IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN WHEELED CARRIAGES
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JASPER
WESTON, of Dovor, in the County of Kent, Gentleman, send greeting..
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-third day of February, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Jasper Weston, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Jasper Weston, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Jasper Weston, my exors, aduiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed; my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN WHEELED
CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Jasper Weston, shall 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 said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear..
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Jasper Weston, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to

page_text: Figure 1 represents a side view of a two-wheeled carriage, having part of
my improvements applied thereto; in which Figure it will be seen that the
shaft or pole by which the horse is harnessed to the carriage rises to a position
above the back of the animal, there being a descending apparatus, what I call
a rider, moving on an axis at the end of the pole or shaft. The pole or shaft
a, a, is to be attached or affixed to the framing of the carriage, or to the body of
the carriage, depending on the arrangement of wheeled carriage to which this
part of my improvements is applied; Figure 1 shews a convenient construction;
the pole a, a, proceeding under the carriage becomes the perch for the trans-
verse framing of the carriage, on which the springs b, b, are affixed, the
pole a, a, and the perch being either of one continued piece, or the pole may be
attached by any suitable means to the perch, as will readily be performed by a
coach-builder, or framework may intervene between the pole and perch or
under-framing of the carriage. The part which I call the rider is shewn
separately at Figure 2 at c, c, when for a single horse, and at Figure 3 for two
horses, and in its place at Figure 1.. The rider c, c, descends from the pole to
the saddle or pad band of the horse, and is strapped thereto by a strap passing
under the horse over the saddle or pad, whereby the rider is capable of move-
ment on such strap at the point e, at which point the breaching straps and
traces may be affixed, as is shewn at Figure 1; d is the axis which moves in
suitable bearings in the end of the pole or shaft a, and there may be a spring
or springs as at f, to give elasticity to the axis in the rise and falling of the
pole or shaft caused by the action of the horse or otherwise. And it may be
desirable to remark, that by dispensing with the driving seat in front, the
driver may sit on the seat behind. And further, both the hind seat and the
front seat may be dispensed, with, and the person driving may sit in the
carriage.
. Another part of my Invention consists in a mode of applying the driving
seat at or above the head of two-wheeled carriages in such manner that the
driving seat is separate from and independent of the body of the carriage,
such seat being affixed to and supported by framing, which is below
the body of, the carriage; Figure 1 shews this part of my Invention,
the seat being affixed to the rising framing, to which the pole a, a, is
connected, hence the seat is thereby wholly independent of the body of the
carriage in which the passengers sit.

page_text: Another part of my Invention is shewn at Figure 4, wherein the driving seat
is in a similar position to that shewn at Figure 1, but in place of the scat
being wholly independant of the body of the carriage, there is a framing rising
from the lower part of the body of the carriage, as at g, g; the object of this
5 arrangement is that the head of the two-wheeled carriage to which my im-
provement is applied shall be capable of folding, notwithstanding the scat
being at or near the top of the carriage, as is shewn at Figure 4, and without
offering impediment to the passengers entering in front.
Figure 5 shews another of my improvements, which consists in a mode of
attaching the shafts of two-wheeled carriages to the framing or perch which
passes below the body of the carriage; Figure 5 shews so much of the parts
as will readily explain the mode of carrying out this part of my Invention,
there being a part of the front framing shewn at 1, h; to such framing h, h,
is attached the shafts by pin joints in order to allow of movement of the shafts
up and down, such movement of the shafts being controlled by the application
of a spring or springs, as at i; but I would remark in respect to this part of
my Invention, that I am aware that shafts have been similarly connected to
the bodies of two-wheeled carriages, the peculiarity of my Invention consisting
in the application of such a means of connection to the framing of two-wheeled
carriages, which framing is distinct from the body, as above explained.
Figure 1 also shews another part of my Invention, which consists in a mode of
applying an under framing, through the intervention of springs, to the axle-
trees, such framing being distinct from the body of the carriage, and it is to
such separate framing that the draft, whether by the use of the pole a, a, or
by ordinary or other shafts, is applied. The framing and perch or framing j,j,
has the springs i, i, which carry the body of the carriage affixed thereto, and.
the framing j, j, itself is attached to the axle k by means of springs 7, hence
the framej is suspended from the axle by means of elliptical or of semi-
elliptical or other springs, by which means the shocks are not communicated
to the pole or the shafts, or to the driving scat connected with such framing j
which is a very important advantage in the construction of two-wheeled
carriages for producing ease to the passenger and to the horse. Figure 6
shews this part of my Invention applied to four-wheeled carriages, in which
the same letters of reference are employed to denote similar parts. By an
examination of this Figure, aided by the above description, a coach-builder
will readily understand the arrangement of springs for suspending the framing
below the axletrees, and also for suspending the body of the vehicle, whether
t be a stage coach or other form of wheeled carriage; though I would remark
that I do not confine myself to any particular description or arrangement of

