US934707A - Safety hitching device. - Google Patents

Description

L. J. BENJAMIN.

, SAFETY HITCHING DEVIB. APPLIoATIoN FILED MAILS. 1909.

Patented Sept.21, 1909.

Fd wd UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

LEWIS J. BENJAMIN, OF CLIO, MICHIGAN.

SAFETY HITCHING DEVICE.

Application filed March 3, 1909.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, LEwIs J. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clio, in the county of Genesee and State of Michi gan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsv in Safety Hitehing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hitching appliances, and more particularly to a fastening means for neck yokes, and has for its object to provide such a device which will prevent the disengagement of a neck yoke from a wagon tongue accidentally.

A further obj ect is to provide a means for retaining draft animals hitched to a vehicle in the event that the whiflletree should break.

Another obj ect is to provide such a device which tends to be forced into operation under strain incident to service.

Another object is to provide a locking means for holding a neck yoke engaged with a wagon tongue which may be readily operated. j i

A further aim of the invention is to provide such a device which may be manufactured at a low cost, and which may be incorporated upon vehicles already in use.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following description and it will be understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawingsforming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side view of the device, in engaged position, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device in disengaged position, Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the device in engaged position.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a wagon tongue 10 of the usual construction engaged upon which there is a bifurcated sleeve 11 carrying at its forward end a retaining portion 12, having a longitudinally extending rectangular passage 13 therein, the inner end of which is extended downwardly and opens through the lower face of the member 12 as shown at 14. Spaced longitudinally of the passage 13, there are transversely extending pins 15 for a purpose to be subsequently indicated. At the forward end of the passage 13, there are formed longitudinally extending inwardly flared slots 16 registering with each other Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

serial No; 481,033.

disposed at opposite sides of the member 12 and opening upon the outer end of the portion 12.

Formed in the lower side of the portion 12, there is a longitudinally extending recess 17 opening at the forward end of the portion 12, for a purpose to be subsequently indicated. Engaged within the passage 13 for longitudinal sliding movement, there is a locking member 2O having a circular head portion 21 the periphery of which is adapted to lie flush with the periphery of the portion 12. The member 20 is held against lateral movement in the passage 13, but is adapted for vertical movement therein at times.

The inner end of the member 20 is provided with a downwardly projecting operating extension 22 adapted to extend through the portion 14 of the passage 13 to lie flush with the adjacent face of the portion 12. Centrally of each end portion, the member 2O is provided with longitudinally spaced oppositely disposed L-shaped slots 24, comprising major longitudinally extending portions having at their inner ends upward extensions; these slots being engaged over the pins 15, so that when one of the pins 15 is in the upward extension of one slot, the oppo` site pin will lie at the outer extremity of the longitudinal portion of the respective slot. The head 21 projects laterally outward of the member 2() at all points as shown. At its lower side, the member 20 carries a downwardly offset tongue 26 forming a ring-receiving passage 27 which at its inner end is extended diagonally upward as shown at 28, and adapted to extend across the slots 16 at times.

It will be seen that when the member 20 is at the outer limit of its movement, the inner pin 15 will be disposed at the outer end of the adjacent slot 24, the inner end of the member 20 thus being raised to disengage the portion 22 from the extension 14 of the passage 13. The outer pin 15 will be engaged in the upward extension of the adjacent slot 24, thus allowing the outer end of the member 20 to drop downwardly, disposing the tongue 26 outwardly of the recess 17. The ring of a neck-yoke may then be engaged slidably beneath the tongue 26, and moved forwardly into the upward extension 28, when backward and upward pressure there` on will move the member 20 inwardly, disposing the ring in the slots 16, and allowing the inner end of the member 20 to fall downwardly, the inner pin l5 engaging in the upper extension ot' the adjacent slot 24k, and the operating portion 22 falling into the opening 14, locking the device.

To disengage a neck-yoke from the device,

' it is only necessary to press upwardly on the Vattached animals, and retaining the vehicle under control to a certain extent.

l hat is claimed is:

l. A connection of the class described, comprising a base member having a central passage therein, a slidable member engaged therein, the base member having opposed registering slots opening from one end, the slidable member having a transverse slottherein adapted to intersect the rst named slots when at the inner limit of its .movement the slidable member being adapted to receive a portion of harness therein while at the outer limit of its movement to be coengaged with the transverse slot and the first named slots at their intersection when the slidable member is at the inner limit of its movement, and means for limiting the sliding movement of the slidable member and retaining it against disengagement from the base member. Y

2. A connection of the class described, comprising a sleeve member having a lateral opening therein and having registering lonl vgitudinally extending slots opening upon one end, a slidable member engaged in the sleeve and having a transverse extension .adapted to engage in the opening in the sleeve, said slidable member being transversely reciprocable in one direction, said slidable member having a transverse slot therein opening outwardly of the sleeve when the slidable member is at the outer limit of its movement, and adapted to intersect the registering slots when the slidable member is at the inner limit of its movement, and means for retaining the slidable member at the inner limit of its movement.

3, An article of the class described comprising a base portion having a longitudinal passage opening through one end, said passage having a 'lateral extension opening through the base member, said member having longitudinally extending registering slots on opposite sides opening upon the end of the base portion adjacent the outer end of the passage, a longitudinally slidable .inember engaged in the passage and provided with a lateral extension at the inner end adapted to `engage through the opening in the base member' at times, said slidable member being transversely reciprocable in a plane through the axis of said extension, and

having a transverse slot spaced from itsv outer end and adapted to intersect the tirst named slots when at the inner limit of its movement, one of said members having longitudinally spaced L-shaped slots comprising longitudinally `extending portions having lateral extensions at their adjacent ends, the other of the members carrying means for engaging slidably in the slots to retain the slidable member against transverse movement atopposite ends alternately, to retain a harness connection in coengagement with the intersecting slots Vat times, and at others to allow disengagement thereof.

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

LEWIS J. BENJAMIN.

Vitnesses MICHAEL C. DOYLE, ELIJAI-I EAGAN, Jr.

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