Improvements in Folding Shafts for Road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Folding Shafts for Road Vehicles.
WILLIAM LEGGE, Limes Road Croydon, and ALBERT HOLT of 8 Aldermanbury
Avenue London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to folding shafts or handles of road vehicles and the means
whereby the said shafts are automatically locked in position for using same.
In forming the shafts or handles of vehicles according to our invention the said
shafts are hinged at a convenient point by hinges of suitable shape made of iron or
other metal thereby allowing the shafts or handles to be thrown back or folded on the
vehicle when not in use. When required for use the shafts or handles are brought
into their proper position and are automatically locked by a suitably shaped lock or
latch made of iron or other metal which holds the shafts or handles firmly in the
required position, the said lock or latch being also provided with means whereby it
may be readily lifted to release the shafts and allow them to be folded on the
vehicle.
ALBERT HOLT.
WILLIAM LEGGE.
We, WILLIAM LEGGE, of 43 Limes Road, Croydon, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, and ALBERT HOLT, of 8 Aldermanbury Avenue, in the City of London,
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Our invention relates to an improvement in folding shafts for road vehicles though
the construction of lock or latch which forms the subject of the invention may be
applied to or employed in connection with other folding articles such as table leaves,
shop counters or articles of furniture.
In applying the hinge to shafts or handles which may require to be folded up out
of the way as in the case of folding mail carts for children and other folding vehicles
and to enable the handle or shaft to be locked in position for use we employ a lock or
latch actuated by a spring which automatically holds the shaft or handle in the
desired position.
To illustrate one construction of latch or lock we refer to the accompanying draw-
ings though it will be understood that our invention is not limited to the precise con-
struction illustrated.
In these drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a hinged shaft or handle fitted with
our automatic loch or latch and Figure 2 is a plan of same looking upward.
The letter A represents the shaft or handle, B is the hinge, C a catch piece pivoted

page_text: at D to ears d d and E is a spring pressing on the catch. F is a fixed jaw the end of
which engages with an opening or recess G in the catch C. H H are lugs or ears
forming part of the catch C by which it may be lifted. I is a stop on the catch C
which engages with one of the ears d and holds the catch in position when not
engaged with the part F. There may be two of these stops one on each side of the
catch C.
As shown the shaft or handle is locked.
To release said shaft or handle the moving catch C is lifted by means of the lugs or
projections H until clear of the jaw F when the shaft A can be raised and folded by
means of the hinge B. When the shaft or handle is required for use it is only
necessary to lower it into the required position when the catch C slides up the inclined
part of the jaw and the latter enters the recess G so that the parts become firmly
locked thereby allowing the shaft or handle to be used in the ordinary manner. It is
obvious this arrangement of lock or latch may be applied to other forms of shafts
than that illustrated and in like manner to other articles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A hinged shaft or handle for road vehicles, provided with a lock or latch actuated
by a spring and adapted to automatically lock said shaft or handle in position for use
substantially as described.
2. A hinged shaft or handle for road vehicles provided with a pivoted moveable
spring actuated catch and a fixed jaw the two being adapted to engage with each
other and hold or lock the shaft or handle substantially as described.
3. The construction of parts substantially as and for the purposes described and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
the
Dated the 23rd day of Anril 1807
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicants.