A NEW OR IMPROVED SAFETY CARRIAGE DE VEHICLE, COMPRISING AN INSTANTANEOUS UNYOKING OR RELEASING APPARATUS, A BREAK, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Frédéric Langin, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline,
Paris (Empire of France), Doctor, for the Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED SAFETY CARRIAGE DE VEHICLE, COMPRISING AN INSTANTANEOUS
UNYOKING OR RELEASING APPARATUS, A BREAK, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Frédéric Langin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th March 1867.
I, AUGUSTE FREDERIC LANGIN, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris (Empire
of France), Doctor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED SAFETY CARRIAGE OR VEHICLE, COMPRISING AN INSTANTA-
NEOUS UNYOKING OR RELEASING APPARATUS, A BREAK, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My Invention comprises the following parts :-
First, a splinter bar with harness for instantly unyoking,
Second, a self-acting pole.
A

page_text: Fourth, an appliance for directing the course of a vehicle when the animal
or animals is or are released.
The splinter bar is composed of three parts or thicknesses placed one on
the other; they may be all made of iron, but where lightness is required the
top and bottom pieces may be made of wood; in the latter case the central
piece is strengthened by a guide or frame and held together by screws.
Between the top and bottom pieces there are two pairs of levers free to move
at certain times on pins or screws, the longer pair of these levers has a
portion cut out at their outer ends and lap on to the splinter bar, apertures
being thereby formed to receive the rings or hooks of the traces from the
animal or animals harnessed. The inner ends of these levers are fitted with
springs, whereby they are caused to open as soon as the bolt securing them is
removed. The space comprised between the top and bottom pieces of the
splinter bar may be covered up with wood or metal to prevent the admission
of dirt. To quickly fit and remove the splinter bar from a vehicle I fix under
the bar two V-shaped pieces, each surrounded by a spring, and both of which
take into the forks of the fore carriage, and the two springs are united by two
projections, forming as it were two inclined planes, so that by pushing the bar
into the forks the springs yield and the projections enter apertures formed in
the sides of the forks, whereby the splinter bar is securely attached to the
fore carriage. To withdraw it the two parts of the same spring are pressed
towards each other until the projections are free of the apertures in the fork,
and the bar is then free to be drawn out. The pole bolt is held by a spring
in a closed box, the lower portion of the bolt chamfered to slide easily on the
ends of an inclined plane on the inner ends of the longer pair of oscillating
levers, so that the two levers may be easily locked; and again, when the bolt
has been sufficiently raised that the springs may readily open the four levers,
and thus releasing the traces, and consequently the animal or animals. This
motion is regulated and rendered easy to operate in the following manner :-
At the end of the pole I place one end of a lever into a mortise formed in the
pole bolt, as well as through a slot formed in a rod inserted in the pole bolt,
which is consequently made hollow to receive it. The lever is free to oscillate
on a pin, thus by pulling the rod by a cord or handle the opposite end of the
lever is caused to act against the under side of the bolt holding the levers
together, and so raising the bolt; the levers and traces are released in the
inanner herein-before described. The top of the pole bolt is covered with a
cap to prevent the admission of water, dust, or foreign matter. To enable
the animals to back a carriage I fix to the head of the pole an apparatus,
which when the animals back they act directly against the pole end, but when

page_text: the traces are disengaged and the animals advance they pull back a lever, by
preference conical in shape and held in position by springs until violently
tugged, and so become free.. It will therefore be understood that by simply
pulling a rod or cord under the command of the driver or other person in the
vehiclé in connection with apparatus as before described the harnessed animals
can be immediately released. I construct the break in the following manner:
On each of the ordinary hoops of the nave I form a groove, I then take two
other hoops, made preferably of steel, and fit them on to the two first hoops,
whereby one rubs on the other; if then the steel hoops are prevented from
revolving a powerful break is produced.. I accomplish this by means of two-
bolts placed on the axle and near.each wheel; each bolt has a tendency to
leave the guides on the axle which support it by the action of springs, and
when these springs are released, which is done by a cord, chain, or lever, they
push the bolts-forward untiEone end of each takes into an aperture formed in
each of the naves, and as each break has a part which is met by one of these
bolts, it follows that the hoops cannotaturn, and so a double break to the wheels
is obtained.. It will be seen that this break is capable of being hidden in
private or other carriages for example, and in other cases where it is desirable
to do so..
Although by the use of my Invention horses can be disengaged from a
carriage and the breaks effectually applied to the wheels of the same, yet in
the event of the vehicle having acquired a great speed it might take an
objectionable direction; to obviate this I place a lever on the upper end of
the pole bolt, and as this bolt is united to the fore carriage, it, by means of
the said lever, can be guided to the right or left, and consequently any desired
course can be given to the vehicle to avoid an upset into a ditch, river, or
other unpleasant. place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Auguste Frédéric Langin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th September 1867..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
FREDERIC LANGIN, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris (Empire of France),
Doctor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our.
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year:

page_text: of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Auguste Frédéric Langin, Her special licence that I, the said
Auguste Frédéric Langin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Auguste Frédéric Langin, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED SAFETY CARRIAGE OR VEHICLE,
COMPRISING AN INSTANTANEOUS UNYOKING OR RELEASING APPARATUS, A BREAK, AND
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Auguste Frédéric Langin, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Auguste Frédéric Langin, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto,
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention comprises the following parts-
First, a splinter bar with harness for instantly unyoking.
Second, a self-acting pole.
Third, an instantaneous break.
Fourth, an appliance for directing the course of a vehicle when the animat
or animals is or are released.
The accompanying Drawings show the manner in which my Invention is
carried into, effect.
Figures 1 to 5 are views of my improved splinter bar; Figure 2 is a plan
of which the upper part is removed and the mechanism closed; Figure 8 is
another plan of the splinter bar, but with the mechanism open; Figure 4 is a
view in plan of the splinter bar complete, showing the levers closed, united to
the pole, and connected to the fore carriage.
The splinter bar is composed of three parts or thicknesses, a, b, c, placed one
on the other; they may be all made of iron, but where lightness is required
the top piece a and bottom piece c may be made of wood; in the latter case the
piece c is strengthened by a guide or frame c³, Figure 5, let into the top of the

