IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR BETARDING CARRIAGES
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOULSTON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Houlston, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that 1, the said John Houlston, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Houlston, my exors, admors, or 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 IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR
BETARDING CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that 1, the said John Houlston, 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 Her 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Houlston, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-.
My Invention relates to a mode of applying friction springs to the axletrees
of wheels of carriages, and by such arrangement of the friction springs, the
same being enclosed, the parts are not liable to get deranged, the admission of
dirt, as is the case with other retarders, being thereby prevented.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a coach having my improvements applied thereto; and
Figures 2, 3, and 4 shew the parts separately on a larger scale.
In each of the Figures the same letters indicate similar parts; a, being the
axle of the carriage; b is a box affixed to and revolves with the wheel to
which the apparatus is applied; c is a piece of iron keyed to the axle, one end
of which carries one end of the spring d (the other end of the spring d being
fastened by a pin to the crank f on the shaft e), the other end of the piece of
iron is forked to keep the spring from vibrating; g is a catch raised into a
groove cut part of the way in the inside of the box b, shewn at h in dotted
lines by the crank f, when the spring is contracted to prevent the wheel
moving backward should the horses jib; i is a plate fixed on the axle a, which
bears the shaft e, and incloses the apparatus so as to keep out dirt, dust, or other
injurious matters.
I would remark, that I am aware that friction springs or straps have been
before applied, but differing in the mode of their application, I would there-
fore have it understood, that I only lay claim to the mode shewn and
described.
I would also observe, that although I have only shewn the apparatus
attached to one of the hind wheels, it will be evident that each wheel may
have the same affixed thereto if necessary.
It witness whereof, I, the said John Houlston, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-eight.
JOHN (...) HOULSTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1838, the aforesaid John Houlston, came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, 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 Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.