IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING CARRIAGE-DOORS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING CARRIAGE-DOORS."
A communication from abroad by George Vincent Fosbery, of Cherbourg,
France.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th January 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING
AND CLOSING CARRIAGE-DOORS." [A communication from abroad by George
Vincent Fosbery, of Cherbourg, France.]
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for opening and closing the
doors of cabs and other carriages, and is more particularly designed to be applied
to those vehicles which are known as " hansom" cabs.
The object of the said Invention is to provide means whereby the driver of a
vehicle may be enabled to open or both open and close the doors of the same
without moving from his seat, thereby obviating the necessity either for the
passenger to perform this office for himself or for the driver to descend.
By reason of the peculiar and well known construction of a "hansom " cab it
would be particularly inconvenient for the driver to descend from his seat to open
the doors every time a passenger wishes to enter or leave the vehicle, consequently
passengers almost invariably have to open the doors for themselves. My said
Invention obviates this difficulty in a very simple and effective manner.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, and when applying the same to
'hansom " cabs, I attach rigidly to each door a rod, the upper portion of which is
flattened, or it may have the flattened part attached firmly to it, as may be most
convenient. This flattened part forms a fin or projection, which is screwed or
otherwise fastened to the door near the hinges so that the rod and the door will
move together. The lower part of the rod is carried through the foot board of the
cab, and has an arm or lever attached to it, to which lever a cord or chain is secured.
Each door has attached to it a similar rod, and the cords or chains from the arms of
each rod are both brought to a grooved pulley in a central position under the cab.
Price 6d1

page_text: Both cords or chains pass partially around the said grooved pulley and are united
at a distance of a few inches from the same, one cord or chain passing from that
point to the driver, so that he has only to pull this one cord or chain to open both
doors.
I prefer to fix underneath the cab a light triangular frame constructed of T-iron,
and near the apex of the triangle a grooved pulley is placed, over which the cord
or chain passes as it is turned upward from a horizontal to a vertical direction
toward the driver's seat. This frame serves also to carry a cross bar, to which is
attached the aforesaid pulley around which the two cords or chains pass from the
arms or levers, as above described. I provide metal tubes or bushes which are
inserted in the foot board for the rods to work in, and a metal plate is secured to
the lower part of the foot board immediately beneath each aperture. These plates
give support to the bushes and to the rods passing through the same, and ensure a
firm bearing to the latter when operated by the action of the cord or chain. I
make the hole in the plates and through which the collar passes somewhat larger
than the latter, so that such plates may be adapted to any cab, whatever may be
the angle at which the doors are set or placed. I also provide a groove in or a
collar upon the lower part of the bush, so that the latter may be held securely in
the aforesaid plate.
The rods, levers, cords, and other parts above named may be so arranged that the
driver will partially open the doors by operating the cord; that is to say, he will
move them until they arrive at such a point that they will fall completely open
from that point by the force of gravity; or the mechanism nay be so arranged
that the cord acts until the doors are fully open.
In some cases I may provide the aforesaid rods with arms or levers instead of
the said flat portions, the said arms not being fastened to the doors, but so operated
that they push the doors when the cord or chain is pulled.
The mechanism above described operates only to open the doors. When it is
desired that the driver shall also be able to close the same I modify the construction
as follows, that is to say-I provide a rod under the foot board, which rod is placed
horizontally so as to lie underneath the doors, and it is provided with suitable
bearings so that it may rotate. This rod is screwed at its ends and in opposite
directions, so as to form worms which engage with the teeth of pinions attached to
the lower part of the rods connected to the doors. Cords or chains carried from
the said horizontal rod to the driver will enable him to open or close the doors at
will, according to which cord is operated. He may also open the doors completely
or only partially, as may be desired.
In adapting the said Invention to carriages, the doors of which have handles
which must be operated before the doors can be opened, I provide suitable levers in
connection with the handles, and so arranged that the first effect of pulling the
cord or chain will be to turn the handles, the mechanism for opening the doors then
coming into play.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise mechanism
or arrangement thereof above described as it is obvious that without departing
from the essential features of the said Invention I may employ rods, levers, and
gear wheels arranged in various manners to effect the desired object, and I may
dispense with cords or chains entirely. may also employ springs to operate the
doors in one direction, the driver operating thom in the other direction, the said
spring being under the control of the driver by means of the cord or cords.
I may employ a looped cord which will pass through pulleys at the extremity of
both levers, or will pass over quadrants or wheels connected with the doors. Ór I
may employ a single rod passing round a lever attached to one door and brought to
a swivel on the lever of the other door, and finally brought round a pulley to the
driver's hand, or to a wheel to be actuated by him, as may be convenient; or the
pulling of a cord by him may cause a shaft to revolve, which will coil or uncoil
lines leading to the lovers.

page_text: The aforesaid frame may be either affixed by suitable connection to the transverse
bar ordinarily used in "hansom" cabs, or may be attached by a vertical or inclined
stay to the back of the same.
In connexion with the said apparatus means may be provided for partially
opening the doors before the said levers commence to operate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th July 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING
A communication from abroad by George
AND CLOSING
CARRIAGE-DOORS."
Vincent Fosbery, of Cherbourg, France.
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for opening and closing the
doors of cabs and other carriages, and is more particularly designed to be applied
to those vehicles which are known as "hansom "cabs.
The object of the said Invention is to provide means whereby the driver of a
vehicle may be enabled to open, or both open and close, the door of the same without
moving from his seat, thereby obviating the necessity either for the passenger to
perform this office for himself or for the driver to descend.
By reason of the peculiar and well known construction of a "hanson" cab it would
be particularly inconvenient for the driver to descend from his seat to open the
doors every time a passenger wishes to enter or leave the vehicle, consequently
passengers almost invariably have to open the doors for themselves. My said
Invention obviates this difficulty in a very simple and effective manner.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shown my Invention applied to a "hansom "
cab.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said cab with one wheel removed.
Figure 2 is a plan or top view of the bedy of the said cab partly broken
away.
Figure 3 is an underside view of the same.
The remaining Figures are hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
A is the body of the vehicle; B is the wheel; C, C, are the doors. I
attach rigidly to each door C a bent rod or plate a, the upper portion of which
is flattened and screwed or otherwise fastened to the door C near the hinges so
that the plate a and the door will move together. This plate may be fixed either
outside or inside of the door. The lower part of the rod or plate a is carried

