Iм- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OMNIBUSES, AND IN BREAKS TO APPLIED TO SUCH AND OTHER WHEEL CARRIAGES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Riddell, of Carracon Terrace, Old Ford,
Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OMNIBUSES, AND IN BREAKS TO
APPLIED TO SUCH AND OTHER WHEEL CARRIAGES."
BE
Sealed the 31st December 1858, and dated the 1st July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Riddell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st July 1858.
I, THOMAS RIDDELL, of Carracon Terrace, Old Ford, Bow, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OMNIBUSSES, AND IN BREAKS TO BE APPLIED
TO SUCH AND OTHER WHEEL CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a novel construction of omnibus body, the
chief object being to provide accommodation for first and second class inside
passengers. The body I.form by preference of two octagonal compartments,
which are separated by a vertical partition..
To the hinder compartment access is gained by a door at the back, as is
usual, but for the front compartment a side door is provided in the angle
formed by the two octagonal figures. In the opposite angle I fix steps, which
will render the roof seats more easily accessible than hitherto,
D1

page_text: To facilitate the stopping of the omnibus, and to remove the strain put upon
the horses by the action of pulling up, I propose to apply a self-acting broak
of a novel construction, which, when unlocked or set free, will bear upon the
ground or on the periphery of the running wheels, and effectually retard the
progress of the vehicle.
This break consists of a rocking frame, having (for convenience) one of the
carriage axles as its fulcrum; connected to the upperpart of the rocking frame
is a sliding bar plate or frame, which carries the trace irons, and this sliding
bar or frame is connected by springs of vulcanized india-rubber to the under
framing of the carriage; the sliding frame has therefore always a tendency to
be drawn in the direction that will force the brake surface carried by the lower
end of the rocking frame into action. In order, however, to keep the break
out of action, I provide a trigger or spring catch, which is attached to the
framing of the carriage, and bearing against a projection or other part of the
sliding frame, will prevent it from yielding to the drag of the break springs.
By releasing this catch from its hold on the sliding frame, which the driver
might do by a lever or strap at the time that he pulls up his horses, the
break would come into immediate action and put the required drag on
the carriage. It will be obvious that this arrangement of break may be
applied to the retarding or stopping of carriages generally. When applying
this break to a waggon, I propose in place of a holding or trigger catch to
keep it out of action by means of a chain barrel, which may be turned by
a handspike or otherwise, when the break is required to be lifted out of action,
and caused to hold the lifting chains in tension until the break is to be used.
This, like the former arrangement, admits of being thrown in and out of
action while the vehicle is in motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Riddell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RIDDELL, of Carracon Terrace, Old Ford, Bow, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fitty-eight, in the twenty-second year of

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Riddell, Her special license that I, the said
Thomas Riddell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas Riddell, 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 OMNIBUSSES, AND IN BREAKS TO BE APPLIED TO SUCH
AND OTHER WHEEL CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Riddell, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Thomas Riddell, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)
This Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Omnibusses, and
in Breaks to be applied to such and other Wheel Carriages," relates, firstly,
to a novel construction of omnibus body, one of the objects being to provide
accommodation for first and second class inside passengers, if required. The
body of the carriage I form, by preference, of two octagonal compartments,
which are separated by a vertical partition. To the hinder compartment
access is gained by a door at the back, as is usual, but for the front compart-
ment a side door is provided in one of the angles formed by the two octagonal
figures. In the opposite angle I fix steps, which will render the roof seats
more easily accessible than hitherto.
The second part of my Invention relates to the means of stopping or re-
tarding omnibusses or other wheel carriages.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. ] is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a
sectional plan view of an omnibus constructed upon the improved plan.
A and B are the two octagonal compartments, which are divided from each
other by the vertical partition a; access is obtained to the hinder compartment
by the door b, and to the foremost compartment by the door c at one side of
the carriage. In the corresponding angle on the opposite side of the carriage
are placed the steps d, d, and hand rails e, e, whereby the seats on the roof

