AN IMPROVED DRAG OR BRAKE APPLICABLE TO WAGGONS, OMNIBUSES, CARRIAGES, AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Parry, of Balham, in the County of
Surrey, Hop Merchant, and James M Hardy, of Edinborough,
North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED DRAG
OR BRAKE APPLICABLE TO WAGGONS, OMNIBUSES, CARRIAGES, AND OTHER
WHEELED VEHICLES."
Sealed the 6th May 1870, and dated the 15th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Parry and
James McHardy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 15th December 1869.
We, THOMAS PARRY, of Balham, in the County of Surrey, Hop
Merchant, and JAMES M'HARDY, of Edinborough, North Britain,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED DRAG OR BRAKE APPLICABLE TO WAGGONS, OMNIBUSES, CARRIAGES, AND
OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to improvements on an Invention for "An
Improved Drag applicable to Waggons, Omnibuses, and other Wheeled

page_text: Vehicles," for which Letters Patent were granted to us dated October
13th, 1869.
In this Invention the rod or chain that passes under the vehicle is
attached to the inner ends of levers, each lever being in communication
with two other levers, the other end of one of such levers being fixed to
a stationary fulcrum, and the other end of the other said lever being fixed
to a transverse bar, on either end of which is a brake block taking on
the wheels of the vehicle, so that when the inner ends of the two
central levers are pulled forward they will press the inner ends of the
other levers outward, thus bringing them into a more direct line, and
thereby lengthening the distance from the fulcra to the brake rod and
'causing the said brakes to act upon the wheels in the manner afore-
said, and springs as caused to act upon the levers to return them to their
original position when they are not required for use. This arrangement
is chicfly applicable to furniture vans, drays, and other heavy vehicles.
Instead of levers being used in the above arrangement chains or rods
may be employed, the central chains passing through grooved guide
pullics, and in this arrangement a double set of brakes may be used, the
ends of the chains being each affixed to their separate rods, so that on
the central chain being pulled forward the centres of the connecting
chains are drawn inwards, thus compressing the brake blocks on to the
wheels, or a central chain without the guide pullies may be used. This
will be found a most effective and economical arrangement.
According to another modification of our Invention the shafts of the
vehicle are pinned into short scrolls or levers projecting a vertical
direction from the original points of connection of the shafts, the said
rod being cranked or curved downwards to produce greater leverage,
and at the centre of the crank an attachment is placed to which the
chain or rod in communication with the brake gear is affixed. The said
bar works on pivots, so that when the horse is pulled up he presses back
the shafts of the vehicle, thereby pressing forward the cranked part of
the bar which communicates its motion to the brake gear in the manner
before described; or the said bar may if desired be straight, the attach-
ment being placed beneath it, this arrangement being applicable to the
commoner class of vehicles.
According to another modification the shafts or pole of the vehicle
may be hinged on one, two, or more vertical levers, the lower joints of
which are stationary and fixed to any convenient part of the framework,

page_text: one of such levers being continued beyond its fulcrum, and having
attached to the end thereof the rod or chain communicating with the
brake gear. The effect of the horse pulling back in this case will be
that the shafts or pole will also be drawn backwards, thus placing the
lever or levers in a diagonal position, the lower end of one of them being
pressed forward and operating upon the main levers and brakes or skids
in the manner before described..
This form of our Invention is chicfly applicable to hansom.cabs and
other two-wheeled vehicles. The joints of these levers may be also
connected with the tipping action of tip carts, so that on simply
extracting one of the joint pins the cart will tip backwards and empty.
its contents where required. In all cases where desired a checking lever
may be used, one end of which is placed within easy reach of the foot or
hand of the coachman, driver, or other person, so that when the dragging
power is not required to be exerted on the wheels the other end of the
said lever (operated by the foot, or hand, as aforesaid) comes in contact
with some part of the brake gear, thus preventing its action, or the end
of the said lever, may pass through a slot in the rod communicating with
the brake gear, in the which slot is a central stop, so that on the operation.
of the lever, the brakes may be actuated with or without the extra power.
of the horses as desired. Springs may in all cases. be used to return the.
levers to their normal positions, and double sets of brakes acting either
on both sides of the hind wheels or one set on the hind, and one on.
the front wheels may be used, where practicable. For parcel vans,.
broughams, and other vehicles that require to turn around in a small
space, the rod communicating with. the brake gear must have a curved
form corresponding with the curved form of the fore part of the vehicle
under which the front wheels pass in turning, the said rod being.
made sufficiently strong so as not to bend by the power exerted by the
horse or horses, and in some cases levers may be used instead of the
pullies around which the chains. pass.
This Invention is also applicable to railway trains, the ends of the.
brake levers being placed in communication with the engine, so that
when steam is shut off the retarding influence of the engine will act
thereupon and brake all wheels to which the drags are applied..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Parry and James McHardy in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 15th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
PARRY, of Balham, in the County of Surrey, Hop Merchant, and JAMES
MCHARDY, of Edinborough, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Thomas Parry and James McHardy, Her
special licence, that we, the said Thomas Parry and James McHardy,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Thomas Parry and James MºHardy, 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 "AN IMPROVED DRAG OR BRAKE APPLICABLE TO
WAGGONS, OMNIBUSES, CARRIAGES, AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Parry and James
M Hardy, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our
or one of our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Parry and James
M'Hardy, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
Our Invention relates to improvements on an Invention for "An
Improved Drag applicable to Waggons, Omnibuses, and other Wheeled

