US902267A - Hitching-weight holder. - Google Patents

Description

H. H. TOTHILL. HITGHIN G WEIGHT HOLDERf APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1907.

Patented 0011.274908.

W/TNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT HOWARD TOTHILL, OF LOCKPORT, NEW YORK.

HITCHING-WEIGHT HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT HOWARD Tori-ULL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved I-Iitching- Weight Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rIhis invention relates to means for supporting a weight employed temporarily as a means for putting a check on a hitching strap for a bridle, and has for its object to provide novel features of construction for the purpose indicated, which are simple, practical and very convenient in service.`

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

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 views.

Figure l is a partly sectional side View of the improved weight holder applied for support of a hitching weight from a vehiclebody; Fig. 2 is an enlarged, partly sectional side view of the weight support, showing its adjustment when the weight (not shown) is lowered into contact with the ground; Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of aweightsupporting bracket-plate, that is a novel detail, and Fig. t is a perspective view of a link-plate, that is a novel member of the improved weight-supporting device.

The weight-block 5, shown for illustrating the application of the improvement, may be in the form represented or have any other shape that may be preferred, but for conveniently connecting said block with supporting means an eye or ring a is formed or secured on the upper side thereof, at its center. A hanger-strap for supporting the weight-block 5 is made up of a plurality of metal links 6, 6 andan intervening pliable strap 6b. -It is to be understood that the weight-block 5 is to be normally hung from the floor of a vehicle-body, partly shown at A in Fig. l, and to this end a bracket-plate 7 is provided. The plate 7 is in the form of a preferably oblong fiat block of cast metal, having perforations b therein near its ends, for the reception of screws and a central opening c that is marginally rectangular.

Upon one side edge of the opening c, a

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 8, 1907.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Serial No. 401,221.

hook member d is formed, the nose of which is turned upward, and as appears in Fig. 3 the hook Z is widened somewhat, for proper engagement within the link plate 6, hereinbefore mentioned.

The bracket plate 7 is seated over an opening in the floor A of the Vehicle and secured in place, which will dispose the hook d for a proper engagement with the link plate 6, and as indicated said link plate is rectangular edgewise, and near one end is formed with a cross bar e whereon the hook Z may be hooked as shown in Fig. l. In the portion of the link plate that is below the cross bar e, space is afforded for the free insertion therein of the hook member CZ, and upon the lower transverse member of the frame of the link plate, one end of the leather strap 6b is lapped and secured, thus loosely connecting the link plate and the strap together. The link plate 6a is similar in all respects to the link plate 6, and upon the upper transverse bar which is an integral portion of said plate, the lower end of the leather strap 6b is lapped and secured.

An S-shaped coupling link 8 is loosely secured by its upper end g, upon the lower cross bar of the lower link plate 62, and the lower hook-like end of this coupling link 8 is hooked upon the eye or ring a before mentioned, whereby the pendent support for the weight block 5 is completed.

Upon the upper transverse bar of the link I plate G, that is suitably spaced from the cross bar e, one end of a lifting strap 9 is lapped and secured; said strap having a suitable length for convenient manipulation, has a knobbed handle 10 secured thereon to facilitate the latter.

In the hook-like upper end of the coupling link 8, a ring c' is inserted, from which eX- tends a hitching strap 11 that is shown broken away, but in complete form has sufficient length for attachment at its extended end to the bit of a bridle on an animal.

It will be seen that when the hook member d is engaged with the cross bar on the upper link plate 6, the weight block 5 will be raised from the ground sufficiently to effect a releasing of pull on the hitching strap l1 and permit the animal. to move freely, the several parts of the device then being relatively disposed as represented in Fig. l.

When the animal is to be checked by use of the weight block, the driver seated in the vehicle, by manipulation of the lifting strap 9, raises the link plate 6 so as to release the cross bar e from the hook d, and then moves said link plate away from the hook, which will release the hanger strap entire, and permit the weight block 5 to drop upon the ground. The limit of longitudinal movement of the hanger strap is determined by Contact of the knobbed handle l0 upon the bracket plate 7, as shown in Fig. 2, which will remove draft strain from the hanger strap, and also permit of drawing the weight 5 upward, clear of the horses feet, in case the horse should back up.

It will be seen that if desired the weight block 5 may be raised until the lower link plate 6a may have its cross bar e engaged with the hook d, which will hold the weight block suspended closely to the Hoor A of the vehicle, but adapted for quick release and dropped adjustment as occasion may require.

By the construction of parts and employment of the link plates 6, 6a, along with the strap member Gb, the hanger strap is prevented from twisting, and while light and neat in appearance, is very strong and durable.

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

The combination with a weight-block, and

a hanger-strap having two spaced link-plates,

each formed with a rectangular opening therein, an S shaped link coupling the weight-block with one of the link-plates and also coupling a bitching-strap therewith, of a rectangular bracket-plate having a rectangular slot therein, a fixed upturned hook formed on a transverse edge of said slot, said hook engaging one link-plate at an edge of its opening when the weight-block is lowered and the other link-plate when said block is raised, and means connected with one linkplate for manual movement of the weight block.

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

HERBERT HOWARD TO'IHILL.

Witnesses FLOYD A. HAMMOND, FRANK E. ANDERSON.

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