AN IMPROVED DRAG OR APPARATUS WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO STAGE COACHES AND OTHER WHEEL CARRIAGES, AND WHEREBY THE MOTION THEREOF MAY BE RETARDED OR STOPPED WHEN REQUIRED
Year: 1829

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
PARKER, of Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, a Lieutenant in the Royal
Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirty-first day of January, in the tenth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Parker, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial license that I, the
said Robert Parker, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, and every of them, for
myself and themselves, or by my and their duputy or deputies, servants or
agents, or such others as I, the said Robert Parker, my exors, adñiors, or
assigns, shall at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED DRAG OR APPARATUS WHICH
IS APPLICABLE TO STAGE COACHES AND OTHER WHEEL CARRIAGES, AND WHEREBY
THE MOTION THEREOF MAY BE RETARDED OR STOPPED WHEN REQUIRED;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Robert
Parker, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in IIis said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and im-
mediately after tho date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the sand
Robert Parker, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and ascertained
in the two Sheets of Drawings annexed to these Presents, and the following
description thereof, that is to say :-
Figure 1 in the Drawing, Sheet 1, is a lateral elevation of a travelling
carriage, to show the position in which my improved drag or apparatus is
applied at A, G, beneath one end of the axle X of the hinder wheels, being
situated as near to one of these wheels as it can be placed. The structure
of my improved drag may be explained by comparing it to a human leg, with
its foot F and shoe G, its ancle's joint K, and knee joint B; the upper end of
the leg A of the drag is attached to the under side of the axle X by what may
be called its knee joints, about which the leg A of the drag is moveable,
in order that it may be drawn up by a person seated in the seat bebin the
carriage, and pulling a line or small chain L, and then by making that line
fast to a hook M at the back part of the carriage near the top thereof; the
drag is kept suspended in an inclined position, with the shoe G at the lower end
of it raised off the ground. The usual drag chain D is firmly connected by one
end to the fore part of the perch (or other suitable part of the frame of the
carriage), and by the other end to the foot or lower part F, G, of the drag.
The drag chain D hangs slack in a loop when the drag is drawn up into
the inclined position, as represented in Figure 1, and the drag must be kept
suspended at such a height as will raise the loop of the drag chain clear off the
ground; the drag is always kept suspended in that position whilst the carriage
is travelling and the drag is not wanted, but the drag is ready to be brought
instantly into action if it is required to retard or stop the motion of tho
carriage, for by detaching the line L from the hook M (which can be done
either by persons within the carriage or by persons on the outside thereof) the
drag is let fall by its own weight with its shoe G upon the ground, and then by
the advancing motion of the carriage whilst the shoe is bearing on the ground,
the leg A of the drag is brought towards an upright position beneath one end
of the axle X of the hinder wheels, in the manner represented in Sheet II.,
Figures four and five, whereby that end of the said axle is raised and propped
up so much as to lift one of the hinder wheels off from the ground, and
the drag chain D becoming tight will not allow the shoe G of the drag to go
any further backwards in respect to the carriage, but the chain retains the
drag with the sole of the shoe bearing flat on the ground, therefore the drag
continues to act as a prop or support, which bears all the weight that is usually
borne by that hinder wheel which is so raised off the ground, consequently, if

