New Safety Whiffletrees for Carriages

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A new method of coming whiffletrees for carriages, whereby the "horses may be disengaged from the carriage by the driver at any time he may wish to do so, has been invented by Elisha Harvey, of Whately, Mass, The method employed by the inventor is tae following. An additional short whiffletree or bar is attached in the usual manner to each end of the double whiffletree. The arms of these two bars or levers are of unequal lengths from the place where they are attached, the short heavy end of each bar extending but a short distance beyond the farther end of the whiffletree, where it forms a hook to which the single whiffletrees are attached ; the longer ends ot these bars extend nearly to the centre of the double bar, at which place they form a fucrumupon a slide bolt or lock, which bolt passes through the whiffletree in front of the ends of the bars, and is retained thereby means of a strong helical spring.— When it is desired to liberate the horses from the carriage, the slide bolt is raised by thedriver by means of a cord or other convenient device, and the opposite end of the bar allowed to swing round upon an axis at the end of the double bar, and thus disengage the horse by liberating the single whiffletree from the hook.- Mr. Harvey has taken measures to secure his invention by patent.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 35This article was published with the title “New Safety Whiffletrees for Carriages” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 35 (), p. 274
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican05141853-274h

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