Improvements in or applicable to Luggage Trollies and other similar Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 23rd June, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Luggage Trollies and other similar
Vehicles.
I, HARRY EDWARD GRESHAM, of Craven Iron Works, Salford, Manchester in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said inven-
tion to be as follows:-
My invention relates to luggage trollies and similar vehicles, and its object
is to prevent them moving when left by themselves, and to so arrange them that
they can only be moved about when properly pulled or pushed, and so that when
left by themselves on an incline, they are not liable to be moved by gravity to
come in the way to cause accidents. One common form of luggage trolley is
on four wheels, the two front wheels can swivel with the handle bar by which
the trolley is pulled along when to be moved.
The handle bar is jointed so that it can be turned upwards out of the way when
the trolley is not being moved, but is turned down into nearly a horizontal position
when being moved about. The handle that moves up and down is connected
according to my invention by chains or other suitable means with a brake arrange-
ment, which are or may be brakes one at each end of a rod carried by levers
having their fulcrums on the axle tree for the swivel wheels, which brakes are
forced against the wheels by a spring or springs when the handle is turned up, but
when lowered to move the trolley this action withdraws the brakes from the
wheels against the action of the spring or springs.
If desired there may be brakes on all the wheels and the action of the turning
of the handle up or down will or may cause all the brakes to be applied or with-
drawn. When the handle is left at liberty the spring or springs lift it to the
upward or safety position. Instead of brakes there may be arms or levers which
by a suitable spring or springs will come into notches or teeth on the side of the
wheels or between spokes of the wheels or holes therein if made with spokes or
holes.
In some cases if desired, the handle is weighted to assume the vertical position
when left at liberty and in this position will draw projections from a lever or
levers to engage with teeth or projections from the wheels which are to be pre-
vented from revolving.
Some trollies are mounted on three pairs of wheels, a small pair at each end
and a larger pair in the middle so that the trolley may be turned about when
balanced on the middle or large pair of wheels.
In such trollies my invention consists of brakes arranged to act upon the middle
pair of wheels or to act upon toothed or other projections upon them or upon the
spokes or holes in the spokes if used, the brakes, arms or levers being brought
into action by a spring or springs or by a weight or weights.
These brakes or levers are taken out of action by connections with levers at
each end of the trolley, which are arranged to be pressed upon or against when
the trolley is to be pushed along from either end, and this action upon the levers

page_text: against which the hands come in pushing, withdraws the brakes, arms or levers
so as then to allow the trolley to be freely moved about.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of Sentember 1898
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.
Improvements in or applicable to Luggage Trollies and other similar
Vehicles..
I, HARRY EDWARD GRESHAM, of Craven Iron Works, Salford, Manchester in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement;
My invention relates to luggage trollies and similar vehicles, and its object
is to prevent them moving when left by themselves, and to so arrange them that|
they can only be moved about when properly pulled or pushed, and so that when
left by themselves on an incline, they are not liable to be moved by gravity to
come in the way to cause accidents. One common form of luggage trolley is
on four wheels, the two front wheels can swivel with the handle bar by which
the trolley is pulled along when to be moved.
The handle bar is jointed so that it can be turned upwards out of the way when
the trolley is not being moved, but is turned down into nearly a horizontal position
when being moved about The handle that moves up and down is. connected
according to my invention by chains or other suitable means with a brake arrange-
ment, which are or may be brakes one at each end of a rod carried by levers
having their fulcrums on the axle tree for the swivel wheels, which brakes are
forced against the wheels by a spring or springs when the handle is turned up, but
when lowered to move the trolley this action withdraws the brakes from the
wheels against the action of the spring or springs..
If desired there may be brakes on all the wheels and the action of the turning
of the handle up or down will or may cause all the brakes to be applied or with-
drawn. When the handle is left at liberty the spring or springs lift it to the
upward or safety position. Instead of brakes there may be arms or levers which
by a suitable spring or springs will come into notches or teeth on the side of the
wheels or between spokes of the wheels or holes therein if made with spokes or
holes.
In some cases if desired, the handle is weighted to assume the vertical position
when left at liberty and in this position will draw projections from a lever or
levers to engage with teeth or projections from the wheels which are to be pre-
vented from revolving.
Some trollies are mounted on three pairs of wheels, a small pair at each end
and a larger pair in the middle so that the trolley may be turned about when
balanced on the middle or large pair of wheels.
In such trollies my invention consists of brakes arranged to act upon the middle
pair of wheels or to act upon toothed or other projections upon them or upon the
spokes or holes in the spokes if used, the brakes, arms or levers being brought
into action by a spring or springs or by a weight or weights.
These brakes or levers are taken out of action by connections with levers at
each end of the trolley, which are arranged to be pressed upon or against when
the trolley is to be pushed along from either end, and this action upon the levers

