A New or Improved Carriage for Transporting Military or other Tents and Appliances.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Carriage for Transporting Military or other
Tents and Appliances.
I, CHARLES GORDON, of No. 69, Wharton Road, Hammersmith, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to a new or improved carriage for transporting military or
other tents and appliances, and has for its object to obtain a narrow carriage of
light draught and considerable carrying capacity, by means of which, tents and
similar heavy objects may be readily conveyed from place to place, and which is
capable of traversing narrow paths or roads which would not admit of the passage
of ordinary vehicles.
For this purpose, I employ a single road or carrying wheel, which I mount with
capability of revolution upon its axle, and I support upon the ends of such axle, by
means of suitable springs, a skeleton frame. This skeleton frame is constructed of
metal piping, or of bamboo rods, or other suitable material, and it is formed of two
sides which are united above the carrying wheel, and descend upon each side thereof
to a suitable distance below the axle by which the frame is supported, and, if
desired, I connect the two sides of the frame at various points, by means of stay rods
or stretchers.
I also provide the carriage with arms or legs projecting from the lower part
thereof and fitted, if desired, with small wheels or rollers. The position of the
said arms or legs may be varied so that when the carriage is travelling, the outer
ends thereof will be slightly off the ground in such a position that they will tend to
limit the tilting or leaning to one side of the carriage; whilst at the same time,
they are capable of being brought down to the ground to assist in the support of
the carriage when stationary.
The carriage is furnished with shafts to which may be harnessed a mule or
other animal, and it is also provided with handles by the aid of which it may
be steadied.
When the carriage is in use, the tent or like article is folded and carried as a
package upon, or thrown across, so as to form a cover to, the skeleton frame, and
a number of articles may also be attached to the frame or carried in pockets or
upon hooks provided thereon or supported upon a shelf or shelves or rods extending
across the same, and the carriage may thus be heavily laden, and yet by means of
its being supported upon a single road wheel, exceedingly light of draught.
When the tent is placed as a cover over the carriage, any loose canvas is packed
up, and the frame of the carriage may be provided with extensible arms to
assist in the support of the canvas when opened out for use without being taken off
the frame.
When the carriages are stationary, two of them may be placed end to end or
parallel to one another, and a rod or pole extended from one to the other to support
the canvas and form a temporary tent.
Dated this 6th day of December 1890.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Carriage for Transporting Military or other
Tents and Appliances.
I, CHARLES GORDON, of No. 69, Wharton Road, Hammersmith, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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:-
My said invention relates to a new or improved carriage for transporting military
or other tents and appliances, and has for its object to obtain a narrow carriage of
light draught and considerable carrying capacity, by means of which, tents and
similar heavy objects may be readily conveyed from place to place, and which is
capable of traversing narrow paths or roads which would not admit of the passage
of ordinary vehicles, whilst, at the same time, the construction of the carriage
allows of the draught animal being harnessed more or less within the same, a fact
which would be of very considerable advantage in the case of a military train.
For the purpose of this invention, I employ a single road or carrying wheel,
fixed upon its shaft or axle, or, it might be mounted loosely thereon, with capability
of revolution, and I support upon the bearings or ends of such axle, by means of
suitable springs, a skeleton frame. This skeleton frame is constructed of metal
piping, or of bamboo rods, or other suitable material, and it is formed of two sides
which are united above the carrying wheel, and descend upon each side thereof to
a suitable distance below the axle by which the frame is supported, and, if desired,
I connect the two sides of the frame at various points by means of stay rods or
stretchers.
1 also provide the carriage with arms or legs projecting from the lower part
thereof, and fitted, if desired, with small wheels or rollers. The position of the
said arms or legs may be varied, so that when the carriage is travelling, the outer
ends thereof will be slightly off the ground in such a position that they will tend to
limit the tilting or leaning to one side of the carriage; whilst, at the same time,
they are capable of being brought down to the ground to assist in the support of
the carriage when stationary.
The carriage is furnished with shafts to which may be harnessed a mule or
other animal, and it is also provided with handles by the aid of which it may be
steadied.
When the carriage is in use, the tent or like article is folded and carried as a
package upon, or thrown across, so as to form a cover to, the skeleton frame, and
a number of articles may also be attached to, or suspended from, the frame or
carried in pockets or upon hooks provided thereon or supported upon a shelf or
shelves or rods extending across the same, and the carriage may thus be heavily
laden, and yet by reason of its being supported upon a single road wheel, exceed.-
ingly light of draught.
