improved Portable Canopy for Private Road-carriages.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
improved Portable Canopy for Private Road-carriages.
I, HENRY HUTCHINGS of "Homewood," City Road, Winchester, in the
County of Hampshire, retired 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved canopy or cover, capable of being used as a
permanent fixture upon, or quickly and easily attached to, and removed from, such
private road vehicles as breaks, wagonettes, mail, Stanhope and other phaetons,
four-wheel dog carts and the like, and has for its objects, that the same may be
quickly and easily closed by the occupants themselves, upon the sudden approach of
rain or wind, and as easily reopened when such rain or wind has ceased for the
purposes of ventilation, and the enjoyment of the surrounding scenery, without the
necessity of stopping the vehicle for either purpose. The said canopy may also
be arranged that by simple and easy means a calash carried upon the roof of same
may be quickly withdrawn for the purpose of protecting the coachman, or coach-
man and footman under similar circumstances, the whole being so constructed that
in most carriages no additional weight would be added to the vehicle by its
application.
In order that my invention and the manner of its application and use may be
fully understood, have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, in which I have
chosen to illustrate its application to a Stanhope phaeton or wagonette.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are side, front and back elevations respectively of my invention,
detached from the vehicle.
Fig. 4 is a reproduction of so much of Fig. 1 as will serve to illustrate the position
and formation of the calash, when in use.
Fig. 5 is a detail to be hereinafter explained.
Fig. 6 is a reproduction of so much of Fig. 2 as will serve to illustrate the
method of construction by which the said calash may be partly folded, and run back
upon the roof of the canopy when not in use, (as shewn by the dotted outline in
Fig. 4).
Fig. 7 is a section upon the line A B Fig. 1.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are side, front, and back elevations respectively, of the body
portion, of a Stanhope phaeton, to which my said invention (drawn upon a smaller
scale) has been fitted.
For the purposes of my invention I construct of light metal or wood a preferably
rectangular frame A, of such dimensions as may be most suitable for the particular
vehicle to which the same is to be applied the roof of which B, while preferably but
not imperatively perfectly vertical at the front and back ends may be either sloped
at each side at any desired angle with the frame A as shewn by the enlarged views
Figs. 2 and 3, or domed, bowed, or crescented as shewn in Fig. 6. The side
openings in the frame A would be fitted with portable glazed frames C which may
each be in one piece, or in two parts hinged together at C' as shewn in Fig. 1, and
may be fixed in position in the frame A by the means of flush bolts, clips buttons,
or any suitable equivalent therefor upon the inside of A, so that either or both the
frames C may be quickly and easily entirely removed therefrom as shewn at the
right hand side of Fig. 7. Or when such frames C are in two parts joined at C',.
separate bolts or their equivalents may be employed upon each part, so that if
desired the lower half may remain fixed in position while the upper portion may

page_text: fold down inwardly at the back of the seat as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 7, such
entire or partial removal of C, being easily effected by the riders, without stopping
the vehicle, when ventilation without being exposed to the sun is required, and as
easily replaced upon the approach of bad weather, thus providing an open or closed
carriage at the option of the riders. Within the roof B, I form a cavity or
chamber B (shewn in the back view Fig. 3 and in the sectional view Fig. 7) and
into this the frames C may be placed when not in use. Fig. 5 shows the manner in
which the frames C when jointed may if desired be folded together one upon the
other for deposit within B'.
The frame A may have a fixed glazed front D if desired, but for the purpose of
further ventilation when the wind and weather is propitious I prefer to construct
this with two or more horizontal joints as shewn in Figs. 2 and 9, so that this may
be folded together up to and against the inner surface of the roof B as shewn in
Fig. 7, whereat it may be retained by the means of clips, hooks, buttons or any
other suitable means. I may also arrange a small aperture in any suitable part
of D (capable of being closed at will) to facilitate speaking communication with the
coachman.
The back of the frame A would be provided with a hinged door E opening
inwardly or outwardly, the glass of which a, may be portable, or hinged so as to
fold down inside as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. The frame A at each side
of E may have portable glazed frames b and c, the size of both of which would be
such that these may be removed for the purposes of ventilation at a moments notice,
and stowed away beneath the seats of the vehicle.
