Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing the Doors of Hansom Cabs and other such like Vehicles.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing the Doors
of Hansom Cabs and other such like Vehicles.
We GEORGE WALL of 6 Christopher Street, Finsbury Square in the City of
London, and WILLIAM ARTHUR WELLESLEY ORR of Kingston Road Didsbury in
the County of Lancaster Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
The object of the invention is to enable the drivers of Hansom cabs and other
cabs of like construction to open and shut the door or doors without leaving their
driving seat.
To effect this we employ a rod attached to the door in line with the axis of the
hinges, or preferably, the door may be mounted on such a rod in place of hinges.
The rod is made to project below the floor a sufficient distance for a chain pulley
to be fixed thereon. The chain pulley is furnished with teeth or projections to
gear into a chain, one end of which is passed over guide pulleys to one side of a
double lever situated at the back of the cab conveniently placed for the use of the
driver. The other end of the chain is passed over guide pulleys to the other side of
the double lever. The chain is supplied with a screwed link or links to tighten it
when necessary.
By means of the double lever chain, and pulley the door or doors may be opened
or closed by the driver at will.
It would be convenient for that part of the chain which passes over the guide
pulleys to be a simple chain or wire rope and that part only which gives motion
to the chain pulley needs to be gearing chain.
Also according to our invention we apply door opening and closing apparatus to
the upper part of the cab.
To effect this a rod is attached to the side frame of a cab inside or outside from
a point a little below the line of the top of the door to the back of the cab near the
top. This works freely in bearings attached to the frame of the cab. At the lower
end of the rod is a chain pulley gearing by means of a chain with a similar chain
pulley attached to the axis of the door which is prolonged for this purpose in
Buch manner that the door will obey the movement of the first mentioned chain
pulley. To the upper end of the rod is attached a lever or handle at or about a
right angle to the same and so placed as to be conveniently moved by the driver
for opening or shutting the door."

page_text: In place of the chain pulley a crank lever nay be attached at the lower end of
the rod the end of which (crank lever) is fastened to a link or linkage connected
with the door by a suitable pin or stud in such manner that the door will obey the
motion of the crank lever.
'Or in place of the above arrangement the rod above mentioned may receive the
requisite motion by means of bevil wheels instead of being actuated directly by the
lever handle as above described.
By means of the bevil wheels the situation of the lever handle and the plane in
which it moves may be varied to suit the convenience of the driver, whenever the
direct action would be inconvenient.
Or a link or linkage may be employed in which case it will be attached at one
end to a lever fixed on the same axis as the crank lever above described. At the
other end it will be attached to a vertical lever working on a centre pin or stud
attached to the framework near the back of the cab.
In all these cases each door, where there are two, would be worked separately.
In order to facilitate the starting of the motion in opening the door or doors &
spring or springs may be applied to the jamb or axis of each door in any position
most convenient for the purpose; such spring or springs would also serve as buffers
to lessen the jar when the doors are closing. A spring or buffer may also be applied
for each door to rest upon when open, which would similarly facilitate the starting
of the motion in closing each door.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing the Doors
of Hansom Cabs and other such like Vehicles.
We GEORGE WALL of 6 Christopher Street Finsbury Square in the City of
London and WILLIAM ARTHUR WELLESLEY ORR of Kingston Road Didsbury in
the County of Lancaster Gentlenen 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 the invention is to enable the drivers of Hansom cabs and other'
cabs of like construction to open and shut the door or doors without leaving the
driving seat.
To effect this we employ a rod attached to the door, in line with the axis of the
hinges, or preferably the door may be mounted on such a rod in place of one or
both of the hinges. The rod is made to project below the floor a sufficient distance
for a chain pulley to be fixed thereon. The chain pulley is furnished with teeth
or projections to gear into a chain. Half round this pulley a chain is geared the
two ends of which are carried over guide pulleys to opposite sides of a double lever
situated at the back of the cab conveniently placed for the use of the driver.
The guide pulleys are attached to the frame of the cab in such manner as to keep
the chain clear of it and of the axle. The chain is supplied with a screwed link or
links to tighten it when necessary. By means of the double lever chain and
pulley the door may be opened or closed by the driver at will.
Or in place of the double lever a gearing chain pulley may be used and the
chain may be made endless and gear into it, a handle being affixed to the chain
pulley.
Each of the doors is provided with the apparatus as above described.
It would be convenient for that part of the chain which passes over the guide
pulleys to be a simple chain or wire rope and that part only which gives motion
to the chain pulley need be gearing chain.
Also according to our invention we employ other methods of opening and closing
the doors applicable to the upper part of the cab.
To effect this a rod is attached to the side frame of a cab, inside, from a point a
little below the line of the top of the door to the back of the cab near the top in a
position similar to that of the rod, a, shewn in Figure 1. This works freely in
bearings attached to the frame of the cab. At the lower or front end of the rod is
a chain pulley gearing by means of an endless chain with a similar chain pulley
attached to the axis of the door, which is prolonged for this purpose upwards in
the same manner as described above for the downward extension of the axis, in
such manner that the door will obey the movement of the first mentioned chain
pulley. To the upper end of the rod is attached a lever or handle similar to that

