US576600A - James mitchell - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. MITCHELL. TRACE FASTENBR.

No. 576,600. Patent-ed Feb. 9,1897.'

n IN1/EMO@ A WJTWESSES Mae/@M4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MITCHELL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ROBERT J`. WILLIS, OF SAME PLACE.

TRACE-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,600, dated February 9, 1897.

Application filed August 14, 1895. Serial'No. 559,226. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace Fasteners; and I do 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 saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in trace-fasteners for whiflietrees; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claim.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eectualmeans for readily attaching the trace to the whiftletree, in which the arrangement is such as to securely retain the trace in place and to enable it to be easily detached when desired, which object is attained by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure lis a top plan of the end of a whiffletree provided with my improved trace-fastener. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the same, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the parts in the detached position.

Referring to the letters of reference, A designates the end of the Whiiietree, upon which is mounted a suitable ferrule B, having a pin a extending from the end thereof, which is adapted to engage the eye c in the end of the trace D, as shown in Fig. 2. Mounted upon the upper face of the ferrule-iron is a housing C, which is open at its opposite ends. Pivoted between the sides of said housing at its rear end is a catch b, the engaging end of which extends into said housing and is provided in its under face with a hook e, the free end of said catch extending rearwardly and having a coiled spring d thereunder, which retains said catch in its normal position.

E designates the arm adapted to slide within the outer end of the housing C and provided on its inner end with a hook i, which is adapted to engage the hook of said catch when said arm is forced inward and detachably holds the trace in position, as shown in Fig. 2. Attached to said arm and depending before the end of the whifiietree is a plate F, which is provided with a central aperture f, adapted to freely receive the pin a. From said plate F the arm E curves upwardly and 6o outwardly, as at E', and carries upon its outer end a guard-plate G, which is oblong in form and extends parallel with the trace, by which' arrangement of parts an open space is formed between said plates for the entrance of the trace or tug.

The engaging arm E is adapted to slide longitudinally in the case C, but is limited in its movement therein by means of a screw 0, which passes downward through the top of 7o said case and engages in a way o', formed in the upper face of said arm, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, whereby said arm is prevented from being withdrawn entirely from said housing, except when desired, at which time said screw 7 5 may be removed.

In the operation of this device the parts are drawn out to the position shown in Fig. 3, when the trace D is placed rbetween the plates F and G, respectively, so that the eye thereof 8o registers with the pin a, when the arm E is forced inward until the inner face of the guard-plate G strikes against the outer end of the pin a, which operation causes said pin to extend through the eye in said tug, in which position said parts are securely locked by the engagement of the spring-catch b with the hook on the inner end of said arm, as shown in Figs. l and 2, thereby securely locking the trace to the pin of the singletree. 9o When it is desired to detach or unhitch the trace, the outer end of the catch b is depressed, thereby disengaging said catch from the arm E, when said arm maybe drawn outward, so as to bring the follower-plate F in line with the outer end of the pin d, which plate engaging the trace carries it over the end of said pin and disengages it therefrom,

as shown in Fig. 3, in which position said parts remain until it is again desired to atroo tach the trace to the singletree, when it is again placed between said plates andthe arm E shoved inward, as before described, the plate Ginoving inward against the end of the pin a., in which position said parts are again looked by the spring-catch b, making a simple and effective trace-fastening, which may be quickly operated to attach or detach the trace, as desired.

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

In a trace-fastener, the combination with the whilietree-ferrule having the fixed pin extending from the end thereof, the oblong housing mounted upon said ferrule open at each end, the spring-actuated catch extending into said housing at one end, the longitudinally-movable arm adapted to slide within said housing from the opposite end and having a hook which engages said Catch, said arm having a way in its upper face, the set-screw passing through y the housing and into said Way, the plate F on the outer end of said arm adjacent to the end of the ferrule and having a central aperture that receives said pin, said arm curving upward and outward from said plate and carrying the plate Gon the extreme outer end thereof which stands parallel with the plate F and distant therefrom forming a space between said plates and below the Curve of said arm which freely receives the tug.

In testimony whereof I affx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES MITCHELL. Titnessesz E. S. XVHEELER, HORACE R. WHEELER.

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