US643209A - Thill-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

No. 643,209. Patented Feh. l3, l1900. J. F. TAIT.

THILL COUPLINGL (Application filed June 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

PATENT JAMES F. TAIT, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

THILL-COUPLING.

$PEGIIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,209, dated February 13, 1900.

Application filed June 26, 1899. Serial No. 721,870. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. TAIT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Evanston, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in 'lhill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The objects of this invention are to provide cheap, simple, and efficient means for coupling thills to vehicles, and to provide means for aecomplishin g this purpose which shall be capable of application to vehicles of usual form of construction without alteration, so that persons not skilled mechanics may apply them. These objects are accomplished by the mechanism hereinafter fully described and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of the device as applied to a vehicle; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section across the axle of the vehicle and centrally through its draft'cli p, some of the parts being shown in elevation.

I show at 10 a section of the front axle of the-Vehicle, and at 11 the thill-iron or eye. The draft-clip 12 is of ordinary construction and is secured to the axle 10 in the usual manner and has a pair of forwardly-projecting draft eye-lugs 13 14, between which the thill-eye 11 is pivotally secured by means of the pin 15. The parts thus far mentioned are without novelty, except that the pivot-pin 15 instead of being provided with the usual retaining-nut is secured in place by the mechanism which forms the subject of this application. In place of the usual head for the pivot-pin 15 there is provided a bracket-arm 16, fixed to the pin and projecting backwardly, so as to have bearing against the front face of the axle 10, and thence extending downwardly, as shown. A bar 17 preferably forming an integral part of the bracket-arm 16, is so disposed as to lie across the tops of the draft-lugs 13 14, and its outer end is preferably slightly curved upwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. A second bracket-arm 18 is provided with an aperture near one end to receive the outer end of the bar 17, and when adjusted thereto extends downwardly as a companion to the arm 16. The rock-shaft 19 is journaled in the lower ends of the arms 16 and 18 and intermediate of its bearings therein is bowed in the manner shown, forming of it a crank-arm. To the bow of the shaft 19 there is pivotally attached a bowed leaf-spring 20, which is adapted to project forwardly and then return, so that its free end, which is slightly curved upwardly, as shown at 21, will hook under and behind the thill'eye 11. The shaft 19 is provided with a crank-arm 22 by which it may be controlled and which is adapted to contact with the front face of the axle 10 when the parts are assembled. The angular relation of this crank-arm with the bowed portion of the shaft 19 is such that when the crank-arm rests against the axle the bow of the shaft is back of the point of bearing of the free end 21 of the spring 20 against the thill-eye, so that the expansion of the spring tends to throw the bow of the shaft backwardly, this tendency, however,.being resisted by the crank-arm 22 and axle 10.

In order to attach the thill-eye to the draftlugs,it is placed between them, and the pin 15 is then inserted through the several eyes, the bar 17 passing above the lugs 13 14. The arm 18 is now hooked over the end of the bar 17, the crank-arm 22 having been thrown forwardly to permit of this engagement. The crank-arm is now thrown backwardly, thereby raising the bowed portion of the shaft 19 and compressing the. spring until its lower end passes the bearing-point of its upper end, when by the action of the spring the crankarm is thrown forcibly against the axle and the coupling is completed. It will be seen that it will be impossible for the crank-arm to be accidentally thrown forward, as the tension of the spring 20 must be overcome by this movement.

The curved form of the end of the bar 17, together with the tension of the spring 20, prevents the disengagement from the bar of the bracket-arm 18, and hence also prevents the longitudinal movement of the bar and the pin 15, so that there is no possibility of the pivot-pin Working out.

Inasmuch as the draft-clip shown, as well as the thill-iron, is of common construction, it is obvious that it does not require the services of a blacksmith or carriage-maker in order to apply the device, and that any person may readily attach and detach the thills, and hence may easily and quickly exchange thills for a pole in vehicles adapted for the use of either. Itis also apparent that the action of the spring entirely prevents the rattling of the parts, so that the device is not only a simple and efficient coupling, but a perfect antirattler.

The device can be considerably modified in form without departing from the scope of the invention, and I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction shown. The essential features are that the pivot-pin is provided with a bracket frame, a portion of which engages the pin to prevent its retraction from the socket within which it is inserted, within which is journaled a crankshaft provided with means for limiting its movement, a spring being so disposed as to react between the crank-shaft and a fixed portion, so as to prevent the disengagement of the parts.

I claim as my invention 1. In a thill-coupling, in combination, a pivot-pin, a bracket secured to the pivot-pin, a crankshaft journaled in the bracket, a

- spring for reacting between the crank of the shaft and a fixed part, and means for limiting the movement of the shaft.

2. In a thill-coupling, in combination, a

pivot-pin, a bracket-arm fixed to one end of the pin, a bar projecting from the bracketarm adjacent to and parallel with the pivotpin, an arm adapted to engage the outer end of the bar, a rock-shaft journaled in the arm and the bracket remote from their engagement with the bar and being bowed intermediate of its bearings, an expanding spring adapted to react between the bowed portion of the rock-shaft and the pivot-pin, and astoparm to limit the movement of the shaft.

3. In a thill coupling, in combination, a pivot-pin, a bracket-arm fixed to one end of the pin, a bar projecting from the bracketarm adjacent to and parallel with the pivotpin, an arm adapted to engage the outer end of the bar, a rock-shaft journaled in the arm and the'bracket remote from their engagement with the bar and being bowed intermediate of its bearings, a bowed leaf-spring pivotally attached to the bowed portion of the rock-shaft, its free end being adapted for engagement with a thill-eye when the pivot-pin is passed through the same, and a crank-arm fixed to the shaft and adapted to contact with a fixed part to limit its movement.

' JAMES F. TAIT.

Witnesses:

J AS. B. TAIT, A. D. TAIT.

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