IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WAGONS AND OTHER VEHICLES APPLICABLE TO THE TRANSPORT OF TROOPS AND MILITARY AND OTHER STORES ON LAND AND WATER
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Francis, of the United States of America,
now of Liverpool, and Charles Manby, of Great George Street, West-
minster, C. E., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF WAGONS AND OTHER VEHICLES APPLICABLE TO THE TRANSPORT OF TROOPS
AND MILITARY AND OTHER STORES ON LAND AND WATER."
Scaled the 16th February 1858, and dated the 2nd December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Francis and
Charles Manby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,, with
their Petition, on the 2nd December 1857.
We, JOSEPH FRANCIS, of the United States of America, now of Liverpool.
and CHARLES MANBY, of Great George Street, Westminster, C..E., do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OP WAGONS AND OTHER VEHICLES APPLICABLE TO THE TRANSPORT OF TROOPS AND
MILITARY AND OTHER STORES ON LAND AND WATER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
wagons and other vehicles applicable to the transport of troops and military
and other stores on land and water. For these purposes the bodies of car-
riages are made of corrugated sheet metal or of sheets of metal, which are
made with longitudinal or other depressions or cavities on one side, and con-
sequent projections or convexities on the other side, such projections or
convexities not proceeding to the edges of such sheets when using corrugated

page_text: sheet metal; where the corrugations proceed to the edges, then in joining the
ends and forming the angles of the body of a wagon or other carriage cor-
rugated or undulating angle iron is used, by which better rivetted joints can
be produced, and the joints more readily rendered water-tight. In sonic
cases, in place of allowing the corrugations to proceed to the edges, the sheets
where they come to the angles are rendered flat or free from corrugations,
and in that form they are rivetted together. The fore part of each body of
a carriage is made of a shape suitable to facilitate its passage through the
water, and this part is enclosed and made air-tight, so as to be buoyant;
hence, when the bodies of two wagons or carriages are fixed together back to
back or end to end there will be a buoyant chamber at each end, which will
be of importance when the bodies of carriages are being used as boats or
floating vessels; and in addition to the buoyancy obtained as above, the
bottoms of the bodies of wagons or carriages which are made of corrugated or
indented iron are covered or inclosed water-tight, so that the hollow enclosed
spaces will add to the buoyancy of the whole. The upper edges of the bodies
of wagons or other carriages are made with capping, which fits on to and is
rivetted to the edges, or the same are strengthened by angle iron. At the
upper edges of the bodies of such wagons or carriages rowlocks are applied,
and provision is made for carrying oars, so that they may be in a convenient
position for being brought into use. The framework or bed is constructed of
angle iron, or ribbed iron, with braces and cross pieces to give strength and
lightness. The running gear is attached to the framework by jaws and
catches or screws in such manner as to admit of the same being detached
and re-attached with facility.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Francis and Charles Mauby in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 1st. June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPII
FRANCIS, of the United States of America, now of Liverpool, and CHARLES
MANBY, of Great George Street, Westminster, C. E., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Joseph Francis and Charles Manby, Eler special licence that we, the

page_text: said Joseph Francis and Charles Manby, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Francis and Charles Manby,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and.
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term.
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF WAGONS AND OTHER VEHICLES APPLICABLE TO THE TRANSPORT OF
TROOPS AND MILITARY AND OTHER STORES ON LAND AND WATER," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Joseph Francis and Charles Manby,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next-
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Manby, on behalf of myself and,
the said Joseph Francis, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
wagons and other vehicles applicable to the transport of troops and military
and other stores on land and water. For these purposes the bodies of car-
riages are made of corrugated sheet metal or of sheets of metal, with,
longitudinal or other depressions or cavities on one side, and consequent.
projections or convexities on the other side, such projections or convexities.
not proceeding to the edges of such sheets.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, of the
bodies of two wagons arranged according to this and other parts of our
Invention, and fixed back to back in the manner in which they are most
commonly employed for crossing water. They are held together by sliding.
bolts a, a, which are semicircular in section, and traverse in the depressions
between the corrugations of the side plates b, b, and also by staples c, c, which
pass over the upper edges of the end of the wagons into suitable sockets,
formed for them. In the wagon bodies here shewn, it will be seen that at,
one end the corrugations of the side plates do not run up to the edges of the.
plates, and at the bottom and some other of the plates are formed in a
similar manner, so that the ends of the plates can be rivetted together with.
the same facility as if flat plates were used, as is clearly shewn, by the.