page_text: piece c, where it is held together by screws.
Between the two pieces a and o
there are two pairs of levers 6 and 6', jointed on screws d, forming centres;
these four levers 6 and are steeled to the parts 68, apertures being thereby
formed to receive the rings or hooks of the traces from the animal or animals
harnessed. The inner ends of these levers are fitted with springs e², whereby
they are caused to open as soon as the bolt f securing them is removed. The
space comprised between the levers 6 and 6' in the space comprised between
the two pieces a and o is covered up with wood or metal somewhat greater
than the thickness of the levers 6 and 61, whereby the latter are caused to
work well, and the admission of dirt or other foreign matters between the
guides a and c is prevented. To quickly fit and remove the splinter bar from
a vehicle I fix under the bar two pieces o, Figures 4 and 6, each surrounded
by a spring 9; these pieces and the spring take into the forks p of the fore
carriage, and the two springs 9 are united by two projections q', forming as it
were two inclined planes, so that by pushing the bar into the forks p the
springs q yield and the projections q¹ enter apertures formed in the sides of the
forks q, whereby the splinter bar is securely attached to the fore carriage. To
withdraw it the two parts of the same spring 9 are pressed towards each other
until the projections are free of the apertures in the fork p, and the bar is
then free to be drawn out. There is a bolt f, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8, in
the pole held by a spring in a closed box e; the lower portion of the bolt fis
chamfered to slide easily on the ends of an inclined plane 68 on the inner ends
of the longer pair of oscillating levers b, Figure 2, so that the two levers may
be easily locked, and again when the bolt f has been sufficiently raised that
the springs e may readily open the four levers 6 and 6', and thus releasing the
traces and eonsequently the animal or animals; this motion is regulated and
at the same time made easy to operate by means of two levers g and h,
Figures 4 and 7, which show the end of the pole and which is inserted in the
ordinary manner, care being taken that the end h¹ of the lever takes into
the mortise formed in the pole bolt j and into that of the rod i contained in
the said bolt j, Figure 7, which is hollow to receive the vertical rod i, by
which means the end h¹ of the lever h³ can be raised, which oscillating on a
eentre causes the end g¹ of the lever g to fall and its end g³ to rise as this
lever g presses against the lower end of the bolt f, it follows that by drawing
the rod i by a cord or handle placed in the centre of the pole bolt jan
instantaneous release to the parts is obtained, and which may at the same
time be accomplished whenever it may be desired or is necessary. The top of
the pole bolt as well as that of the rod f is covered with a cap to prevent the
admission of water, dust, or foreign matter.
In order that the horses may be

page_text: able to back I harness them in such manner that the recoil takes place
directly against a piece k, Figure 9,, which. is fixed to the pole head; when
the horses back they act against the piece m, Figure 10; through, which the
steel cone, Figure 9; passes, fitted to the piece k in such manner that it may
turn on a centre; this cone-l is kept in a vertical position by a spring n let
into the bottom of the piece k, Figure 9;. in. such manner that after the traces
are unhooked from the levers 6 and 61, if the horses continue to advance they
draw out the piece m, Figure 10, which thereby describes a quarter. of the
circumference of the cone l, and the piece m becomes disengaged from the
cone and the horses are completely released from the carriage. It will
therefore be understood that by simply pulling the rod i or a cord under the
command of the driver or other person in. the vehicle, and in connection with
apparatus as before described, the harnessed animals can be immediately
released.
The instantaneous break is represented at Figure II. On each of the
ordinary hoops of the nave I form a groove, then I take two other hoops 8,
made preferably of steel fitting exactly the first two and pressing tightly on
them ; the two hoops 8 carry screws, the lower ends enter grooves in the
hoops to prevent the hoops s from escaping therefrom. These hoops s
rub or friction on r with considerable friction, so that if the hoops & are
prevented from turning two powerful breaks are obtained; this effect is
produced by means of two bolts t, Figure 11, placed in two guides fixed to the
nave v and near each wheel, each bolt having a constant tendency to leave the-
guides by the action of a helical spring t. The two bolts may be released
by pulling a cord which holds them in position, represented at Figure 11,
when the springs t¹ are allowed to aet and push the bolts t until one end. of
each takes into a hole formed in each of the naves, and as each break & has a
part which comes in contact with one of these bolts, it follows that the hoops
are prevented from turning, and thus form two breaks on the hoops r of the
two wheels. The break is capable of being hidden in private or other carriages
and in other cases where it may be desirable to do so.
Although by the use of my Invention horses can be disengaged from a
carriage and the breaks effectually applied to the wheels of the same, yet in
the event of the vehicle having acquired a great speed it might take an
objectionable direction; to obviate this I place a lever on the upper end of the
pole bolt j, Figures 4 and 7, and as this bolt is united to the fore carriage, it,
by means of the said lever, can be guided to the right or left, and consequently
any desired course can be given to the vehicle to avoid an upset into a ditch,
river, or other unpleasant place.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the splinter bar and harness for instantly unyoking an animal or
animals therefrom, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the employment of a self-aeting pole, constructed and acting
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Third, the new or improved break constructed and acting substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, the employment of an apparatus or appliance for directing the
course of a vehicle after the animal or animals are released therefrom,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Frédéric Langin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
A. F. LANGIN, (L.S.)
D.M.P.