Improvements in Children's Folding Carriages.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Children's Folding Carriages.
I, WILLIAM COOK, Manufacturer of Children's Carriages, of 61, South
Washington Square, New York City, in the County and State of New York,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to children's perambulator carriages and has for its object
to provide a simple durable and easily manipulated folding carriage.
To this end I provide an under-frame consisting of side bars carrying stud axles
for the travelling wheels and connected at the front and rear by transverse unjointed
links, the connection being such as to permit the under-frame to be folded together
in the manner of a parallel ruler by moving the side bars longitudinally with
respect to each other, the said side bars and links forming a parallelogram. The
side bars are continued upwardly and rearwardly and united at their upper ends by
a transverse handle bar which is also jointed to them so as to participate in the
folding motion of the under-frame.
Springs are mounted on. the side bars and on the springs the new and improved
body, forming an essential feature of the carriage, is mounted. This body com-
prises a rectangular frame, the meeting ends of the members of which are united
by angle irons which are secured to the under side of the frame the connection
being such as to permit the frame to be folded by its members working on the
corner connections as, the pivots, the cross bars and side bars composing the frame
being unjointed. On the said body frame the side panels and front and back are
erected, preferably of cane or rattan but not necessarily so these materials being
preferred however because of the wide range for æsthetic effects. The side panels
at each end, are. continued inward at right angles to the said sides and the front
and back are united to the said in-turned ends by intertwining the material of the
said front, and back members with that of the in-turned ends of the sides. The
connection is such as to permit the said panels and the front and back to participate
in the movement of the body frame in folding and unfolding the carriage. Any
equivalent connection, however, may be employed in lieu of intertwining the
material.
The seat of the carriage body is removable and the bottom is hinged to one side
bar of the, body frame to swing in the vertical plane. When the bottom is in the
lowered position, it maintains the body in the expanded position and prevents
collapse, the seat co-acting with the bottom for this purpose. Both the body and
under-frame fold without any unlatching, disconnecting, or dismemberment of the
body or of the under-frame, the end connections of both being all permanent.
The body is upholstered to suit individual tastes and the front or bottom ends
and the head or back of the body are each so connected with the side panels as to
allow room for the upholstery and not strain the same when the carriage is
folded.
Dated this 13th day of November 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Children's Folding Carriages.
I, WILLIAM COOK, Manufacturer, of 82, Sixth Avenue, New York City, in
the County and State of New York, United States of America, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a baby-carriage which may be folded
into small compass when not in use, to so construct such carriage that its stability
when erected will not be dependent on the fastening of latches by the servant or
attendant, and, further, to provide for the permanent fastening together of the four
sides of the body and so combine the same with a folding underframe that the
permanently fastened body may be readily folded and unfolded and the underframe
caused to follow the movements of the said body in folding and unfolding.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a child's carriage embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the carriage body.
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the carriage in the folded position.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the body frame and the gear frame in the folded
position, the posts of the panels of the body being shown in section.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the body frame and bottom board, the seat being
omitted.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, on line 6–6 of Figure 5,
with the seat in position.
Figure 7 is a front view of the seat and Figure 8 is a cross-section, on line 8-8
Figure 5.
In constructing a folding carriage embodying my invention I provide a folding
underframe composed of the side bars A and cross-bars B the said cross-bars
being pivoted at each end to the inner end of the stud axles C which latter are
rigidly secured to the side bars A and carry the wheels D. The side bars A
are continued upward at the back of the carriage to form the handles or push
bars E which are united to the cross-bar or handle proper E¹ by pivots e. The
carriage springs F are secured to the side bars A and support the carriage body,
which consists of two side members and two rigid end members. I employ the
term "rigid" in this connection not to denote that these members are essentially
absolutely stiff and without the slightest flexibility but for the purpose of
describing them as being without hinge-joints intermediate of their ends. The
meeting ends of said members are all joined by permanent pivotal connections.
The body is preferably formed of a rectangular frame composed of side bars G
and rigid or unjointed cross-bars H the latter being pivoted at both ends to the
ends of the side bars G as shown best in Figures 4 and 5, the connection being
effected by angle irons g through which and the side and cross-bars pass bolts / h¹
(Figures 4 and 8) the bolts h that pass through the cross-bars forming pivots
on which the frame may be swung in folding and unfolding the carriage. The
frame G, H, thus forms the bottom of the folding body and sustains the strain
thereof and in connection with the base frame thus pivoted also provide for
the loose connection or hinging. of the four panels or sides of the body to each
other whereby they will follow the movements of the said hinged body frame
while being permanently held together at all four corners. Thus the side
panels I, which as well as the end panels are preferably for the most part of
rattan, are erected on or secured to the side bars G the posts of which panels

