US401173A - Hook for harness - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) v

D. E. KEMPSTER. HOOK FOR HARNESS.

No. 401,173. Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

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UNITED STATES ArnNr Fries.

DANIEL E. KEMPSTER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOOK FOR HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,173, dated April 9, 1889.

Application filed January 14, 1889- Serial No. 296,343. (No model!) I To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIELE. Knnrsrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Hooks; 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 had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in hooks, buckles, and other metal fastenings used in connection with harnesses.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient means of securing the chafing-leather between said metal fastening and the portion of harness which surrounds it, whereby said chafing-leather may be held in its place without liability of its slipping around or working out from between the metal and harness under any severe strain which may necessarily come upon it, and yet said chafing-leather be so held as to be easily and quickly-removed when worn out and replaced by a new piece without the necessity of any stitching or riveting heretofore employed for holding said chafing-leather in place.

My invention consists in the novel construction and combination of devices herein described, and the special features thereof I have distinctly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 represents a side View of my invention as applied to an ordinary breeching'hook and its connectin strap. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line A B in Fig. 1. Fig. is a cross-section of the same on the line C D in Fig. 1. Fig. l is a side view of my invention as applied to an ordinary trace or chain hook and its connecting-strap, a portion of said strap or trace and its chafing-leather being broken away and shown in section, and one of the pivoted clamps opened outwardly to expose to view the corrugated tongue out-he crossbar or frame of the hook or link.

' Referringby letter to the drawings, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, an ordinarybreeching-hook consisting of the hook at, its pivoted dog or ring 19, and frame 0 is provided with the projection or pivot at, extending outwardly and forming a bearing for the clamps c 6, free to swivel thereon, but prevented from disconnecting therefrom by the head on the outer end of said pivot, said clamps being held securely together by the pressure-screw f therein.

The cross-bar of the hook-frame, which is encircled by the harness, instead of being round, as is usual, I form in the shape of a corrugated wedge-shaped tongue, 9, extending outwardly in alignment with the hook.

it is an ordinary breeching strap, made strong by stitching together two thicknesses of leather, and is provided with the buckle c for adjusting its length, in the usual manner.

75 is the chafing-leather surrounding the cross-bar and its tongue g, which extends out between the two parts of the former, tightly pressed against the latter, so as to be embedded in the corrugations thereon by the force of the clamps which clasp the two parts of the breechin '-strap firmly together by the clamp-screw provided therefor. (See Figs. 2 and 3.)

The hook above described is designed to be used with a neck-yoke or spreader, the breeching-strap connecting with the brecching ring or link of the harness in the usual manner, and its opposite end passing through the frame of the breeching-hook and around the cross-bar and tongue thereof, and its extreme end buckled to the main portion of said strap, thus forming a bight or loop, within which is interposed the chafing-leather between the strap and metal bar or tongue of the hook, thereby effectually preventing any abrasion or wear upon said breeching-strap.

Z is the ordinary strap connected to the hame of the horse, and its other end connected to the metal loop of the hook-fra1ne. (See Fig. 1.) If preferred, said loop may be dispensed with and said strap pass through the same aperture with the breeching-strap, but in that case said aperture would be formed considerably larger.

lleretofore it has been customary to stitch or rivet the two parts of the chafing-leather together to secure it around the cross-bar of the breeching-hook, and also to more closely confine the breeching-strap and prevent the bight or loop from spreading apart it is customary to provide one or more leather loops for encircling the two parts of said breechingstrap between the hook and buckle. These loops naturally slip along on the bight of the strap until they find the smallest place thereon, which is usually near the buckle, and this is very objtctionable, as it permits the bight or loop of the breeching-strap to gap open and allow thechafing-leather to swing around out of place, which is not only unsightly, but also tends to hasten the wear upon both the chafing-leather and its breeching-strap. Furthermore, when necessary to renew said chafingleather, it requires the services of a harnessmaker or some one having the necessary tools for either stitching or riveting it upon the metal hook or fastening.

Fig. at is an ordinary trace or chain hook, consisting of the hook a, chain 1), swivel-eye b", and frame 0, provided with the pivot d, clamps e e, screw f, tongue g, and trace h, the end of which passes through the frame of the trace-hook and around. the cross-bar and its tongue, and is securely fastened to the main portion of said trace by the rivet-s z" i, thus forming a bight or loop therein of sufficient length to admit of placing the chafingleather between the inner side of said trace and the metal fastening, all arranged and operating substantially in a similar manner as before described with relation to the breech ing hook and strap. The other end of said trace is firmly attached to the hame or other part of the harness in the usual manner, and is adjusted as to length by passing the hook and chain through the link or ring on the whiifletree and then hooking it back into a link of the main portion of said chain in the ordinary manner.

I-Ieretofore it has been customary to stitch or rivet the two parts of the trace and chafing leather through and through close up to the cross-bar of the hook-frame, thereby securing them together and making a solid connection, which, when worn thin by usage, requires to be sent to a harn ess-maker and made up new again. This is quite an expense when considered as applying to a large and heavy teaming business, and especially to any of our horse-railway companies, where I consider the application of my invention to the tugs or traces thereof as being of great value in point of economy, utility, and general efficiency.

With my invention all the objectionable features referred to, both in regard to the breeching-hook an d also the trace or chain hook, are entirely obviated, as it will be seen that when necessary to adjust the length of the breeching-strap or to renew the chafingleather of either said breechingstrap or the trace or tug it is only necessary to remove the clamp-screw and swing the clamps back off from the strap, when the two parts of the bight or loop of the latter may be separated and said strap (if the breeching) adjusted in length by buckling it longer or shorter, as desired, and the chafing-leather, when worn, may be easily removed and quickly replaced by another. The clamps are then swung over the straps, so as to clasp both parts of the latter together with its chafing-leather between, and held securely in place by being embedded in the corrugations in the tongue of the metal hook. or fastening under the pressure of the encircling clamps held in place by their hinge or pivot and the pressure-adjusting screw, this entire operation being easily and quickly done while the horses are taking their midday feed upon the street, at or any time desired, as it requires only a few minutes to effect the required change herein described.

It should be observed that I dispense with the ordinary leather loops employed for holding the two parts of the bight or loop of the harness-strap together, the pivoted clamps fully and more effectively answering their purpose, as well as being quite ornamental to the harness, the whole device being simple to operate, of durable construction, and at the same time inexpensive to manufacture.

lVhat I desire to claim is 1. A harness hook or fastening provided with a tongue adapted to lie between the two parts of the chafing-leather and harness-strap, substantially as described, combined with two clamps pivotally connected to each other and to said harness hook or fastening and adapted to clasp the bight or loop of said strap, and means for drawing and holding said clamps together, for the purpose herein specified and set forth.

The harness hook or fastening, substantially as herein described, having a tongue, and two pivoted clamps pivoted to said hook, and a clamp-tightening screw, in combination with the harness-strap and its chafing-leather, substantially as set forth.

The herein -described harness hook or fastening, consisting of the hook a, dog Z), frame 0, pivot (Z, clamps c c, screw f, and tongue g, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

at. A harness hook or fastening ofthe class herein described, combined with the two clamps e e, pivoted thereto, and the pressureadjusting screw f, all substantially as and for DANIEL E. KEMPSTER.

lVitness es:

HENRY OHADBOURN, M. B. McMANUs.

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