Harness connector

A connector for coupling a shaft to a harness comprising:

• a clamp including means for releaseably securing the clamp to said shaft;
• a pin adapted to be secured to said harness;
• a link member;
• first and second spaced ball joint means secured to said link member;
• said first ball joint means including means for releaseably securing that ball joint means to said pin, said second ball joint means including means for releaseably securing the second ball joint means to said clamp.

A harness system for coupling a cart to an animal comprising:

• a harness strap for encircling the body of said animal,
• first and second connector means secured to the harness, and
• first and second connecting links, the first link including first means adapted to couple one of said connector means to a first cart shaft, the second link including second means adapted to couple the other of said connector means to a second cart shaft, said links coupling said harness to said shafts,
• each of said connecting links comprising a link member connected to its corresponding connecting means by a first articulated joint and to its corresponding shaft by a second articulated joint spaced from the first joint.

A harness connector for moveably coupling a shaft to a harness comprising:

• a link member having first and second ends;
• first ball joint means including means for pivotally connecting the first end to said harness;
• and
• second ball joint means including means for pivotally connecting the second end to said shaft whereby the link member can move relative to the shaft and harness to permit displacement of the harness relative to the shaft, said second ball joint means comprising:
• a clamp including means for releaseably securing the clamp to said shaft, and ball and socket means including means for securing one of said ball and socket to said second end, and for securing the other of said ball and socket to said clamp.

A harness system for coupling a cart to an animal comprising:

• a harness strap for encircling the body of said animal,
• first and second pins secured to the harness, and
• first and second connecting links, the first link for coupling one of said pins to a first cart shaft, the second link for coupling the other pin to a second cart shaft, said links coupling said harness to said shafts,
• each of said connecting links comprising a link member connected to its corresponding pin by a first ball joint and to its corresponding shaft by a second ball joint, said first ball joint including a ball which slideably engages its corresponding pin and means for releaseably securing that ball to its pin, said second ball joint including a ball attached to its link member and a socket including means for limiting the angular movement of said second ball joint and further including clamp means for clamping said socket to its corresponding shaft.

A harness connector system for coupling a horse to a cart, said cart including a pair of shafts positioned to straddle said horse, said system comprising:

• a harness adapted to be secured around the midsection of said horse;
• and
• a pair of harness connectors, one for connecting one shaft to the harness and the other for connecting the other shaft to the harness, said connectors each comprising:
• first connector means secured to said harness;
• second connector means adapted to be secured to the corresponding one of said shafts;
• and
• link means secured to said first and second connector means, said link means including means adapted to permit said first connector means to move tangentially relative to said second connector means in a first direction and to move toward and away from said connector means in a second direction.

A connector for coupling a shaft to a harness comprising:

• a clamp including means for releaseably securing the clamp to said shaft;
• connector means adapted to be secured to said harness;
• a link member;
• first and second spaced articulated joint means secured to said link member;
• said first joint means including means for releaseably securing that joint means to said connector means, said second joint means including means for securing the second joint means to said clamp.

An animal harness connector for coupling a harness to a cart shaft comprising:

• first connector means adapted to be secured to said harness;
• a second connector means adapted to be secured to said cart;
• and
• link means secured to the first and second connector means, said link means including means adapted to permit said first connector means to rotate relative to said second connector means about at least one first axis and about at least one second axis spaced from the first axis such that said first and second connector means can move toward one another in one direction and tangentially relative to each other in a second direction.