The Sun.
London, England, 1826-06-16 00:00:00

NEW SUSPENSION SAFETY COACH.

A patent hes been recently granted to Mr. Daniel Stafford, of
Liverpool, for his invention of a new Suspension Safety Cool*
which is so constructor' as to maintain its equilibrium under ex-
, traordinary inequalities of rued. The Annals of Sportinfir
describing this machine, eliserves, " The Safety Coati* plies be-'
tween Manchester and Liverpool, and has been just exhibited
Chester races, where its itiptriority in keeping its equilib
upon uneven ground, and in turning with sharp yolutions., .v„
with-
out danger, in an unusually circumscribed space of ground
acknowledged by the numerous distinguished individuals who
were present. Mr. Stafford's 'coach my be constructed so as to
be as easy of draft as env other; 'that its motion may he made
equally pleasant, its whoie appearance as compact and ornamental,
and with this additional grand advantage, that, from the manner
in which the body is suspended, it is not liable to overturn, even
if a wheel should fly off, or sink into a hollow, by which an noli"
nary coach would be thrown over.
Thewheels and body of Mr. Staffoi Ws coach are built in the mos
manner as those of the usual stage-coaches, and may,
like theta.
be varied according to taste. The safety principle (which may
be also applied to any four-wheeled carriage) consists solely in the'
mode of suspension. In plate of resting upon, and being at-
tached to the springs below, the body of the carriage is suspended
from uprights rising from the axletrces close to each wheel, to
nearly the height of the roof. From these, lioriiontal springs
ran acres, parallel to the axletrees, and on the centre of these
springs, moving by the contact of two segments of a circle,
the body has freedom to awing from side to aide ;
the smooth
segments working on each other, one fixed to the coach, the
other on the spring, in the manner of cog-wheels, throve*
the point of euspeution to the left, when the body swing, to
the right, and vies versa. As the coach resta upon four springs,
there are, consequently, four sets of segments. It becalms"
svideot that, should one or • both wheels on one side rise
upon an eminence, or, whet is the earns thing he fact,
sink into a hollow, the body, from its tendency to main-
tain its perpendicular position, will alter its point of suspen-
sion to the higher side on the :segments dencribed, and thus pre-
vent the vehicle from upsetting, by throwing a greet proportion of
the weight upon the higher wheels. This operation kits belit tried
on steep ascents with unqualified success; and so far may it be
'extended that, on one occasion, both wheels were taken off
on one side, and the hotly still remained upright. As the principle
motion would be inconvenient on every slight inequality drool'
is valuable only on rough or very uneven ground, and the swinainS
patentee has prudently left a flat spate on the seglnen* in the
the
middle, from which the coach will not move, Wee uP"
ordinary eases ; thus the principle is always in 'rearrintes to art
when an acct lent would otherwise, probably occur. The uprights
are of iron, neatly constructed, the crossing bands serving as steps*
by which the passengers may ascend to their mats outside; and
beneath these seats (and the coachman's box) the larger, Or cross-
ing springs (for there are, alto, side springs attathed to the up
rights) are placed, almost wholly concealed from APP "r 7"
-
mice of heaviness or complexity being thus removed."