US568304A - hancock - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. v M. T. HANCOCK.

HARNESSF No. 568,304. Patented Sept. 22,- 1896.

was? 4 1707626607: WM Hancock,

2Sheets-Sheet 2. M. T. HANCOCK.

(No Model.)

HARNESS. I

' Patented Sept. 22, 1896.

Jnvenfor ffl'anoot'z;

NITED STATEs ATENT FFICE.

MILTON T. HANCOCK, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,304, dateol'september 22, 1896.

Application filed January 9 1896.

Toall whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON T. HANCOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashington city, District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Attaching Horses to Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for attaching horses to vehicles, and has forits objects to provide improved and simple means for making a perfectly safe and reliable connection between the vehicle and harness without the employment of singletree or doubletree, traces, tugs, or shaft-loops; also to provide for rigidly connecting the shafts with the harness-saddle through the medium of a pin on one of said parts detachably engaging a socket on the other part, whereby the harnesssaddle and girth will be prevented from turning under any strain thereon, and, further, to furnish an effective holdback without the use of breeching.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of devices in a harness, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a front view of my improved harness. Fig; 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through one side of the harness-saddle. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective showing the parts comprised in one side of the harness separated.

The harness may be of any suitable or desired construction except that the traces and usual breeching are omitted. It comprisesa harness-saddle 1 and a breast strap or plate 2, with-suitable attachments and connections, the construction and arrangement of which will be now explained. The side extensions of the saddle are preferably somewhat lengthened downwardly, as shown, and near their lower ends are box-loops 3 for passage of an under girth-strap 4:, having buckles 5 on both ends. To the opposite sides of the saddle are firmly secured, at any suitable points and in any convenient manner, the upper depending girth-straps or billets 6, the depending portions of which are provided with series of eyelets forengagement with the buckles 5, after which the ends of said billets are thrust Serial No. 574,871. (No model.)

through the box-loops 3 on the saddle. Thus the lower ends of the saddle, the under girth and the billets lap by each other, and both the under girth and the billets are engaged in the box-loops on the saddle and make a rigid connection, as though the parts were in one continuous piece.

There is firmly secured in each side extension of the saddle a rigid laterally-projecting pin or stud 7, a portion of which, exterior to the saddle, is provided with screw-threads 8, as shown. As a means for attaching the threaded pin or stud 7 rigidly, its inner end is preferably constructed integral with a head or plate 9, embedded in the filling of the harness-saddle pad 10 and firmly attached to its outer covering, through which covering and also through the billet 6 is extended a squared portion 11 of the rigid pin or stud. By this construction it is impossible for the pin or stud 7 to turn or work loose.

In the rear ends of the breast-strap 2 are eyes or openings 12, of such size as to loosely and easily engage over the projecting portions of the pins or studs 7, that are secured to the saddle. A neck strap or straps 13 may be provided to further assist in supporting the breast strap or plate.

Over the ends of the breast-strap 2 there is secured on each stud or pin 7 a nut 14, which is securely riveted to a strap 15, having a buckle 16 on its shorter end and a series of eyelets 17 in its opposite longer portion. The nut 14 may be secured to the strap 15 by rivets 18 or otherwise, and in its center it has a threaded portion 8 of the stud or pin 7, thereby securely attaching the breast-strap 2 and straps 15 at the same time. WVhen the straps 15 are properly attached, their shorter portions will-preferably occupy a downward position, as shown, while the longer portions will extend upward from the nuts.

The rigidly-attached harness-saddle pins or studs 7 are to be received in tubularsockets 20, projecting inwardly from the shafts or thills 21 and rigidly secured thereto in any suitable or convenient manner.

After placing the horse in the shafts, the harness being already adjusted, it is only necessary to insert the pins or studs 7 into the IOC sockets and then throw the straps 15 over the shafts and buckle the strap ends tightly together. The rigid connection thus provided between the shafts and harness-saddle will prevent any tendency to turning or twisting of the saddle or girth, and in connection with the girthing devices an effective holdback is afforded without requiring the use of breeching. The usual shaft tugs and loops or holddowns are also dispensed with, as well as the traces, the rigid connections provided between the shafts and harness being all that is needed to prevent rising of the shafts and to fulfil all the requirements, either in backingor in a forward draft. The harness and connections are light, serviceable, and easily adjusted. It will notwear or hurt the horse, and it is perfectly safe, as there is but little liability to breakage or disarrangement of parts. The cost of manufacture is reduced by reason of the saving effected through discarding considerable portions of a harness as ordinarily constructed, and necessary repairs will be slight and infrequent.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. The combination of the harness-saddle having box-loops on the lower ends of its side extensions, the under girth-strap extended through said loops and provided with buckles on its ends above said loops, the billets secured to and depending from the saddle to engage said buckles and loops, and rigid connections between the harness-saddle and shafts, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the vehicle-shafts having tubular sockets rigidly secured-to and projecting inward therefrom, of a harnesssaddle or girth provided with rigidly-attached laterally-projecting pins or studs adapted to engage in the sockets of the shafts, a breast strap having its ends detachably connected with said pins, and straps detachably secured to said pins, over the ends of the breast-strap, and adapted to be buckled around the shafts, substantially as described.

The combination of the vehicle-shafts provided with rigid inward-projecting sockets, the barn ess-saddle having screw-threaded pins or studs rigidly attached to and projecting therefrom to engage the sockets on the shafts, a breast-strap engaged with said pins, nuts to engage said pins and secure the ends of the breast-strap, and straps secured to and detachable with said nuts and adapted to be buckled around the shafts to maintain engagement of the pins and sockets, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

M. T. HANCOCK.

\Vitnesses:

JAMEs L. NonRIs, Tnos. A. GREEN.

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