Improvements in Brakes for Perambulators Railway Lorries, and other Light Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Perambulators Railway Lorries, and
other Light Vehicles.
We, JAMES CLARKE and FRANK HUMPIRIS, both of Cowper Villa, Acton Vale,
Manufacturers, in the parish of Acton, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to perambulators platform lurries, trucks and other
vehicles, which when left alone have retarding mechanism, to arrest their progress.
Our invention has for one of its objects cheapness, & for the other objects
easy adaptibility to the vehicle and has a simple device for lengthening or
shortening it, thereby making it suitable for a wide or narrow vehicle. Our
investion consists of two rods, bolts, or catches, the ends of which are rubber
covered, and have peripheries, or collars, or the like on them, to give the rubber
a bed to retain itself in, or other suitable material may be used, and are held on to
the bottom sides or ends of the vehicle, by sockets through which they slide, and
the centre of the rods is retained by a lever pivoted or pierced in the centre with
one or more pins protuding, on either side of its centre pivot or hole which
engage in one of a series of holes in the rods bolts or catches. The lever is
secured to the vehicle, by means of one or more screws, pins or the like or is
pivoted on a plate which is fitted to the vehicle, The end of the lever is provided
with a hand or foot actuated piece, which when thrown out of a central position
actuates the rods bolts or catches, which are thereby lengthened, and engage with
the rims or spokes of the wheels.
Dated this Twentieth day of December 1898
FRANK HUMPHRIS.
JAMES CLARKE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Perambulators, Railway Lorries, and
other Light Vehicles.
We, JAMES CLARKE, of 77, Iffley Road, Hammersmith, and FRANK HUmphris,
of 20, Coverdale Road, Shepherds Bush, both formerly of Cowper Villa, Acton
Vale, all in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
The object of this invention is to provide perambulators, railway platform
lorries, and other light vehicles with hand operated brake or retarding mechanism
which is cheap and simple in construction, adaptable to vehicles of varying
widths and easily manipulated when fitted.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an under plan of part of the bottom of
a perambulator with our improved brake mechanism fitted thereto, the brake
being in the operative position, and Fig. 2 is a section of the same taken on the
line 2-2 Fig. 3 is a plan, the bottom being partly broken away, of a railway
platform lorrie with our invention fitted thereto, and Fig. 4 is a similar view of
a hansom cab. The same parts are lettered to correspond in all the figures of
the drawings.
Our invention comprises two rods or bolts A moveable longitudinally so that the
they can be caused to simultaneously engage between the spokes of the two
wheels B on the axle C. These rods or bolts A may be slotted as shown at a in
Fig. 1 so as to slide over pins a fixed to the underside of the vehicle, or they
may slide in guides a secured to, or formed on, the underside of the vehicle, as
shown in Figs. 3 and 4. These rods or bolts A are both pivotted to a lever D
centered at d on the underside of the vehicle, said lever having an operative
handle D. The rods or holts A are preferably provided with a series of holes a³
as shown in Fig. 1, whereby they may be attached to the lever D, and their length
adjusted according to the width of the vehicle.
The outer ends at of these 1ods or bolts A are preferably provided with rubber,
felt or the like soft resilient coverings to prevent damage to the spokes of the
wheel and to absorb and neutralize shocks and strain thereon.
To put the brakes in operation the lever D is simply turned on its pivot d into
the position shown in Fig. 1, when the ends at of the rods A will enter between
the spokes as shown, and the vehicle may then be safely left. The reverse move-
ment of the lever D will slide the rods back out of the path of the spokes of the
wheels, when the vehicle may be driven on.
In Fig. 1 we have shown a stop which is fixed on or to the under side E of
the vehicle, said stop serving to limit the travel of the lever D but this is not
essential, although it is advisable to provide a stop for the lever D in a suitable
position.
In Fig. 4 the operative handle 11 is secured to a rod or arm within easy reach
of the driver when in the seat F. A lock bolt operated by a railway key may be
arranged on to the bottom or frame of the railway platform lorrie in such a
position that it can be shot into the path of the lever D so as to prevent the brake
from being withdrawn from the operative position except by withdrawing the
lock bolt.
Only one rod may be used in connection with one of the wheels, instead of two
as shown in the drawings, but unless the vehicle is of very light construction
two rods are preferable. Also the brake and lever may be secured to the body of
the vehicle instead of on the under side as shown.
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 :-
A brake for perambulators, railway platform lorries and other light vehicles
consisting of a rod or bolt or rods or bolts moveable longitudinally in suitable
guides, and connected to a lever centered on or to the vehicle and having an
operative handle or arm whereby the rod or rods can be engaged between the
spokes of the wheel or wheels of the vehicle substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of Santauch
1000
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent, 36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.