Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 12th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Nov., 188
I JOSEPH HENRY FLETCHER of the Stockport Carriage Works, Heaton Norris in
the County of Lancaster Coach Builder do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
دو
My said Invention relates to hoods for application to vehicles and capable of being
raised and lowered. The improved hood is however chiefly applicable to vehicles of
the "governess car or wagonette type having all of the seats in the body of the
vehicle and the door at the back. According to my invention the hood can be made to
cover either the whole or a portion only of the vehicle at the pleasure of the occupants.
The hood is made preferably of a light waterproof material, and is carried by sticks
or hoops which are hinged upon brackets or pivots capable of being easily applied to
and removed from the sides of the vehicle. When in its lowered position the hood
lies either to the front or to the back of the vehicle and when in front it lies beneath
the level of the rest for the reins when such is used. The hood is made of sufficient
extent to cover in the whole of the vehicle if desired, or it may be raised to an extent
sufficient to cover in the front or back half of the vehicle only. When raised either
entirely or partially the hood is retained in the desired position by stops or catches or
it might be by struts applied either to the interior or to the exterior of the hood. The
front of the hood might be made with an aperture either glazed or open for the use of
the driver when the front portion or the whole of the vehicle is covered in and I also
provide for the ready raising of the back of the hood either when struck or when
elevated to admit of ready ingress and egress to and from the vehicle. When desired
the hinge brackets or pivots can be lifted bodily away together with the hood. Owing
to the lightness of the material and of the parts my improved hood adds little to the
weight of the vehicle and can be easily applied and removed while its cost is con-
siderably less than that of the ordinary hood. My invention is applicable to the
indicated types or to kindred types of vehicles and can also be used in conjunction
with perambulators.
1000
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Hoods for Vehicles.
I JOSEPH HENRY FLETCHER of the Stockport Carriage Works, Heaton Norris in
the County of Lancaster, Coach Builder, 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 and accompanying
drawings
My said invention relates to hoods for application to vehicles and capable of being
raised and lowered. The improved hood is however chiefly applicable to vehicles of
the "Governess Car" or waggonette type having all of the seats in the body of the
vehicle and the door at the back. According to my invention the hood can be made
to cover either the whole or a portion only of the vehicle at the pleasure of the
occupants. The hood is made preferably of a light waterproof material, and is
carried by sticks or hoops which are hinged upon brackets or pivots capable of being
easily applied to and removed from the sides of the vehicle. When in its lowered
position the hood lies either to the front or to the back of the vehicle and when in
front it lies beneath the level of the rest for the reins when such is used. The hood
is made of sufficient extent to cover in the whole of the vehicle if desired, or it may
be raised to an extent sufficient to cover in the front or back half of the vehicle only.
When raised either entirely or partially the hood is retained in the desired position
by stops or catches or it might be by struts applied either to the interior or to the
exterior of the hood.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood i will now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, reference being had to the annexed
sheet of drawings.
In the said drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of a governess car fitted with my improved
hood which is shown in section and in a raised position.
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and having the hood struck.
j
9.
The hood a is composed of some suitable waterproof material so as to protect from
rain or it may be made of calico where intended to act only as a sunshade and dust
protector. It is carried upon sticks or hoops b. c. d. e. f. all of which converge
towards and are pivotted upon a central stud at each side of the vehicle. The
studs h are carried by short uprights i which can be easily slipped into or removed
from brackets which are secured to the sides of the vehicle. When in position the
uprights are held by set screws & or by other means. The hood a can be easily raised
by hand so as to cover in the whole of the vehicle an aperture a¹ being formed in the
front of the hood for convenience of driving. When the hood is in this raised
position spring catches which are secured to the ends of the vehicle slip over and
engage with and hold the outer sticks 7 and 9. The hood is expanded and stretched
between these back and front catches and is kept nicely taut and secure. The head
of one of these catches 7 is shown to an enlarged scale at Fig. 3, and as indicated the
holding face of the catch is made inclined so as to hold the stick b more securely.

page_text: When it is desired to strike or fold down the hood it is only necessary to disengage
the back or front catches and fold the head down either to the front of the vehicle as
shown in Fig. 2 or it might be to the back. Instead of the spring catches I may use
buttons and tabs to hold the raised hood down to the car.
To remove the hood
altogether it is only necessary to ease the set screws k, pull the uprights out of their
sockets and remove the whole from the vehicle. Instead of the supporting catches
or in combination therewith I might use jointed struts applied either to the interior
or to the exterior of the hood. The aperture a' might be wholly or partially glazed
so far as it did not interfere with the driving. Although I have shown a governess
car in the drawings it will be understood that my invention might be applied to a
waggonette or other similar vehicle or to a perambulator.
Owing to the lightness of the material of the hood and of the parts my improved
hood adds little to the weight of the vehicle and can be easily applied and removed
while its cost is considerably less than that of the ordinary hood.
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 :-
A hood composed of light waterproof or other material for application to governess
cars, waggonettes and similar types of open vehicles, the said hood being supported
when in its raised position by means, of spring catches and capable of being struck
either to the front or rear of the vehicle and of being removed bodily when not
required, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
1030
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.