Improving the Safety of and Access to the Hind Seats of Stanhope Phaetons, Carts, and other Vehicles, and Making the Hind Doors of such Vehicles to Answer as Steps.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 24th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 25th Mar., 1887.
An Invention for Improving the Safety of and Access to the
Hind Seats of Stanhope Phaetons, Carts, and other Vehicles, and
Making the Hind Doors of such Vehicles to Answer as Steps.
1 JOHN GRIFFIN Coach Builder 127 Hockley Hill Birmingham do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Peculiar shaped hinges are attached to the Vehicle, (one on each side of the body)
marked A. B. C. D. E. in Fig. 1 of accompanying drawings. The dotted lines
represent the outline of body and also the step door and hinges when open. The thick
A is fixed to the
black lines shew the position of step door and hinges when shut up.
bottom of body at as great a distance from the side inwards as is practicable, so as to
make it out of view. The other parts of the hinge work on the pivot E. When step
door is shut B projects upwards from E and fits along & underneath bottom of body,
but cranked sideways so as to join D which works through a mortice in bottom close
against the inside of body. C works inside body through back opening, fitting nearly
close against the inside and joined to D. The step door F is fixed to B by means of a
small corner plate screwed to the bottom edge of door.
When the step door is down the cranked end of C rests upon the top of bottom
cross bar of body.
In Fig. 1 the hind seat is made in two halves, the one half being binged to the side
of body, is opened upwards to give convenient access to the interior, and when down
locks itself to the other half of seat.
The step door may be pulled up & down in various ways. Fig. 1 shews a method
by which it is effected by the coachman or occupant of front seat, by means of a lever
wheel fitted into the seat and body between the 2 occupants, which is connected to the
step door by cords of twisted copper wire or other material passing over small rollers,
and running along the insides of body almost close against the sides. Or by leaving the
front lever wheel free, the step door may be pulled up and down by a ring or handle
attached to the cords in a.convenient position. The hinges may also be worked by

page_text: means of levers and rods connecting them with the moveable seat. Also in case of a
back rest being added to hind seat, the back rest can be hinged to the moveable seat,
and so, made to work the step door by means of a cord connecting it with the top of
back rest at one end, the back rest being made in two halves and locking together in
the centre, instead of the seat.
The shape of hinges may be varied to suit different kinds of vehicles and can be
worked with greater case, if desired, by means of spiral or other springs.
Fig. 2 shews a back view of half the width of body &c. with step door and seat open.

page_text: An Invention for Improving the Safety of and Access to the
Hind Seats of Stanhope Phaetons, Carts, and other Vehicles, and
Making the Hind Doors of such Vehicles to Answer as Steps.
:
I JOHN GRIFFIN, Coach maker residing at 76 Brougham Street, Aston Manor near
Birmingham 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 :-
The object of this invention is to make the hind doors of Stanhope Phactons or other
wheeled vehicles to which it is applicable to act also as steps, and further, to construct
the hind seats, doors and steps so as to obviate the danger of such seats &c. flying open
upon the sudden start of a horse, to which danger the sliding or revolving hind seats
as hitherto made are liable.
The invention consists of novelly constructed hinges, attached, one on each side of
the body of the vehicle, by which means the hind door is made to drop down right
away from the body, to a convenient distance from the ground and there form a broad
and safe step. The hind seat is then made to open upwards and when access has been
gained to the interior of the vehicle the seat can be instantly closed and automatically
secured by means of a slam lock or bolt.
The invention is more clearly understood by the aid of the accompanying drawings,
left with the Provl. Specn. which I now proceed to describe, the terms step and step
door meaning one and the same parts; which acts as a door when closed and as a step
when open, the dotted lines of hinges and step shewing their position when open. The
same letters of reference indicate the same parts in each of the figures.
Fig. 1. represents an interior view of the off side of the vehicle, shewing the off
side hinge as shut up within and nearly close to the side of the body. A is fixed by a
flap to the bottom of the body, at as a great distance from the side inwards, as is
practicable, with the motive of making it out of view as much as possible. The other
parts of the hinge B. C. D, work on the pivot E. B is cranked sideways so as to join
D, to which it is rivetted or otherwise firmnly secured, and as the step door opens &
shuts, the curved part of D works through an aperture in the bottom of the body,
nearly close against the side; C at the same time working through the back opening
is fastened at its rear end to the step door F and at its front end is rivetted or
otherwise secured to D. At its rear end B is formed into an angle plate and screwed
or otherwise secured to the bottom edge of step door.
When the step is down the front or upper ends of C and D rest upon the top of H,
which is the bottom cross bar of body.
Fig. 2. represents a back end elevation of the near side half of the vehicle, shewing
the seat as made in two halves, the one half being hinged to the side of the body is
opened upwards, the other half being a fixture.

page_text: The step door may be pulled up and down in various ways, Fig. 1 shews a method
of effecting it by the coachman or occupant of front seat, by means of a lever or wheel
with hollow rim (either fitted into the seat between the two occupants, or at the side)
which is connected with the hinges by cords or chains passing over small rollers. It
may also be effected by occupant of hind seat by means of a cord or chain which being
attached at its one end to the hinge, then passes over a pulley wheel and terminates in
a large metal ring, by which the step door, when shut up, can be secured to a knob or
hook on the side of the body.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1st. The means of obtaining access to the hind seats of Stanhope Phaetons, Carts
and other vehicles, substantially as.described and shewn herein.
2nd. Constructing and attaching the hinges so as to make the hind door act as a
step, substantially as herein shewn and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this Twenty-first day of January 1887.