US752560A - Trace-holder - Google Patents

Description

"No. 752,560. PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904.

B JOHNSON TRACE HOLDER.

nruoumn IILBD MAY a. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented February 16, 1904.

BELLFIELD JOHNSON, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 752,560, dated February 16, 1904.

Application filed May 8, 1903. Serial No. 156,264. (N0 OdBL) citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trace-holders, particularly of the type sometimes termed .whiffletree-hooks and designed to be employed at the ends of a whiflietree to provide for securing the traces thereto and preventing the same from becoming accidentally disengaged.

To this end the invention has in viewa simple and practical form of trace-holder or whiffletree-hook constituting a rigid fixure to the end of the tree and having an entire absence of springs or other movable parts, such as is common to some types of trace-holders.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a form of rigid holder or hook which while of a simple and cheap construction at the same time is very effective to hold the trace firmly in its interlocked position and absolutely preventing the accidental disengagement of the trace.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential feature of the invention involved in the formation of the head portion of the holder or hook is susceptible to slight variations without departing from the scope of the invention; but a preferred embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a traceholder embodying the present invention and shown in operative relation to a trace end connected therewith.- Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the same construction, illustrating a trace in locked position within the head portion of the hook and also indicating by dotted lines the position to which the trace end must be turned for disengagement from the hook.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts throughout both figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention no change is involved in the construction of the tree or the usual location of the holder or hook, so for illustrative purposes the numeral 1 in the drawings designates the end portion of an ordinary whiffietree or swingletree, to the end of which is rigidly fitted a trace-holder 2, embodying the present invention. This traceholder 2 is in general form of an approximate T-shaped hook, essentially consisting of a straight holding-shank 3, having a pointed extremity 4: and driven longitudinally in the end of the tree 1, and a cross-head 5, rigid with the outer extremity of the shank and having equal portions located on opposite sides .of the shank, said head being provided at the ends, upon opposite sides of the plane of the shank, with backturned guard-tongues 6, lying in parallelism to the shank 3 and projecting nearly the entire distance across the interval between the head 5 and the contiguous end of the tree 1. These tongues are spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the adjacent end of the tree, and consequently the entrances to the partially-inclosed spaces formed are diagonally disposed, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The backturned guard-tongues 6 are provided with beveled tips 7, which facilitate the disengagement of the trace end 8, provided therein with the elongated widened eye 9, which is adapted to be slipped on and off the head portion of the trace-holder. The inner ends of the guard-tongues, moreover, are located inside the inner face of the cross-head, so that said tongues will engage over the edges of the trace. If desired to reinforce or strengthen the end of the tree receiving the shank of the holder, the same may have fitted thereon an ordinary reinforce ferrule 10, which prevents splitting of the tree end.

In applying a trace to the holder the slotted end thereof is turned in a perpendicular position and the eye 9 forced cornerwise over the headed end of the holder, and after being passed entirely over the head the trace is turned at right angles to the cross-head 5 and moved out into such head between the upper and lower guard-tongues 6. To remove the trace, the reverse operation is necessary, as plainly indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

It Will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

In a trace-holder, the combination with the tree, of a T-shaped hook consisting of a shank secured to the end of the tree, a cross-head immovably fixed to the outer end of the shank and having substantially equal portions located on opposite sides of said shank, and inhi BELLFIELD X JOHNSON.

' mar Witnesses:

GEORGE P. CROOKER, HENRY C. PARSONS.

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