Improvements in Ridge-bars and Hooks therefor for the Shafts of Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1899
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ridge-bars and Hooks therefor for the Shafts of
Vehicles.
We, JAMES MELLINGS, of No. 210, Upper Thames Street, in the County of
ondon, Wholesale Ironmonger, and HENRY HORACE WELLS, of Lambeth Vestry
arf, Belvedere Road, Lanibeth, in the County of Surrey, Foreman, do hereby
re the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in ridge-bars for the shafts of vehicles;
that is to say the bar to which the back and front tug chains and ridge-chain
are attached.
The object of the invention is to cause the ridge-chain hook to move with less
friction and consequently with greater ease.
According to our invention, the ridge-hook or hook which connects the ridge-
chain or back-band with the ridge-bar on the shafts, instead of, as usual, having
in its root simply a hole or eye through which the ridge-bar is threaded, provided
with one or more anti-friction rollers, the said roller or rollers being mounted
in the base block of the ridge-hook and preferably grooved on their periphery
The said
to correspond with the ridge-bar which is usually of round section.
rollers are preferably mounted in the lower part of the root or base block of the
ridge-hook so that the space above the rollers, between them and the roof of the
said base block, is just sufficient to admit the bar without any undue play or
rocking.
Dated the 29th day of August 1898.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ridge-bars and Hooks therefor for the Shafts of
Vehicles,
We, JAMES MELLINGS, of No. 210, Upper Thames Street, in the County of
London, Wholesale Ironmonger, and HENRY HORACE WELLS, of Lambeth Vestry
Wharf, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Foreman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in ridge-bars for the shafts of vehicles;

page_text: that is to say the bar to which the back and front tug chains and ridge chain
or band are attached.
The object of the invention is to cause the ridge-chain or back-band hook to
move along the ridge-bar with less friction and consequently with greater case,
so that the slightest forward or backward movement of the horse or other draught
animal will cause the ridge-chain or band as the case may be to move in the same
direction simultaneously with the animal.
The advantage of 'this is that the movements of the ridge-chain or band do not
cause a sore back as is the case with the usual construction of ridge-hook which
does not move with sufficient ease and consequently the chain or band rubs to-
and-fro on the animal's back, often causing sores.
The following is a description of our invention, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings illustrating it, and in which:-
Figure shews in side elevation a horse harnessed to a cart, and illustrates the
application of our invention.
Figure 2 represents in side elevation a portion of a cart shaft with fixed ridge-
bar, fitted with our improved ridge-hook, and fragments of the ridge-chain and
front and back tug-chains connected thereto, in their normal positions.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of Figure 2 taken on the line 3-3.
According to our invention the ridge-hook A (or hooks) which connects the
ridge-chain or back-band B with the ridge-bar C on the shafts 1) of the vehicle,
instead of, as usual, having in its root a simply a hole or eye through which the
ridge-bar C is threaded, is provided with one or more antifriction rollers 6 the
said roller or rollers being mounted in the base-block a of the ridge-hook, and
preferably grooved on their periphery to correspond with the ridge-bar which is
usually of round section as shewn in Figure 3. The said rollers 6 are preferably
mounted on the lower part of the root or base-block a of the ridge-hook A, so
that the space c above the rollers between them and the roof of the said base-
block a is just sufficient to admit the ridge-bar C, and permit of the free rolling
of the wheels b, but without any undue side play or rocking.
To meet the question of back-bands getting detached or going astray, a hook
such as d should be used on the one side, and an eye into which the end link
can be wielded on the other.
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:-
1. The improvement in ridge-hooks for connecting the ridge-chain or back-
band to the ridge-bar of vehicles, consisting in the combination with the root or
base-block of the hook of one or more antifriction rollers loosely mounted so as to
rotate freely therein, substantially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
2. The combination with the ridge-har of a vehicle of a ridge-hook having in
its root or base-block one or more antifriction rollers loosely mounted so as to
rotate freely therein, substantially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Dated the 24th day of January 1899.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
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