A COLLAPSING HAND CARRIAGE FOR LIGHT BOATS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Ealand Todd, of Park Cottage, Park Street,
The Mount, in the Surburbs of the City of York, for an Invention of
"A COLLAPSING HAND CARRIAGE FOR LIGHT BOATS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Ealand Todd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1880.
FRANK EALAND TODD, of Park Cottage, Park Street, The Mount, in the Suburbs
of the City of York. "A COLLAPSING HAND CARRIAGE FOR LIGHT BOATS."
The Invention is for the convenience of boats crews (attending regattas) and
others, in transporting racing and other light boats overland, the carriage to be
built in proportion to the size and weight of the boat it has to carry; the following
being a type for a racing fine four :-From the bottom of the carriage marked “D³
in the Drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3, hereunto annexed, two jibs or main
supports "g," project outwards from each side, as shown in Fig. 2, being connected
therewith by a moveable joint "j," and fastened firmly together at the other end
by an iron rod "e," Fig. 2; where also 2 chains "c" connect them with the other
two jibs or main supports projecting the opposite way, as shown at "F, F, Fig. 1 '
(two of which jibs or main supports and one chain only, are shown in the Figures
to avoid complication.) And further, to allow a boat 3 or 4 inches wider being
carried, the part marked "R," which supports the boat slides a few inches and
fastens with a screw. Also from "R, R," two broad straps P cross the boat, to
fasten it to the carriage. A net will also be spread from the aforesaid jibs or main
supports at "n, n," and fastened to the bottom of the carriage for portmanteaus.
The oars rest on the netting between "n, n," Fig. 2. A box B" for tools, oil-
can, &c., will be fixed in the bottom of the carriage "D." The carriage proper
being below the axle "A" is suspended from it by india rubber springs "8, 8."
The advantage of the great length of the carriage being that 10 feet of the
heaviest part of the boat is supported on the carriage; whereby all fear of the
boat straining or breaking its back is removed. The spokes of the wheel W, Fig. 1,
are omitted. The dotted lines W, Fig. 2, show where the wheels would be if not
removed. Fig. 1 shows the carriage open to receive the boat; Fig. 2, end view
when closed; Fig. 3, side view when closed. Wheels take off in closing. Scale of
Drawings 1 inch =1 foot.
65

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frank Ealand Todd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
October 1880.
FRANK EALAND TODD, of Park Cottage, Park Street, The Mount, in the City of
York. "A COLLAPSING HAND CARRIAGE FOR LIGHT BOATS."
This Invention is for the convenience of boats crews (attending regattas) and
others, in transporting racing and other light boats overland; the carriage to be
built in proportion to the size and weight of the boat it has to carry; folding up,
or when necessary taking in pieces, for travelling in the railway van, or in the
boat (in the case of tourists) when not in use; the following being a type for a
"racing fine four:"-In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. is a side view of the
carriage open ready to receive the boat, one wheel being removed; Fig. 2, end
view of the same when closed, with wheels removed; Fig. 3, side view when
closed; Fig. 4, Part top elevation, and part plan of the bottom of the carriage;
Fig. 5, side view of top cap of jib; Fig. 6, underside of slide; Fig. 7, side view of
slide fitting into groove I in plate on top cap of jib; Fig. 8, top view of cap (shown
in Fig. 5) with connecting iron bar e; Fig. 9, side view of bottom cap of jib.
forming joint J; Figs from 4 to 9 are drawn to an enlarged scale. The bottom of
the carriage consists of two wood bearers D, fixed at each end to suitable woodwork
forming "jaws," from which two jibs g project outwards from each side, being
attached thereto by one end of each jib fitting into an iron cap, which has a solid
piece cast on through which an iron bolt passes, fixing it to the said woodwork or
jaws which are bound with hoop iron, thus forming the joint J which permits the
carriage to fold up. The other end of each jib also fits into an iron cap having a
thin plate cast on at an angle of 85° (shown in Fig. 8), in which is a groove I for
the slides hereinafter mentioned. An iron bar e conects each pair of jibs together,
passing through the caps, and is fixed on the outside by a screw nut H. A collar
bolt m on the bar e prevents the jib slipping on the inside. Two chains c connect
one pair of jibs with the others projecting the opposite way (Fig. 1), which said
chains are fixed to the said iron plates at F. To permit of a few inches wider or
narrower boat being carried, the part R on which the boat rests slides by means of
a dovetail on the underside of the said slide (Fig. 6) fitting into the groove 1 in the
aforesaid thin iron plate on top cap (Fig. 7.) Each pair of slides are attached
together by a bolt and screw uut passing through holes drilled in the projecting
arms of each slide as at K, Fig. 7; suitable stops are fixed to the outside end of
dovetail to prevent the slides slipping out of the groove. Two broad straps P
with buckles cross the boat at R (one only being shown), which are fixed to the
carriage by the aforesaid nut H, Fig. 1. A net is spread from the jibs from n, n,
where a strong cord is fixed as a border for the said net, and to the wood bearers 1)
to carry portmanteaus, &c. The oars rest on the aforesaid strong cord at n, n.
The carriage proper being below the axle A is suspended from it by two (or more
if a heavy boat) india rubber springs 8, each spring being fixed by a "clip" to the
bearer D (Figs. 2 & 4), is passed over the axle through the rings of the spring stay L
(necessary to prevent side rock) to the other bearer, and fixed in like manner.
box B for tools, oil-can, &c., is placed between the aforesaid wood bearers to which
it is fixed, thereby giving strength to the same. In the above described carriage
the boat travels " bottom up," resting on the slides R. When it is desirable to
carry the boat "right way up" it rests on the aforesaid iron bar c, which to meet
some cases will be bent to fit the boat to be carried, and be suitably padded, then
for the time being the slides R will be dispensed with. When the springs and
box are unnecessary, the jibs will be attached to suitable plates fixed to the axle,
forming jaws for the joint J, in the same manner as above described. The wheels
b
A

page_text: are attached to the axle and fastened with a nut screw having hole for "linch pin"
in the ordinary way.
Having thus fully described my Invention what I claim is as follows:- -1. The
four jibs g projecting outwards, in combination with the caps forming joint J
with the bolts and nuts, the connecting bars e, with fixed collar bolts, and screw
nuts, the caps with plate with groove I, and the two tension chains for the purposes
above set forth. 2. The sliding apparatus fastening with bolts and screw nuts, as
above described. 3. The combination of the box with and between woodbearers,
the jaws receiving joint J, the whole forming the bottom, as above set forth. 4. The
net suspended as and for the purpose above specified. 5. The suspension of the
carriage proper by india rubber springs a with necessary stays Land fastening clips,
as above fully described. 6. The straps with buckles fastening to carriage with
nut H, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Ealand Todd, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.