US335313A - Iseael schlegel - Google Patents

Description

(N0 Medel.) I. SOHLEGEL.

TONGUE SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

No. 335,313. Patented Feb. 2, 1886..

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICLs ISRAEL SCHLEGEL, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO THOMAS PARKINSON, OF SAME PLACE.

TONGUE-SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,313, dated February 2', 1886.

Application filed October 30, 1885. Serial No. 181,372. (No model.)

I To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISRAEL SCHLEGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at T0- peka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in XVagon-Tongue Supporters,- and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of devices known as tongue-supporters, and is intended to provide a device which will relieve the horses necks of the strain caused by the weight of the tongue, and will also serve to prevent the jolting and jerking of the tongue caused by the unevenness of the roads.

It consists in certain novel features, hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the device as applied to a wagon-tongue. Fig. 2 is a view of the supporter detached. Fig. 3 shows in detail the block to which the lower end of the supporter is secured; and Fig. 4 shows in detail the knee-brace, which is secured to the under side of the tongue.

A represents the tongue; A, the hounds, and A the axle. To the under side of the tongue I secure a knee-brace, B, which is composed of a single plate of metal bent at right angles, so as to provide the arm B, which lies fiat against the under side of the tongue, and the arm B depending therefrom. The arm B is provided with holes B B", through which I insert screws, which enter the tongue and secure the knee-brace thereto. Near the forward end of the arm B, I provide the pin 13*, which enters a suitable notch provided on the under side of theQtongue, and aids in holding the knee-brace in position, as will be understood. The depending arm B of the knee-brace is provided with an opening, B the purposes of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

A retaining-plate, 0, provided with ears 0 O, is secured to the axle by screws in serted through the holes 0 0*, as will be understood. The ears 0 G are made integral with the plate 0, and are placed a proper dis tance apart midway the ends thereof. The tongue-supporter shaft is pivotally secured between these cars by a bolt, 0", passed through suitable bolt-holes therein, as shown. The tonguesupporter shaft D is held by and be tween the retaining-plate O and the kneebrace B. A

The lower end of the tongue-supporter shaft is pivotally secured between the ears 0 O, as before stated. The upper end of the shaft is passed through the opening B in the depending arm B of the knee-brace B. The lower end of the shaft D is flattened,so as to fit easily between the ears 0 0. It is made cylindrical throughout the rest of its length, but its diameter is diminished at its upper end, as shown. This smaller portion, D, is inserted through the opening B and plays therein in the operation of the device.

The outer end of the portion D is provided with anut, D and between the nut D and the arm B, I place around the shaft a coiled spring, D The shaft D is not made on a straight line, but it is bent down at nearly a right angle and up at an acute angle, as shown at D". The main portion D of the shaft D is screw threaded, and two nuts, D D are placed thereon. Between these nuts and the arm B of the knee-brace, around the shaft 1) I place the coil-spring D Where so desired, a washer can be placed between the nuts D and the spring D.

The operation of my device will be readily understood. The tongue is raised to the position which it is desired to occupy, and the nuts D D adjusted until the tension of the spring D is sufficient to support it. \Vhen the wagon is being drawn along the road, the ruts and other unevennesses of the ground will cause the pole or tongue to swing up and down. The tendency of the spring I) will be to increase or exaggerate this up or down motion. The spring D will counterbalance this tendency of the spring D and the motion of the tongue will be decreased.

In practice it has been found that the ordinary straight tongue supporter tended to throw the under side of the axle around back ward, and the hounds would be thrown up against the perch and the parts locked together and weakened and often broken. By bending the lower end of the shaft D, as shown, I throw the line of pressure against the center of the axle, and it is thereby kept in its proper'position.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a wagon-tongue supporter substautially as herein shown and described, a supporter-shaft pivotally secured at its lower end to a retainingplate fastened to the wagonaxle, and having its upper end supported by a knee-brace secured to the under side of the tongue, said supporting-shai't being bent down regulating the tension of the larger spring,

substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\Vitnesses: ISRAEL SCHLEGEL.

THOMAS PARKINSON, WM. OSTERLOH.

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