page_text: the carriage is drawn forwards, the friction and resistance of the shoe G sliding
along the ground tends to retard or stop the motion of the carriage; the drag
can be disengaged instantly by a person's (seated on the outside hinder seat of
the carriage) pulling up the line L, for that line is attached to the leg A of
the drag by a moveable ring N, which, with the aid of a bent lever O and
other parts, herein-after described, is adapted to confine the foot F and shoc
G of the drag so rigidly and firmly to the leg part A thereof, as will support
the weight of one end of the axle X, in the manner before stated. The first
effect of pulling up the line L when the drag is in action is to lift up the
moveable ring N so much as to reloase the bent lever o from it, and thereby
allow the foot F to become loose and moveable about the joint K, by which it
is united to the leg A; in consequence the drag becomes as it were dislocated
at the ancle joint K, as is represented in Figures two and three, Sheet I, and
is then no longer capable of sustaining any weight, but it lets the wheel down
again to the ground and the drag is out of action; by continuing to pull
up the line L the drag is again raised into its inclined direction, and the drag
chain D becomes slack; the line L being again made fast to its hook M
at the back of the carriage will keep the drag so suspended. As soon as the
she G is lifted clear off the ground, another chain and line R being pulled up,
the foot F will be restored to its original position in respect to the leg A, and
the end of the bent lever O will become lodged within the moveable ring N in
order to secure the foot firmly and rigidly to the leg, as represented in Figure 1,
in which state the drag is prepared to repeat its action at a moment's notico
by only letting go the line L from the hook M, so as to allow the drag to drop
down, in the manner before described.
Having now described the action of my improved drag or apparatus, I shall
proceed to explain the construction of the various parts thereof in detail by
the aid of Figures 4 and 5 in Sheet II., which are drawn one-half the real size.
The leg A of the drag, when viewed from behind the carriage, as in Figure 4,
is a triangular frame of wrought iron in one piece; the principal leg A
is upright, (or as nearly so as it can be, to bring the shoe G near to the wheel
.II); the upper part B of the triangle is horizontal, (or as nearly so as it can
be; to apply beneath the axle X), and the third side E of the triangle is
inclined, serving as a brace to strengthen the principal leg A and give
it lateral stability; the upper part B of the triangle is made round near to
each end, that it may play or turn round within the screw clamps or slips I, I,
which surround the iron axle X and the wooden axletree, and bind them
firmly together; the same clips also fasten the blockings U, U, which are fitted
to the under side of the axle X, and have sockets in the under sides properly

page_text: formed to receive the ends of the round part B of the triangle, as well as the
upper ends of the upright leg A, and of the inclined brace E, which ends are
rounded in continuation of the round bar B, and are so filled into those sockets
as that the said ends shall bear the principal part of the weight which is
thrown upon the leg and the brace when the drag is in action; the round
part B of the triangle turning freely round between the blockings U, U, and
the screw clips I, I, in the manner of an axis of motion, forms the joint about
which the drag moves; when it is raised up or let down the foot F is united to
the lower part of the leg by a strong ancle joint K, which is formed below the
place where the inclined brace E unites to the leg A; the hinder part of the
foot extends upwards and beyond the ancle joint K to form another joint Q for
the loop P, the upper part of which passes over the lower part of the bent
lever O; that lever is fitted into a suitable space left for that purpose between
the leg A and the brace E, near to the part where they join into one, and a
bolt S which passes through all these serves as the centre of motion of the
bent lever 0; the upper end of that lever is adapted to be caught within a
ring or loop N, which is fitted upon a pin V passing through both the leg A
and the brace E, and the ring N is moveable about that pin as a centre of
motion; when the upper end of the bent lever O is lodged within the ring N,
as is represented in Figure 5, the loop P is drawn up and securely fastened,
whereby the foot F is firmly retained to tho leg, and all flexure of the ancle
joint is prevented when the sole of the shoe bears flat on the ground, and the
drag supports the weight of one end of the axle X; but when, by snatching
up the line L the ring N is lifted up about the pin V as a centre of motion,
that ring releases the end of the beut lever O, and allows it to turn down, as
is represented in Figures 2 and 3, Sheet I, whereby the loop P being no
longer held up, the foot F is left at liberty to turn loosely about the anclo
joint K, in which state it can bear no weight, and consequently the axle X is
let down again until the wheel comes to bear on the ground, and then the
drag is out of action; for even if the foot of the drag should be drawn over
an obstacle in the road, the foot will turn with the toe upwards (as represents
in Figure 2), and pass over the obstacle if it is of moderate height; for,
when the bent lever O is turned quite down, as in Figure 2, the loop P by
sliding along the lever nearly to the end thereof will leave the foot very much
at liberty, and the ancle joint may be said to be completely dislocated. When
the drag is let down and in action, as represented in Figures 4 and 5, the
direction of the line L, after it is drawn tight, is such, that it will lift up the
ring N and release the end of the bent lever O, as before described, and as is
represented in Figures 2 and 3; but when the drag is drawn up by the line L

