An Improved Device for Releasing Animals from the Pole or other Parts of Road Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Releasing Animals from the Pole or
other Parts of Road Vehicles.
I, ROBERT MACMILLAN MURDOCH, of 14 Linden Villas, Beverley Road,
Barnes, Surrey, Manager of The Phoenix Metal Die and Engineering Co. Ld..
40, Princes Street, S.E. in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved releasing device whereby a draught animal
can be easily and quickly released from its attachment to the pole or other parts of
carriages, wagons, or similar road vehicles.
The releasing device consists of a socket piece of metal fitted (for instance) over
and to the front end of the draught pole of vehicles. The socket piece is formed
with two or more projecting lugs to which are pivoted as many fingers, so bent or
shaped as to retain a metal ring or shackle in position between the inner part of
(for example) each of the two fingers and the outer part of the socket piece. The
outer or opening ends of the pivoted fingers are adapted to lay closely within
corresponding slots formed in the socket piece, while a cup shaped collar slides over
the said finger ends, and holds them firmly in position. The cup shaped collar is
formed with a knob or ring which forms the outer termination of the releasing
device, and this is screwed or otherwise secured to a central pin sliding within a
cylindrical portion of the socket piece. The central pin is formed with a head at
its inner end, and the cylindrical portion of the socket piece is cored or bored
parallel to allow this head to slide freely within the same; but the outer end of
this part of the socket piece is bored of a reduced diameter to form a central guide
way for the stem of the pin. Between the head of the pin, and the bottom or onter
end of the cylindrical portion thus formed, there is placed a strong spiral spring,
which acts upon the pin and its attached cup shaped collar to retain the latter in its
normal position over the ends of the fingers. If, for example, a horse which is
attached to this device by the chain from its collar should fall, it is easily and
speedily disengaged therefrom by pulling the knob end of the cup shaped collar
with its pin against the spiral spring until it is clear of the finger ends; thus
allowing the ring or shackle to slip off the end of the finger which held it. Any
strain upon the ring, caused by the fallen animal, operates directly upon the fingers
to cause them to fly open as soon as the cup shaped collar passes the ends thereof.
The device may be attached to the whiffle-tree of vehicles, and adapted for
connection to the traces.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1892.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Releasing Animals from the Pole or
other Parts of Road Vehicles.
I, ROBERT MACMILLAN MURDOCH, of 14 Linden Villas, Beverley Road, Barnes,
in the County of Surrey, Manager of The Phoenix Metal Die and Engineering Co.
Ld. 40 Princes Street, S.E. in the County of London, do hereby declare the
[Price 8d 1

page_text: 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:-
My invention relates to an improved releasing device whereby a draught animal
can be easily and quickly released from its attachment to the pole or other part or
parts of carriages, wagons, or similar road vehicles.
In the further description of this invention, reference is made to the accompany-
ing drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the end of a carriage
pole, showing the device in its relative position; Fig. 2 is an elevation at right
angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation with the collar removed; Fig. 4 is an
end elevation and Fig. 5 a side elevation of the collar.
The releasing device as shown in the drawings consists of a socket shaped piece
of metal a fitted over and secured to the front end of the draught pole of a
carriage. The socket a is formed with projecting lugs e carrying a finger d on each
side by a pivot e, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. The fingers d are bent or so
formed as to retain (when in their normal position) a ring or shackle between the
inner part of a finger and the adjoining outer part of the socket piece a, as
indicated by the dotted lines on the left hand part of Fig. 1. The outer, or
opening ends of the pivoted fingers d, are adapted to lie closely within corre-
sponding slots formed in the socket piece a; and they are normally held in that
position by a cup shaped collar g, which slides over the said finger ends, and
encloses them firmly within a flange g', as shown on the right hand part of Fig. 1.
The cup shaped collar g is formed with a knob as the outer termination of the
releasing device, and this is screwed, riveted, or otherwise secured to a central
pin, sliding within a cylindrical portion of the socket piece a. The central pin h
is formed with a head at its inner end, and the cylindrical portion of the socket
piece a is cored or bored parallel to allow the head to slide freely therein; but
the outer end of this part of the socket piece is bored to a reduced diameter to
form a central guide way for the stem of the pin h. Between the head of the
pin h, and the bottom or outer end of the cylindrical portion thus formed, a strong
spiral spring surrounds the stem of the pin, which, acting upon the pin and its
attached cup shaped collar g, serves to retain the latter in its normal position over
the ends of the fingers d.
The releasing device is used (should an attached draught animal fall) in the
following manner. The harness chain, from the collar of the animal, is connected
by a ring (or its equivalent) to one of the fingers ; and the strain upon the
chain, holding the fallen animal, tends to drag the finger d
open; but this strain
is resisted by the flange g¹ which encloses the fingers. On pulling the knob of the
collar g outwardly-against the pressure of the spring until the flange g' is clear
of the end of the fingers d, the latter immediately fly open, and the animal is
released by the ring sliding off the opened finger das indicated by the upper
portion of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2.
The fingers should be fitted to work freely upon the pivote or within the
lugs c, so that a slight strain thereon-such as the weight of the chain-will be
sufficient to cause the fingers to open when their ends are clear of the flange g¹.
But as it may be required to remove from or attach a horse to one side of the pole,
without releasing the other horse, a piece 92 is cut out of the flange at one part
thereof (as shown in Figs. 4 and 5) sufficient in width to pass the end of one of the
fingers d. By rotating the collar (with its attached pin) until the opening is in
line with the desired finger, the latter is free to be opened or closed; and if the
latter, by turning the knob round a short distance, the said finger is enclosed and
held by the remaining portion of the flange g'. A small pink, and corresponding
semi-circular groove
(shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5), serve to retain the collar 9
its proper relative position to secure both fingers. It is to be noted that the
fingers are so bent or shaped as to facilitate the escape of a ring j when its
corresponding finger is released.
The device may be attached to the whiffle-tree of vehicles, being modified and

page_text: adapted to suit the said position, and for connection to the traces, in a manner
easily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An improved device for releasing animals from vehicles consisting of a socket.
piece containing a cylindrical chamber, a spring therein, a central pin fitted to
slide within the said chamber against the action of the spring, a collar attached to.
the said pin and having an enclosing flange, one or more fingers each pivoted
to corresponding lugs on the said socket piece and adapted to carry a harness ring
when the finger end is held by the said enclosing flange, combined with the pole or
other draught portion of a vehicle, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a releasing device for animals, the combination of a socket with a slot at
its end, a bent or bow-shaped finger having one end pivoted to the said socket and the
other end fitted to lay within the said slot, a rotatable collar fitting over and
enclosing the said finger end except at one point of its circumference, substantially
as shown and described.
3. The improved device for releasing animals as described and shown in the
drawings.
Dated this 13th day of April 1893.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.