The San Francisco call., 1910-03-31
WRITES HISTORY
OF HANSON CAB

Just at the time when il seems ap-
propriate to write the epitaph of the
inventor of the hanson cab. III. G. A.
contributor TO Country Life. furnishes
some interesting details of what was
known generation or so ago as the
patent safety. In or about the year
1771, Mr.. Francis Moore. well known
coach builder of Cheapside. designed a
novel form of mail cart for the London
postoffice. The body was hung by
means of cranked axle between two
wheels of eight feet eight inches diam
eter, and the drivers seat was on the
edge of the roof ovrIooking the horse.
It is highly probable that Moore's de-
sign inspired Joseph Aloysius Hanson,
when the latter set to work TO invent
a safety cabriolet. His enterprise was
not, however. q strictly commercial one,
as 1t was undertaken in response 10 an
invitation from a young man of means,
Dempster Hemming of Caldcote hall,
whose affairs the inventor mana Sed-
Hansom's original patent. dated Decem-
Der %. 1884, was for a two wheeled
vehicle, with wheels of seven and
half feet diameter, revolving on short
spindles al the center line of the body
of the carriage, SAYS the London Globe.
These spindles also formed the only
connection between the body. the
framework and the wheels The drivers
seat was almost on a level with the
roof line in front, and the vehicle was
entered by two swing doors in front.
one on each side of the stay. extend
ing down the middle. and TO which the
drivers foot rest was affixed. The
same patent had attached TO it an al
- oYf,,o No cob
through the wheels. a suggestion never
carried out. The first hanson suf-
fered under the excessive weight aris-
ing from the peculiar method of at
taching the wheels. while the princi-
pie of safety was confined to the fact
of the body being situated barely<a foot
above the ground.
The modern hanson is in all essen
tial features the invention of John
Chapman, better known as the pro-
moter of the Great Indian Peninsular
railway 1t was Chapman who invent
ed the suspended or cranked axle. the
rights of which were acquired and ap-
piled by Hanson. shortly afterward
Chapman also introduced the improve
ment of the straight axle and the cut
ting away of the carriage body be-
meath the pa ssenger's sea in order to
make room for it. whereupon the driver
was transferred to the present type of
back seat. Therefore. it would be more
correct If ~"Hansoms' were known as
"Chapmans" Hanson disposed of his
rights TO company for 10000, but
no part of this sum was ever paid to
him. The Patent Safety Cabriolet COM
pany got into difficulties and in 1889
Hanson took over the temporary con-
troll and succeeded in putting matters
right For these services. Hanson was
paid $780, which was the only money
he ever received in connection with the
vehicle bearing his name. Directly the
advantages of the perfected hanson
cab were realized-namely. that it
could be worked with minimum of
wear and tear and diminished risk Of
accident. and that n required little
tractive force-the patent was unblush-
ingly and widely pirated. HansOm's 5
employees. who were mostly Jews, chris
tened the pirate cabs 'shofuls, which
is Yiddish for counterfeit and has moth
ing to do with the fancied resemblance
TO a shovel At first Hanson and his
partners spent large sums of money
in prosecuting the proprietors of these
pirate cabs; but as the owners were
usually men of straw" they failed to
obtain satisfaction. Tt may be added
that when the improvements were eff
fected in the Levite church at Fulham
1t was stated that the architect was a
son of Hanson, of cab fame.