US540332A - Shaft-support for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

S. R. PETERS. SHAFT SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

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SHAFT-SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,332, dated June 4, 1895.

Application filed September 17, 1894- Serial No. 523,191- (No model.)

with my improved shaft-support applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached side view of said shaft-support. Fig. 3 is a side view of part of the shaft-support upon a still larger scale, showing the manner of hinging the two arms of the support, as will be hereinafter described. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through one of said arms, taken on line 00, Fig. 3, showing a plan of part of the other arm and an edge view of the hinge-plate by I which the ends thereof are united; and Fig.

5 represents, upon a still larger scale, a perspective view of said hinge-plate.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective support for the shafts of carriages, sleighs and other vehicles when they are swung up as usual to get them out of the way, while said vehicles'are not in use;

and consists of two arms, preferably curved, and a specially constructed hinge-plate for uniting one end of each of said arms together and provided with means whereby the arms may be adjusted to different angles to each other, and also admitting of folding said arms together when not in use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to better understand the nature and purpose thereof, I will now proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, A, B, represent the arms previously alluded to, which are preferably made in practice of wood, and in about the curved form shown in the drawings, that is, with both arms curving in the same direction when the parts are fitted and secured for use. I do not, however, limit myself thereto, as the special shape of the arms is not an essential feature of my invention. When the arms are open for use as shown by full lines in the drawings, one arm is about at right angles to the other. The ends of the arms at the pivot of the device are engaged one with the other by means of a flat plate 0, preferably fitted in longitudinal slots formed in said ends of the arms, as is best shown in Fig. 4, and the parts are held by passing pins a, a transversely therethrough and riveting the ends to hold them in place. The arm A is fastened rigidly to plate 0, by an end flange b, formed on said plate which bears on the outer side of the arm, and the transverse pin a passed through the arm and plate near the inner end of said arm. The other arm B is pivoted to the plate at some distance from its end, by the pin or, passed transversely therethrough, and through the outer end of said plate, as is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and said arm is held from swinging out from/the arm A beyond a certain point or limit usually in practice about at right angles to said arm, by means of a removable, transverse holding-pin 0 passed through a hole in the plate, andagainst which pin the inner end of the pivoted arm is adapted to strike when the device is opened for use, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In order that the angle of arm B to arm A may be varied to suit different kinds and sizes of vehicles, the plate is provided with a number of transverse holes at through which the holdingfpin 0 may be passed to hold the arm at different angles. By this arrangement it is obvious that the pivoted arm is held rigid from swinging out beyond a given point when opened for use, while it may also be folded compactly against the other arm as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, when not in use.

In applying the device it is first opened as indicated by full lines. The shafts D are then raised as shown in Fig. 1, and the end B inserted under the center of the front end of the vehicle body E, between the under side thereof and the top of the usual front axle or its attachments coming over the same, and with the inner side of the arm A against the under side of the cross-bar F of the shafts G, as is shown in Fig. 1; thereby forming a firm braceor support to hold said shafts in said elevated position.

The device, it will be apparent, is very sim ple and inexpensive, and by its use the usual crude mode of supporting shaft-s by means of a stick placed vertically under the same may be dispensedwith and thus obviating the possibility of injury by the shafts accidentally falling upon the heads or shoulders of persons, especially children, passing under the same.

Having described my invention, What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An improved shaft-support for vehicles comprising in combination the arm A slotted longitudinally at its base end and also provided with a transverse opening through said slotted end; the plate 0 adapted to fit in said slot in arm A and provided with the endflange b projecting laterally from said plate and adapted to bear against the outer edge of arm A,said plate 0 also being provided with transverse openings to receive the pivot pins (1 a and openings 01 to receive the holding pin 0; the arm B slotted longitudinally at its base end to receive the plate 0 and provided with a transverse opening through said slotted end to receive the pivot pin a,said arm being held in use at about right angles to arm A by said pivot pin a and by the upper side of its inner end bearing against the holding pin 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

STEPHEN R. PETERS.

Witnesses:

A. A. BARKER, C. F. WESSON.

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