When the carriage is employed for the purpose of transporting a tent, the latter
is placed as a cover over the carriage, any loose canvas being rolled up, and, in
this case, the frame of the carriage may be employed as a support for the centre
of the tent when pitched, and it may be provided with extensible arms or rods to
be used for extending the length of such support and suitable tressles are carried
by the carriage for the support of such arms or rods when extended or pushed out.
When the carriages are stationary, two of them may be placed end to end, or
parallel to one another, and a rod or pole extended from one to the other to support
the canvas and form a temporary tent.
In order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more
fully to describe the same.
Figure 1. is a side elevation of a carriage constructed according to this invention.

page_text: Figure 2. is an end elevation and Figure 3. a top view thereof.
Figure 4. is a side view showing one of the before mentioned extensible rods
extended or pushed out and covered with canvas and the other rod partially
extended and uncovered.
Figure 5. is an end view of the same.
Figure 6. is a side elevation of a carriage with the canvas composing a tent
packed or rolled up, and attached to, or suspended from, the carriage.
The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
a. represents a single road or carriage wheel fixed upon a shaft or axle a¹ which
is, at its ends, mounted with capability of revolution in spring bearings 6' which
support a skeleton frame b. The said bearings are arranged in rear of the centre
of the frame so as to admit of the harnessing of the draught animal in the manuer
hereinbefore stated. The skeleton frame b. is constructed of metal piping or
bamboo rods or other suitable material and it is formed of two sides which are
united above the carrying wheel a. and descend upon each side thereof. The two
sides are, by preference, arranged parallel to. each other, and are connected at the
top by the cross arched tubular rods ; the centres of the latter are connected
together by the longitudinal rod ¿ª. Below the latter, when the carriage is
intended as a support for the centre of a tent, are arranged the loose arms or
rods which are capable of being pushed outwards or extended from opposite
ends of the frame, suitable guide rollers being provided to facilitate the movement
thereof, so as to form an extended support for the top of the tent, and when in this
extended portion, the said loose rods are supported by tressles & composed of
tubular rods which are carried by the frame of the carriage when not in use. In
Figure 4. the loose rod * is shown extended or pushed out and covered with
canvas whilst the loose rod is shown only partially extended or pushed out and
uncovered. The tent, when set out, is supported or held in the required position
by ropes f. in the usual manner. The canvas covering the frame b. is shown at be
and that covering the arm * is shown at . The tubular rods * constituting the
supports for the sides of the tent are, when not in use, packed on to the frame.
The two sides of the frame b. may be connected at various points by means of
transverse stay rods or stretchers.
The carriage is also provided with legs c. projecting from the lower part of the
frame and preferably fitted with small wheels or rollers c¹ and these legs c. are
made adjustable in length by any suitable means, so that when the carriage is
travelling, the wheel ends of the legs c. will be a short distance from the ground so
that they will tend to limit the tilting of the carriage, whilst, at the same time,
they will be capable of being brought down to the ground to assist in the support
of the frame b when the carriage is stationary.
Two carriages may be coupled together, side by side, where the width of the
roadway will admit of their passage, when so arranged, and in this case, the legs c.
can be folded up and secured to the carriage.
The carriage is, at the interior of the front end, furnished with shafts d. which
may be connected to the bearings of the wheel and to which may be harnessed a
mule or other animal, and it is also at the other end provided with handles e., by the
aid of which, it may be steadied when running. By thus harnessing the draught
animal within the frame, the length of a line of carriages would be greatly
reduced, a fact which would be of very considerable advantage in the case of a
military train.
Instead of fixing the wheel on the axle as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, the latter may be fixed and the wheel arranged to revolve thereon.
When the carriage is employed for transporting a tent, the upper part of the
latter or a portion thereof is carried as a cover on the skeleton frame b. any loose
canvas being packed or rolled and suspended, from, or attached to, the frame, and
a number of articles, such, for example, as entrenching tools and baggage may also
be attached to the frame and carried in pockets or upon hooks which may be
provided thereon, or they may be supported upon a shelf or shelves or rods

page_text: extending across the frame, as will be readily understood, and the carriage may
thus be heavily laden, and yet by reason of its being supported upon a single road
wheel a. exceedingly light of draught.
I am aware that vehicles have, prior to the present invention, been employed as
supports for tents, and I do not desire to lay claim to the use of the improved
carriage, constituting the subject of my said invention, for that purpose, but it will
be readily understood that the construction of such carriage renders the same
particularly suitable therefor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A transport carriage consisting of a skeleton frame b. supported upon a single
wheel a. and extending downwards at each side of such wheel, and provided with
shafts d and handles e., as and for the purpose stated.
2. A carriage of the character referred to in Claim 1. provided with extensible
loose rods ***, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore stated.
Dated this 7th day of September 1891.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.