page_text: are indicated by the letter i and the end panels J, J', are erected on or secured
to the cross bars H of the body frame. Both ends of each of the end panels J, J',-
the front and back-are connected loosely with the adjacent ends of the side
panels I by interlacing the strands at the ends of the respective panels as at i¹
or otherwise so connecting them that they will be permanently held together
while permitted to follow the movements of the pivoted base frame G, H. By
reason of the body panels being thus erected on the side bars and cross bars of
the base frame (the latter acting to sustain the frame) the loose connection
between the several panels need not be made especially strong, nor need the
vertical pivotal lines be accurate and I am thus enabled to so form such con-
nections as to disguise their real nature when the carriage is erected and the
fact that the body is a folding one will not be apparent from a cursory
examination and consequently will not attract undue attention, when in use.
It will be seen from Figure 2 that the sides I are extended inward as at I'
to connect with the front and back panels and the loose connection of the
several panels is therefore effected at a point inward from the sides of the
carriage. By thus extending the sides inward I relieve the upholstery K of
strain in folding the carriage and provide a space in the folded carriage for
receiving the bottom board L and the seat M as will be understood from
Figure 3. The front and back panels J J are therefore of narrow construction
except at the upper ends where they extend laterally towards the sides I as
at J and give a finished appearance to the body and in the case of the head J
its lateral extensions complete the head rest clear across the body. The bottom
board L is of less length than the body and effects only a partial closure of
the open bottom of the said body. The bottom board is connected with, one of
the side bars G by a cord or wire which forms a hinge, but the connection
is so loose as to allow play of the said board so that when in the raised position
and the body folded the board may be moved bodily, including its hinged end,
toward the side of the carriage to allow room for the seat M. On the under side
of the bottom board L transverse cleats are formed or secured and when the
board is in the lowered position the said cleats contact with the inner faces of
the side bars G and tend to hold the body rigidly. A cord handle L¹ serves
to raise the bottom board from its lowered position. The seat M completes the
closure of the open bottom when the carriage is erected. It is provided at its
under side with the board m which ranges transversely and fits between the side
bars G of the body frame. The opposed edges m¹ 12 of the seat and bottom
board are preferably bevelled so that as the seat is forced into place it will
engage the edge of the said board and more firmly lock the latter against
displacement. The bottom board and seat thus serve to positively maintain the
carriage against any tendency to collapse. If desired, also, a more positive
engagement of the bottom board and seat may be effected by causing pins m²
on the seat to enter apertures 13 in the bottom board. The pivots of the body
frame, under frame, and handle bar are all in line and correspondingly spaced
so that they may follow each the changing positions of the others. It will be
seen that the cross bars B, H, being free from joints and the panels of the body.
loosely but permanently connected, when the seat and bottom board are raised
the carriage may be collapsed without any other manipulation of the parts than
the pressing together of the sides of the body, the running gear necessarily
following.
The feature of collapsing the complete carriage without unlatching or unfastening
the body panels is present in no other child's carriage known to me and, further,
in no other carriage is there a body comprising a base frame composed of pivoted
members and sustaining the strain and panels erected on the side bars and cross
bars of such frame and having permanent connections with each other at all their
meeting ends independent of the pivots of the frame to hold the four panels
together while following the movements of the said base frame.

page_text: 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. A child's folding carriage constructed and operating substantially as described
and shewn.
2. In children's folding carriages, a folding underframe and a body comprising
side members having inturned ends and end members pivotally connected at their
ends to the inturned ends of the side members, substantially as described.
3. In a folding carriage, the combination, with the folding underframe consisting
of side bars carrying stud-axles having wheels mounted thereon, cross bars rigid
throughout their length and pivotal connections between all of the ends of the
cross bars and said side bars, of a folding body supported on springs secured to the
side bars of the underframe and consisting of side members, end members rigid
throughout their length and pivotal connections between all of the meeting ends of
said members whereby the corresponding members of the body and the underframe
will have corresponding movements and will swing in unison and the carriage may
be folded without disconnecting any of the connections between the meeting ends of
the side and end members of the body, substantially as shown and described.
4. In a folding carriage, the combination, with the folding underframe consisting
of side bars carrying stud axles having wheels mounted thereon, cross-bars rigid
throughout their length and pivotal connections between all the ends of the cross
bars and said side bars, of a folding body frame supported on springs secured to the
side bars of the under frame and consisting of side bars having panels erected
thereon and end bars rigid throughout their length and having panels erected
thereon and pivotal connections between all of the meeting ends of the body frame
and panels whereby the corresponding members of the body and the underframe
will have corresponding movements and will swing in unison and the carriage may
be folded without disconnecting any of the connections between the meeting ends
of the side and end members of the body, substantially as shown and described.
5. In a folding carriage, the combination, with a folding underframe, of a folding
body thereon comprising a base frame composed of side bars and cross bars pivotally
connected at both ends to said side bars and panels of rattan erected on said side
bars and cross bars the said panels being intertwined at the adjacent édges to form
a loose permanent connection whereby the panels will follow the movements of the
base frame, substantially as described.
6. In a folding carriage, a folding body formed of side and end members, the
latter being pivoted at both their ends to the side members by yielding connections
"whereby slight movements of said members are permitted independently of the
pivotal movement, substantially as shown and described.
7. A child's carriage, comprising a folding underframe consisting of side bars
carrying stud axles having wheels mounted thereon, cross-bars each pivotally
connected at both ends with the side bars and a folding body having side and end
"members, the ends of the side members being all extended inwardly and pivotal
connections between each end of each end member and the adjacent inwardly-
extended end of the side member, such connections being in alignment with the
pivots of the underframe, whereby the moving parts of the carriage will swing in
unison and space will be afforded for the bottom board and upholstery when the
carriage is folded, substantially as shown and described.
8. In a body for folding carriages, the combination of the side members and the
rigid end members each end of which is pivotally-supported by a corner plate g
secured to one of the side members, substantially as shown and described.
9. In a folding carriage, the combination, with the folding underframe, consisting
of side bars carrying stud axles having wheels mounted thereon rigid cross bars
each pivoted at both ends to the side bars and pushers having a handle bar secured
thereto by pivots at both ends of the handle bar, of a folding 'body 'supported 'on
said springs secured to the side bars and consisting of side members and rigid end

page_text: members and pivotal connections between all the meeting ends of said members,
said connections being in alignment with the pivots of the underframe and handle
bar whereby the moving parts of the carriage will swing in unison and the complete
carriage may be folded or collapsed without disconnecting or dismembering the
parts, substantially as shown and described.
W. COOK,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.