IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR- RIAGE STEPS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lord, of the Inner Temple, Esquire,
Barrister at Law, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-
RIAGE STEPS."
Sealed the 10th June 1853, and dated the 31st December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lord at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st December 1852.
I, JAMES LORD, of the Inner Temple, in the City of London,
Barrister at Law, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE STEPS " to be as follows: -
I project or hang a step (or steps) from the end of the axle or
cbox of a wheel, which rises immediately over the nave, and may be
prolonged upwards over the tyre, or it may branch out laterally.
Where the wheels are high; I also carry a step downwards. These
steps in no way interfere with the revolution of the wheels, and
provide a safe foothold even while the carriage is in motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said James Lord in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES LORD, of the Inner Temple, Esquire, Barrister at Law, send
greeting.
the
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Lord, Her special
licence that I, the said James Lord, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Lord, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARRIAGE STEPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Lord, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Lord, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say):
My Invention consists in the adaptation of a safety step to
wheeled carriages. The manner in which I carry my Invention
into effect is as follows:
I project or hang a step or steps from the end of the axle or box

page_text: of the wheel, which rises immediately over the nave of the wheel,
and may be prolonged upwards over the tire, or it may branch out
laterally. When the wheels are high, I also carry a step upwards.
These steps in no way interfere with the revolution of the wheels,
and provide a safe footing, even when the carriage is in motion.
The exact mode of accomplishing this will vary in different cases,
though the essential features, as stated in describing the nature of
my Invention, will be the same in all.
I. In the case of the common grease wheels, the nut and the
step should be made in one piece, with an aperture for the lynch
pin as now.. The shank by which the step and the nut are connected
should be curved or notched, so as to avoid coming into contact
with the hoop of the wheel; and the step itself must extend inwards
towards the spokes of the wheel, and not project outwards any
further than may be necessary, that is, not beyond the shank which
rises from the nut to support it. The outer end of the nut, where
the shank rises to support the step should be convex, and project
slightly beyond the shank, in order to diminish the effect of its
coming into contact with any object. This is shewn in Figure 1,
of the Drawings annexed, where A, is the hoop at end of nave;
B, the nut and lynch pin; C, C, the shank and step made in one
piece with the nut. The dotted lines represent other positions for
the step; or the following plan may be adopted: Let the strong
iron hoop which now surrounds the outer head of the nave, and
projects beyond the end of the axle, be made to terminate with the
end of the outer head of the nave; then let a second hoop run
parallel with this, or be let into a groove within or under it, or one
of a little larger diameter run over it, being of sufficient breadth to
project beyond end of axles, and made in one piece with the nut,
and united to it as shewn in Figure 2, of the Drawings annexed
hereto; the lynch pin may hold it on as it now does to the nut, and
the step may be either rivetted on the top of this outer hoop, or the
hoop may
be perforated; and the shank to which the step is fastened,
and which may be made in one piece with the step, may pass

page_text: through the nut and the axle, and be fastened with a lynch pin, as
is now the case with the nut commonly in use.
II. When axles are used, as on Collinge's or other similar prin-
ciples, by which the end of the axle is enclosed, a somewhat different
node must be adopted for fixing the step. In Figure 2, A, is the
hoop, terminating with the outer head of nave; B, the outer hoop
and nut screwing on to axle; C, C, step and shank supporting
it. The collet, and screws or nuts, which now go on before the
cap which holds the oil is fastened on, should be made to occupy
less space; the diameter at extremity of the axle should be as little
as possible reduced from the diameter of that portion of the arm of
it on which the wheel revolves. The cap too must be of larger
diameter, but not so deep; this will give equal space for oil as now,
and by not projecting so far from the end of the axle, will render it
more easy to affix the circular nut or curved end of the shank by
which the step is to be supported.
The axle must then project through an aperture made in the cap,
and the step may screw on as above in Figure I, to-the axle, or be
made in one piece with the last screw or nut on it, or so as to screw
on to or over this last nut or screw or portion of it; or the shank
of the step may be made to go through the first or second nut and
the axle. When the end of the arm is made of sufficient length to
allow it, the hoop, step, and nut, in one piece, as in Figure 2,
inay also be applied in this instance. Between the end of the cap
and that portion of the step or shank by which it is fastened on to
the axle, must be a washer of leather or other suitable material,
effectually to prevent escape of oil or the entrance of dust.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,
as my Invention, the fixing a safety step as herein-before substan-
tially described to wheeled carriages, which springing from the end
of axle or end of nave, shall not revolve with the wheel, but which,
whether fastened immediately to the outer hoop of the nave, and
going through it and the axle, or affixed to the axle alone, or other-

page_text: wise, shall not itself revolve with the wheel, but afford a firm and
safe footing even when the carriage is in motion.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lord, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
JAMES LORD. (L.S.)