IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF CHILDREN'S AND OTHER CARRIAGES MOVED BY MANual Power
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julius Schmoock, of Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Carpenter, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF CHILDREN'S AND OTHER CARRIAGES MOVED BY MANual Power."
Sealed the 24th November 1854, and dated the 27th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julius Schmoock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
May 1854.
1, JULIUS SCHMOOCK, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Carpenter,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF CHILDREN'S AND OTHER CARRIAGES MOVED BY MANUAL POWER" to
be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improved mode of guiding or directing
the course in which such vehicles are required to move, and for effecting the
same in a more simple, efficient, and safe manner than heretofore.
The ineans by which this may be effected is as follows:-Instead of attaching
a handle to the front or fore wheel of a three-wheel carriage, or the front or
fore wheels of a four-wheel carriage, as hitherto practised, I dispense with such
said handle, and employ in lieu thereof cords, chains, or other convenient and
suitable means, for connecting the aforesaid front or fore wheels, with a vibrating
handle, which is mounted upon a pin fixed to the hind part of the carriage, said
bandle being preserved in a neutral position by applying springs beneath such
said handle, so that, upon pressure being exerted on the handle, the effect will
be to pull one of the before-mentioned cords or chains, and release the other

page_text: one in exactly the same proportion, thereby keeping the same amount of ten-
sion upon both; it will appear obvious, that upon the pressure being removed
from the handle, the elastic force of that spring which is compressed will
return the handle to its original neutral position, in which it will remain, and
the course of the carriage be direct until the handle is again pressed upon, as
above stated.
SPECIFICATION-in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patcut, filed
by the said Julius Schmoock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULIUS
SCHMOOCк, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Carpenter, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Julius Schmoock, Her special licence that I, the said Julius
Schmoock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Julius Schmoock, my 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHILDREN'S AND OTHER CARRIAGES MOVED BY
MANUAL POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Julius
Schmoock, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Julius Schmoock, de hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
My improvements apply to such children's and other carriages as are pro-
pelled by manual power applied behind the same, and have for their object a

page_text: new and improved method of guiding or directing such vehicles as required, the
means for effecting such object being entirely under the control of the person
propelling the vehicle.
I prefer constructing such carriages with four wheels, as being more safe;
but I would here remark that my Invention is also applicable to carriages with
three wheels, and may be adapted either to carriages with or without springs.
The fore axle of the carriage is mounted upon a turn plate connected to the
"perch," or the fore part of the carriage. At the back part of the carriage I
place a transverse handle, mounted upon a pin or stud passing througli the
centre thereof, such handle being capable of vibrating upon the said centre.
To this handle, upon cach side of the centre thereof, I attach a cord, rod, chain,
or wire, the other end thereof being affixed to the opposite side of the fore
axle, so that the said cords, rods, chains, or wires (which pass around pullies
attached to the hinder axle) cross cach other under the centre of the carriage.
The carriage is propelled and steered by means of the handle, as it is evident
that by depressing either side of the handle a corresponding movement either
to the right or left will be imparted to the fore axle, and consequently to the
carriage.
The method of carrying my Invention into practical effect will be better
understood upon referring to the Sheet of Drawings accompanying these
presents, and to the following
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing exhibits three views of a child's carriage (for the sake of
illustration), drawn to a scale of about three inches to a foot, and having
similar letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts of the carriage
in all the Figures, in so far as such parts appear or can be scen at each
of the said Figures respectively. Figure 1 represents a side elevation of
a child's carriage constructed upon my improved principle; Figure 2 is a
plan view of the same, with the body of the vehicle removed; and Figure 3
is an elevation of the back of the same. a, a, is the body of the carriage,
supported upon the springs b, b; c, c, are the running wheels; d, d, is the
perch," to which the bind axle-tree e, e, is bolted. The fore axle-tree f, f,
is connected to the perch d, d, by means of a turn plate g, g, as in ordinary
four-wheeled carriages. The hinder part d' of the perch is elongated and
extends upwards, forming a lever, at the upper end of which a transverse
handle h, h, is attached. This handle is capable of vibrating upon a centre,
and is connected to the fore axle-tree f.f, by means of two cords i, i, passing
around pullies k, k. The carriage is propelled by means of the handle h, h, in
"

page_text: a similar manner to an ordinary Bath chair. When it is desired to steer the
carriage either to the right or to the left hand, the attendant depresses the right
or left hand side of the handle, which produces a corresponding movement of
the fore axle-tree f,f, as shewn by the dotted lines in the Drawing, the cords
being always kept at the same tension in consequence of their being crossed,
so that as one cord is tightened the other is slackened in a corresponding
degree.
I would here remark that, if thought desirable, springs or clastic bands may
be applied to the handle, so as always to return it into a horizontal or neutral
position when the pressure is removed, so that the carriage always runs in a
straight line, except when either side of the handle is forcibly depressed; or a
friction plate may be applied to the centre upon which the handle turns, in
order to prevent any slight inequality in the pressure from affecting the course
of the carriage. When the carriage is mounted without springs, the centre
upon which the handle turns may be mounted upon the back part of the
carriage itself.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention of
Improvements in the Construction of Children's and other Carriages Moved
by Manual Power, together with the best method I am acquainted with for
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I
claim as my Invention the constructing of such carriages with a lover handle.
placed at the back part thereof, capable of vibrating, and connected to the fore
axle-tree by means of cords, rods, bands, wires, cr chains, in such a manner as
that the depression of the handle on either side of the centre shall cause the
fore axle-tree and wheels to bo turned in a corresponding direction, and thus
to steer, guile, or direct the carriage, as required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Julius Schmoock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-Fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE,
Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
JULIUS SCHMOOCK. (L.S.)