page_text: into its inclined position, as represented in Figure 1, the tension of the line L
will cause the ring N to assume that position in which it will detain the end
of the bent lever O within the said ring after the bent lever has been drawn
up, by pulling the other chain and line R, which is for that purpose fastened
to the end of the bent lever O, and being conducted through the ring N, it
acts when drawn up so as to gather the end of the bent lever O within the
ring N, whereby the lever will be securely detained; the line L is conductel
through a small guide pulley, which is applied to the hind part of the bottom
of the carriage at W, and thence the line L is carried up behind the back of
the carriage to the hook M. A ring handle that is fastened to the line L is
lodged upon the hook M in order to suspend the line L and the weight of the
drag. The stem of the hook M is so fitted into a socket formed in the
framing of the carriage as to slide freely in that socket, and by pushing tho
hook suddenly from behind with the flat of the hand, the stem will be driven
into its socket so far as to leave no lodgment for the ring of the line L, which
consequently slips off the hook and lets the drag fall, as before described, and
in order that the said stem of the hook may be drawn inwards by persons
within the carriage, it passes quite through the socket, and a handle T' is
jointed to the extreme end of the stem inside the carriage. This handle acts
as a lever, for the upper end bears against the inside of the carriage as a
fulerum, and a hand being applied to the lower end to pull it forwards, a very
slight force, such as a lady may easily exert, will draw in
discharge the ring of the line L so as to let down the drag. The line L is
continued beyond the ring handle which applies to the hook M, and the
extreme end of the line is made fast to any convenient part of the carriage,
where the person in the hinder seat will be most certain to put his hand
upon it. This extra length of line, marked Z, hangs lose when the line L is
hooked up, and the use of it is to enable the person behind to gather up
the ring handle of the line L after the same has been let go, and thus be
in readiness for releasing and drawing up the drag again. When required,
a small tye chain V is connected at one end to the drag chain D, and at
the other end to the lower part of the line L near to the loop, by which it is
fastened to the ring N. This tye chain answers the double purpose of
suspending the slack of the drag chain D when the drag is drawn up, as in
Figure 1, so as to raise up the drag chain above ground, and at the same time
the tension of the tye chain V tends to draw down the ring N and keep it
securely locked over the end of the bent lever O. The chain and line R is
conducted up from the bent lever O, and a ring handle at the end of it is
suspended on a hook, which is affixed to any convenient part of the carriage
the slider and

page_text: where the person riding behind will be certain to find it when he requires to
draw up the line R in order to gather up the bent lever O and place the foot
of the drag in the proper state for action, as before described, but after that is
done, and the lino R is hooked up, the said line must hang loose, as
represented in Figure 1. Note.-If the chain R is conducted under the joint
pin V of the ring N instead of over the same, and if the end of the line R,
instead of being conducted upwards is carried backwards, and made fast to a
support properly situated at the back part of the carriage, as shewn by the
dotted lines S, Figure 1, the lower step to the seat behind the carriage may
form that support), then the line S being of a suitable length, the bent lever O
will be gathered up and lodged within the ring N by the mere action of
drawing up the drag with the line L without any necessity for a separate
drawing up of the line R or S, because if the line S is of such length as to
become tight when the drag is raised so much as to take the foot clear off
from the ground, the line S will detain the upper end of the bent lever O, and
consequently, as the drag is raised higher up, that lever will be brought within
the ring N, as is represented in Figure 1.
Having now described my said Invention, I do hereby declare that what I
claim to be exclusively secured to me by the said Lotters Patent is, tho
making, using, and vending of such improved drags for stage coaches and
other wheel carriages as may be constructed according to the foregoing
description, that is to say, drags whereof the foot F is retained by the loop P,
the bent lever O, and its confining ring N, those parts being so combined
together as to act by means of the lines L and R to put such drags into action
and to release the same when required, in the manner herein-before described;
and as to the exact form and dimensions of all the several parts and the
materials of which they may be made, the same must be varied at the
discretion of the workmen who shall construct the same, and adapted
according to the weight, dimensions, and construction of the stage coaches or
other carriages to which my improved drags shall be applied.
In witness whercof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, tho Thirty-
first day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-nine

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirty-first day of March, in
the year of our Lord 1829, the aforesaid Robert Parker came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
"said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine.