IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Leedham Fuller and Arthur Fuller, of
the City of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Carriage Builders, and
Charles Martin, of Cheapside, in the City of London, Civil Engineer,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Leedham Fuller,
Arthur Fuller, and Charles Martin at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 25th January 1865.
We, STEPHEN LEEDHAM FULLER and ARTHUR FULLER, of the City of Bath,
in the County of Somerset, Carriage Builders, and CHARLES MARTIN, of
Cheapside, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
carriages which are called landaus, and other carriages of a like or analogous
nature. In such carriages as hitherto constructed great inconvenience is
occasioned by the difficulty of. raising and lowering or removing the
framing and lights contained therein, and by which the front parts of such
carriages are formed, in consequence of such parts being disconnected and
independent of each other. By means of these improvements the said
operations can be easily performed by one person. The framing of which

page_text: the front portion of the carriage head is formed is provided with suitable
binges or joints at the angles thereof, so that the frame immediately behind
and parallel with the driving seat shall be capable of falling towards the same
in a sloping position. The top part of the carriage front, which is usually
covered with leather, is jointed to the said last-mentioned frame, and is
capable of falling and resting upon the same, thus protecting the glass, while
those portions of the frames which form the front sides of the door framing
fold down in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position upon the sides of the
body of the carriage. The last-mentioned portions of the framing or door
pillars are so constructed that the glass plates or lights at the sides of the front
portion of the carriage can be slid behind or through it previous to the removal
of the framing, and lowered into the door casings, which are made of sufficient
size to contain the same. These improvements in constructing the front parts
of such carriages not only facilitate the lowering or raising thereof in the
ordinary way, but any suitable mechanical means can be applied to effect the
same, which in the previous mode of construction it was impossible to do.
When the said framing is raised and placed in its upright position the side
windows or lights are raised from the door casings and slid behind or through
the door pillars before referred to into the other portions of the framing,
which are suitably grooved to retain them, so as entirely to close the front
part of the carriage; or such side lights, instead of passing into the door
casings, may be hung on suitable joints or hinges, so as to fold back upon the
front light at the back of the driving seat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Leedham Fuller, Arthur Fuller, and Charles Martin
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, STEPHEN
LEEDHAM FULLER and ARTHUR FULLER, of the City of Bath, in the County of
Somerset, Carriage Builders, and CHARLES MARTIN, formerly of Cheapside,' in
the City of London, but now of Duke Street, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Stephen Leedham Fuller, Arthur Fuller, and Charles Martin, Her special

page_text: licence that we, the said Stephen Leedham Fuller, Arthur Fuller, and Charles
Martin, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Stephen Leedham Fuller, Arthur Fuller, and Charles Martin, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Stephen Leedham Fuller, Arthur Fuller, and Charles Martin, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
5 within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Stephen Leedham Fuller, Arthur
Fuller, and Charles Martin, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
D. and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,.
that is to say-
i
Our said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
carriages, such improvements being applicable to the carriages which are called
5 or known as landaus, and other carriages provided with removeable fronts,
consisting of framing and glass plates or lights arranged therein. In such
carriages when constructed in the ordinary way great inconvenience is occasioned
by the difficulty of raising and lowering or removing the framing and lights
contained therein, and by which the fronts of such carriages are formed, in
consequence of such parts being disconnected and entirely independent of each
other. By means of these improvements the said operations can be easily
performed by one person. The framing of which the front portion of the
carriage head is formed is provided with hinges or joints at the angles thereof,
so that the frame immediately behind and parallel with the driving seat shall
5 be capable of falling towards the same in a sloping position. The top part of
the carriage front, which is usually covered with leather, is jointed to the said
last-mentioned frame, and is capable of falling and resting upon the same, thus
protecting the glass, while those portions of the frames which form the front
sides of the door framing fold down in a horizontal or nearly horizontal

page_text: position upon the sides of the body of the carriage. The last-mentioned
portions of the framing or door pillars are so constructed that the glass plates
or lights at the sides of the front portion of the carriage can be slid behind or
through the door pillars (which may be constructed with suitable slots therein
for such purpose), and lowered into the door casings, the latter being made of
sufficient capacity to contain the same. When the framing is raised and placed
in its upright position the side windows or lights are raised from the door
casings and slid behind or through the door pillars as before mentioned into
the other portions of the framing, which are suitably grooved to retain them,
so as entirely to close the front part of the carriage; or such side lights,
instead of being lowered into the door casings, may be hung on suitable
joints or hinges, so as to fold back upon the front light at the back of
the driving seat. The said improvements in constructing the front parts
of such carriages as herein-before referred to not only facilitate the lowering
or raising thereof in the ordinary way, but any suitable mechanical means
can be applied to effect the same, which in the previous mode of con-
struction it was impossible to do. For instance, the arrangements for raising
and lowering the heads of carriages invented by me the said Charles Martin,
and for which Letters Patent were granted, bearing date the Twelfth day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and numbered 2819,
may be adapted to the purposes of the present Invention, so that the carriage
front can be lowered or raised from the driving seat, or from the back of the
carriage, and either simultaneously with the back hood or independently thereof.
We wish it, however, to be distinctly understood that the mechanical means
so capable of being employed for the purposes of actuating the mechanism
herein-before described forms no part of the present Invention secured to us
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent.
Our said Invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the
annexed Drawings.
Figure 1 is the carriage with the front raised and in position, the hinges or
joints being shewn in dotted lines.
Figure 2 represents the carriage with the front portion thereof partially
lowered, the hinges or joints being shewn in dotted lines. It will be observed
that the hinge or joint connecting the frame behind the driving seat with the
top, is so constructed that the portion thereof attached to the said frame slides
in a groove or slot in that portion thereof which is attached to the top, thus
facilitating the raising and lowering of the carriage front. If preferred,
however, any other suitable form of hinge or joint may be used.
Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: and also the manner in which it is to be performed, we would observe in con-
clusion that what we consider novel and original, and therefore claim as
constituting our said Invention is, the combination and arrangement of
mechanism for raising and lowering the fronts of carriages as herein-before
substantially set forth and described, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Stephen Leedham Fuller, Arthur Fuller,
and Charles Martin, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
S. L. FULLER.
(L.B.)
ARTHUR FULLER. (L.s.)
CHARLES MARTIN. (L.S.)