IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Floyd. Robertson, of Bedford Square, in
the County of Middlesex,, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARTS." A communication from abroad by Burgess Long, residing
Sealed the 29th December 1868, and dated the 2nd July 1868..
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Floyd Robertson.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd July 1868..
I, ARTHUR FLOYD ROBERTSON,. of Bedford Square, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN CARTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in carts. The improve-
ments relate to devices for elevating the forward end of a laden cart
when descending an incline in order to relieve the back of the beast by
throwing more of the load upon and back of the axle, and also to devices.
by which such apparatus is made to act in unison with a brake upon the
wheels.

page_text: The improvements consist in providing beneath the body of the cart and
forward of the axle a cross bar or shaft having cams or eccentrics fixed
upon it, which when the cross bar or shaft is turned in its bearings come
into contact with the bottom of the body of the cart and so elevate the
forward end of the cart to the height desired. The cross bar or shaft has
also another eccentric or cam fixed upon it, which by a chain or other-
wise is connected with the extreme forward end of the body of the cart.
This eccentric or cam is fixed upon the cross bar or shaft in the opposite
direction to the cams or eccentrics first mentioned, so that while the
shaft is turned in a direction to move the eccentrics first mentioned
away from the bottom of the body of the cart the other eccentric shall
act to draw the forward end of the cart downwards. The cart can by
this means be tilted to the degree required, and by then locking the cross.
bar or shaft from turning the cart can be retained so tilted as long as
desired. The shaft may be turned by a lever handle upon it, and suitable
catches may be provided to lock this lever handle in any position and so
prevent the shaft turning. The lifting shaft or axis. may also by cams
or eccentrics upon it or otherwise be connected with a brake or brake bar,
which acts against the wheels in such manner that the act of lifting the
forward end of the cart also puts the brake into action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Floyd Robertson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
FLOYD ROBERTSON, of Bedford Square, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give
and grant unto me; the said Arthur Floyd Robertson; Her special
licence that I, the said Arthur Floyd Robertson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur
Floyd Robertson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agrec with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTS," a communication to me from abroad by
Burgess Long, a person resident at Philadelphia, in the United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Arthur
Floyd Robertson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 Arthur Floyd Robertson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samo
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :--
This Invention has for its object improvements in carts.. The improve-
ments relate to devices for elevating the forward end of a laden cart
when descending an incline in order to relieve the back of the beast by
throwing more of the load upon and behind the axle, and also to devices
by which such apparatus is made to act in unison with a break upon the
wheels.
For the purpose of elevating the forward end of a laden cart I prefer
to apply beneath the body of the cart and forward of the axle a cross bar
or shaft having cams or eccentrics fixed upon it, which when the cross
bar or shaft is turned in its bearings come into contact with the bottom
of the body of the cart and so elevate the forward end of the cart to
the height desired. The cross bar or shaft has also another eccentric or
cam fixed upon it, which by a chain or otherwise is connected with the
extreme forward end of the body of the cart. This eccentric or cam
is fixed upon the cross bar or shaft in the opposite direction to the cams
or eccentrics first mentioned, so that while the shaft is turned in a
direction to move the eccentrics first mentioned away from the bottom
of the body of the cart the other eccentric shall act to draw the
forward end of the cart downwards. The cart can by this means bo
tilted to the degree required, and by then locking the cross bar or shaft
from turning the cart can be retained so tilted as long as desired. The

page_text: shaft may be turned by a lever handle upon it, and suitable catches
may be provided to lock this lever handle in any position and so prevent
the shaft turning. The lifting shaft or axis may also by cams or
eccentrics upon it or otherwise be connected with a break or break
bar, which acts against the wheels in such manner that the act
of lifting the forward end of the cart also puts the break into action.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed is shewn a cart constructed 'as
above described.
Figure 1 represents a side view of the cart with one wheel left off the
better to display the devices beneath the cart; Figure 2-represents an
under side view of the cart.
A bar or shaft B,
A is the cart constructed in the usual manner.
preferably of iron, is placed across the body of the cart and underneath it
in any suitable bearings, and to it is a handle C acting as a lever for
operating the same, as herein-after described. Upon this shaft are rigidly
secured two eccentrics or cams D, which when out of action do not come
in contact with the bottom of the body of the cart, but which when
caused partially to revolve by turning back the lever C come into
contact with the body at its opposite sides and steadily and equally lift
it proportionately to the extent of the distance that the lever is turned
back. The degree to which the body may be lifted will be predetermined
by the degree of eccentricity of the cams and their proximity to the
bottom of the cart. To the handle C at its outer end I attach a chain,
rod, or strap, the object of which is to hold the lever or handle C and
thereby the cams in such position as may be desired, pins or hooks F
serving as the means by which such chain, rod, or strap may be fastened.
From the central cam H whose eccentrical or cam side should be rela-
tively to the axis in a direction opposite that of the cams D, D, a chain
or strap passes forward and upwards, its other end being secured to the
front of the cart. This chain should be fastened upon the periphery of
the cam and lie in a groove therein, and it may pass over a guide roller
located at any convenient point.
The details may be varied without departing from the Invention; for
instance; the cams D, D, may be of different form from those shown or
differently located; the cam I might be dispensed with, and an arm
projecting from the shaft B be substituted for it. But I prefer the
eccentric or cam because if made of the proper size relatively to the
other cams the action of the several cams will be equal and the slack of

page_text: the centre chain or strap will be all taken up when the front of the cart
is down and the strap then acts as a lock to hold it down firmly. When
however the cart is tilted by the cams, their partial revolution about
their axes lets out just enough of the chain and no more to restrain the
cart from tilting a particle beyond that point to which the cams may
have raised it. A screw might also be employed for coupling together
the forward end of the cart to the shafts or pole, and the forward end of
the cart might be raised away from the shafts or pole by turning the
screw, and would always be retained by the screw at the angle desired;
or other analogous means might be adopted for tilting the cart, and at
the same time retaining it at the angle desired.
The tilting apparatus shewn in the Drawing has also combined with it
a break apparatus in such manner that the break is put into action by
the act of lifting the forward end of the cart. The break apparatus I
prefer to employ is composed of a break bar L carrying break blocks M
which are to act against the wheels; the bar L is supported in loops N or
it might be by other suitable means, so that it may slide to and from the
wheels, and it is connected by rods k to crank pins fixed to the sides of
the eccentrics D; thus when these eccentrics are turned to lift the
forward end of the cart the break bar will be drawn towards the wheels
and the breaks applied, so that when descending a hill the act of tilting
the cart effects two most important results, it throws much of the weight
off the animal's back and puts on the breaks; a slight tilting effecting a
slight drag or friction of the break and an extreme tilting a corrc-
spondly heavy drag.
Figure 3 shows a cart in which a curved cam or eccentric fixed to the
bar or shaft B is employed in place of two eccentrics. If the lever
handle on this shaft is in position No. 1, the cart will be tilted and the
break applied; if it be in position No. 2, the break is released and the
cart held in its usual position; if it be in position No. 3, the curved cam
is unhooked from the body of the cart and the cart may be tilted to
shoot the load.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is,―
1. Forming a cart with a tilting apparatus, substantially as herein
described, so that the forward end of the cart may by it be raised and
the cart be also always retained at the angle desired.

page_text: 2. I claim the employment of lifting cams or eccentrics to elevate the
forward, end of a cart, substantially as herein described.
3. I claim the employment of a cam or eccentric and connecting rod
or strap for drawing and holding down the forward end of a cart, sub-
stantially as herein described.
4. I claim combining a break with a cart tilting device, substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Floyd Robertson, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Tenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.