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US 4,986,059 AGranted
Ball journal device for connecting a shaft to a harness
OwnerM. Gaylord Boutilierinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hitching device for connecting the shafts of a racing sulky to a harness saddle which includes a harness pin affixed to and extending outwardly from the saddle and a normally locked, spring loaded retractable ball bearing locking devive on the harness pin. A connector assembly is attached to a shaft and retains a rotatable ball provided with an central aperture through the ball and a collar surrounding the central aperture on both sides of the ball. When in the unlocked position the connector assembly slides over the locking device and when in the locked position the connector assembly is positively locked on the harness pin. A spacer is positioned on the harnes pin to maintain the connector assembly at least a preselected distance from the saddle.
Claims19
A device for connecting a shaft to a harness which device comprises, in combination:
- (a) a harness pin assembly adapted to be fixedly mounted on a harness saddle which pin assembly adapted to be fixedly mounted on a harness saddle which pin assembly comprises mounting means for securing said pin assembly to said saddle;
- an elongated round harness pin having an inner end affixed to said mounting means, said harness pin projecting outwardly at an angle of approximately 90.degree. from said mounting means and having an outer end;
- and a normally-locked releasable locking device on said harness pin and positioned intermediate said mounting means and said outer end;
- and
- (b) a connector assembly for releasably connecting said harness pin assembly to said shaft which connector assembly comprises a housing member comprising an elongated base member having a topside, an underside and an upper portion rigidly secured to and extending substantially perpendicular from the topside of said base member eliminating any relative movement between the base member and upper portion, the underside of said base member being adapted to fit on said shaft along the longitudinal axis thereof and said base member being adapted to be secured to said shaft, said upper portion being provided with a ball-retaining aperture means positioned over said base member and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the length of said base member;
- a ball member rotatably secured in said ball-retaining aperture means and provided with a cylindrical core hole through the center thereof adapted to receive said harness pin;
- said locking device being adapted to permit said harness pin to be inserted into said cylindrical core hole past said locking device when said locking device is in an unlocked position while positively locking said ball member on said harness pin when said locking device is in a normally locked position.
4 more elements
A device for connecting a shaft to a harness which device comprises, in combination:
- (a) a harness pin assembly adapted to be fixedly mounted on a harness saddle which pin assembly comprises mounting means for securing said pin assembly to said saddle;
- an elongated round harness pin having an inner end affixed to said mounting means, said harness pin projecting outwardly at an angle of approximately 90.degree. from said mounting means and having an outer end;
- and a normally-locked releasable locking device having at least one member normally extending radially from said harness pin, being retractable into said harness pin and positioned intermediate said mounting means and said outer end;
- and
- (b) a connector assembly for releasably connecting said harness pin assembly to said shaft which connector assembly comprises a housing member adapted to be secured to said shaft, said housing member being provided with a single ball-retaining aperture means;
- a ball member rotatably secured in said ball-retaining aperture means and provided with a core hole through the center thereof adapted to receive said harness pin;
- said locking device being adapted to permit said locking device when said locking device is in an unlocked position while positively locking said ball member on said harness pin when said locking device is in a normally locked position.
4 more elements
A device for connecting a shaft to a harness which device comprises, in combination:
- (a) a harness pin assembly adapted to be freely mounted on a harness saddle which pin assembly comprises mounting means for securing said pin assembly to said saddle;
- an elongated round harness pin having an inner end affixed to said mounting means, said harness pin projecting outwardly at an angle of approximately 90.degree. from said mounting means and having an outer end;
- and a normally-locked releasable locking device on said harness pin and positioned intermediate said mounting means and said outer end, said locking device comprising at least one retractable member mounted in said harness pin and urged radially outward therefrom by a spring member;
- and
- (b) a connector assembly for releasably connecting said harness pin assembly to said shaft which connector assembly comprises a housing member adapted to be secured to said shaft, said housing member being provided with a ball-retaining aperture means;
- a ball member rotatably secured in said ball-retaining aperture means and provided with cylindrical aperture means comprising a core hole through the center thereof adapted to receive said harness pin and a collar member coaxial with said core hole and extending from opposite sides of said ball member so as to limit the rotation of said ball member in said housing to a pre-selected degree;
- said locking device being adapted to permit said harness pin to be inserted into said cylindrical aperture means past said locking device when said locking device is in an unlocked position while positively locking said ball member on said harness pin when said locking device is in a normally locked position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.