Certain Improvements in the Front Lights of Hansom Cabs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sen'., 1895-Accented, 26th Oct.,
1895
Certain Improvements in the Front Lights of Hansom Cabs.
:
I, HERBERT HALL MULLINER, of 300, Broad Street, in the City of Birmingham,
'Carriage Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
.
This invention consists in constructing and arranging the front lights of hansom
cabs in the manner hereindescribed so as to enable the whole of the front light to
be made in one single glass plate which with its frame will turn up into the roof and
occupy much less space than any single frame front light heretofore made and also
be less in the way of the occupant of the cab when the front light is being raised or
lowered. Also when the front light constructed according to my invention is left
partly open it will give thorough, ventilation from below and at the same time
prevent rain driving in to the cab
"
For the purposes of my invention the single frame front light is carried from the
top of the pillars of the cab front by means of two side links which are jointed to
the front light frame at a certain distance from the top of the same. The lower
part of the said frame is made narrower than the upper part so that when the
window is being raised by cords straps or the like connected to the side links this
lower part will project forward between the pillars of the cab front, and the front
light will rise in an inclined direction which gradually becomes nearer the
horizontal until the front light ultimately rests inside and close against the roof of
the cab.
3.
The upper ends of the said frame are by preference made with side projecting
rollers which as the..front light is rising into its highest position enter and move
along grooves in the sides of the cab.
I prefer for the weight of the front light to be partly counterbalanced by
means of coiled wire springs which act upon short arms of the two side links
and are located near the front pillars.
It will be seen that when the window is open for a very short distance the lower
part projecting between the pillars allows of ventilation between the top of the
doors and the underside of the front light and yet effectually prevents the rain from
driving in the cab.
Dated this 18th day of December 1894.
* COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in the Front Lights of Hansom Cabs.
I, HERBERT HALL MULLINER, of 300, Broad Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Carriage Builder, 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 :—
.::
This invention consists in constructing and arranging the front lights of hansom
cabs in the manner hereindesoribed so as to enable the whole of the front light to

page_text: be made in one single glass plate which with same will turn up into the roof
and occupy much less space than any single frame front light heretofore made and
also be less in the way of the occupant of the cab when the front light is being
raised or lowered. Also when the front light constructed according to my invention
is left partly open it will give thorough Ventilation from below and at the same time
prevent rain driving in to the cab.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawing on
which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a part of a hansom cab body with my
improvements in the front lights applied thereto, the front light being shewn in the
position which it occupies when it is raised; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same also
shewing the front light raised; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation shewing the same
parts as Fig. 1 but in the positions which they occupy when the window is lowered
and closed; Fig. 4 shews the front light or window partly open and Fig. 5
is an elevation of the front light closed and mechanism looking from the inside of
the cab.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures of the
drawing.
For the purposes of my invention the single frame front light A is carried from
the top of the pillars F F of the cab front by means of the two side links marked
respectively B B between which the front light A can turn and which are jointed
to the sides of the front light by the-side pins cc which are situated about half
way down from the top of the frame. These side links BB are respectively.fixed
to a tubular or other shaft D-so as to turn with it this shaft being free to turn in
the bearings EE fixed to the tops of the pillars FF. The upper corners of
the frame of the front light A are made with side projecting rollers gg² turning on
pins fixed thereto so that when the front light-is-rising into its highest position as
hereinafter described these rollers og will enter and move along the channel
section guides fixed to the top of the cab near to the sides of the same as shewn
in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. At the sides of the frame of the front light A. and near the
lower part thereof there are fixed-two rollers marked which take into the usual
side guides fixed to the pillars of the cab front so as to guide the front light-A.
into or out of its closed position as hereinafter described. The tivo lifting cords
straps or the like k pass down from the top of the cab at the sides of the front
light and through eyes which are formed on-the side links BB² and terminate
at the brackets m² m² which are fixed to the sides of frame A.
The weight of the front light is partly counter-balanced by means of compression
springs which are contained in the tubes n'n' and which act upon the plungers o¹³
which are jointed to the short arms of the side links BB. These short
arma p¹² are arranged so as to have turned a little higher that the centre line of
the thrust of the springs in the tubes n' n when the front-light is in its highest
position as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 and thus assist in keeping the front light
in this position. The short arms plp also turn slightly past the gaid centre line of
thrust in the other direction when the front light is lowered as in Figs. 3 and 4 and
thus keep the front light-closed tight against the insides of the pillars.
The lower part-a of the frame of the front light A, that is the part below the
side rollers is made narrow enough to pass between the pillars F1 F³ as the
front light turns in opening and closing so that when the front light A. is being
raised by pulling the cords straps or the like the side rollers will ride up
the guides and the lower part a' of the front light will project forward between
the pillars FF of the cab front as shewn in Fig. 4 and the front light a will rise
in an inclined direction which gradually becomes more horizontal as the upper
rollers g g² enter the guides on the top of the cab where the front light A
ultimately rests inside and close to the roof as shewn in Figs. 1-and-2.
It will be seen by Fig. 4 that when the window or front light A is open för a
very short distance the lower part a' projecting between the pillars F Fallows of
ventilation between the top of the doors,gand the under side of the front light Alas
shewn by the arrow in Fig. 4 and, yet effectually prevents the rain from driving in

page_text: to the cab. By the lower part of the front light being made to project between the
front pillars of the cab as above described as the front light is being raised or
lowered, the front light is less in the way of the occupant of the cab than is
the case with those single frame front lights which do not thus project between the
pillars.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In single frame front lights for hansom cabs, arranging the lower part of the
front light to project forwards between the front pillars of the cab as the front light
is being raised or lowered, thereby affording more clearance between the front light
and the head of the occupant, as herein set forth.
2. The combination with a single frame front light of a hansom cab of side links
such as B¹ B jointed to the sides of said front light and carrying the same from the
top of the cab front, rollers such as or other side projections fixed to the sides of
the front light frame some little distance above the bottom of the frame and below
the lower ends of the side links, side guides on the front pillars for the said side
rollers or other projections, and cords or the like attached to the front light for
raising the same from the back of the cab, these parts being arranged substantially
as herein set forth and shewn so that the lower part of the front light will in rising
or lowering be caused to project between the front pillars of the cab and will rise in
an inclined direction which gradually becomes more nearly horizontal and finally
rests in guides beneath the top of the cab in a horizontal or nearly horizontal
position as herein set forth.
3. The combination with a single frame front light and means for carrying and
raising the same as denoted under Claim One, of the spring device adapted to act
upon short arms such as p' p³ of the side links B' B and maintain or assist in
maintaining the front light in its highest or lowest positions as described.
Dated this 18th day of September 1895
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.