The canopy thus constructed may be fixed upon the body F of the vehicle by any
suitable means, which may be by that of any number of studs G fixed upon the
under surface of A as at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, engaging with a like number of holes or
slots in the body F, bolts, clips, hooks, locks or their equivalents being used for
retaining the same in position.
In adapting my invention to Stanhope phaetons, the usual back seat may be
removed and seats be provided at each side of the vehicle, but in adapting the same
to breaks or wagonettes, the backs of such seats would be removed, thus lightening
the vehicle to compensate for the extra weight imposed by the said canopy. The
cushion or tops of the side seats thus provided in the phaeton, and the side seats in
the break or wagonette, may be conveniently arranged to be portable, or raised upon
hinges, as shewn in dotted outline by Fig. 10, so that luncheons, wines or other
refreshments, or a small folding table or a bracket capable of being fixed in any
convenient position within the canopy may be packed thereunder when not in use.
The back of the drivers seat H may extend slightly within the canopy (as shewn
by dotted outline in Fig. 8) without inconvenience to the occupants, by reason of
the inside seats being at the side of the vehicle as just explained, and this arrange-
ment provides that the said canopy may extend further forward and increase the
internal seat accommodation and when this arrangement is carried out the front D
of the canopy, when lowered, may rest upon the back of the seat H as shewn in
Fig. 9. A covered recess d may be formed in the canopy for the reception of the
back of H, as shewn by dotted outline in Fig. 8 and by shade lines in Fig. 7.
The said canopy may be provided with a calash for protecting the coachman or
coach and foot meu from the weather and I prefer to construct this of a rectangular
iron, wood or other frame J, to the sides of which are hinged glazed frames K
and K', which may be lowered so as to hang vertically when the calash is in use,
as shewn by the full lines, Figs. 4 and 9, and by dotted outline in Fig. 8, and when
so hanging, flush bolts, hooks, buttons, clips or other suitable means would be
provided for retaining them rigidly in this position.
I may arrange that the said calash may have upon its under surface angled
extension pieces M which may engage with and slide upon suitable runners N
and N connected by thumb nuts or their equivalents L, to the back and front faces
of the roof B, so that when not in use, the sides K and K¹ may fold within J, and
be held suspended by springs, buttons, clips or other suitable means in the position

page_text: shewn by Fig. 6, and the whole be pushed back upon the roof B and occupy
thereon the position shewn by dotted outline in Fig. 4, and in fine weather when
such calash may not be needed this and its runners N and N¹ may be removed by
releasing the fastenings L.
It will thus be seen and understood that my invention may be so arranged as to
be adaptable for use with and upon any four wheeled open carriage or vehicle, and
provides, at the will of the riders, all the protection afforded by a closed carriage,
or the same perfect ventilation, and full enjoyment of the surrounding scenery
afforded by an open carriage.
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 :-
1st. The construction and use of the herein described canopy in either of the
methods herein provided, or any desired combination thereof, with or without
the addition of a calash, and the employment of same fixed to and upon any
kind of road carriage to which it may be adaptable, permanently or portably,
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by the accom-
panying drawings.
2nd. In an improved canopy for road carriages the combination of a frame A
provided with a waterproof roof such as B, with aperture B', and having portable
glazed sides C, in one piece or jointed at C, and glazed front D in one piece, or in
two or more hinged sections capable of folding up, or being drawn within the said
canopy in manner similar to that of the glazed fronts of Hansom cabs, the back
portion of A being suitably glazed with movable portions b and c, and provided
with a door E having hinged or portable window a, the whole arranged to be easily
fixed upon, and as easily removed from any type of road carriage to which the same
may be adaptable substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn
by the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In an improved fixed or portable covering for road carriages, the combina-
tion of a canopy as set forth in the preceding claim, provided with a calash
composed of a frame such as J, with hanging glazed sides such as K and K', hinged
to, and capable of folding within the portion J, and there retained by springs, clips,
buttons or their equivalents, such calash being arranged to slide upon the roof B
by the means of runners N and N' fixed by fastenings such as L, as shewn at
Figs. 4 and 6, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn.
Dated this 9th day of March 1895.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.