IMPROVEMENTS IN AMBULANCE CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SICK OR WOUNDED, BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FIELD HOSPITALS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: 1
LETTERS. PATENT to William Leatham, of Leeds, in the County of
York, for the Invention of." IMPROVEMENTS IN AMBULANCE CARRIAGES
AND OTHER VEHICLES FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SICK OR WOUNDED, BEING
ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FIELD HOSPITALS AND OTHER PURPOSES."
31.
Sealed the 3rd April 1872, and dated the 14th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Leatham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th October 1871.
I, WILLIAM LEATHAM, of Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AMBULANCE
CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SICK OR WOUNDED,
BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FIELD HOSPITALS AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
j
"My Invention consists in certain improvements in carriages or
vehicles for conveying the sick or wounded in time of war, or on

page_text: other occasions where steadiness of conveyance is required, as in the
case of fever patients or others. It is also applicable as a field hospital,
all as hereafter described.
The body of the carriage is constructed in the form of a reservoir or
tank. In it is placed another vessel, an annular space being left between 5
the tank and the inner vessel. A covering is placed over this space and
secured to both vessels, forming an air-tight compartment: The cover-
ing is capable of expansion, and may be composed of caoutchouc or
other elastic sheeting, for the purpose of allowing the required motion
to the inner vessel. The reservoir or tank is partially filled with water, 1
and the remaining portion between the inner and outer vessel filled as
may be required with compressed air. For this purpose I employ a
force pump, press, or other equivalent, which I attach to the side of the
tank. Motion may be given thereto by hand or by being connected or
coupled by any suitable known means to a crank or eccentric attached 1
to the wheels or axles.
When the latter arrangement is employed the air is forced in when
the carriage is in motion. The inner vessel is thereby made to float,
and forms the platform on which the supports or framework are
mounted, carrying the berths or beds. The air and water, either 2
separately or in conjunction may be brought to any required pressure,
forming a cushion for the inner vessel.
The reservoir or tank is mounted on four wheels having on their
tires a covering of caoutchouc or other suitable elastic substance. The
front wheels are provided with a compensating motion of ordinary 2
construction and a rocking swivel. By this arrangement sharp curves
and irregular surfaces may be passed along without altering the
stability of the carriage.
!
The berths or beds are so constructed or hung that they may be
placed at any angle to suit the position required for the patient, and 3
the mattresses on the beds or berths are made of an air-tight substance,
so that they may be either filled with air or water at pleasure. For this
purpose suitable flexible pipes are employed to convey air or water from
the tank or reservoir to the mattresses.
:
I provide another tank or vessel which I place and fix in the inner 3
vessel for the supply of water to the patients. This tank is so sur-

page_text: rounded with compressed air and water that the water contained
therein is not affected by excesses of temperature.
"
I provido in each corner or other places under the floating parts of
the carriage a cylinder provided with a piston or pistons, or their
equivalents, communicating with the interior of the tank or reservoir.
These form compensating supports for the floating platform when thọ
surface of the water subsides in any direction, which may happen on
steep inclines of roads. The carriage, by the assistance of compressed
air in the bottom tank or reservoir, is made perfectly buoyant in water,
so that it may be conveyed over deep sheets or streams of water without
in any way disturbing the patients..
-
-
By the herein described arrangement of carriage all jostling or jolting
(so prejudicial to patients) caused by irregularity of roads or in other
ways is avoided. The whole of the patients may be floated on the
water or air in the tank, which water and air form a cushion.
The herein described carriage may be constructed principally of wood,
but I prefer when and whero practicable thin galvanized sheet steel, by
the use of which great advantages are obtained with regard to the
sanitary conditions of the carriage or hospital.
.
I attach to the floating framework one or more cranes or elevators
whereby the patients may be raised and delivered into any berth or bed
without the inconvenience of handling or otherwise shaking them.
1
SPÉCIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said William Leatham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LEATHAM, of Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the
O year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors;
give and grant unto me, the said William Leatham, Her special
"

