US49173A - Improvement in sled-brakes - Google Patents

Description

L; H. THOMAS.

Sled-Brake.

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N'FETERS. FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. B C,

Patented Aug 1. 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI H. THOMAS, or WATERBURY, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLED-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,173, dated August 1, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI H. THOMAS, of the town of Waterbury, in the county of VVa-shington, State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleigh or Sled Brakes; and the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whicha Figurel showsa longitudinal section through the sled. Fig. 2 shows an under-side views of the sled, with the sliding frame and vibrating bar.

The object ot' my improvement is to equalize the holding back between both of the runners and allow either of the prongs or hooks to let go and pass over obstructions or equalizetheir hold in the track.

My invention consists in the reciprocating selfadjusting bar attached to the sliding lrame, in combination with the dogs or hooks to take hold of the ice or snow, so that when one of the runners is upon ice orahard-beaten snow-path and the other is running upon a more yielding substance the reciprocating bar will allow the dogs to adjust themselves to the density of the substance they are brought in contact with, or either one of them throw up so as to pass over an obstruction, and at the same time put the burden to be borne upon its fellow.

To enable others skilled in the alt to make and use my invention. I will describe it in de' tail,'referring to the drawings, and to the letters marked thereon.

To any 0rdinar-ilyconstructed sleigh or sled I place, between the ravesAA, asquareframe. The side pieces, B B, to which the pole or tongue 0 is attachcd,are of the samethickness as the raves, and are made to slide on the beams a a, and are held in by cross-bars b b, which extend under the inner edges of the raves, so as to allow the frame to slide-a few inches back when the load presses forward onto the team, as in descending a hill. To the under side of the frame is secured, to the pieces B B, across-brace, D D, which lies in between the sledbeams a a. To the center of this crossbrace is pivoted an evener or vibrating bar, E, which is held firmly against stop-pins 00 when the draftis on the sled; but when the weight of the load forces the frame back the vibrating lever or bar E will have motion enough to relieve either one of the dogs or prongs d (1,

they come in contact with, or will entirely relieve itself, one at a time, to pass over an obstruction. The one being relieved necessarily forces the other down to its fullest capacity, which holds the load, but relieves the sled and team from the shock which would otherwise occur.

To prevent the movable hooks e e from sticking and holding in a position that would not allow them to catch hold, I put a pin, ff, in the runners F F just forward of the hooks.

The advantages of my improved sled-brakes over others are that the pressure of the brakes is equalized to the density of the surface they come in contact with, and when one of the brakes meets with an obstruction byrelieving itself puts the whole work of both onto its fellow for the time being.

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

1. The vibrating self-adjustingbar attached to the sliding frame, the same being connected with the levers, and so operating the prongs or dogs that they will adjust themselves to the density of the substance they come in contact with.

2. Placing the pins f f in suchaposition with the movable hooks e c asto always insure their taking hold to break theforce of the load when pressing forward.

L. H. THOMAS.

Witnesses: J. B. WoonRUFF, J. S. ADAMS.

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