IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS OF CARRIAGES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MANOAH
BOWER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of June, in the sixth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, his Heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Manoah Bower, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Manoah Bower, my exors, admiors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Manoah Bower, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should 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 "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS DESCRIPTIONS OF
CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Manoah Bower, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Manoah Bower, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the sante is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: Figure 1 represents my improvements applied to a gig; Figure 2 repre-
sents a side view of the parts combined which constitute my improvements;
Figure 3 shows the hollow standards affixed to the carriage conveniently for
receiving the sliding standards, Figure 4, which slide in the hollow standards,
as will be hereafter described; Figure 5 is a plan of one of the flat wire
stretchers which keep the back and side part of the head to its proper figure,
and give the requisite strength thereto; Figure 6 is a plan of one of the flat
wire stretchers which keep the folding part of the head to its proper figure,
and gives strength thereto; and Figure 7 is a plan of the metal plate which
divides the two sets of stretchers one from the other. In each of these
Figures the same letters indicate similar parts. a, a, is the front frame of the
head or cover, and as such frame a also acts as the cover of the recess into
which the head folds when down, this frame may be padded, or stuffed, or
covered in like manner to the upper part of the gig or other carriage to which
the improvements are applied. b is an ordinary folding stretcher placed
within the head, and moves on axis, the one affixed to the plate c (shown
separately at Figure 7). This plate being a fixture to the sliding standards
d, d, d, as is clearly shown in the Drawing, the other axis is affixed to the
frame a, a, and there is a similar folding stretcher on the other side of the
head. e, e, are the flat wire stretchers for the folding part of the head, which
move on pins or axes at each end affixed in the boxes ff, as is clearly shown

page_text: in the Drawing. 9, 9, are the stretchers for tho back and sides of the head;
and the two ends of each of these flat wire stretchers g, g, have notches
formed therein so as to produce stops, which sliding within the sliding
standards d, there being a groove or slit in each of those standards for that
purpose; all which is clearly shown in the Drawing; and there is to each of
the stretchers g a projection in the centre having a like stop, which works in
the middle sliding standard, as shown in the Drawing. The boxes or frames
ff, are hinged to the plate cand also to the frame a, a, as is shown in
Figure 2. The construction of these boxes or frames f, f, will readily be
traced in the various Figures of the Drawing. i, i, are springs affixed to the
sliding standards, and are capable of being pressed close to the surface thereof
by the lower end of each spring passing into a hole formed in its sliding
standard, and there are slits cut in the hollow fixed standards, Figure 4, in
order to the springs i passing down when the head is being folded down.
These springs rest on the upper part of the body or part of the carriage to
which the head is applied, there being openings through which the sliding
standards pass, on which the springs i rest when the head is raised. The
cover of the head is to be made of leather or other suitable material, and is to
be folded or creased, as is shewn in the Drawing at Figure 1, and dotted lines
in Figure 2, and so pressed as to retain such folds, and in each or every other
fold or stretcher is to be fastened by sewing or otherwise, and the head lined
according to the taste of the maker or the person for whom it is made. The
way I prefer making such cover of leather or other suitable material is to
have two surfaces for the two sides and one for the back stuck, or cemented,
or otherwise affixed to each other at the edges, each part being first folded
and pressed into the folds desired and according to the number of stretchers
used. The lower part of the covering of leather or other suitable material
being fixed within the recess at the back of the seat; and in order to be
accessible it will be desirable so to construct the back of the seat that the
same with the padding or stuffing may be removed with facility, whereby the
head or cover may be readily unfastened and removed for repair or otherwise.
In Figures 1 and 2 the head is shown up, in order to fold it down, the folding
stretchers 6 are to be forced up at their centre joints, the folding part of the
head may then be laid back on the plate c, and the hook hooked into the
staple or eye m. By these means the frames or boxes f will stand per-
pendicular, and the whole head be of the same figure or shape as the back
and sides of the head below the plate c. The springs i, i, being then pressed
into their sliding standards the head may then be forced into the recess or
double back formed at the back of the body of the gig or other carriage, or it

page_text: might be to the driving or other box of carriages; in this position the frame
a, a, will then form the upper part of the gig or other carriage, and the same
will resemble a gig or carriage having no head; and it should be stated the
fixed hollow standards are to be affixed two in front and one at the back of
the seat of the carriage, as will readily be understood on examining the
Drawing; and it will be desirable to perforate the lower part of the double
back with holes for the passage away of any water which may get into the
recess formed for the head or cover to fold into.
In conclusion, I would remark that I lay no claim to the various parts
separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise combination, as slight
variations may be made without departing from my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Manoah Bower, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of December, One thousand eight hundred