US 140327

Patent Overview: US 140,327 — Improvement in Whiffletrees

Title: Improvement in Whiffletrees
Patent No.: US 140,327
Inventor: Bailey S. Wescott, of Corning, Steuben County, New York
Assignee/Interests: Wescott assigned one-half his right to Loraine Dodge, of the same place
Application filed: April 26, 1873
Granted/Published: June 24, 1873
Legal status (as listed): Expired — Lifetime
Classification: B62C5/00 (Draught assemblies)
Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US140327](/patent/US140327)/en

Purpose. The invention relates to whiffletrees (also called eveners or singletrees) and aims to lessen the shock on horses' shoulders during draft over rough roads or when striking an obstruction, thereby improving the comfort, health, and usefulness of draft animals.

Plain-language scope. A wooden whiffletree shaft (A) has two bored holes (b b) lined with wear-preventing tubes (c c). Plates (d d) are fastened to the front and back faces to secure and steady the working staple. The staple (e) is an enclosed loop or ring (g) whose rear edge (h) bears against the face of plate d, and two threaded arms (k) sized to pass within the tubes. Spiral springs (s) sit on the arms; nuts (m) engage the threads. In assembly, plate d′ goes on the arms, springs are slipped on, and nuts are tightened until the staple no longer rattles against the plate and proper tension is obtained; the assembly is then inserted through the tubes and the second plate fastened to the face of the tree. The sole claim covers the combination of the staple with loop g and threaded arms k, adjustable nuts m, springs s, and removable stop-plate d′, substantially as specified.

What the excerpt does not establish. It does not report any actual litigation, ownership transfer beyond the stated one-half assignment, validity determination, or prior-art comparison. The legal-status entry is expressly an assumption, not a legal conclusion. No drawing images or figure content beyond the three described views are reproduced here.