IMPROVED MEANS FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING CARRIAGES USED ON ORDI- NARY ROADS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gedge, of No. 4, Wellington Street South,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED MEANS FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING CARRIAGES USED ON ORDI-
NARY ROADS." A communication from William Adolphus Zempliner,
Goldsmith, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Gedge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 17th November 1857, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GEDGE, of Number 4, Wellington Street South, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR
STOPPING OR RETARDING CARRIAGES USED ON ORDINARY ROADS," and have peti-
tioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
declaration that I received the said Invention from William Adolphus
Zempliner, Goldsmith, of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gedge, do hereby declare that
the following Complete Specification, under my baud and seal, fully describes

page_text: and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings here-
unto annexed, and forming part of this my Complete Specification, on which
Figures or Diagrams illustrating the said Invention are designed, and similar
letters of reference are placed upon and denote similar parts in each of the
several Figures respectively.
The Invention has for its object the fixing of a brake (or break) on the
fore wheels of carriages in so secure a manner that the wheels are instantly
trigged, as by a drag chain, as soon as the horses stop. This brake is applicablo
to every description of heavy or light conveyances, even to state carriages,
without its being much visible or requiring any great alteration in the usual
construction of the vehicle.
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing represents the splinter bar a fixed
before the fore wheels. This splinter bar may act as a brako; it is connected
with the pole b, and it is preferred to make it moveable, so that it may bo
easily mounted and dismounted. In carriages where the pole is so arranged
as to be laid in the "pole shoc," the backward and forward motion is pro-
duced either by an oval hole in the pole, or the splinter bar may be rendered
moveable by the cross pin, and furnished with the wooden cheeks c, c, (visible
also in Figures 2 and 3.) This arrangement offers this advantage, the car-
riage stops as soon as the horses stop, as may be proved by reference to
Figure 2, which is a side view of the apparatus. When the horses start
again the bars on which the traces are fixed, and consequently also the brakes,
are again removed from the wheels and permit their free revolution. This
arrangement lessens very considerably the fatigue of the horses at the com-
mencement of the traction. For carriages where the pole is not required to
be laid in or taken out, the following adaptation is adopted :-Under the polo
a rod of iron or thick iron wiro is inserted, which is connected with the brake
by supports, as shewn at Figure 2; this mode serves the purpose as well as
the other. Figure 8 represents the same principle, and Figure 5 a side view
of the same construction, with this difference, that for the sake of eleganco
and durability the pole is made hollow (say of iron plate), and the rod of iron
inserted therein. Between this rod and the hollow sides of the iron pole a
wooden lining is fixed, so that the rod may slide easily and without noise or
friction. Very beavy carriages may be furnished with the double brake both
on the fore and hind wheels, or on the fore wheels both in frout and behind
the peripheries thereof, as shown in Figure 1. By this arrangement greater
security is obtained. In carriages drawn by one horse only, and not being
furnished with a splinter bar, the brake is adapted as shown at Figure 6.

page_text: Having now described the nature of the Invention communicated to me by
William Adolphus Zempliner aforesaid, and the manner in which it is carried
into effect, I desire it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details of the parts or combination of parts herein-before described, as
such may be modified to suit the various kinds of carriages to which the
brake may be applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gedge, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. E. GEDGE,
4, Danes' Inn.
JOHN GEDGE. (L.S.)