US684308A - Thill-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

No. 684,308. Patented Oct. 8, IBM.

J. c. REGAN.

THILL COUPLING.

(Application filed Feb. 9; i901. (N 0 I o d a1.)

H n (A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH C. REGAN, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO MARY A.

REGAN, OF SAME PLACE.

THILL-COUPLING'.

:SPEGIFIOA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,308, dated October 8, 1901.

Application filed February 9, 1901. Serial No. 46,655. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. REGAN, of Southington, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Thill-Coupling; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of a coupling constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a sectional View on line Ct b, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a similar section showing an inside view of the hook of another form; Figs. 5 and 6, top or plan views of the rear ends of thill members adapted to be used in connection with my coupling; Fig. 7, a side view illustrating my invention as applied to the thills.

This invention relates to an improvement in thill-couplings, and particularly to that class in which the thills are coupled to the axle without bolts and which may be readily opened by disengaging a lever, the object of the invention being a simple construction in which the parts or members of the coupling may be readily engaged or disengaged, but which are not liable to accidental displacement; and the invention consists in the construction as will be hereinafterdescribed, and particularly recited in the claims.

The coupling consists of a bar A, preferably formed in its upper face with a transverse recess B to permit the axle C to set into it, the bar being secured to the lower face of the axle by clips D in the usual manner. The forward end of the bar is formed with a hook E, and in rear of the hook a locking-lever F is pivoted to the bar and formed with a nose G, which closes the hook E and forms an eye to receive a bar or pin H, formed at the rear end of the thill member. Preferably the nose G will have a lip I, adapted to enter a corresponding recess 1, formed in the hook E, so as to form a substantially dust-proof joint. The lever F extends rearward beneath the axle and terminates in a downwardly-turned bend J, which is adapted to be engaged by a loop K, pivoted to a cam-lever L, which lever is pivoted to the rear end of the bar A and formed with a hooked finger-piece L. The point of connection between the loop K and the lever L is eccentric to the pivot of the said lever and so that when the loop K is engaged with the lever F and the cam-lever L turned to its up position, as shown in Fig. 1, the nose of the leverF will be forced into close engagement with the hook E. The end of the lever has sufficient spring to yield to permit the camlever to be turned,and this spring is exerted on the nose G, so as to always hold it in close connection with the hook, and thus form an antiratt-ling device. The inner faces of the hook E and nose Cr may be straight transversely, as shown in Fig. 3, and so as to receive a straight pin, or they may be recessed, as shownin Fig. 4, to receive a bar having a circular hearing, as shown in Fig. 5, or the bearing on bar may be oval in crosssection, as shown in Fig. 6.

To open the coupling to attach or detach the thill, the lever L is turned, which drops the loop K and permits the lever F to be disengaged therefrom, as shown in broken line, Fig. 1, which movement of the lever F raises the nose G and opens the hook E. If by any possibility the lever L should be accidentally turned, the loop K would still be engaged with the rear end of the lever F, so that it would be held in an intermediate position, as shown in Fig. 1, which while partially opening the hook would not do so to sufiicient extent to permit the thills to escape, but would permit them to rattle and at once call attention to the displacement.

It is evident that various forms of hooks adapted to receive various forms of thill mem= here may be employed, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to the exact forms shown. It is also evi dent that the bar and hook may be applied to the thills and engage with a pin carried by the axle. Thus in Fig. 7 I have shown such an arrangement, in which the bar a is secured to the under side of a thill b and formed with a hook e. A locking-lever f is pivoted to the bar and provided with nose g, adapted to close the hook. Secured to the bar is a loop k, and on the loop is a cam-lever Z. The loop is adapted to pass over the free end of the locking-lever, and then if the cam-lever be turned it will draw the end of the lockinglever upward, which forces the nose into close engagement with the hook in the same manner as before described.

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

1. A thin-coupling, comprisingabar adapted to be secured to an axle, a hook at the for- Ward end thereof, a locking-lever pivoted to the bar and having a nose to close said hook and a rearwardly-extending end, a cam-lever, and a loop carried by said cam-lever.

2. Athili-coupling, comprising abar adapted to be secured to an axle, a hook at the forward end thereof, a locking-lever pivoted to the bar and having a nose to close said hook and a rearwardly-extending end, a cam-lever pivoted to said bar and a loop carried by said cam-lever and adapted to engage with the end of said locking-lever.

3. Athiil-coupiing, comprising a bar trans- V versely recessed to receive an axle to which the bar is secured, a hook at the forward end of said bar, a locking-lever pivoted to said bar and having a nose adapted to close said hook and a rearwardly-extending and downwardly-bentend, a cam-lever pivotally mounted on said bar and a loop eccentrically secured to said cam-lever and adapted to engage the end of the locking-lever, substantially as described. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed this

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