volute spring H, shown
in Fig. 2, is indicated by a line H in Figs. 1 & 3, L & L being usual strap rollers.
When it is required to release or take off the trace, the locking piece F is pulled
in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, by means of a leather thumb_piece (not
shown) attached to the pin I, the piece F then turns upon the pin J, until the
projection clears the catch G, the levers E & E now turn upon the pivots K & K
(Fig. 2), assuming then the position shown in Fig. 3, the ring C passing out of the
recess D escapes, freeing the trace A from the roller bolt B. It will be noticed
in Fig. 3, that the recess D and lever E form two books, if it should happen that
the trace is carelessly put over the roller bolt without latching it, it will still not
release, without the part F is pulled, the shape of these two parts and the
resistance offered by the spring being sufficient to prevent the trace coming off.
The releasing device for single harness traces terminating with a slotted eye in
the end, we make as follows:-
Drawing 2, Fig. 5, shows the device in section, as seen from above, Fig. 6 as
seen from the side, and Fig. 7 shows the device in use upon the dragon tongue hook
of a vehicle. In Fig. 5, the eye end of the single trace A (edge view) is placed
upon the curved book B, which is closed, forcing back the latch C, which holds
it securely by means of the volute spring D, the eye E at the end being
placed upon the draft hook as shown Fig. 7, when it is required to release or
take off the trace, the latch C is pushed back, the hook B then opens, passing
back through the slotted plate as shown by the dotted lines, and the trace is
released

page_text: The pole chain or strap releasing device is shown on Drawing 1, Fig. 4, the
device has a hook at each end, that at A which goes on to the crab of the pole, is
somewhat similar in construction to that described for the single trace, its action is
as follows:-
The spring book E, is attached to the polè chain, if a strap is used; then to a D
upon the strap, and the hook A is passed downwards through the crab, when it is
closed, forcing back the latch B, held securely by the volute spring C, guards D
prevent the accidental movement of the latch B, on pressing back the latch B, the
hook A is detached from the pole crab.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. A device sliding upon the trace, to which the trace ring may be secured in
a detachable manner, to form the loop which passes over the roller bolt used in
double harness.
2nd. A device so sliding upon a trace, in which the trace ring is held by a
bolt, hook or equivalent, secured by a locking device, substantially as herein
described.
3rd. A device carrying an eye for fixture upon a dragon tongue or other draft
hook of vehicle, in combination with a releasing device to engage with the eye slot
of a single harness trace, substantially as herein described.
4th. A pole crab attachment, for chain or strap, with releasing device, substantially
as berein described.
Dated this 28th day of July 1896.
BENJAMIN SAMUEL WESTON and
HENRY STAINES WILTON.