IMPROVED CON
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Williamson, of Leighton Buzzard, in
the County of Bedford, for the Invention of "IMPROVED CON-

page_text: to the grave without moving the coffin. The sides and ends of the body
of the conveyance are made of wood or other suitable substitute, and aro
hinged so that they all let down; and when in the church the coffin can
be seen as is usual, the pall being generally gathered up. I have pillars
to support the velvet drapery along the body of the carriage, with india
rollers inside, so that when the coffin is put in at the end it will
run silently into position. A guide is provided for the bearer to take
hold of in turning, and the rails on each side will be sufficiently strong,
so that when necessary to cross a churchyard over graves or obstacles,
as is frequently the case, the whole conveyance, not being very heavy,
might be lifted; and a rail or bar for several bearers is provided. The
conveyance is open at the top, but a roller on a spring could be fixed at
the end, with waterproof material on in case of heavy rains; or the con-
veyance could be enclosed with drapery across the top.
This conveyance can be drawn by man or otherwise moved alone.
filed by the said Chrisopher Williamson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 23rd October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
WILLIAMSON, of Leighton Buzzard, in the County of Bedford, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-fivo, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Christopher Williamson, Her special
licence that I, the said Christopher Williamson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Christopher Williamson,
my 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
"'IMPROVED CONVEYANCE OR CARRIAGE SPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR FUNERAL PUR-
-

page_text: POSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ohristopher
Williamson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 I, the said Christopher Williamson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
-
This Invention relates to the production, as hereafter described, of
a wheel carriage for the purposes above mentioned, constructed. as
follows:
-
The wheels can be under the body of the conveyance, or, as hercafter
described, the whole conveyance be of such width as to allow it to pass
into the church and straight to the grave without moving the coffin.
The.sides and ends of the body of the convoyance are made of wood or
other suitable substitute, and may be hinged so that they all let down,
though I would more frequently construct the conveyance with hinges
only at one end, as hercafter described; and when in the church the
coffin can be seen as is usual, the pall being then gathered up. Pillars
are used to support velvet drapery along the body of the carriage. India-
rubber rollers are fitted inside, so that when the coffin is put in at the
end it will run silently into position. A guide, if desired, is provided for
the bearer to take hold of for turning the conveyance, and the rails on
cach side will be sufficiently strong, so that when it is necessary to cross
a churchyard over graves or obstacles, as is frequently the case, tho
whole conveyance, not being very heavy, might be lifted; and a rail or
bar for several bearers is provided. The conveyance is open at the top,
but a roller on a spring could be fixed at the end with waterproof
material in case of heavy rains; or the conveyance could be enclosed
with the drapery across the top.
This conveyance can be drawn by men or otherwise moved along.
When thought desirable, as may frequently be the case, the hind
wheels, instead of being underneath the conveyance, may be constructed

page_text: so that they are greater in diameter than the fore wheel or wheels, and
extend some distance up and parallel to the sides of the conveyance.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and intimated generally in what manner the same is to be per-
formed or carried out in practice, I will now, with the aid of the accom-
panying Drawings, proceed to particularly describe and ascertain in what
manner the same is to be performed or carried out in practice, that is to
say:
Fig. 2 shows outline of arrangement for three-wheeled conveyance
with hind wheels extending some distance up and parallel to the sides of
the body of the convoyance.
Fig. 3 is section of the body of the conveyance.
In these Figs. A denotes the sides; B, ends of the conveyance; 0, 1
wheels, which are by preference fitted with india-rubber tyres; D,
springs for wheels; E (Fig. 1), rail for bearers, although in place thereof
handles E¹ (Fig. 2) may be used if desired; F, pall, which is fitted to
convoyance and retained in position by pillars or supports f. A guide
rod at G (Fig. 1) may be used if desired, although this is not absolutely 2
required. H (Fig. 3) represent the rollers on which the coffin when
placed in the conveyance runs; I, end of conveyance secured by hinges
so as to allow coffin to be introduced into convoyanco.
The wheels C are constructed of the velocipede pattern, with india-
rubber tyres, said wheels being secured to the body with a revolving 2
axle working in block brass bearings, the front wheel, fitted also with
india-rubber tyre (when three are used), guiding the conveyance when
in motion, said wheel working in a forked iron, which takes its bearing in
the centre of the front bottom bar. The inside of the conveyance is fitted
with rollers (H) covered with india-rubber, which will prevent any noise 3
being heard. Either a rail for bearers may be fitted on either side of the
conveyance (see Fig. 1), or handles may be used in place thereof, as
shewn in Fig. 2; and the conveyance is suitably embellished by cornice
and drapery fitted to the top, as may be found convenient.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed or carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the
Invention of "Improved Conveyance or Carriage specially Applicable
for Funeral Purposes," substantially as the same is herein-before set
forth and described, it being understood that the details of construction,
except as constituent parts, are not claimed, and that I do not limit
myself to the use of precisely such as shown by the Drawing and herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Williamson, have here.
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-first day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMSON. (L.S.)
Witness,
T. MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
London,
S.W.