US476726A - Tether - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. E. BRADLEY.

TETHER.

Patented June 7, 1892.

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UNiTED STATES` PATENT EEICE.

TILLIAM E. BRADLEY, OF ROSCOE, NEV YORK.

TETHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,726, dated June 7', 1892. Application filed July 9, 1891. Serial No. 398,888. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, of Roscoe, in the county of Sullivan and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Tether, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to tethers in which the rope is paid out when pulled upon bythe animal and in which the slack is automatically taken up and wound in by suitable winding devices.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved tether of this character of portable construction, cheap, durable, and compact and suitable for stalls as well as for outdoor use.

The invention is distinguished by novel Winding devices and a means of securing the tether to a stall or to a post, tree, or fence, as desired.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a vertical elevation of a tether embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section online 2 2, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a plan view.

In constructing a tether in accordance with my invention the body Ais of a length in practice of from one and one-half to three feet and is made of hollow construction of iron or other suitable material and forms a housing for the winding devices. The tether-rope B enters the housing at the top thereof through the flaring guide a, and at the inner end said rope is secured to the grooved periphery c of the gravity winding wheel or drum C and is Wound on said Wheel the desired number of turns. The faces of the hub C of the wheel C are provided with circular series of pins c', which engage the teeth of the spaced vertical racks D, provided within the housing A. The space between the racks D is in register with vertical openings a', formed in opposite sides of the housing A, through which openings the rim of the winding-Wheel C projects in the preferred construction,thereby permitting the housing A to be made comparatively small in cross-section.

On each end of the axle C2 of the windingwheel C anti-friction disks E are loosely fitted and serve to guide the wheel in its up and down movements, the said disks contacting periphcrally with opposite sides of the housing A. It will be seen that as the animal pulls on the rope B the latter will unwind from the wheel C and will raise the same, the wheel tending to gravitate and serving to take up the slack in the rope, thereby eifectually preventing the rope from being wound around the tether or post and from being entangled in the legs of the animal. The circular series of pins c are the preferred form of effecting engagement between the rope wheel and racks; but it will readily be understood that in referring thereto any equivalent pinions or gear-wheels are included.

At both the upper and lower ends of the tether chains or ropes F are secured and are adapted to be passed around a post G or other fixed obj ect. Adjacent to each chain F a winding-drum H is arranged on the outside of the housing A and provided with a hook g, over which a link of the chain is hooked after being passed around the post G. The shaft g of the winding-drum is squared for receiving a crank-handle I, whereby the said drum may be turned for tightening the chain. The chain may be first drawn tightly around the post and after being passed over the hook g given a partial turn, as shown at the top of Fig. 2, or the whole surplus chain may be wound on the drum, as at the bottom of Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3. A ratchet G is provided on each drum and is engaged by a spring-actuated pawl g2 on the housing A for maintaining the chain tightened.

At the top of the tether a flange A is provided and serves to temporarily hook or rest the tether on the post or other object while securing it in position. If desired, an aperture a2 may be formed in said flange, through which a screw or nail may be driven for securing the tether to a stall.

The weight necessary to cause the ropewheel to readily gravitate is embodied in the hub C', which is of solid metal, and the size of the wheel and the amount of weight may vary in different tethers.

With the above described invention the tether may be constructed of comparatively short length and be effective for its purpose, and for this reason it may be employed with convenience and advantage in stalls, and

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thereby allow the animal more freedom of movement and an enlarged area Within which to lie down Without the danger of injury by becoming entangled in the rope.

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

ll The combination, in a tether, with Jthe body or frame having a vertical rack, of a traveling winding-Wheel within the body or frame and geared tothe said rack, and the tether-rope secured at its inner end to the Wheel and Wound thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a tether, With the body or frame, of the racks and gnideways therein,the Winding-Wheel, the tether-rope secured at its inner end to the Wheel and about which it is Wound, said Wheelbeing geared to the racks to canse it to rotate and Wind the rope, and anti-friction rollers on the axis of the Wheel and traveling in the said Ways, substantially as set forth.

3. A tether having a vertical guideway, racks arranged along the same, a gravity winding-Wheel for the tether-rope, a guide-opening at the upper end of the tether,througl1 which said rope passes, friction-disks on the axle of said gravity-wheel, and circular series of pins on the hub of the Wheel engaging the abovenamed racks, all in combination, substantially as described.

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

J. L. MOAULIFFE, C. SEDGWICK.

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