US476443A

US476443A - Thill-coupling

Info

Publication number: US476443A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-06-07
Anticipated expiration: 1909-06-07

Description

(No Model.)

J. BRADFORD, Jr. THLL GOUPLING. No. 476,443. Patented June 7, 1892.

Nrrn STATES Arent JOHN BRADFORD, JR., OF YVINSLOIV, ILLINOIS.

TH LL-COU PLI NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,443, dated June 7, 1892.

Application iiled October l0, 1891. Serial No, 408,347. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN BRADFORD, Jr., a citizen of the United States of America, residing at -Winslow, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplers, and is fully described and explained in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved thill-coupler in operative position upon an axle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a top plan of the same.

In the views,A is an axle of ordinaryform, B the clip encircling the same, and C the plate lying beneath axle and receiving the ends of the clip, which are secured by suitable nuts in the ordinary manner. The plate O has a horizontal extension C lying in front of the axle, and this extension terminates in two rearwardly-open hooks C2, separated by a space of sutcient width to receive a thilliron D, adapted to be fastened to a thill in the usual way. Upon the end of this thilliron is integrally formed a transverse pin D', of such length and diameter as to engage both the hooks C2 and receive the strain brought upon the thills as the vehicle to which they belong is drawn forward. The pin Dis held in place by means of a swinging button E, held in place by a bolt made up of two parts F F', Fig. 2, preferably of different diameters, the upper and slenderer part of the bolt being seated in the button and the lower and heavier portion being seated in a slot s in the extension C of the plate O for the purpose of fastening the button adjustably on the plate. Between the two parts F F of the bolt is a head H, of greater diameter than the width of the slot. This head rests upon the upper surface of the plate, and nuts N N engage the lower end of the bolt and fasten it securely in any desired position, the plate being clamped between the nut N and the head H. On the upper end of the part F of the bolt is a nut N2, holding the button E in place and preventing its accidental escape. By means of the head H any desired clamping force may be brought upon the plate extension C for the purpose of holding the pivot securely in place without unduly clamping the button, and thelatter is thereby enabled to turn freely upon its pivot, no matter how firmly the nuts N N may be set against the lower face of the plate.

Upon the button E is a spring S, fastened at its rear end to the button by means of screws, the position and shape of the spring being such that its free front end lies between the points ot' the two hooks C2 C2 and extends vsubstantially across the space which separates them. The free end of the spring is turned up, as shown in Figs. l and 2, in such a way that when in its normal position it prevents the swinging of the button in eitherdirection; but the end of the spring may be easily pushed downward until it comes below the ends of the hooks, when the button may be readily swung to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, thereby permitting the disengagement of the pin D from the hooks and the detachment of the thill from the axle and its attachments.

The operation of this device, which is sufficiently evident from the drawings and the description, may be brieliy stated as follows: When the thill is separate from the vehicle, the button being swung' into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the pin D is inserted in the hooks and drawn forward until it is pressed closely against them, and the button is then swung to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. As the button passes under the hook on the side from which it is moved the free end of the spring S is pressed downward; but as soon as the button reaches the position shown in Fig. 3 the end of the spring flies up to its normal position and locks the button in place, thereby securing the button against accidental turning and the thill against accidental detachment. The thill may be removed by reversing this process in a manner which is perfectly evident.

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim as new,.and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a thill-coupler, the combination, with an aXle-clp and a plate fastened thereto and provided at its front end with rearwardly-open hooks separated by a suitable space, of a thilliron provided at its rear end with a transverse pin adapted to engage said hooks, alatemily-swinging button pivoted to the plate and adapted to lock the pin in place, and a spring fastened to the button and adapted when the button is in working position to lie between the hooks of the plate and prevent accidental rotation of the button, but to be pressed downward and passed under the point of one of said hooks as the button is swung,` out of working position, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the plate C C', provided with the hooks C2, of the tbill-iron D, having the transverse pin D', adapted to en gage said hooks, thelaterally-swinging button E, pivoted to the plate and adapted to lock the pin in place, and the spring S, fastened to the bntten and having a free npturned Yend adapted to lie between said hooksand prevent accidental rotation of the button or to be pressed downward and passed under tliepointof one of saidhoeks,substantially as shown and described.

3. The Combination, with the plate provided with hooks C2, of the thill-iron D, having' the pin D', the button E, and the bolt made up of two parts F F', separated by a head H, the part of the bolt below the head being passed through the plate and both ends of the bolt being provided with nuts for the purpose, respectively, of locking the bolt to the plate and locking the button to the bolt, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the plate C C', provided with hooks C2 and having a slot s, of the thill-iron D, having the pin D,thebut ton E, pivoted to the plate by a bolt passing through and adjustable in the slot s, and the nuts N N N2, securing the bolt in the slot and securing the button upon the bolt, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN BRADFORD, JR.

Witnesses:

CHAs. A. GAGE, l. V. GAGE.