US771810A - Safety-swingletree. - Google Patents

Description

No. 771,810. PATBNTED OCT. 11, 1904.

1 P. T. CHRISTENSEN.

SAFETY SWINGLETREE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES.-

. 1N VEN TOR WM,\\ fizz-R fimjms Ga 25 TEJVSEM v y B Y d6, 9 6

I A TTORNE UNITED STATES Patented October 1 1, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PETER THOMAS CHRISTENSEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO H. C. A. RASMUSSEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SAFETY-SWINGLETREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,810, dated October 11, 1904.

Application filed January 25, 1904. Serial No. 190,452. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER THOMAS CHRIS- TENSEN, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Swingletrees; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in safety-swingletrees; and the object of the invention is to provide a whiffletree or swingletree with draft connections which may be released by the driver in case of a runaway or other accident requiring release of the horse, all substantially as shown and described, and particularly set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the swingletree and a portion of a doubletree. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional plan view of a part of the swingletree with its safety parts in working position, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the metallic portion of the said mechanism for one end of the swingletree.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a swingletree, and B a doubletree to which it is attached by a set of parallel plates 6. These plates might be substituted by an ordinary clip or the like of such construction as to make substantially the same connection as is afforded by the plates 6. Both ends of the swingletree are supposed to be constructed and equipped alike, so that the description of one end will answer for both.

C is a draft-hook horizontally pivoted between the two forwardly-projecting ears d of the head D, which is sleeved upon and riveted or otherwise fastened to the wooden portion of the swingletree. The hook C in using position projects directly to the rearward, as seen in Fig. 2, and has a substantially parallel rearwardly-projecting shank 0 behind its pivot c of about the same length in this instance as the hook itself, and the head D has an open passage through from front to'rear outside the end of the wooden portion of the swingletree, in which is located a locking-lever G, pivoted at g in said slot or slotted head and having a head g of its own at right angles behind its pivot at substantially right angles to its stem and in position to normally engage the inner end portion of projection c on the hook.

The using position of all the parts is shown in Fig. 2, and in this position the hook is open sufliciently to engage and disengage the draft chain or trace. (Not shown.) A spring 9 bears against lever G and holds it normally in locking position with hook C, and the said lever projects to the rear of the swingletree a suflicient distance to attach a suitable cord H, which runs over a small sheave or roller it between the plates 7) or within the clip of the doubletree and runs thence to such other point within reach of a person in the buggy or wagon, where it may be pulled and the lever G swung upon its pivot sufficiently to disengage hook C and let the animal go free. Then as the said cord H and lever are again released from the hand the spring g asserts itself and throws the said lever into its proper locking position. The hook can then be swung back to Working position past lever G, Where it is in readiness for use, as before, and projection or shank cof the hook has an inclined edge 0 facilitating this movement. Edge 0 also abuts against an inclined face 41 and limits the back movement of hook C.

When hook C is in locked position, lever Gr bears against edge d of the head D, although the strain is borne more by pivot-pin g, because of the substantially right-angled engaging relation of head g and projection c.

What I claim is 1. In safety devices for swingletrees, a swingletree having a head on its end provided with a transverse slot open through the head from front to rear, a hook pivoted in said head on projections forward of said slot and a locking-lever in said slot engaging the hook and holding it closed, said lever extending through said transverse slot beyond the rear thereof, and means to actuate said lever connected with its rear end, substantially as described.

2. A swingletree havinga head on its end, with parallel forwardly-projecting portions (Z, a hook supported in ahorizontal position pivotally between said projections and having a rearward extension 0, a lever pivoted in said head and engaged with extension 0 on said hook back of its pivot-point, and means to rotate said lever on its pivot and release said hook, substantially as described.

3. In swingletrees, a head for the end of a swingletree having forwardly-disposed parallel projections at its outer end and a sleeve portion to engage over the end of the swingletree, a hook pivoted between the said projections and having an extension behind its pivot lying between said projections, a lever pivconnected with the rear end of said lever to disengage the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

- PETER THOMAS CHRISTENSEN. Witnesses:

R. B. MosnR, C. A. SELL.

Images