Turner Byrd Jr., often in collaboration with Isaiah Byrd, also invented an “Improvement in Neck-Yokes for Wagons.” They were granted U.S. Patent No. 126,181 on April 30, 1872.
This invention built upon the concept of quick-detachment for draft animals, similar to their “Apparatus for Detaching Horses from Carriages.” However, this patent specifically addressed the neck-yoke, which is the part of the harness that fits over the horses’ necks and connects to the wagon pole.
The key features of their “Improvement in Neck-Yokes for Wagons” included:
- Easy Detachment: The primary goal was to allow draft animals to be easily detached, or even to detach themselves, from the neck-yokes of two-horse wagons without the need to unbuckle various straps. This was a safety feature, allowing the horses to free themselves in emergencies.
- Preventing Accidental Release: A crucial aspect of their design was the mechanism to prevent the detaching devices from being operated at the wrong time or being accidentally displaced. This ensured that the horses remained securely attached during normal operation.
- Mechanism for Self-Detachment: The patent describes a clever system where, if the tugs (the straps connecting the harness to the wagon) were dropped, the horses could then detach themselves from the neck-yoke simply by walking forward. This involved a cord connected to a handle and the pole, which would release the snap-hooks holding the breast-straps and pole-straps.
- Manual Detachment Option: The design also allowed for manual detachment by the operator, by manipulating a handle on the neck-yoke.
In essence, Turner Byrd Jr. and Isaiah Byrd aimed to make horse-drawn wagons safer and more convenient by providing reliable and efficient ways to detach horses from the neck-yoke, whether automatically in an emergency or manually when desired.
