A MODE OF RENDERING CARRIAGES IN GENERAL, BUT PARTICULARLY STAGE COACHES, MORE SAFE THAN AT PRESENT, AND VARIOUS OTHER IMPROVEMENTS UPON SUCH CARRIAGES
Year: 1805

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, the Reverend
WILLIAM MILTON, Vicar of Heckfield, in the County of Southampton, Master
of Arts, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of
November, in the forty-sixth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the
said William Milton, my executors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence,
that I, the said William Milton, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, should and
lawfully might, during the term of fourteen years therein mentioned, make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "A MODE OF RENDERING CARRIAGES IN GENERAL, BUT
PARTICULARLY STAGE COACHES, MORE SAFE THAN AT PRESENT, AND VARIOUS OTHER
IMPROVEMENTS UPON SUCH CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Milton, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, to 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 His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar
month after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Milton, do hereby declare that the purpose of my said Invention is to

page_text: render all kinds of carriages, particularly stage coaches, more safe and secure,
by putting them more out of reach than at present of the mischiefs arising
from the two most usual accidents, namely, overturning and breaking down.
The Figure hereunto annexed will shew-how both are meant to be done.
The wheels (whether two, three, or four) on which a carriage ordinarily
moves I would call active wheels, for the sake of a distinction which will be
wanting. The Drawing or Figure is meant to represent a stage coach; A, B,
the body or carriage for inside passengers; and C, D, a box below it capable
of receiving the luggage of every journey, with its floor about ten, twelve, or
more inches above the ground; this box may either be made single or with a
division, and with one or more doors. By disposing the luggage in this box the
center of gravity of the coach and load is brought down, so as to render an
overturn much less likely than at present. Through either the carriage or the
luggage box let there be a hole or cavity, seen at E, through which the main
axle (that which has no lock), and any frame-work it may have, is to be
passe. This cavity and axle, with or without frame-work, are to be such as
shall give proper guidance in the play of the carriage and luggage box, or
any springs that may be so applied as to want such guidance. But springs
may be applied in such manner as to need no such guidance, but only room, in
the cavity for the play of the axle; for instance, where they are fixed on a
frame or shafts, as they are seen in the Figure, where S, R, is the perch bolt.
Where no springs are applied; this main axle will be fixedly passed through
either the luggage box or the carriage. At the bottom of this luggage box,
and as near respectively to each active wheel as a workman may think proper,
Jow, strong, idle wheels C and H are to be placed on suflicient axles, ready
in case of an active wheel coming off, or breaking, or an axle-tree failing,
to catch the falling vehicle, and instantly to continue the previous velocity,
whereby the mischief, particularly to the coachman and outside passengers,
arising from an instantaneous stop to rapid motion, will be prevented. These
idle wheels are to be placed with their periphery a few inches below the floor
of the luggage box and a few inches above the ground. If there be no
luggage box (in any carriage) below, then the idle wheels may be fixed to the
axle, or to some frame-work belonging to it, and in case of a wheel coming off
or breaking, great relief, as above, will be given. But if the axle breaks
between its bearings no relief will be given unless the idle wheels be aflixed
to the bottom of a luggage box, and in this case the nearer these idle wheels
are to the ground the more relief will be given, for the less will be the drop.
If there be an obstacle in the road and an idle wheel takes over it, its respec-
tive active wheel will, for the time, be discharged from the ground. The

page_text: bottom of the luggage box being so near the ground offers a method of
checking very considerably the motion of a carriage down a hill by the strong
and ready application at pleasure of the end of a lever (shod with iron and
fixed by a pin to the bottom of the luggage box) to rub on the ground. The
idle wheels should be fixed or set on in such a manner as that they may be
vertical when an accident brings them into work. From the great variety
in vehicles, in springs, and in their application, it will sometimes be requisite
to put the idle wheels on the body or luggage box of the carriage, and some-
times on any part or parts of the under carriage, and sometimes on both; from
the case before him any werkman will determine.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Milton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and five.