Josiah Kitzmiller, Keedysville, Md.--This is an improvement upon that
form of thill coupling in which a pivoted cap is employed to slide
over the end of the bolt or pin which secures the eye of the thill
iron to the lugs or ears of the axle clip, the said cap serving to
prevent the said pin from becoming accidentally displaced without
the use of a screw nut or other securing device. It consists in the
construction and arrangements of a spring catch for holding
said pivoted cap down to its place against any tendency to rise
accidentally, the said spring catch being located in a transverse
groove or recess in the cap and between the cap and the adjacent lug
and being provided with a beveled head and square shoulder, which
engages with the under side of the lug to hold the cap down. The merit
of this arrangement is that the catch is concealed from sight by the
complete inclosure of the spring and the position of the beveled head
beneath the coupling, and hence the exterior of the coupling
presents a plain, smooth, and neat appearance, free from catches
or projections, which would be liable to hook into the clothing in
getting into or out of the carriage.