page_text: against which the hands come in pushing, withdraws the brakes, arms or levers
so as then to allow the trolley to be freely moved about.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of part of a trolley supposed to run upon two pairs
of wheels, one pair on a swivel axle to which the handle bar is jointed...
Fig. 2, is a plan of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a side elevation of a trolley supposed to be on one pair of wheels, with
a single wheel on one end, but the arrangement illustrated is also applicable when
there is a pair of large wheels under the middle part of the trolley, and one or
two smaller wheels at each end, the trolley can be thus balanced on the middle
pair of wheels, the others at the end being at the time raised from the ground or
Hoor when being turned about.
Fig. 4, is a plan of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, the bottom of the trolley
being supposed removed.
·
Fig. 5, is an end sectional elevation of a trolley upon one pair of wheels and one
or two end wheels, and
Fig. 6, is a plan view, the bottom of the trolley being supposed removed.
a, is the axle tree which can swivel upon the central stud a¹, under the frame a³,
of the trolley indicated by dotted line in Fig. 2, and it has a wheel a³, at each
end free to rotate upon the projecting axle.
The horizontal bar a, is forked and secured to the axle tree a, and to its end.
the handle lever a, is jointed at as, so as to be turned into the vertical position
as shown in Fig. 1, or into nearly a horizontal position when the trolley is being
pulled along. The parts above referred to by letters of reference are those of
an ordinary and well known trolley. Two brackets b, are secured to the axle tree a,
to which lever arms b', are jointed at b*, and to the lower ends of each lever arm a
cross bar b, is attached, the ends of which cross bar have each a brake block
secured to them that can come and be pressed upon the peripheries of the wheels
by a spring or springs, two helical springs b, are shown, one end of each of which
is secured to a bracket attached to the axle tree a, the other end to the cross bar b,
so that these springs when allowed to act press the brake blocks b, upon the
wheels a².
To the upper end of each lever arm b¹, one end of a chain or other attachment
or connection 65, is secured, and the other ends of the chains or connections
are secured to a hole a', in the handle bar a', or the ends of the two chains 6,
are connected together and pass through the hole a', in the handle bar at which
point of connection with the handle bar there will be a sufficient extent of leverage
or movement when the handle bar is turned down to withdraw the brakes from the
wheels against the action of the springs-the springs putting the brakes on again
when the handle lever, is raised to the vertical position causing the chains to
become slack. In the modification shown by Figs. 3 and 4, the pair of wheels a",
on the ends of an axle tree may be loose thereon, or they may be loose on a con-
necting shaft or axle free to revolve upon it or fast thereon.
The end wheel 8, may have its bearings in a fork a", that can swivel with a
vertical axis like a castor.
The trolley illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 is an ordinary one. On a vertical
stud c, secured to the underside of the bottom of the trolley (the frame a³, only.
of which is shown) a four armed lever c¹, is mounted. To each of the opposite
arms of this lever one end of a bar e, is jointed, the other end of each bar passing
through a hole in a bracket c³, secured to the bottom of the trolley so that the end
of each bar, can come against or in the way of the arms of the wheels a", or
openings or holes in the disc of the wheels or against teeth or projections formed
upon the sides of the wheels or against projections on rings secured to the sides
of the wheels in such position as to prevent or obstruct the rotation of the wheels.
The other two opposite arms of the four armed lever c', have each one end of
a chain or other connection, attached thereto, the other ends of which chains or
attachments are connected with the lower end of a lever handle, jointed on a
bracket secured to the end of the trolley as shown best in Fig. 3, in which position
.

page_text: of the hand lever a helical spring c", attached at one end to a bracket or pro-
jection c from the bottom of the trolley and at the other end to one of the
arms of the four armed lever, will cause the outer ends of the locking bars c, to
be pushed towards the sides of the wheels so as to prevent their rotation, but when
the hand lever c, at either end of the trolley is pushed inwards towards the end
of the trolley, the four armed lever c', will be partly rotated against the action
of the spring c, and will cause the ends of the locking bars, to be withdrawn
from the sides of the wheels, but the moment the hand levers c³, are left at liberty,
the spring will act to lock the wheels again.
In Figs. 5 and 6, there are two locking bars, the outer ends of which will act
upon the wheels a, as herein before explained in reference to Figs. 3 and 4, the
ends of the locking bar's passing through holes in brackets 3, secured to the
underside of the bottom of the trolley a*, while the inner ends of the locking
bars are each jointed to arms 8, on opposite sides of a horizontal shaft c³, one
on one side, the other on the other side of the shaft.
This shaft c', extends in suitable bearings in the lengthway of the trolley, and
there is a lever handle, secured upon it at each end, the weight of which arms,
when in the position best shown in Fig. 5, will force the ends of the locking
bar, against the sides of the wheels.
When the hand lever, at either end is lifted to near the vertical position,
the locking bars, are withdrawn from the wheels.
The lever handles c, can only be lifted to a position from which they can fall
by gravity when released to the position shown best in Fig. 5. A. guard c", is
shown for limiting the movement of the handle, but stops (one at each end
of the stroke) may be used instead.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with the wheels of trollies of mechanism substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of
the drawings.
2. The combination with the wheels of trollies of mechanism substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 of
the drawings.
3. The combination with the wheels of trollies of mechanism substantially as
and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 of
of the drawings.
Dated this Twenty-second day of Tuna 1900