SOME MACHINERY FOR DRAGGING, LOCKING, AND SCOATING THE WHEELS OF CARRIAGES
Year: 1811

page_text: WHEREAS His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in name and behalf
of His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, did, by His Majesty's
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the 1st day of May, in the fifty-
first year of His Majesty's reign, give and grant unto me, GEORGE ALEXANDER
THOMPSON, of 36, Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, His Majesty's special licence, full power;
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said George Alexander Thompson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, during the term of years therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my Inven-
tion of "SOME MACHINERY FOR DRAGGING, LOCKING, AND SCOATING THE WHEELS OF
CARRIAGES," within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed;
in' which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said
George Alexander Thompson, should not particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal; and cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two
calendar months next and 'immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent should cease, determine, and
become void, as in and by the said Letters Patent, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW, I, the said George Alexander Thompson, do particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, by this Instrument in writing under my hand and seal, in
manner following, that is to say:-
A, B, Figs. 2 and 3, of the Drawing in the margin of these Presents, is an
iron strop fixed round the bed of the axletree immediately behind the hind
wheel C, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, on the top of which is fixed the shoulder D
inclining inwards, or from the wheel, as shewn in Figure 3. To this shoulder
is fixed, by a pin, or screw and nut, or any other obvious manner, the locking
bar E, F, made of iron, and of sufficient strength, so that the said bar may
work freely on the said pin as a centre. This locking bar is a little bent
outwards at the centre F, Figures 2 and 3, and is made of such a length from
the centre to the returning flaunch E, that when it falls down it may catch
and lock the wheel about 3 inches below the horizontal line I, I, Figure 1,
as at G and H, Figure 1, the length of the returning flaunch E being a little
more than the breadth of the tire of the wheel. At a little less than half the
length of the bar from the centre is fixed a swivel hook or eye K, to which
is attached the chain or cord L, which cord or chain passes up to the person
or guard seated behind the carriage or over the pulley N, Figure 1, and under
the carriage to the coach box, where it is retained by an eye bolt or any other
obvious method. The pulley N is best placed somewhat behind the centre of
the wheel, as shewn in Figure 1. The inclination inwards of the shoulder D
is such, that when the locking bar E, F, is in the position shewn at E,
Figures 1 and 3, it will not hang beyond the face of the wheel, but rather
behind it, as shewn in Figure 3, and yet will be thrown sufficiently forward
in falling so as exactly to lock the tire, as shewn at E and C, Figure 2.
Now, the operation of the said Invention is as follows:-The locking bar
hanging forwards, as shewn at E, Figure 1, is, by loosening the chain or cord
L, let to fall on the tire at G, Figure 1, and thus stops the wheel, which is
done without stopping the carriage. To unlock the wheel, it is necessary to
stop the carriage, or to back it a little, which will disengage the wheel, and
the bar is then drawn up to E. When it is required to prevent the carriage
from going backwards, the cord L, being pulled upwards, brings the bar over,
so as to let it fall on the opposite side of the wheel as at H, Figure 1. It is
not absolutely necessary that the wheel should be locked at the point G, but
it may be locked at any point, or at O, Figures 1 and 4. In this latter case
a drag iron or scoat pan O, P, Figure 4, may be affixed to the flaunch E, so
as to go under the wheel, and thereby save the tire of the wheel. When the
scoat pan is added, the shoulder D and centre F must be brought forward as
at Figure 4, and the chain or cord passed over a pulley somewhere, as at M,