US554905A - Horse-detacher - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) J.. E; BERKSTRESSER.

HORSE DETAGHER.

No. 554,905. Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

mlllll l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EMORY BERKSTRESSER, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,905, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed October 22, 1895. Serial No. 566,483. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN EMORY BERK- STRESSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ItIorse-Detachers; and I do hereby 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.

My invention relates to improvements in horse-detachers for vehicle-shafts in which a spring-catch is operated in conjunction with the traces; and the objects of my improvements are, rst, to provide a horse-detacher of a simple and cheap construction which can be readily attached to vehicle-shafts and operated from the drivers seat; second, to provide a horse-detacher having the trace-hooks operating on coiled springs inclosed in a tube, the traces compressing the springs on either side with the motion of the horse, giving an easier motion to the vehicle; third, to provide a spring-catch to a horse-detacher, having a self-locking bolt to hold the catch to place and prevent detaching with the motion of the vehicle. I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Y Figure l is a top view of the vehicle-shafts having my improved detachers attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the center of one of the detachers. Fig. 3 is a detail top view of one of the catches. Fig. 4t is a detail top view of the trace attachment. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same, the trace-hook removed to show the breeehing-staple.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The detacher-casings A A are made of any suitable metallic tubing, and they are attached to the shafts B B in any desired manner and at any desired place, preferably some distance behind the center of the shafts.

The spring-catch C, formed as shown, is pivoted on a pin D, the pin rigidly secured at the ends in the casing A,the casing inclosing the catch therein when mounted. The catch is provided with a hook E formed on the bottom of the front head, the upper part of the head having a bolt F incased therein, the bolt provided with a coiled spring adapted to press the bolt to the front, the end of the bolt extending outside the head. A ring or link H is attached to the bolt F, the ring having the detacher-line attached thereto, a slot J being formed in the head behind the ring. The detacher-line when pulled will draw the bolt backuntil the ring rests against the end of the slot and then raise the catch to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. A pin K is inserted in the tail of the catch, the pin having a coiled vspring L to keep the tail of the catch pressed upward, thereby keeping the hook E in position to engage the trace connection, as hereinafter described.

The trace connections M are made of any suitable-metallic tubing, formed as shown, with a bevel or taper on the back end, the lower wings having a pin O rigidly secured therein, the pin to engage the hook E formed on the head of the catch to connect the trace connections with the detachers. A breeching-staple P is attached to the trace connections. The legs of the staple passing through apertures in one side of the tubing are rigidly attached at the ends to the opposite side thereof, a space being left between t-he legs for the trace-hook Q to operate therein.

The tails of the trace-hook Q are inserted between the legs of the breeching-staple. A coiled spring R is placed on the tails of the trace-hook and secured thereon by a washer S rigidly attached on the ends thereof. The traces when pulled compress the springs against the staples and relieve the shock of a rigid pull, thereby giving an easier motion to the vehicle.

The trace attachment when inserted in the casing A lifts the hook on the catch-head if the bolt F is drawn back and attaches itself automatically to the hook. The bolt F at the same time engaging the top edge of the tubing prevents a disengagement until the bolt is drawn back. To operate the device to detach the horse, the detacher-lines are pulled backward, which withdraws the bolts F and tilts the catches to release the trace connections, thus allowing the horse to go free.

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

IOC)

In a horse-detacher, the combination with the shafts of a casing A attached thereto, a catch C pivoted in the easing, the catch provided with the hook E, the spring-holt F havin g a ring H and line J attached thereto, and the tail-pin provided with a spring L, a trace attachment M provided with the breechingstaple P, the trace hook Q having coiled spring R, and the pin O adapted to engage the hook E, when the connection is inserted 1o in the easing, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN EMORY BERKSTRESSER. Witnesses:

D. A. HUGHES, J. S. EDWARDS.

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