page_text: marked, f, in Figure 1 at a convenient angle to the rod and so placed as to be
conveniently moved by the driver for opening or shutting the door by means of the
rod and the chain pulleys.
In place of the chain pulley we prefer a crank lever, b, to be attached at the
lower or front end of the rod, a, which we call the crank-rod, as shewn in Figure 1.
The end of the crank-rod, a, works in a bearing, c, attached to the frame of the
cab. The crank-lever, b, is jointed to a link, d, connected by a joint with the door
by a suitable pin or stud, e, in such manner that the door will obey the motion of
the crank-lever, b.
The relative situations of the several parts of the apparatus, a, b, c, d, e, and, f,
are shewn in Figure 1 with the door closed on one side and open on the other.
If joints other than common link joints be used for the link connections they
must admit of at least so much freedom as to compensate for the different angles of
the axes on which the door and the crank-rod, a, respectively turn.
In this arrangement the crank-rod, a, with its crank-lever, b, link, d, and door
connection are the essential features, but the situation of the crank-rod, a, and the
neans of actuating it may be considerably varied.
Thus in place of the above arrangement wherein the crank-rod, a, crosses the
window it may be placed horizontally under the window (as shewn in Figure 2)
and receive its motion by means of toothed bevil wheels, g, h, and an inter-
mediate rod, k, instead of being actuated directly by the lever handle, f, as above
described.
-
By this arrangement the crank-rod, a, is so situated as to avoid crossing the
window which might in some cases be inconvenient, and the position of the lever
handle, f, and the plane in which it moves are varied to suit the situation of the
intermediate rod, k.
Or the crank-rod, a, may pass vertically to near the roof of the cab inside as
shewn in Figure 3 and be actuated by toothed bevil wheels, g, h, and an inter-
mediate shaft, k, placed horizontally above the window.
Or the crank-rod, a, may be attached by a universal joint, 1, (which is shewn on
an enlarged scale in Figure 5) to an intermediate rod, k, as shewn in Figure 4 in
which case the handle, f, would be placed at a convenient angle at the upper end
of the intermediate rod, k.
Or the crank-rod, a, may be placed horizontally under the window and be
actuated by a lever or crank, m, at its inner end by means of a link or connecting
rod, n, attached to a similar crank-lever, o, at the inner end of a shaft, p, passing
through a bearing in the back of the cab near the top and having a handle, f,
attached outside for the use of the driver as shewn in Figure 6.
:
Or the crank-rod, a, may pass horizontally under the window through a bearing
attached to the back frame of the cab to the outside as shewn in Figure 7 and be
actuated directly by the foot of the driver by means of a double treadle lever, r.
In all the last mentioned arrangements shewn in Figures 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 the
whole of the working parts inside the cab may be concealed under the lining or
upholstery if desired.
.
In all the combinations applicable to the upper part of the cab as above
described a similar apparatus will be required for each door one on each side of
the cab.
{
In order to facilitate the starting of the motion in opening the door a spring or
springs may be applied to the jamb of each door, or to that edge of the door which
abuts against the jamb, or to both the door and the jamb, in any position most
convenient for the purpose. Such spring or springs would also serve as buffers
to lessen the jar when the door was closing.
A spring or buffer may also be applied for each door to rest upon when open
which would similarly facilitate the starting of the motion in closing the door.
Such springs may either be of india-rubber such as those now in general use or of
any other convenient form and material..

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we do not confine
ourselves to the proportions or details as shewn in the Figures, but what we claim
as our invention is:―
1st With regard to the first mentioned method applicable to the under part of
the doors we claim the use of gearing chain pulleys and chains as described.
2nd All those combinations applicable to the upper part of the door including
the crank-rod with its connections with the door in all the various positions of the
said crank-rod and actuated by the several means described and shewn in the
Figures.