Report on Implement at Preston. 695 
shown in the trial, I give details in Fig. 4a of the way in which 
the hook is secured in the tree ; 4 is the hook at the end of 
the small whippletrees ; 3 is a loose collar, or bush — bearing 
on which the hook works ; 1 is the rivet which secures the 
whole together in the following order : the collar is put into 
the hole of the hook, and then placed between the sides of the 
whippletree, the rivet is then passed through holes in the tree, 
and through the collar. In this way the hook works freely, and 
the wear is taken by the collar instead of by the rivet. All the 
wearing parts of these whippletrees are secured in the same 
manner. It will be noticed (column 4) that these are the 
lightest set of trees but one in the class ; they are novel in 
design, and compact in form. 
Ransomes' trussed steel whippletrees differed in one respect 
from all the others. The eyes for the trace hooks being behind 
instead of in front of the point of attachment for the back- 
Fig. 5. — Messrs. Ransomes, Sims, and Jefferies' Whippletree, No. 4339. 
1 
draught in the centre, the tree is in a state of unstable equili- 
brium (column 7) ; consequently, with horses of equal strength, 
if one of them lags, it will require a greater effort on his part 
to pull up than for his fellow to keep in advance. The trees of 
all the other exhibitors are in stable equilibrium, and the nature 
of the adjustment tends to keep them level. 
At the end of the trial we found Knapp and Co. the best 
representative for wood ; Kell, Meats, and Co., for iron ; and 
Ransomes' best for steel. On referring to our Consulting 
Engineer, Mr. Rich, we were assured that each of the three 
forms was amply strong enough for the work to be done. 
Although the steel set exhibited novelty and merit of design, 
and was very moderate in price for thoroughly good workman- 
ship, it was yet the highest priced of the three. 
The lightest of Knapp's entries being strong enough for the 
work, we saw no reason why the horses should carry nearly 
double the weight, or a farmer pay a considerably increased 
price for the sake of using iron or steel in place of the old- 
fashioned wooden trees. We therefore gave the prize in this 
class to Messrs. L. R. Knapp and Co., for their lighter set, 
