Also splinter bar. [f. SPLINTER sb.]
1. A swingle-tree or whipple-tree.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 78. A two-wheeled plough complete, with draught-chain, and splinter-bars, or whipple-trees.
1767. S. Paterson, Anoth. Trav., I. 104. A splinter-bar at the end of the traces, to which a small cord leading from the mast is fastened.
1793. W. H. Marshall, Rur. Econ. W. Eng. (1796), II. 350. The yoke and single chain … are … much preferable to collars, traces, and splinter bars.
1855. Ruffini, Dr. Antonio, i. The rearing of the leader was caused by the knocking of the splinter bar against his legs.
1893. Spectator, 23 Dec., 909. The plough-teams with looped-up splinter-bars banging against the trace-chains.
2. A cross-bar in a carriage, coach, or other vehicle, which is fixed across the head of the shafts, and to which the traces are attached.
The definition in Webster (1847), ‘A cross-bar in a coach, which supports the springs,’ is repeated by later Dicts.
1794. W. Felton, Carriages (1801), I. 59. The draught is much preferable when taken from a splinter-bar, which yields to the motion and pull of the horse.
1837. W. B. Adams, Carriages, 145. The distance of the splintre [sic] bar from the central pin or perch bolt is regulated by the size of the wheels.
1859. F. A. Griffiths, Artill. Man. (1862), 167. 4. Spare Splinter Bars,… 4 pair of Shafts, per Battery, are distributed among the Waggons.
1877. Thrupp, Hist. Coaches, ii. 33. The horses are harnessed to splinter or drawing bars.
transf. 1890. D. K. Clark, Steam Engine, II. 408. The splinter-bar is formed of 3-inch angle iron, 1/2 inch thick, and is connected to the axle by two wrought-iron arms.
b. With distinguishing terms.
1802. Sporting Mag., XX. 308. Affixed to the usual or main splinter-bar.
1852. Burn, Nav. & Milit. Dict., II. 280. Swing splinter-bar, or rear master-bar, volée mobile de derrière.
