US914575A - Thill-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

G. N. JACKSON.

THILL (TQUPLIITG.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.11, 190s.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

anoewto'b 0, WASHINGTON. 0, c.

UNTTED %TATES CLIFFORD N. JACKSON, OF OANBY, CALIFORNIA.

THILL-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed August 11, 1906. Serial No. 330,145.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD N. J AOKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canby, in the county of Modoc, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings; 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 it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to thill couplings and has for one of its objects to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device of this character consisting in the base portion of a thill clip and the thill holding portion constructed from one single piece of sheet metal.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improved device applied to a vehicle axle and likewise coupled to a pole or thill iron. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved device detached. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coupling end of the thill iron and bolt. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The improved device is formed from a single piece of sheet metal, preferably steel, and comprises a base or body portion which constitutes the base portion of the clip whereby the device is attached to the axle represented at 22, the member 10 being secured to the axle by the usual U-shaped member 28. The member 10 rojects forwardly of the axle 22 and is olded upon itself at 12 to form a rib and thence extended downwardly at 24 and thence upwardly at 13 to form a socket to receive a bolt 14, which is preferably square within the socket and with rounded ends beyond the socket to receive the forked ends 21 of a thill or tongue iron 15 as shown in Fig. 3. By this means it will be obvious that the bolt 14 is arranged within the socket and prevented from rotating therein while the thill or tongue iron is free to rotate upon the bolt.

The strip of sheet metal from which the device is constructed extends for a con siderable distance rearwardly of the axle 22 and is wider than the forward portion and is bent downwardly and thence curved forwardly as sh wn at 11 and thence extended upwardly and provided with a relatively large aperture 1.8 which fits over the forward portion of the strip rearwardly of the folded portion 12 and with the portion of the strip in advance of the aperture 18 reduced in width at 19 and passed through a slot 16 in the folded portion 12 and likewise through a slot 17 in the terminal 13 of the strip, the portion 19 thus bearing over the upper face of the bolt 14, as shown.

By this simple means a simply constructed device is produced, which may be inexpensively manufactured and which firmly supports the thill iron in position while leaving it free to be oscillated.

To connect and disconnect the bolt 14 it is only necessary to compress the curved por tion 11 of the strip rearwardly or toward the axle to detach the tongue 19 from the member 13 and withdraw its terminal into the slot 16, and to dispose the bolt 14 within the socket the same movement is repeated, the relatively large aperture 18 permitting this movement of the curved portion 11 and its tongue 19, as will be obvious. The resiliency of the curved portion 1 1 maintains the tongue 19 in position and prevents all rattling or looseness, as will be obvious.

The terminal of the tongue 19 is provided with lateral projections as shown, to reduce the tendency of accidental displacement of the tongue.

What is claimed, is

1. A thill coupling formed from a strip of resilient metal with a horizontal intermediate portion and having a bearing for a bolt bent therein at one end and with alining slots in the sides of the bearing and bent downwardly and curved forwardly and upwardly at the other end and provided with an aperture and a reduced terminal tongue, the aperture to engage over the bolt bearing and the tongue to pass through the alined slots.

2. A thill coupling formed from a single strip of resilient metal with a horizontal intermediate portion and bent upon itself near one end to form an upwardly directed rib and bent in advance of the rib into a bolt re ceiving socket, said rib and the outer wall of 3 4;

the socket having transverse slots and the portion of the strip at the other side of the 5 attachable to an axle, its front end portion extending forwardly of the axle and provided with upwardly extending spaced flanges, each flange provided with a transverse slot, and a sprlng portlon curved down- I wardly beneath the horizontal portion and 15 thence upwardly to the front end of the horizontal portion, the spring portion provided with an o ening through which the end of the horizontal portion is passed, and a horizontally extended tongue having lateral projec- 2o tions at its sides and passed through the flange apertures. o

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

CLIFFORD N. JACKSON. Witnesses L. W. JAcKsoN, L. S. SMITH.

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