page_text: enlarged views, Figures 3 and 4. When using corrugated-sheet metal where
the corrugations proceed to the edges, then in joining the ends and forming
the angles of the body of a wagon or other carriage corrugated or undulating
angle iron is used, by which better rivetted joints can be produced and tho
joints more readily rendered water-tight.
the same.
Figure 5 is a side view of a portion of the exterior of one of the angles or
corners of the body of a wagon constructed according to this part of our
Invention; Figure 6 is a plan, and Figure 7 a side view, of the interior of
a and b are the side and end corrugated plates, and c is the angle
iron, corrugated in both directions to correspond with the corrugations of the
plates a and b. The angle iron c is made from sheet iron by pressing it to
the desired form by a machine similar to that employed for corrugating sheets.
The fore part of each body is made of a shape suitable to facilitate its passage.
through the water, and this part is enclosed and made air-tight, so as to
be buoyant; hence, when the bodies of two wagons or carriages are fixed
together back to back or end to end, there will be a buoyant chamber at each.
end, which will be of importance when the bodies of carriages are being used
as boats or floating vessels. In Figures 1 and 2, the fore part of each body
is shown formed in this manner, being inclined in place of square, as in
wagons of this description heretofore constructed, and having an enclosed
water-tight compartment d formed in it. And in addition to the buoyancy
obtained as above, the bottoms of the bodies of wagons or carriages which are
made of corrugated or indented iron are covered or enclosed water-tight, so
that the hollow enclosed spaces will add to the buoyancy of the whole. This
method of constructing the bottom is clearly shewn by Figure 8, which is.
a section of a portion of a bottom so constructed. The upper edges of the
bodies of the wagons or other carriages are made with capping, which fits on.
to and is rivetted to the edges, or the same are strengthened by angle iron.
The forms of capping and strengthening angle iron which we prefer to
employ are clearly shewn at Figures 9, 10, and 11. At the upper edges of
the bodies of such wagons or carriages rowlocks are applied, and provision is,
made for carrying oars, so that they may be in a convenient position for being
brought into use; this is clearly shewn by Figures 1 and 2.
e, c, aro the
rowlocks; they are rings of metal through which the onrs or paddles f, f,
pass, carried by cylindrical stems which fit into and turn in sockets formed at
the side of the body. When the oars are in use, the rowlocks are placed
in the sockets g, g, and when out of use in the sockets h, h; i is a prong for
retaining the end of the oar when out of use; j,j, are straps on the oars to
prevent them slipping out of the rowlocks. The framework or bed is con-.

page_text: structed of angle iron or ribbed iron, with braces and cross pieces to give
strength and lightness. The running gear is attached to the framework by
jaws and catches or screws in such manner as to admit of the same being
detached and re-attached with facility.
Figure 12 is a plan of the bed or framework of the body. a, a, are angle
irons forming tho four sides of the frame, and b, b, are cross pieces and braces
by which it is strengthened. The corrugated iron bottom of the body is
bolted on to this frame, and the whole is carried by running gear consisting
of wheels, axles, locking motion, and pole, such as are ordinarily employed
for carrying wagon bodies of this description; and in order to attach the frame
(Figure 12) to the running gear, the frame is furnished with projections which
drop into jaws carried by the running gear, and are there fixed by screw bolts
or otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Manby, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
24, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.
CHARLES MANBY. (L.S.)