US1050653A - Thill-support. - Google Patents

Description

E. F. HOFFMAN.

THILL SUPPORT.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 28, 1910.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

EDWARD F. HOFFMAN, 0F GLANDORF, OHIO.

THILL-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

Application filed November 28, 1910. Serial No. 594,515.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glandorf, in the county of Putnam and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Supports, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is an improved thill support for supporting the thills or shafts of a buggy or other vehicle in raised position, the object of the invention being to provide an improved device of this character which may be readily attached to a vehicle body and to the cross bar of a pair of thills, and which may be readily adjusted to any desired height and which is moreover readily and easily operated so as not only to support the thills in an elevated position when required, but also to readily disengage the thills and permit them to be lowered.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the body of a vehicle and of a pair of thills provided with my improved thill supporting devices showing the thills raised and the catch in engaged position. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the same showing the thills in the act of being raised, and also in dotted lines, showing the hook in disengaged position, and the thills in the act of being lowered. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, and partly a plan.

In the embodiment of my invention, I provide a spring arm or link 1 which has one end connected to the cross bar 2 of a pair of thills or shafts 3 by means of a spring clamp l. The other end of the said spring link is turned at right angles to form a hook 5.

In one corner of the box or body 6 of the vehicle I secure the lower end of a perpendicular rod or support 7 on which slides a collar 8, the said collar having an opening for the reception of the said rod 7 and being provided with a set screw 9 to engage the said rod so that the said collar may be secured to the said rod at any desired vertical adjustment. The front side of the said collar is concave, as at 10 so that the same presents a hollow curved surface to bear against and receive that portion of the dashboard 11 which is around the frame or end portion of the dashboard frame.- From the outer end of the collar 8 projects a stud 12 which carries a catch 13. The said catch is disposed longitudinally with respect to the body of the vehicle,vand slightly to one side arm is depressed. At the rear, end of the said forwardly extending arm 1 is a shoulder 17 forming the front wall of a downwardly and forwardly directed notch 18, the rear wall of which is formed by the front sideof the rearwardly extending arm 15. Said arm 15, which together with the rear portion of the arm '14 projects above the stud 12 presents on its rear and lower side a downwardly and forwardly extending curved cam surface 19.

Assuming that the collar 8 has been properly adjusted, when the thills are raised the hook 5 of the spring link 1 engages the front depressed portion of the catch 13 and slides upwardly and rearwardly on the surface 16 thereof until it reaches the notch 18, into which it drops thereby causing the spring link by reason of the engagement of its hook with the notch of the catch, to support and hold the thills in elevated position. When it is desired to lower the thills, they are first raised to a slightly higher extent, thus causing the hook 5 to slide upwardly and rearwardly on the inclined surface which forms the rear wall of the notch 18, and as the hook leaves the said notch it engages the rear side 19 of the arm 15 of the catch, and thereupon the thills may be lowered, the hook, by reason of the elasticity of the spring, link 1, sliding downwardly and forwardly under the surface l9 of the catch, while the thills are being lowered.

By vertically adjusting the catch 13 upon the supporting rod 7 and properly disposing the spring arm 1 on the connecting bar 2 for engagement with said catch, the thills may be supported at any desired elevation.

It will be understood from the foregoing that my improved devices serve to automatically lock and support the thills when the latter are raised to an appropriate height,

and also serve to automatically disengage the thills and permit the same to be lowered, no attention whatever being required to my supporting and locking devices, it being only necessary when desired to lower the thills to first raise them slightly and right of the vehicle, a stud formed on said collar and extended from one side thereof, a horizontally disposed catch member mounted on the said stud and terminating in oppositely disposed arms, one of said arms being formed to provide a notch adapted to receive the hook of said spring arm to support said thills, said catch having oppositely curved guiding surfaces adapted to be alternately engaged by said hook upon raising and lowering of said thills for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. EDWARD F. HOFFMAN. Witnesses:

LOUIS F. HOFFMAN, ALBERT G. HOFFMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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