US757642A - Harness. - Google Patents

Description

1 PATENTE)Y APR. 19, 1904.

F. J. SGHBNK.

HARNESS. Ammoniak rILED JAN. 1a, 1190s. A

H0 MODEL.

v yew UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,642, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed Tanuary l2, 1903. Serial No, 138,792. No musei.,

'l'o all wiz/0771, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JAMES SCHENK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Monticello, in the county of Piatt and l coming disengaged from the check-hook shall I i .l l l State or' Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness; and I do hereby 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 itappertains tomake and use the same.

This inventionl relatesto checking-up devices forh'arness or means for connecting the chcckrein with the back-band of the harness; and it has for its object to provide a device of the class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general eiiiciency and by the use of which the common objection of the checkrein bebe totally avoided.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of this class in which the disengagement of the checkrein from the checking device or hook may be accomplished without any strain upon the checkrein and the consequent necessity for raising the head of the horse, such strain being either caused by swinging or moving the rein violently in a horizontal direction to accomplish the disengagement of the connecting parts or by a rearward violent pull upon the checkrein, which under other circumstances is necessary to accomplish the same result.

My invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing a plate or bracket member adapted to be attached to the backband of a harness and equipped with my improved attachment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the connecting member carried by said plate, but detached therefrom. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of the other connecting member carried 'by a checkrein. Fig. L is a vertical sectional view showing the members of the device connected in operative position.

Corresponding parts in the several iigures are indicated by similar numerals oi rete-rence. The supporting-plate, which is designated 1, is provided with downwardly-extending brackets 2 2, having perforations 3 to receive the rivets, bolts, or other means tor connecting the said plate wlth and causing 1t to be 'supported upon the back-'band of a harness,

Said back-band, which is no part of the invention, has not been shown. The plate l is provided in the uppermost part thereof with a screw-threaded perforation,` which is adapted usually to receive the screw-threaded shank of an ordinary check-hook. In the present instance, however,it receives the screw-threaded shank 4 of an upright or post 5, which is preferably approximately circular in crosssection and rounded at the top, so as to present' edges of the slot 6, having the enlargement 7,

are radial to the center oi' the curves of the front and rear edges of the post. This post, as here described, constitutes one of the connecting members of my improved device.

The other connecting member, which is designated 8, comprises a shank 9, which is square in cross-section and which is provided at its front end with a'loop 10 and at its rear end with a cross-bar 11, which is preferably segmental in shape. The length of the shank between the loop 1() and the cross-bar 11 is equal to the diameter of the post o r upright 5, and the sides of lthe shank 9 are each of a width precisely equal to the width of the slot 6 in the post 5, allowance being made only to the extent of permitting the said shank to slide freely in said slot, whilethere will be no possibility of the shank turning in said slot. The loop 10 is for. the passage of the checkrein, a short portion of which has been shown at l2. It will thus be seen that while the IOO connecting member 9 is capable of sliding vertically in the slot it has no longitudinal movement whatever, and except at the extreme upper end of the slot, Where the latter is enlarged to forni the circular opening 7, it is not capable of turning upon its axis.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing' description taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed. In order to place the member 9 in engagement with the post 5, it is necessary to raise it to the upper end of the slot in said post and to insert the cross-bar 11. After the latter has passed through the slot 6 the shank 9 is further raised until it engages the circular portion 7 of the slot, when it may be turned until the cross-bar 11 lies at right angles to the slot. The shank 9 may then be moved downwardly into the slot until it lies in the position shown in Fig. l of the drawings,when it will be absolutely impossible for it to become accidentally displaced, for the reason that in order to be disconnected it would have to be moved upward to its full extent, then turned and then lowered until the cross-bar ll might be withdrawn. The performance of these successive steps is absolutely necessary to the removal or disengagement of the member 8 of the post 5, and they must be invariably resorted to when the parts ,are to be disconnected.

The manipulation of my improved device is greatly facilitated owing to vthe curved shape of the post 5, with its front and rear edges concentric with each other, inasmuch as the shank will thereby be guided freely and conveniently and without liability of becoming cramped at any point. This is especially important for the reason that the length of the shank 9, as will be clearly seen., especially in Fig. 4 of the drawings, is exactly equal to the thickness of the post 5, which admits of absolutely no longitudinal vibratory movement of the shank. In other words, the parts are so fitted together that while with proper manipulation the desired connection or. disconnection may be easily and quickly established there is absolutely no danger of the parts becoming disarranged accidentally.

An important feature of my invention is the absence of complication. vIt consists simply of the two connecting members, land there is a notable absence of springs, washers, catches, or other complications which, while not adding to the efliciency of a device of this class, are notoriously liable to become lost, broken, or put out of order.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- In a device of the class described, a post curved upwardly and rearwardly and provided with a vertical longitudinal slot terminatingat its upper end in a circular enlarged portion, in combination with a connecting member comprising a shank, square in cross-section, the size of said shank being equal to the width of the slot in the post, said shank beingprovided with -a loop and a cross-bar adapted to engage opposite sides of the post, the length of said shank between the loop and the cross-bar being equal to the thickness of said post, to obviate longitudinal displacement of said connecting member.

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

FREDERICK JAMES SCHENK.

Vitn esses:

G. W. THoRPE,

R. H. COOPER.

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