AN IMPROVEMENT UPON AND MACHINERY TO BE ATTACHED TO COACHES AND VARIOUS OTHER CARRIAGES FOR THE BETTER ACCOMODATION OF PASSENGERS
Year: 1805

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
MILLER, of the Parish of Saint Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
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 Britai
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of May, in
the forty-fifth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel
Miller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Ilis especial licence, that I,
the said Samuel Miller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should and
lawfully mught, during the term of years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT UPON AND MACHINERY TO BE ATTACHED TO COACHES
AND VARIOUS OTHER CARRIAGES FOR THE BETTER ACCOMODATION OF PASSENGERS;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Samuel Miller, 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

page_text: Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto bad, may
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Miller, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following description thereof (that is to
say)
-
Fig. 1 represents a post chaise, calculated for the traveller at pleasure to sit
erect or recline, A being a moveable back, capable of being set to any angle
the passenger may find conducive to his ease, either by a bracket behind or a
catch at the side, or any other kind of fastening best adapted to the con-
struction of the body of the chaise or carriage. The back of the chaise from
the seat may be made moveable instead of a detached back B, the centre; C,
the additional movable leather side, which may be spread or drawn up by the
passenger at pleasure. Fig 2 represents a stage or mail coach with one seat
only, made for reclining. Fig. 3 is a coach where both ends are disposed
for ease; the detached backs and body constructed in the same manner as the
post chaise. Figures 4 and 5 are open coaches or carriages upon the same
principle, calculated to sit erect or recline at pleasure. Fig 6 is a perspective
view of a moveable back and bracket Fig. 7 is a common post chaise, hung
in a position to receive a movable back. Figures 8 and 9 represent springs
fastened to the perch, and from thence to the centre of the bottom of the
carriage, to check the irregular motion on rough roads; in both cases they act
as counter springs to the fore and hind springs. Fig 10 is a method for
correcting this motion by a pad or cushion fastened to the spring, which
presses on the bottom of the coach. This will prevent it from moving at
every little irregularity, yet suffers it to move at any sudden stroke; any other
method, as rollers, castors, &c., may be applied
Fig. 11 is a representation of the centre of a carriage wheel, whence the
spokes are made to support each other without the use of mortises, by their
having a flat bearing for three or four inches, and confined by two side plates
of metal or wood, as at Figure 12 Fig. 13 shews the edge view of the plates
rivetted to half the axletree, which, in this case, runs with the wheel.
Fig. 14 is a view of a box with a side plate. A, the axle; B, B, the side
plates, and C, C, the groove to receive the spokes; D, D, a collar turned round
the box, E, E, a hollow box which is rivetted to the axle, and receives the
working box and collar; F, F, screws which fasten the collar to the outside
box. This method is intended to secure the body of the carriage in case the
axletree should give way; the side metal plates to be either screwed or rivetted
or cast solid.

page_text: Fig. 15 represents a second method to cast one of the plates with their
partitions open at the side as well as the top. When the spokes are forced in
the side plates are fastened on against the side of the spokes; by this pre-
caution if at any time a spoke is broken the plate may be taken off, the spoke
taken out, and a new one replaced without moving the fellowes.
Figure 16 is a machine for regulating the fares of figured hackney coaches
in the Cities of London and Westminster. A, the nave of one of the hind
wheels, which is to be oval on one side, as represented, Fig 17, so that at
every turn of the wheel it may lift the lever B about one inch, the lever being
suspended on the pin C, at about six parts out of seven from the end B,
consequently will move the end D one sixth of an inch, which being connected
to the upright E will cause the catch F to move the ratchet wheel one notch
forward, when, by the descent of the arm of the lever B, by means of a spring,
will return the catch F to the succeeding notch, which operation will be
repeated at each turn of the wheel. At every turn of the ratchet wheel G the
price advances sixpence, which will always appear at the opening H, by means
of the pinion I being fixed to the ratchet wheel G, and turning the wheel K
one twentieth part round. The pinion I to have six teeth, the wheel K one
hundred and twenty teeth, the ratchet wheel G from one hundred and sixty to
one hundred and eighty, according to the size of the carriage wheel Fig 18
is the same as Figure 16, with the addition of a wheel and pinion, which is to
be locked up for the private information of the master hackney man shewing
the distance his hoises have gone through during the course of the day
Fig 19 is another simple method of conveying this information Every tun
of the ratchet wheel causes the hand to shift the price wheel one twentieth
part round
Fig 20 is a horizontal price wheel, worked with an endless sc ew,
multiphed at twenty to one
Fig 21 represents a method of applying wheels to the first motion instead
of the lever The wheels A, A, are equal in numbers, the worm B and
wheel C eleven to one, the worm D and wheel E sixteen to one, the pinion G
and wheel H four to one, the pinion I and socket wheel K five to one, the
wheel K and wheel L equal, the pinion M and wheel N four to one, the
wheel N and wheel O equal. The wheel E turns the hand F, the socket
wheel K turns the hand P, the wheel O turns the hand Q. Fig 22 is the face
of Figure 21. It is the business of the coachman at taking up his fare or
conung on the stand to set the point of the arrow on the price plate, together
with the sixpenny hand L perpendicular, which is effected by moving the catch
or click out of the notch and turning back the wheel K and wheel M in
Figure 18 by means of the wheel M running loose on its arbor. The private

page_text: hand is kept stationary, only moving by means of the click and ratchet O when
the carriage is in motion.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Miller, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and five.
G. S. HARVEY.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-seventh day of
June, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Samuel Miller came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
the Statute in that case made and provided.