An Improvement in Hansom Cabs.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug.,
1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st May, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Hansom Cabs.
I ELIZABETH LANGE of 530 Fulham Road, London, S.W. married woman do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It has for its object the protection of ladies and gentlemens dresses and coats from
coming in contact with and being soiled by the wheels on stepping in and out of
Hansom Cabs, and consists of a flap or splash board attached to the door of the
Hansom, which when the door is open can be drawn out sufficiently far to overlap
the tread of the wheel, or it can be arranged to fold. I attach to, or combine with this
flap, slide, or splash board, a spring held by a ratchet and paul, so that by pressing a
button or knob, conveniently placed, or otherwise actuating the paul, the spring will
be released and will draw back into its place the flap or screen. I do not bind myself
to the exact form of the screen, or whether it be pulled out straight or work on the
end of one or more levers.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Hansom Cabs.
I, ELIZABETH LANGE, of 530 Fulham Road, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
woman 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 :-
My invention has for its object the protection of ladies and gentlemen's dresses and
coats from coming in contact with and being soiled by the wheels on stepping in
and out of Hansom Cabs, and consists of a flap or splash board attached to the door of
the Hansom, which when the door is open can be drawn out sufficiently far to overlap
the tyre of the wheel, or it can be arranged to fold. I attach to or coinbine with this
flap, slide, or splash board, a spring, preferably a common clock spring held by a
ratchet and paul, so that by pressing a button or knob conveniently placed, or other-
wise actuating the paul, the spring will be released and will draw back into its place
the flap or screen.
I do not bind myself to any exact form of the slide or flap which may,
desirable, be made in the shape of a fan and fold in the same way.
if found
To suit certain Hansoms the slide may be drawn straight out until it covers the
wheel, in other cases a splash board working at the end of one or more levers may be
adopted.
.
My invention will be understood by referring to Figure 1 of the annexed drawings.
Figure 2 shows the position my invention occupies in the folding doors of a Hansom
Cab, the apparatus being shown extended from the door on one side and enclosed
within the outer and inner boarding of the door on the other side.
The apparatus, according to these two views, consists of a splash board or guard A
shown in the position it occupies when closed up and also the position it occupies when
brought down, the latter being in dotted lines.
The splash board A is jointed to two bars B, B, the inner ends of which are movable
on pins C, C. These inner ends are of barrel formation and contain spiral or ordinary
clock springs in the barrels. The upper barrel has on it a ratchet quadrant D and the
springs are arranged to retain the splash board in the position indicated in full lines
Figure 1, or in the door as represented at E Figure 2.

page_text: To enable the two barrels to work simultaneously, I connect them by a rod F and I
so place the ratchet quadrant D. that a paul G can engage in the teeth under the action
of a spring H attached to the tail end I of the paul and encircling a rod J to which it
is also connected, said rod J being linked to another rod K, so that a pull down
movement of the rod K, spring H and tail end I lifts the paul G out of the tooth of
the ratchet when the door has to be closed either by a pressure on the knob L riding
upon or against a fixed stop on the foot board of the Cab, so that the release of the
paul may take place automatically, or it can be released by a person pressing on the
knob M at the upper part of the door when in the act of closing it, said knob M being
on a rod N, the lower end of which presses on the tail end 1 of the paul G to release
the paul. The rod N is encircled for a part of its length by a spring P to return it to
its first position. The clock like springs within the barrels are sufficiently strong to
lift the splash board A, and to ease the concussion due to the strength of the springs I
fit a couple of rubber blocks or rollers at Q for that purpose.
The view indicated at Figure 2 is taken just in front of the doors and looking into
the Cab body.
The appliances constituting my apparatus, such as hereinbefore described, is
preferably arranged on a plate R readily affixable between the outer and inner boards
of the Cab door but the several parts may be attached directly to the door.
According to Figure 3, the splash board A for the purpose of my invention is
composed of several pieces arranged fan shape, these being so arranged on a spindle
or pivot pin C that the spring within the barrel is of sufficient strength to lift the
lower section of the fan and the upper ones in succession, so that they become enclosed
within the casing R in a similar manner to that before explained.
To enable these splash boards to be readily drawn outward away from the door to
cover that part of the wheel which ladies dresses or gentlemen's coats are apt to come
in contact with while stepping in or out of a Hansom Cab, I arrange a finger piece S
on the splash board A.
. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
Fitting appliances within or to the doors of Hansom Cabs which can, by a pull out
action, cover that part of the rim or tyre of the wheel as a protector for the purpose
described, said appliances being returnable by spring on the release of a paul as
described and substantially as shown in the annexed drawings.
The 21st day of May 1889
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said Elizabeth Lange.