US641964A - Thill-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

No. 641,964. Patented Jan. 23, I900.

N HUBNING THILL COUPLING.

(Appl c n -11 (Jun 10 1899) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

("0 Mo L) Maxim WITNESSES:

J WM

Patanted Jan. 23, I900.

N. MORNING. THILL COUPLING.

liration filed June 10, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

ig 7Z0 7 w 1 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN I-IORNING, OF JOHNSTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO CHARLES E. KNOX, OF SAME PLACE.

THILL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,964., dated January 23, 1900.

A li ti fil d June 10, 1899. Serial No. 720,115. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHAN HORNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Johnstown, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Thill-Oouplings,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of thillcouplings wherein the retainer of the keeper is displaced laterally for opening the keeper, as shown in my pending application; and the object is to provide a simple and effective coupling wherein the keeper is mounted on the shaft or thill of the vehicle and the springretainer swings about a pivotal axis which is upright and at right angles and is at the same time displaced for clearance along said axis.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate two slightly-different embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the two elements coupled for use, and Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the two elements uncoupled or detached. Fig. 3 is a plan of the coupling as seen in Fig. 1, the retainer being represented in dotted lines as displaced. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are fragmentary detail views illustrating the camway and stud at the pivotal axis of the retainer. Figs. 7 to 11 illustrate a slightly-different construction, Fig. 7 being a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, Fig. 8 a side elevation similar to Fig. 2, and Fig. 9 a plan similar to Fig. 3. Figs. 10 and 11 are detached detail views.

Referring, primarily, to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, X represents the vehicle-axle; Y, the clip thereon, provided with a suitable eye bar or bolt y, and Z is the thill or shaft. As herein shown, the bolt y has on it a sleeve 1 of rawhide or the like, to take the wear and prevent rattling. The above features are well known and may be substituted by other well-known equivalent devices.

1 is the shank of the keeper. It replaces herein the ordinary thill-iron and is provided at its free extremity with a downwardlyturned hook 2 to take over and engage the bar y. The retainer 3 has a head 3 and a spring 4, and it is mounted pivotally on a stud 5, set fixedly in the shank 1 and projecting downwardly therefrom at right angles to the lower face of the shank, to which the retainer 3 applies itself. The spring 4 is bent into a U shape, one end being rigidly secured to or connected with the outer end of the retainer and the other and lower end thereof journaled on a screw or stud 6, set in the lower outer end of the stud 5. In the stud 5 are formed oblique camways or grooves 7, (seen best in FigsJl and 5,) and in the aperture or bearing (8 in Fig. 6) in the retainer is a stud or short projection 9, which engages said camways 7, whereby when the retainer is turned around to the position seen in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3 the retainer is forced down or displaced along the axis of the stud 5. This efiects a clearance of the head 3 so that it may move away laterally without contact with the other parts. It is not essential to the invention that there shall be two oblique camways 7, one at each side of the stud 5, as one would serve; but the two permit the retainer 3-to be turned in either direction at will.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11, so far as it differs from that shown in the gage or fit into cam-recesses 7 in the under side of the shank 1, as clearly shown in the several views. Fig. 7 shows the parts 7 and 9 in dotted lines. In Fig. 8 the shank 1 and retainer 3 are broken away to disclose the features. Fig. 10 is an under side view of the shank, showing the cam recesses or ways, and Fig. 11 is an upper side view or plan of the retainer, showing the studs 9*. By turning the retainer 3 a quarter-way around in either direction (to the position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 9) the studs 9' will ride out of their respective recesses 7", and thus depress the retainer, the spring 4 being put under tension by this movement.

The invention is not restricted to the exact construction herein shown, as this may be varied in some respects without departing materially from the invention. As herein shown, it is especially well adapted for sleighs, but may be used with any vehicle.

In the case of one-horse sleighs it is sometimes desirable that the horse shall travel in the beaten track or about in line with one of the runners, and this is ordinarily efiected by coupling a cross-bar to the sleigh and then coupling the t-hills to this cross-bar, and it will be noted, of course, that my coupling may be used in connection with such a cross-bar. In fact, it is adapted for any kind of pole or thill coupling.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a keeper, comprising a shank secured to the thill, and a downwardly-turned hook to take over the eyebar of the vehicle, of a laterallydisplaceable sprin gretainer,pivotally mounted on a journalprojecting downwardly from said shank and having a head at its free end which embracesthe under side of said eyebar, and a cam device at the pivot of the retainer,which device displaces the latter downwardly when the retainer is turned about its pivot, substantially as set forth.

2. In a thill-coupling, the'combination with an eye bar or bolt on the vehicle, of the shank 1, secured to the thill and having at its free end a downwardly-turned hook 2 to engage said bar, and the journal-stud fixed in the lower face of said shank and projecting downward therefrom, of the retainer 3, pivotally journaled on said stud, said retainer having a spring 4 at one end, and a head 3 at its other end which closes the keeper, and a cam device which depresses the retainer when the retainer 3, journaled on said stud and havinga head 3 to close the keeper, and a stud 9 to engage said cam-groove, and the bent spring 4, fixed at one end to the retainer and pivoted at the other end on the stud 5, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I havehereunto signed my name, this 8th day of June, 1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHAN IIORNING.

lVitnesses:

WILLIAM HORNING, BORDEN I). SMITH.

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