An Improved Apparatus for Raising and Lowering the Hoods of Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Raising and Lowering the Hoods of
Vehicles.
A communication by ENRICO NARDI, of No. 73, Via Maestra d'Oriente, Bozzols,
in the Kingdom of Italy, Coach Maker.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both in
the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick
and 322, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 apparatus shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is applied to
both sides of carriages, and is composed of an iron support S, solidly fixed to the
framework of such carriages as have a fixed hood, whilst for those which have a
movable hood the support S is formed in one with the base plate A' which is
fixed by means of bolts to the iron rail which constitutes the lower part of
movable hoods.
The supports S carry at their upper ends pivot to which are connected all
the lower ends of the stretchers R, R¹ and R3, whilst the stretcher R2 is pivotted
as shown in the drawing to the stretcher R¹ near its base. The first of these
stretchers, say R is prolonged below its bearing on the pivot Q and this prolongation
is formed as a sector D having three teeth to allow of the hood being lowered
one half, one third or entirely as desired.
At a suitable point on the curved support S there is pivoted an arm N provided
at its end with a tooth B which engages in one of the three teeth herein before
mentioned according as to how far it is desired to lower the hood. In order to
force the pawl or arm N to always remain in a raised position ready to engage
the sector each time the manipulating lever is released, a spiral spring c is fitted
to each arm; these two springs push the arms upwards and may be fixed as
desired either to the framework or to the iron rail of the vehicle. At the extremity
of the arms N links O are vertically hinged, their lower ends being hinged to the
extremities of levers O. These levers are rigidly connected to the ends of a shaft
or spindle M which passes through the whole width of the carriage and is concealed
by the seat.
A lever P is rigidly attached to a suitable point of this spindle and is pivoted
at its end to a link R' which is pivoted in turn at the point t to a lever T.
By pressing down with the foot the upper extremity of the lever T, the latter is
turned on its pivot V, and by means of the levers P and Q and the link O
causes the hooked arms N to be lowered so that the toothed sector D connected
with the main stretcher R is released and allows the hood to be lowered by its own
weight.
:
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:
This apparatus acts automatically only for lowering the hood; in order to raise
the hood, two handles are attached to the main stretcher R. By seizing and pulling
these handles a person can raise the hood, the spiral springs c pushing up the arms N
to engage with the sector D so that the hood remains securely raised. The
lowering movement may be executed by a person..seated in the carriage, or by
means, of a lever mechanism by the coachman on his box or .by, a servant seated
in a rear seat.

page_text: Figure 2 shows two forms of construction of an apparatus, which serves for
raising and lowering the hoods of landans.
In the first form of construction the apparatus is composed of a spindle or
shaft A, which, hidden by the back, passes, through the whole width of the landau
and is fixed in such a way that it can be rotated in two small bearings or supports
firmly fixed to the framework of the carriage.
Arms G, carrying at their ends b revoluble pulleys C, are rigidly fixed at the
extremities of this spindle. Levers D₁ pivoted below to the framework of the
carriage and above to the main stretcher R bear against the said pulleys . A
lever E is arranged at a suitable point on the spindle A and is of such a construction
that by gripping its handle together with a little lever e pivoted thereto a rod
terminated by a tooth is caused to move end wise, so that the tooth enters a hole made
expressly in the spindle and thus clutches the latter. By then raising the lever E,
the spindle A is turned or revolved on itself and by means of the arms G pushes
back the pivoted levers D', and the latter consequently draw with them the main
stretcher R and thus lower the hood. By making the movement in the reverse
'direction, the hood is raised. After these operations the handle of the lever is
released, a spiral spring pushes back the little lever e, the tooth disengages from the
spindle and the lever remaining free drops by its own weight back into the cushions,
the handle alone remaining outside.
In the second form of construction a spindle or shaft A is also employed which
passes through the whole width of the landau being concealed in the back and
having rigidly attached to its extremities two levers G', but these latter have at
a. suitable point along their length an eyelet bearing or guide without a pulley.
Levers C pass through these guides, and are pivoted at their upper extremities to
the framework of the carriage and at their lower extremities are connected with
a link D which is pivoted above to the main stretcher R'. At a suitable point of
the spindle A¹ there is applied as in the first form of construction a lever E'; by
pushing this lever towards the spindle A¹ it clutches or engages with a tooth on the
1:latter and on then raising the lever it simultaneously causes the spindle A¹ to revolve
1 on itself. The arms G' consequently push the lever and thereby also the link D³,
thus raising the main stretcher R' and with it the hood. The said lever has two holes
either of which may engage the tooth on the spindle. By engaging the first bole the
hood is raised or lowered to half its extent, by engaging the second hole it is raised
or lowered completely.
By drawing the lever from the spindle A it is disengaged from the tooth on the
. said spindle and thus remaining free falls by its own weight, and is concealed among
the cushions. The hood is lowered by operating the lever in the opposite direction,
that is to say, by lowering it instead of raising it.
The apparatus shown in Figure 2 may obviously be employed with any vehicles
having a movable hood with external stretchers and may be applied to the stretchers
or hinges.with extreme facility without it being necessary to change the lever covers
or the internal linings or make any other modifications in the stretching framework.
It is only necessary to raise the padding of the back in order to insert behind it the
spindle which bears at its extremities the arms G and G¹ and these latter remain
outside the hood and act directly on the stretchers.
Figure 3 shows the first form of constructing the operating lever. This lever is
.composed of a curved rod E.terminating in a fork at the end which is mounted on
the spindle at the other end is a handle nicely finished and nickel plated. A second
rod a is placed along the lever having its extremity towards the spindle curve and
terminated, by a tooth.e which may enter a hole formed in the spindle A, and it is
fixed: along the first-named rod in such a way that it can slide in holders c c. The
end towards the handle is hinged to a small lever e which is pivoted on the bearing or
holder c... By pressing the small lever e towards the handle. the rod a is caused to
advance towards the spindle. A and to clutch, the latter by the tooth el entering the
hole therein, whereupon by raising or lowering the operating lever, a movement of
rotation is imparted to the spindle as before described.

page_text: On the handle being released a spiral spring returns the small lever e to its normal
position and consequently draws back the rod a, and disengages the tooth from the
spindle, the lever E being then free to drop between the cushions.
Figure 4 shows the other form of lever which is more simple and which occupies
less space and is thus preferable. It is composed of a simple curved rod E¹ having a
prolonged fork towards the spindle A'. The spindle A' is provided with an enlarged
part a with a tooth 6' about two centimetres in length, adapted to engage a hole in
the lever E. By gripping the lever and pushing it towards the spindle A the tooth 61
is engaged in the hole in the lever. The lever thus clutches the spindle, and by
raising or lowering the lever, a movement of rotation is imparted to the said spindle.
By pulling the lever towards the person operating it, the tooth is disengaged from
the hole in the lever, and the latter being free drops between the cushions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me.
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The herein described apparatus for enabling the hood of a carriage to be
automatically lowered substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The two modifications of construction of a device for raising and lowering the
hood of a carriage substantially as described with reference to Figures 2, 3, and 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of Ma 1806
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.