US854495A - Whiffletree. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

S. A. HAZELTONL WHIFPLETREE. APPLICATION FILED APB.17, 1906.

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WHIFFLETREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed April 17, 1906. $erial N- 312,128.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIMON ALBERT HAZEL- TON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pavilion, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Whifiietree, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in whiffletrees and has, among other objects, to provide a whiffietree which can be automatically operated to detach and attach the traces of the harness quickly and with little labor, and to inclose all of the operating parts-in order that they may be obscured from view and protected from the weather.

The whifiietree is designed to be compact, of good appearance and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, also strong and durable.

It is well known that times arise in driving horses when it becomes desirable to release instantaneously the horse from the vehicle. Especially is this so when the animal from any reason becomes frightened and attempts to run away. With my device the traces can be detached from the whiffietree by means operated from the vehicle while the latter is in motion, and the desired object accomplished.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved whiflietree, partly in section, showing the parts as they normally stand to engage the traces, the traces being represented in this figure in dotted position; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the trace engaging means drawn to release the traces; Fig. 3 is a back side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 3 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional, plan view of a modified from of my invention, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The numeral 1 indicates a long metal box or casing substantially square in cross section, forming the body of the whi'liletree, to which is attached at each end caps 2 having sockets for embracing each end of the casing, and held thereon by bolts or rivets 3, as shown in Fig. 1. The bases of the ca s are extended beyond the ends, providing anges 4 with inclined grooves 5, into which pass the ends of forked levers 6 pivoted between lugs 7 extending upwardly from the top of the cap, said levers having handles or extensions 8 normally forced upwardly by flat springs 9 secured to the caps by screws 10, which keep the forked ends of the levers in engagement with the inclined grooves 5 until released by the handles 8.

The center of the whiffietree has at the top w meshing with the pinion 13 and having offsets 17 at opposite ends connected to rods 18 having reduced ends 19 forming the trace engaging means, and passing through an aperture in the lower central portion of each cap and between the fork of the levers 6 pivoted to them. Near the ofiset portion 17 connecting the rack bars with the rods 18, and in each rod, is a vertical slot 20 through which passes a pin 21 pressed upon by a spring 22 on the rod 18 at one of its ends, and at the opposite end of the spring pressing on a pin 23 passing transversely through the rod some distance nearer its outer end. The relative location of the slot 20 and pin 21 is such that the slot forms a stop to limit the outward and inward movements of the pins 19.

Pivoted above, and at one side of the rack bars 16, in lugs 24 (see Fig. 4) is a lever 25, having a quadrant gear 26 formed as an integral part thereof at one side of the pivotal connection meshing with the pinion 13, and a kerf at the opposite side, into which projects a flat spring 27 secured by rivets, or otherwise, at the inside of the casing.

The free end of the-lever 25 is provided with an eye to which may be attached a strap or cord 28 to pull the lever and its at- I tached spring through a slot 29 at one side of the casing when desired to secure or release the traces.

The modifications shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are in all respects similar to the construction hereinbefore described, differing only in the operating mechanism at the center of the casing. The ends of the bars at the center of the whiifietree are not ofiset to the same extent as shown in the preferred form of my invention, nor do they approach each other In the operation of the whiffletree, the pin I 12 or 12 as the case may be, projecting from each side of the tree, is pivotally attached to the cross tree with the slot 29 at the back side of the vehicle, and the rope or strap 28 passing to some convenient point in the vehicle where it will be out of the way, as for example, the whip handle socket. In hitching, the traces are brought between the lever 6 and the caps 2, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, after the lever 25 has been pulled out to retract the pins 19, as shown in Fig. 2. When the holes in the traces are in alinement with the pins 19, the lever 29 is released, which, by the action of the spring 27 and springs 22, project the pins through the traces and into the levers 6, at the same time drawing the operating lever into the casing, thereby holding the traces securely in place. The inclined slots engaging the forked ends of the lovers 6 prevent the traces from becoming disengaged from the pins 19, and the pins from becoming bent by the constant pull and jerks on the traces.

It is evident that various changes in the details of construction can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention; and I consider that I am entitled to such modifications as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a whiffietree, the combination of a casing substantially square in cross section, caps fitting over the ends thereof, levers pivoted to the caps, springs for forcing the levers inwardly, flanges extending from the base of the caps having slots for engaging the ends of the levers, a pivot pin passing perpendicularly through the center of the tree, a pinionloosely mounted on ball hearings on the pivot pin, rack bars meshing with the pinion at each side thereof, rods carried by the rack bars having reduced ends passing through the caps, guide slots in the rods, pins passing through the slots for limiting the movement of the rods in each direction, springs on said rods pressing on said pins, pins fixed to the rods, a lever journaled at one side of the pinion carrying a quadrant gear meshing therewith, a spring attached to the lever and to the casing of the whifiiletree, and means for operating the lever carried at one end thereof.

2. In a whiffietree, a casing, caps at each end thereof, rods having reduced ends adapted to be projected through the caps, a pinion journaled at the center of the casing, rack bars carried by the rods meshing with the pinion, andindependent means for operating the pinion in each direction.

3. In a whiffletree, a casing, caps having socket ends fitting over each end thereof, a flange projecting from the base of each cap having a groove therein, a lever pivoted to each cap adapted to engage the groove, and reciprocating means carried in the casing adapted to project into each lever.

4. In a whiffletree, a casing, rods inclosed by the casing adapted to reciprocate therein,

trace engaging means and a rack bar at the ends of each rod within the casing, a pinion within the casing meshing with the rack bars, a lever having a gear meshing with the pinion for reciprocating the rack bars in one direction, and springs on the rods for reciprocating them in the opposite direction.

5. In a whiflietree, a casing, caps fitting over each end thereof, levers pivoted to each cap, rods having trace engaging means reciprocating in the casing, a rack bar at the inner end of each rod, a pinion meshing with the rack bars, a lever having a gear meshing with the pinion for reciprocating the rack bars in one direction, springs on the rods for reciprocating them in the opposite direction, and a slot in each rod through which a guide pin passes for limiting the reciprocatory movement in each direction.

6. In a whiffietree, a casing, trace engaging means adapted to be projected through each end thereof, a lever pivoted at the center of the casing for reciprocating the trace engaging n'ieans, and a spring fixed to the casing and passing into a kerf in the lever for returning the lever to its normal position.

7. In a whiffletree, a casing, spring-pressed levers pivoted at each end of the casing, trace engaging means adapted to be projected through the ends of the casing and into the levers, and means for engaging the levers at their free ends, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIMON ALBERT I-IAZELTON. I

WVitnesses:

FRANoEs F. HAZELTON, ALICE E. HAzELToN.

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