page_text: through the foot board of the cab and has attached to it an arm or lever b to which
a cord or chain c is secured. Each door is fitted with one of these rods or plates a
and levers b, and the cords or chains c from both of the said levers are brought to
and passed through a guide constructed as shewn in Figure 4, which is a front
elevation thereof; or this guide may be provided with rollers. The said guide is
placed in a central position under the cab. The two cords or chains c are united
at c' to a cord or chain c² extending from this point to a light frame d constructed
of malleable cast iron, or of T-iron, or other suitable metal. This frame is provided
at e with a horizontal guide pulley, around one side of which the cord c³ passes,
and from which the said cord extends in the groove or channel d to the guide
pulley The latter is arranged in a plane at or nearly at a right angle to the
plane of the pulley e and thereby guides the cord or band c to the driver's seat D,
where it is provided with an eye or link g to engage with a hook or stud which
holds the end of the cord or strap in a convenient position to be pulled by the
driver. In somo instances I provide metal tubes or bushes which are inserted in
the foot-board E for the rods a to work in, but I prefer to use inetal plates / secured
to the lower part of the foot board immediately beneath each aperture. These
plates give support to the rods a passing through the same and ensure a firm
bearing for the latter when operated by means of the said cord or chain. I make
the holes in the plates h through which the said rods pass somewhat larger than the
latter so that such plates may be adapted to any cab, whatever may be the angle at
which the doors are set or placed in the same.
The rods, levers, cords, and other parts above named, as shewn in the Drawing,
are so arranged that the driver will partially open or close the doors by oporating
the cord, that is to say, he will move them on their hinges into a position from
which they will fall completely open or closed by the action of gravity. This action
may be clearly understood by reference to Figures 2 and 3. In Figure 2 the doors
are shewn closed, and the pulling of the cord will open them in the following
manner: The cords c when pulled will move the levers b, and with them the doors
from the position in which they are shewn to a position in which the said levers
are in a line with the said cords, and then the pulling of the cords will not have
any further effect on the doors, but at this point the said doors are in such a position
that their weight will act to cause them to fall back or outward, and thereby their
opening is completed, the levers 6 being then in a position diametrically opposite to
that in which they are shown. They are therefore again in a position to be moved
by the pulling of the cords in the reverse direction to return the doors to a central
position, from which they move and are closed by their own weight.
Or the mechanism may be so arranged that the cords act until the doors are fully
opened or closed.
Figure 7 shews a connecting device for gut lines when these are used instead of
other cords or chains.
In some cases I may provide the aforesaid rods or plates with arms or levers not
fastened to the doors but so operated that they push the door when the cord or
chain is pulled.
If it should be considered necessary to couple or connect the doors to ensure their
both opening or closing simultaneously, I provide the same with the apparatus
shewn in plan in Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 6 shews the rods a provided with small pinions i which engage with racks
in the metal straps j united by the bar k. The two racks j' are placed on opposite
sides of the pinions, as shown, so that the cords cannot bo pulled without moving
the racks; the movement of the racks in either direction will be accompanied by a
rotation or partial rotation of both pinions in opposite directions on their axes,
and therefore both doors will open or closo simultaneously when the cord c³ is
pulled.
I modify this apparatus, as shewn in Figure 6, by using a chain crossed and
passed around sprocket wheels 7, and provided with a link on one side and

page_text: another link or a rod on the other side, the said link passing through the
link so that the two sides of the chain will not rub against each other.
From the above description of my apparatus it is obvious that the driver may
fully open or close the doors at will; or he may partially open them and hold them
open as may be desired.
In adapting the said Invention to carriages, the doors of which have handles
which must be operated before the doors can be opened, I provide suitable levers in
connection with the handles, and so arranged that the first effect of pulling the
cord or chain will be to turn the handles, the mechanism for opening the doors
then coming into play.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, I wish it understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing, as these may be varied to a considerable extent within
the scope of my Invention, for instance, instead of a cord or chain to be pulled I
may use a rod, bar, or lever to be pushed or pulled by the driver and connected by
cords or chains with levers or arms fixed upon or arranged to act on the doors,
and I may vary the construction and arrangement of the guides and other parts of
the said apparatus in any manner which will not be inconsistent with the nature
and object of any said Invention, as above set forth, and I claim,―
First. In combination with the doors of a hansom cab or other vehicle the
apparatus whereby the driver in his seat can by manipulating a cord, chain, rod, or
lever open or close the said doors as above set forth.
Second. In combination with the doors of a hansom cab or similar vehicle the
mechanism so arranged that the driver in his seat by pulling a cord or chain can
partially open or close the said doors and move them on their hinges into such a
position that the remainder of the movement in either direction will be effected by
the weight of the said doors as above set forth.
Third. The combination with the cab doors of the rods which are attached to the
said doors and extend down through the foot board to be connected with the
mechanism for operating thein, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination with the apparatus above described of means for
turning the handles of carringe doors, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Fifth. In combination with the cab doors and the mechanism whereby they are
operated the devices for ensuring the simultaneous movement of the said doors in
opening or closing them, substantially as described, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6
of the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Fifth day of July. in the year of our Lord One thousand
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)