page_text: The body of the carriage is constructed in the form of a reservoir or
tank 1, as shewn; in it is placed another vessel, 2; an annular space 3
is left between the tank 1 and the inner vessel 2; a covering 4 is placed
over this annular space, and is secured to both vessels, 1 and 2, forming
an air-tight compartment 3. The covering 4 is capable of expansion
and contraction, and may be composed of caoutchouc or other sheeting
for the purpose of allowing the required motion to the inner vessel 2.
The inner vessel 2 is covered at the top with metal flooring or other
suitable material, as shewn at 5, and forms the platform on which the
supports or framework 6 are mounted, carrying the berths or beds. I
provide the additional framework 7, which is hinged on to the frame-
work 6. This may be closed, as shewn in Fig. 5, when required as an
ambulance carriage, or opened out, as shewn at 7, Fig. 2, when required
as a field hospital.
The whole of the roof and sides are covered in when required by
canvass or other sheeting, as shewn by dotted lines at 8 in Figs. 2 and 5,
which can be drawn away on to the rollers 9 by means of the winch
handle 10, leaving the whole of the interior open to the atmosphere.
11, 12, and 13 are ventilators of ordinary construction; these may be
opened or closed at pleasure. The windows 14 and double doors 15 are
provided at each end. The upper pallets 16 are slung upon bands
hooked on to the framework at 17 and supported on the inner side at
18, as shewn. The upper pallets 19 within the carriage are slung upon
bands 20 hooked upon the cross bar 21, which is carried by the frame-
6 work. The lower pallets 22 rest on the platform. By this arrangement
the berths may be placed at any angle to suit the position required by
the patient.
The mattresses I make in form and of an air-tight substance similar
to air or water mattresses of ordinary construction; these I fill with
water or air when required, as hereafter described.
The reservoir or tank 1 is mounted on four wheels, 23 and 24, having
by preference a covering of caoutchouc, 25, or other suitable elastic sub-.
stance on their tires, though not necessarily so. The axles of the front
wheels are provided with a compensating motion 26, of ordinary construc-
tion, for passing round sharp curves, and, a rocking swivel 27, whereby
irregular surfaces may be passed over without altering the stability*
1 & the nation nest of the carriage The reservoir or tank 1

page_text: inner and outer vessel is filled as may be required with compressed
air.
For the purpose of supplying the compressed air or water I employ
one or more force pumps 28 or their equivalents, which I attach to the
side of the tank 1; motion may be given thereto by being connected or 5
coupled to a crank or eccentric 29 attached to the wheels or axles as
shewn. By this arrangement the air or water may be forced in when
the carriage is in motion or stationary, the wheels 24 being made to
revolve either by travelling or by hand, the air or water being forced
into the interior, the inner vessel is thereby made to float. A spring 1
safety valve of ordinary construction may be employed to let off the
superabundant pressure of air.
For the purpose of supplying air or water to the mattresses I provide
the taps 30 and 31; to these I connect the clastic tubes 32 and 33,
which at a suitable point may be joined into one tube 35. The tube 35 18
is coupled to any mattress when required at the tap 36. By this
arrangement air or water may be forced into the mattresses and retained
there by closing the tap 36. I provide by preference in each corner
under the floating platform a cylinder 37 having a piston 38 and piston
rod 39. A communication is provided between cach cylinder and the 20
interior of the tank 1. These pistons form compensating supports for
the floating platform 6 when the surface of the water in the interior of
the tank 1 subsides in any direction, which may happen on steep
inclines or other irregular surfaces of roads.
I provide another tank or vessel 40, which I place and fix in the 25
inner vessel 2, for the supply of water to the patients. This tank is so
surrounded with compressed air and water so that the water contained
therein is not affected by excesses of temperature. I also attach to the
floating framework 7 one or more cranes or clevators 41 of ordinary
construction, as shewn, whereby the patients may be raised and delivered 30
into any berth or bed without the inconvenience of handling or other-
wise shaking them.
The piston consists of two plates, a and b, as shown at Figs. G and 7,
having between them a ring c. In the interior I provide the magnets d
and e, which pass through the ring c into the split packing rings 35
and g.
The iron cylinder attracts the magnets d and e through the
holes in the packing rings and g, and draws them outwards, at the

page_text: stantially as nerein set forth.
Thirdly. The arrangement, construction and application of magnetic
piston shewn at Figs. 6 and 7, substantially as and for purposes herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Leatham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM LEATHAM.. (L.S.)