page_text: springs for the purpose of this part of my Invention, for it will be evident that
variations may be made depending on the nature of the carriage-and the desire
of the person for whom it is built, this part of the Invention relating to the
suspending the framing below the axletrees by means of springs, and suspend-
ing the body of the carriage by springs to the framing, as shewn.
Figures 1 and 4 shew another part of my Invention, which consists of the
application of side doors to two-wheeled carriages, when such carriages are so
combined and constructed that the side framing or entrance tread of the
passage, as at m, Figures 1 and 4, is below the spindle of the axletree (or
centre of the wheel). In order to accomplish this object of my Invention, the
framings n, n, are made on each side of the carriage, suitable for a door to be
hung, and such doors may be so hung as to open to or from the wheels. By
this arrangement a more convenient two-wheeled carriage will be obtained than
when using the ordinary apron hinged to the bottom and in front of the
carriage, or when using doors which shut in front of the passengers; and it will
be desirable in some cases to have a folding apron of leather or other suitable
material to cover over the carriage, which may hang over the tops of the side
doors; by this arrangement much more room may be obtained with the same
or nearly the same weight, or the aprom may be made in two or more parts,
and hinged together and fold up in front.
Figure 7 shews another of my improvements, which is applicable to four-
wheeled carriages, and consists in the application of what are called and well
known as "Dennetts springs," to the under part of the fore carriage of four-
wheeled carriages. 0, 0, are the Dennett springs, which are affixed, as shewn
in this Figure, to the under part of the fore carriage, and the body of the
carriago is to be affixed to the upper part of the fore carriage, by which
arrangement and application of springs I obtain greater elasticity, with light-
ness of framework, than according to the ordinary mode of applying springs to
the upper part of the fore carriage, and suspending the body of the carriage
thereto.
Figure 8 shews another part of my Invention; it consists in a mode of
constructing wheels with spring spokes. p, p, are a series of curved elastic
spokes which are affixed to the external rings or felloe of the wheel by rivets
or otherwise, and the spokes are affixed to the nave by entering mortices cut
therein, such nave being either of iron or other metal, or of wood bound
round by iron or with other metal, the mortices or openings for the spokes
being formed in the hoop of iron or other metal; this part of my Invention
consisting of the application of metal or metal-bound naves to wheels made
with elastic curved spokes.

page_text: Figure 9 shews another part of my Invention, which consists in constructing
wheels by means of one or more circular elastic hoop or hoops affixed con-
centrically with the external ring or felloe of the wheel; g, g, shew such elastic
hoops, which are affixed concentrically within the external ring or felloe and
to the nave by means of the short tubes r, r, having short rods through them,
which passing through the hoops q, q, are rivetted thereto; or in place of
tubes they may be solid arms having short necks, which passing through the
elastic hoops 9, 9, are to be rivetted or otherwise strongly affixed, such tubes
or arms being so affixed. to the different rims that they shall not be in a con-
tinuous line from the spoke to the felloe, or the hoops may be connected, yet
kept a distance from each other by other means, as will readily be understood.
Figure 10 shews another arrangement of a spring wheel, the external ring
or felloe having a series of springs 8, s, which meet together and produce
angles at their points of junction with the felloe, and these springs have
further combinations of springs t, t, which are affixed to the nave and produce
angles where they meet and are connected to the springs s, 8, as is shewn in
the Figure 10 of the Drawing..
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for carrying out the same, I would have it understood that
I lay no claim to any of the parts separately nor combined other than is
herein-after particularly pointed out and herein-before described. What I
claim as my Invention is,-
First, the application of a pole or shaft in such manner that it is over or
above the back of the horse or other animal harnessed thereto, in place of
having the shafts or pole at a position below the back of the animal, as
heretofore practised.
Secondly, I claim the mode of harnessing horses or other animals to car-
riages by means of what I call riders applied to suitable poles.
Thirdly, I claim the applying a driving seat to an under framing of a two-
wheeled carriage, suspended from the axletree by springs, such seat being
independent of the body of the carriage, as above described.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of applying a driving seat to the body of a
two-wheeled carriage at or above the head, in such manner that the head may
fold, as above described.
Fifthly, I claim the mode of applying springs, as described and shewn at
Figure 5.
Sixthly, I claim the suspending under framings to the axletrees by springs,
and hanging the body of the carriage on further springs in connection of the

page_text: springs which suspend the framing or to the framing, as above described at
Figures 1 and 6.
Seventhly, I claim the mode of applying side doors to two-wheeled carriages,
as described in Figures 1 and 4.
Eighthly, I claim the mode of applying Dennet springs to the fore carriage
of four-wheeled carriages, as described in Figure 7.
Ninthly, I claim the mode of constructing the naves of wheels for curved
elastic spokes, as described at Figure 8.
Tenthly, I claim the mode of constructing wheels for carriages, described at
Figures 9 and 10.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jasper Weston, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.