Improvements in Appliances or Devices for Facilitating the Starting and Drawing of Vehicles by Animals.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1894
Improvements in Appliances or Devices for Facilitating the Starting
and Drawing of Vehicles by Animals.
We, HENRY EDWARD ASPINALL of 26, Clanricarde Gardens, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, and WILLIAM BARWELL of 33, South Street, Greenwich,
in the County of Kent, Writer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in appliances or devices for facilitating
the starting and drawing of vehicles by animals.
According to our invention the appliance or device consists of a tube or casing
containing a spiral or other suitable spring, said tube or casing being provided at
one end with a screw cap or cover and at the other with an orifice or opening.
Passing centrally through the tube or casing and extending through the orifice or
opening is a rod or spindle capable of movement longitudinally and having near its
inner end a disc or enlargement between which and the opposite end of the casing
the said spring is located. The free end of this rod or spindle is provided with an
eye, or a hook, for. permitting one of the traces, or the whipple tree, to be connected
thereto, while the before-mentioned screw cap or cover is likewise provided with
an eye for enabling the appliance to be connected to the vehicle. It will thus be
seen that when a pull is exerted upon the appliance, the spring contained therein
will become more or less compressed between the enlargement on the rod or spindle
and the opposite end of the casing. The rod or spindle is advantageously formed
with a shoulder so that the extent of its forward movement may be limited.
When employing a volute spring the appliance may consist of a casing having at
one end an eye for attachment to the vehicle and at the other end a screw cap or
cover through which the longitudinal rod or spindle freely passes. The inner end
of said rod or, spindle is provided with an enlargement between which and the
screw cap or cover, the volute spring is located, while the outer end of said rod or
spindle is furnished with an eye, or a hook, for connection to one of the traces as
in the arrangement first mentioned.
If found advantageous, we may in some cases use rubber instead of metal
springs.
Improvements in Appliances or Devices for Facilitating the Starting
and Drawing of Vehicles by Animals.
We HENRY EDWARD ASPINALL of 26, Clanricarde Gardens in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, and WILLIAM BARWELL of 33, South Street, Greenwich
in the County of Kent, Writer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in appliances or devices for facilitating
the starting and drawing of vehicles by animals.

page_text: According to our invention the appliance or device consists of a tube or casing
containing a spiral or other suitable spring, said tube or casing being provided at
one end with a screw-cap or cover and at the other with an orifice or opening.
Passing centrally through the tube or casing and extending through the orifice or
opening, is a rod or spindle capable of movement longitudinally and having near
its inner end a disc or enlargement between which and the opposite end of the
casing the said spring is located.
The free end of this rod or spindle is provided with an eye or a book for
permitting one of the traces or the whipple-tree to be connected thereto; while
the before-mentioned screw-cap or cover is provided with an eye for enabling the
appliance to be connected to the vehicle. The rod or spindle is formed with a
shoulder or stop for limiting the extent of its forward movement.
When a pull is exerted upon the appliance the spring contained therein will
become more or less compressed between the disc or enlargement on the rod or
spindle and the opposite end of the casing and the shocks which ordinarily arise on
the starting of the vehicle will thus be avoided.
In place of forming the before-mentioned orifice or opening, through which the
rod or spindle protrudes, in the end of the tube or casing, we can form it in the
Ecrew-cap or cover, the hook or eye on this latter being then omitted and formed
on the end of the of the tube or casing instead.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure is an elevation and Figure 2 a longitudinal section shewing one
construction of our appliance or device in which a spiral spring is employed.
a is the tube or casing, the spring, and c the rod or spindle. The tube or
casing is closed at one end and open at the other to enable the spindle and the
spring to be readily fitted into place within the casing. The open end is screw-
threaded to receive the screw-cap or cover d, and the closed end is formed with an
orifice or opening through which the end of the rod or spindle passes and is capable
of working longitudinally. The inner end of the spindle is formed with a disc c
between which and the opposite end of the casing the spring (which loosely.
surrounds the spindle) is located. As will be best seen on reference to Figure 6
the spindle is not made of the same diameter throughout its entire length and a
shoulder e² is thus produced. This shoulder constitutes an essential feature in our
construction, as while it in nowise impedes the proper amount of compression of the
spring taking place, it will in the event of the breakage of the spring come against
the end of the casing and act as a stop to prevent the horse from stumbling and
falling onto its knees. ³ is the hook for enabling the appliance to be connected to
the trace; it is formed with a socket c that fits onto the free extremity of the
spindle where it is firmly secured by a pin c. d' is the eye on the screw-cap for
connecting the appliance to the vehicle. d is a screw which may be employed for
securely locking the screw-cap to the casing. a is an orifice which may be provided
in the casing for permitting oil or other lubricant to be admitted thereinto.
Referring now to Sheet 2 of the drawings, Figure 3 is an elevation and Figure 4
a longitudinal section shewing a modified construction of the appliance.
Figure 5 is an end view of the cover with the spindle in section and Figure 6
shews the spindle detached.
In this construction which is the one we prefer to employ, the closed end of the
tube or casing instead of being provided with an orifice as before is formed with
the eye, and the orifice is formed in the screw-cap. In other respects this
construction is similar to the one already described, like letters of reference being
employed to indicate similar parts, and therefore no special description is needed.
Referring to Sheet 3, Figure 7 is an elevation and Figure 8 a longitudinal section
shewing a further modified construction in which a volute spring is employed

page_text: instead of a spiral one. As in the previous examples already illustrated like letters
designate similar parts and no additional description is requisite to explain this
construction which is similar to those already fully described.
It will be seen from the foregoing that by reason of the tube or casing entirely
enclosing the working parts rain or dust is effectually prevented from getting into
the casing and interfering with the proper working of the appliance.
If found advantageous we may employ in some cases rubber instead of metal
springs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would state that
we do not broadly claim the use of a spring or springs working in conjunction with
a spindle or plunger as we are aware that such have before been proposed, but
what we claim is :-
1. In an appliance or device for facilitating the starting and drawing of vehicles
by animals, the combination of a tube or casing formed in one piece, which is open
at one end and closed at the other; a screw cap or cover adapted to be firmly
connected to the said open end of the tube or casing; a rod or spindle capable of
working in an orifice formed in the closed end of the casing and provided with a
disc or enlargement and with a shoulder for limiting its longitudinal movement; an
internal spring loosely surrounding said rod or spindle and located between the
disc or enlargement and the opposite end of the casing; a hook or the like rigidly
carried by the outer end of the rod or spindle; and an eye or the like situated at
or on that end of the casing which is opposite to the hook on the spindle, all
substantially as hercinbefore described.
2. The construction of the appliance or device as described with reference
to Figures 1 and 2, and the modifications thereof as described with reference to
Figures 3 to 8 of the annexed drawings.
Dated this Fourth day of Santamba 1901
WM. MELLERSH-JACKSON,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.