IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Aldebert, of No. 57, Long Acre, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARRIAGES
"
Scaled the 14th November 1871, and dated the 21st September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Aldebert at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1871.
I, ISAAC ALDEBERT, of No. 57, Long Acre, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of, the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention has for its object to improve the arrangements by
which the heads or hoods of carriages are raised, and remain fixed after
being raised.
"
In wliat are known as landau heads, where a turn-over roof is jointed
to the upper pillars of the door, I form the case rails which are at the
two sides of the turn-over roof with an arm projecting backwards beyond
the joint where they are jointed to the upper door pillars, and this arm is
pin-jointed to a slide working in guides at the back of the upper pillars ;.
the upper pillars of the door turn on a hinge joint at their lower end,

page_text: and have jointed to them as usual one end of a rule-jointed lever com-
monly called the head joint, the opposite end of the head joint being
connected to the back or to the front part of the body; the slide near
its lower end is connected by a link with the limb of the head joint,
which is connected to the upper door pillar. By this arrangement, when
the head or hood is raised and the limbs of the head joint are brought
into a line with one another, the slides are moved upwards along the
upper pillars, and thereby cause the case rails to turn over and bring
them into a horizontal position when the head is fully raised. When
the head is again lowered it similarly turns back the case rails, and
brings them into a line parallel with the upper door pillars.
In place also of connecting one end of the head joint directly to the
body I form it into or connect it to a coiled spiral spring, and the inner
end of this spring I connect to the ordinary pin or prop projecting from
the back or from the front part of the body. This coiled spring not only
assists in the raising of the head, but also securely locks it in its raised
position. The head joints and the parts connected with them can be
entirely concealed between the leather and lining of the head, and the
same head joint and coiled spring is applicable for what are known as
Victorias, mail phaetons, and other hooded carriages where head joints
are used.
To lower the hoods I attach to the limb of the lever which is jointed
to the front of the hood a strap, and this strap is carried through a small
opening in the front hoop stick or upper door pillar, and has at its end a
ring. By slightly pulling upon this strap the limbs of the rule jointed
lever will be drawn out of a line with one another, and the head will
consequently be lowered and remain down by reason of its weight then
overcoming the action of the spring; or in the case of a landau the
strap might be attached to the slide before mentioned, and similarly work
from the inside.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Isaac Aldebert in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC
ALDEBERT, of No. 57, Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, send a
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty, Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Isaac Aldebert, Her special license
that I, the said Isaac Aldebert, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Isaac Aldebert, my exccutors,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Isaac
Aldebert, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Isaac Aldebert, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the construction of moveable heads or hoods
of carriages.
In landau heads portions of the roof of the carriage called the case
rails are jointed to the door pillars, and turn over upon these joints.
Rule-jointed levers called head joints are also employed to support the
head. Heretofore the case rails and the head joints have always been
independent the one of the other. According to my Invention I con-
nect the head joints and the case rails so that a combined action is
obtained. I also according to my Invention apply springs to the head
joints, which aid in raising the head and hold the head joints straight"
when the head has been raised.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a carriage with the head or
hood raised or in the position it occupies when the carriage is closed.
Figure 2 is a side view showing the position of the parts when the
carriage is open.
a is the body of the carriage; b is the door pillar connected with the
fixed frame of the carriage by the arm c, which turns on a centre at c¹;
d is the leather with which the head or hood is covered; it is supported
by the hoop e, also turning, about a centre at c¹, and further by a second
hoop jointed to the first hoop at f¹; g is one of the case rails forming
part of the turn-over head; it is jointed to the top of the door pillar b;
h is an arm fixed on the pin of this joint so that the arm moves with
the case rail around the joint pin; i is the head joint,, it is connected at
one end to the side of the carriage by means of the spring box k, which
is also shewn in Figures 3, 4, and 5, and at the other end it is jointed to
the end of the arm h; this joint is made with a stop, so that when the
carriage is open the turn-over roof is sustained by the arms h in the
position shewn in Figure 2. Thus when the head joints are straightened
they lock the case rails and turn-over roof down in their proper positions
as they are when the carriage is closed, and when the head joints are
bent they allow the case rails to turn back until they project nearly
horizontally behind the back of the carriage. The turn-over roof is
usually carried in this position in landau heads. The spring box / con-
tains a coiled spring as is shewn, tending constantly to lift the head joint
which is mounted on the barrel thereof; the weight of the head is, how-
ever, sufficient to overcome the spring, and the head falls down into the
position shewn in Figure 2, so soon as the head joint is drawn out of the
straight so as to set it free. This spring, in addition to the aid which it
affords in lifting the head, also keeps the head joint stiff when the head
is raised. Springs can be applied in this way to heads in which the
turn-over roof is not employed; 1 is a cord attached to the head joint,
and passing through an eyelet hole in the leather covering of the head;
by pulling this cord the head can be let down from the interior of the
carriage.
In Figures 3, 4, and 5, m is an angle piece fixed to the. back and side
of the carriage, and m¹ is an arm projecting from it; n is the spring
which is coiled around the arm and fixed to it at one end; the other end

page_text: of the spring is attached to the inside of the box or barrel o, which is
able to turn upon the arm m¹; i is the portion of the head joint fixed to
the box or barrel o.
Figure 6 shews a method of connecting the head joints and caso rails
differing somewhat from that shewn at Figures 1 and 2. The connection
is here made directly on the joint which attaches the case rail to the
door pillar. In this arrangement by raising the case rails and turn-over
roof the head joints are caused to fold, and the head or hood descends
into the position shewn in Figure 2.
When the head or hood is raised
the spring box acts to straighten the head joint as already described. In
the Figure, which is a side view, 6 is the door pillar, g the case rail, and
i the head joint, as in the Figures already described; p is a projection
or finger on the joint connecting the parts b, g, and i. This projection
is on the part of the joint which is attached to the case rail, and it moves
with it. When the case rail is lifted it comes against the upper limb of
the head joint, and then in its further motion the case rail carries the
said part with it so as to cause the head joint to fold.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
claim, the construction of carriage heads or hoods in which head joints
and case rails are connected substantially as described.
“I also claim the application of springs to the head joints substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Aldebert, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.