page_text: may be reached with facility.
It will be seen, on referring to the Figures,
that the steps d, d, occupy the entire angle on this side of the carriage, and
that there is no door on this side. By means of this arrangement I am
enabled to obtain one more seat in the compartment; but if it be considered
desirable to have a means of access on both sides of the carriage, the steps d
may be removed and a door placed as on the other side, and narrow steps d*
may be fixed at each side of the carriage on the side of the hinder compart-
ment in the same angles as the doors are placed, as seen in Fig. 2. The central
vertical partition a may, if required, be carried up to the roof, so as to entirely
separate the two compartments, or it may be carried up only part of the way,
if preferred.
The second part of the Invention is also shewn in Fig. 1, and in the partial
plan view Fig. 3, which represents the fore carriage and front running wheels,
with the body of the vehicle removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the
parts shewn in Fig. 3.
To facilitate the stopping of the omnibus, and to remove the strain put upon
the borses by the action of pulling up, I propose to apply a self-acting brake
of a novel construction, which when unlocked or set free, will bear ироп the
ground or on the periphery of the running wheels, and will effectually retard
the progress of the vehicle.
This brake consists of a rocking frame or lever f.f, having (for convenience)
one of the carriage axles as its fulcrum. The upper end of this rocking frame
or lever enters a slot or hole in a sliding bar plate or frame g, g, which rests
on the fixed frame h, h, and carries two of the trace irons i, i, as seen best in
Figures 3 and 4, or, if preferred, the splinter bar may be secured to this sliding
frame. This sliding bar or frame g is connected by springs, j, of vulcanized
india-rubber to the under framing of the carriage; the sliding frame y, g, has.
therefore always a tendency to be drawn in the direction that will force into
action the brake surface f* (carried by the lower end of the rocking frame or
lever f), by causing it to press with considerable, force on the surface of the
ground.
The operation of this improved retarding apparatus is as follows:—The
traces being hooked on to the trace irons i,i, or on to the splinter baremployed
in place thereof, the horses in pulling will draw the sliding frame g forward,
and in so doing will draw forward the upper end of the lever f, and conse-
quently will lift, the brake surface f off the ground. On the contrary, when
the horses cease to pull forward (as in going down hill), the sliding frame g
will be drawn back by the force of the springsj, j, and at the same time will
force the brake surface f* on to the ground.

page_text: In order, however, to keep the break out of action and the brake surface off
the ground, as will sometimes be required, I provide a trigger or spring catch
k, which is attached to the fixed framing of the carriage, and bears against
the upper surface of the sliding frame g, in which is made a notch or groove to
receive the spring catch k, and thereby prevent the sliding frame g from yielding
to the drag of the india-rubber brake springs j, j. By releasing this catch
from its hold on the sliding frame g, which the driver may do by means of a
cord or strap connected with the lever, the brake would come into immediate
action at the time that the driver pulls up his horses, and the required drag
will be put on the carriage.
In Fig. 1 is shewn another form of brake which is intended to operate on
one or both of the hind wheels, and be under the control of the conductor; fis
a foot lever mounted on a centre pin m, and having the tread end placed near
to or arranged so as to form part of the foot board of the conductor; the
opposite end of this lever is provided with a skid or break surface f*, which is
applied to the wheel to retard the carriage; j,j,j, are strong vulcanized india-
rubber spring connected at one end to some fixed portion of the carriage, and
at their opposite ends to the break lever f. It will be seen that the tendency
of the springs is always to draw up the lever f, and force the break surface
against the wheel. The conductor when he stands upon the tread end of the
lever prevents the springs from drawing up the lever, but immediately he
lifts up his foot the springs begin to act; a catch lever with a suitable handle
may be adapted to the break lever f, for the purpose of keeping the break
surface in a quiescent position. It will be obvious that the break lever may be
so arranged that the break surface shall be brought into action by depressing
the lever finstead of raising it, and also that the conductor may force the
break surface against the wheel by treading on the lever, the india-rubber
springs being used simply for relieving the brake.
It will be obvious that these arrangements of breaks may be applied to the
retarding or stopping of carriages generally. When applying these brakes to
a waggon I propose in place of a holding or trigger catch to keep it out of
action by means of a chain barrel, which may be turned by a handspike or
otherwise, when the brake is required to be lifted out of action, and caused to
hold the lifting chains in tension until the brake is to be used. This, like the
former arrangement, admits of being thrown in and out of action while the
vehicle is in motion.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Construction
of Omnibusses, and in Breaks to be applied. to such and other Wheel
Carriages," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,

page_text: I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not mean or intend to confine myself
rigidly to the precise arrangement or construction of parts herein shewn and
described, as they may doubtless be varied without departing from the nature
and object of my Invention, nor do I intend to claim the dividing of omnibusses
or such like vehicles or carriages into separate compartments; but that which
I consider to be new, and therefore desire to claim as the Invention secured
to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, is,-
First, the mode herein described of constructing the carriage body and
arranging the seats and doorways or entrances of omnibusses.
Second, the modes above described of constructing and working breaks for
retarding omnibusses and other wheel carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Riddell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the First day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66; Chancery Lane.
THOMAS RIDDELL. (L.S.)