page_text: In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Fig. 1 represents one form of
our Invention, where the rod or chain a that passes under the vehicle is
attached to the inner ends of levers b, c, each lever being in communi-
cation with two other levers d, e, the other end of one of such levers
being fixed to a stationary fulcrum f, and the other ends of the other
said lovers being fixed to a transverse bar g, on either end of which is.
a brake block h taking on the wheels of the vehicle, so that when the
inner ends of the two central levers b, c, arc pulled forward they will
press the inner ends of the other levers outward, thus bringing them
into a more direct line, and thereby lengthening the distance from the
fulcra f to the brake rod g, and causing the said brakes to act upon the
wheels in the manner aforesaid, and springs i are caused to act upon
the levers to return them to their original position when they are not.
required for use. This arrangement is chiefly applicable to furniture
vans, drays, and other heavy vehicles. Instead of levers being used in
the above arrangement chains or rods may be employed, the central
chains passing through grooved guide pullies j, as shewn in Fig. 2, and
in this arrangement a double set of brakes may be used, the ends of the
chains being each affixed to their separate rods k, so that on the central
chain being pulled forward the centres of the connecting chains are
drawn inwards, thus compressing the brake blocks on to the wheels, or a
central chain without the guide pullies may be used; this will be found
a most effective and economical arrangement.
According to another modification of our Invention (see Fig. 3) the
shafts m of the vehicle are pinned into short scrolls or levers » projecting
in a vertical direction from the rod p on which are original points of
connection o of the shafts, the said rod p being cranked or curved down-
wards to produce greater leverage, and at the centre of the crank an
attachment Չ is placed, to which the chain or rod in communication
with the brake gear is affixed. The said bar works on pivots, so that
when the horse is pulled up he presses back the shafts of the vehicle,
thereby pressing forward the cranked part of the bar which communi-
cates its motion to the brake gear in the manner before described. Or
the said bar may if desired be straight, the attachment being placed
beneath it, as shewn in Fig. 4, this arrangement being applicable to the
common class of vehicles.
According to another modification represented in Fig. 5 the shafts &

page_text: lovers t, the lower joints of which are stationary and fixed to any con-
venient part of the framework, one of such levers being continued
beyond its fulcrum, and having attached to the end thereof the rod or
chain communicating with the brake gear. The effect of the horse
pulling back in this case will be that the shafts or pole will also be
drawn backwards, thus placing the lever or levers in a diagonal position,
as shewn in dotted lines, the lower end of one of them being pressed
forward and operating upon the main levers and brakes or skids in the
manner before described.
This form of our Invention is chiefly applicable to hansom cabs and
other two-wheeled vehicles. The joints of these levers may be also
connected with the tipping action of tip carts, so that on simply
extracting one of the joint pins the cart will tip backwards and empty
its contents where required.
Figs. 6 and 7 represent other modifications of our Invention similar
to those already described.
Fig. 8 represents an elevation of a carriage to which a checking lever v
is applied, one end of which is placed within easy reach of the foot or
hand of the coachman, driver, or other person, so that when the dragging
power is not required to be exerted on the wheels the other end of the
said lever (operated by the foot or hand as aforesaid) comes in contact
with some part of the brake gear, thus preventing its action; or the
end of the said lever may pass through a slot in the rod communicating
with the brake gear, in the which slot is a central stop, so that on the
operation of the lever the brakes may be actuated with or without the
extra power of the horses, as described.
Fig. 9 represents an elevation of a phaeton illustrating a different
mode of attachment A, B, between the pole and and the brake gear,
which will be found most simple and economical, and Fig. 10 represents
a self-acting reversing brake B working on a centre A, so that when the
carriage is backed the block is turned on its centre by the action of the
wheel against it, and is brought to its original position by a spiral or
other spring E placed around the axle A on which the block turns.
Figs. 11 and 12 represent another form of self-acting connection. In
this case B is a sliding bar working in a slot C which is long enough to
allow the bar to be pressed back (in backing) without acting on the
brake blocks. Stops may be placed on the brake levers in the case of
shaft vehicles. Springs may in all cases be used to return the levers to

page_text: their normal positions, and double sets of brakes acting either on both
sides of the hind wheels or one set on the hind and one on the front
wheels may be used where practicable. For parcel vans, broughams,
and other vehicles that require to turn around in a small space the rod
communicating with the brake gear must have a curved form corre-
sponding with the curved form of the fore part of the vehicle under
which the front wheels pass in turning, see Fig. 8, the said rod being
made sufficiently strong so as not to bend by the power exerted by the
horse or horses, and in some cases levers may be used instead of the
pullics around which the chains pass.
This Invention is also applicable to railway trains; the ends of the
brake levers being placed in connection with the engine, so that when
steam is shut off the retarding influence of the engine will act thereupon
and skid all wheels to which the brakes are applied.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said In-
vention, we claim, the various forms and constructions of our improved
brake gear as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James McHardy, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Thomas Parry, have hereunto set my.
hand and scal, this Fifteenth day of June One thousand eight
hundred and seventy.