AN IMPROVED CONVERTIBLE CARRIAGE
Year: 1884

page_text: We, EDWARD CHARLES CLIFT and JOHN WESLEY CLIFT trading under the titlo
of "Clift and Son" at the Excelsior Carriage Works: Wellington, in the County of
Shropshire, Coach Builders do hereby declare the nature of our joint invention for
AN IMPROVED CONVERTIBLE CARRIAGE to be as follows:-
To the front part of a dogcart body we attach two curved pieces of wood, or
"rockers," to carry a panel: and which are united at their upper end by a flat bar
of wood forming part of the front seat when the carriage is used as a four-wheeled
vehicle.
On the inner side of these "rockers" we fix edge plates having upon their upper
ends attachments for receiving the ends of the shafts when used as a two wheeled
vehicle or for receiving the ends of the "pump-handles" (or bars which rest upon
the fore carriage) when the carriage is used as a four-wheeled vehicle.
On the outer side of these rockers, at the bottom, and extending along the sides
of the body, we fix the step heads: the back end of which is attached to the hind
spring, while the front end is continued beyond the body and curved upwards
until it is joined by a suitable attachment to the under part of the shafts when
used as a two wheeled vehicle or the under part of the "pumphandles," when used
as a four wheeled vehicle: thus giving the longitudinal support necessary to retain
them in their position.
Upon the upper side of the pumphandles we fix a narrow board, which, coming
edge to edge with the flat bar aforementioned forms the front seat for the four
wheeled carriage. The dash is made removeable from this front portion of the
front seat and to fix on the flat bar: where it also serves as a safety cotter for the
back end of the shafts when the carriage is used as a two wheeled vehicle.
Data : 0.1
LA
1 1004
EDWARD CHARLES CLIFT.,
JOHN WESLEY CLIFT..
Excelsior Carriage Works,
Wellington, Shropshire.

page_text: COMI LEIM
DIECIFICATION
We, EDWARD CHARLES CLIFT and JOHN WESLEY CLIFT, trading under the style
or title of "Clift and Son," at the Excelsior Carriage Works, at Wellington in the
County of Shropshire, Coach Builders do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN IMPROVED CONVERTIBLE CARRIAGE and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :→
To the front part of an ordinary dogcart or other carriage body, we attach two
curved pieces of wood or "rockers"-R. in drawing--to carry the front panel of
the body which rockers are united at their upper end by a flat bar of wood-B-
which is screwed flat upon their edge, and extends crosswise a short distance over
both of them.
.
On the inner side of the rockers-R-we fix edge-plates which continue to the
top and thence a short distance along on the under side of the flat bar-B-: these
edge-plates are attached in the usual manner with bolts and screws and are of the
ordinary kind, except that to their front edges are welded two "lugs" or "chops'
of iron-C-which project beyond the panel and are fitted to receive the back ends
of the shafts M.-when the carriage is used as a two-wheeled vehicle: and the back
ends of the " pumphandles "P-(or bars upon the upper part of fore carriage)
when the carriage is used as a four wheeled vehicle, and for this purpose these
chops-C-are pierced by a bolt crosswise.
On the outer side of these rockers-R-and extending along the sides of the
body we fix the step heads, (which also carry the hind springs) and these are
attached to the body in the usual manner; but the 'front end of these step heads is
continued beyond the body and curved upwards (forming the stay-S-) until it
reaches a point on a level with, but some distance in front of the chops-C-where
it terminates in an "open head "-E-of the usual kind for receiving a steel "eye."
On the underside of the pumphandles-P-and similarly on the underside of
the shafts-M-(which at the back end are duplicates of the pumphandles) we bolt
a thin steel plate-T-the front of which being rolled up, forms the steel "eye" for
reception within the open head-E-aforesaid, where it is held in position by a
bolt passing through both and the hind end of this steel plate is rolled up in a
similar manner and forms an "eye" for reception within the chops-C-where it
is held by a similar bolt: this eye is turned up, instead of down, as the front one
and is recessed into the end of the pumphandle-P-. Affixed to the front panel
is a stay-D-which curves outwards until its ends unite with the stays-S-to
which it is bolted: and thus enables them to resist the side-strain to which they
may be subject when supporting the shafts. This stay-D--and also the stays-S--
are fixtures to the body.
On the upper part of the pumphandles-P-and uniting them together we fix a
narrow board-N-which, when the former are joined to the carriage by means of
the "chops" and "eyes" aforesaid, comes edge to edge with the flat bar-B-and
thus forms the front seat when the carriage is used as a four wheeled vehicle.
When the carriage is required to be used as a two wheeled vehicle the four bolts
in the eyes are taken out: the fore carriage and wheels are removed bodily and the

page_text: shafts-M-being removed from the front part of the fore carriage, (where they are
secured in the usual manner) are then fixed in the same position previously held
by the pumphandles-P-and as shown in the dotted line.
The dash-board is affixed to two irons of the usual character but to the feet of
which are welded bolts-F-for securing it to the front part of the front seat
where it forms a back-rest when used as a four-wheeled vehicle.
When used as a two wheeled vehicle the dash is removed from the front portion
of the front seat and is bolted in a similar manner through the holes-X-in the
flat bar of wood-B-(as shown in the dotted line) where it forms the dashboard
for the two-wheeled vehicle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed: we declare that what
we claim is
. (1) The construction of a convertible carriage which can be changed at will into
a two-wheeled or four-wheeled carriage using the same shafts in each case.
(2) Making the shafts to terminate without crossing the place of ingress of the
front part of the vehicle, substantially as described.
(3) Making the front seats in two or more parts, to which a moveable dashboard
is affixed substantially as described.
(4) Attaching the shafts or "pump-handles" as the case may be, to the front of
the vehicle so as to receive their support from below by stays or springs substantially
as described.
בד
1
....
EDWARD CHARLES CLIFT,
JOHN WESLEY CLIFT.