262 



DRAUGHT AND HARNESS. 



which are brought into contact with the tire of the 

 wheel are usually made fast to the arm of the brake 

 by means of bolts whose heads are counter-sunk, as 

 the technical term says, into the piece of wood. But 

 after a very short time the wood is worn away, and 

 the head of the bolt coming into immediate contact 

 with the tire of the wheel is not only in its turn rapidly 

 worn away and requires to be replaced, but also makes 



Fig. 23. 



a very unpleasant grating noise which, when the brake is 

 applied, is apt to startle the horse and make it increase 

 its pace just at the moment one wants the vehicle to go 

 slowly down-hill. To remedy this, to a great extent 

 at least, it is only necessary to give the pieces of iron 

 that carry the little blocks, which rub against the 

 tire, what are called flanges, making these pieces also 

 somewhat wider at one end than at the other. The 

 blocks will then, on being fitted in, have a wedge-shape, 

 and will be kept in their proper place by the friction 



