A MACHINE OB APPARATUS TO PREVENT THE OVERTURNING OR FALLING OF CARRIAGES
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PIKE, of Broadway, near Ilminster, in the County of Somerset, Dissenting
Minister, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourteenth day of May, 1825, in the sixth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Pyke, His especial licence that I, the said Thomas Pyke, my
exors, admiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Pyke, my
exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,.
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A MACHINE
OB APPARATUS TO PREVENT THE OVERTURNING OR FALLING OF CARRIAGES;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas
Pyke, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent (as
in and by the same), reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Pyke, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly desertoca and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed and the following
description thereof (that is to say) :-
DESCRIPTION OF ANNEXED DRAWING MARKED No. 1.
The intention of this machine or apparatus is to prevent the upsetting or
falling of carriages of all descriptions, and is made as follows:-
A, a pendulum; B, C, D, bars or uprights; E and F, bow irons; G, the
joint of each; H, a stay bar; I, a tie bar; K, a saddle plate, and L, a
uniting bar.
Particular description of the pendulum.-Should the carriage lean on either
side (as both hind wheels are supposed furnished with a corresponding
machine) the tendency of the pendulum would be to fall out, and on a small
wheel at its extremity to take the ground, and in that situation act as a prop
to the falling carriage, to which it may be attached. At eight inches from its
end, or at fourteen inches from the pin or axle on which the small wheel
turns, the pendulum is bent out of a perpendicular, as shewn by the sketch
marked M, at a variation of four inches from the centre of the end of the axle
of the small wheel, which bend prevents the wheel from running back; and
to prevent its gathering under the large wheel it is again bent with a slight
but gradual inclination from the carriage; and to limit its extension the
joint is made with two shoulders, one at top, the other under; the top shoulder
hinders its flying out beyond four fect one inch, and the under shoulder
prevents its approach to the coach wheel nearer than one half inch. The size
of the pendulum bar is one inch square, and its length is adapted to the height
of the coach wheel it is attached to, from four feet to four fect four inches. The
size of the pendulum for three feet from the joint is the same; it then gradually
increases to its largest gut, the side of which is one inch and three quarters,
and is for the purpose of allowing sufficient metal for forming the joint.
Particular description of the wheel.-The wheel works between two cheeks
formed from the end of pendulum, and is eight inches in diameter and one
inch over the outside of its circumference; consequently, the cheeks are rather
more than one inch assunder, or so set that the wheel shall move easily
between them; it is made with four spokes.
Description of the joint.-The joint is made from the ends of the two
uprights, the pendulum, and the bow irons, and moves on a single pin passing
through its different parts, and works in a copper box.
Description of upright B.--Commences at the joint and passes down
between the hind wheels and the coach, and at two feet eight inches and a

page_text: half from the top of same is tuned with a foot over the spring, and has its end
flattened against the side of the axle of the carriage, and has a screw and nut
at bottom to secure it. The bar is two feet eight inches and a half from the
joint to the foot, two inches and a half over the spring, four inches and half
to that part of the bar first flattened, and eight inches to the bottom surface of
the axle, and is one inch square. The bars marked B and C are one foot
horizontally from the clip marked R, and their tops are turned so as to hang
over the hind wheel with swan necks.
Description of the upright G.-Commences at the joint and passes down
opposite to B, but in the same manner; (that is,) over the spring and down
the side of the axle, and is secured as before described. The sizo of the bar
is three fourths of an inch square.
Description of upright D-Commences at sixteen inches and half from
the centre of the joint in the centre of a spread iron, and passes down
between the two bars before described, and is then carried in like manner
in a foot over the spring, and then forms the bar marked L, and at its
end has three holes for the purpose of uniting it by means of a bolt to
the corresponding part of the other apparatus attached to the opposite
end of axle; there is a bolt passed through this bar, and then through
the clip C, with a nut on its upper end, as shown in Draught. There
is at nineteen inches from the joint a clip marked R encircling the three
uprights, and secured by a bolt passing through its centre and a nut on its
end. The clip is three eights of an inch thick and one inch wide.
Description of the cap marked N.-The intention of this part is to prevent
the feet of passenger, or other accidental circumstances, from injuring the
joint; it is secured to the necks of bars marked B and C by a bolt to each
with nuts. The cap is six inches by eight inches, and is one quarter of au
inch in its centre, and gradually flattened to its edges.
Description of the bow iron marked E.-Its intention is, that the pendulum
may be enabled to bear with certainty any shock occasioned by the over-
turning of the carriage. It commences at the joint, and after bending as
shown by Draught, is again made fast to the pendulum by means of a clip.
This first bend is four inches from the joint, and from that bend, until it is
again united to the pendulum, it is two feet seven inches; its greatest
distance from the pendulum in the bend dotted off in the Drawing, is ten
inches and half; the bow irons are round, and their diameter is one incl;
the ends of both are flattened against the pendulum that the clip may hold
them firmer.

page_text: Description of the bow iron marked F.-Its intention is similar to the one
marked E, and its length and diameter the same; the distance where they
both unite to the pendulum, as measured from the joint, is two feet.
་
Description of the inclined stay iron marked O.-Its intention is for the
support of the uprights marked B and C, and is made with a clip at each end;
the lower clip is two inches from the first turn in the feet of said uprights,
and the top clip is four inches from the joint.
Description of the tie bar marked I.-Its intention is to strengthen the
machine generally, and particularly to prevent the uprights marked B and C
from being forced back; the end of this bar is flattened, and comes between
the cap marked N and the necks of bars marked B and C; and the same bolts
which secure the cap pass likewise through the ends of this tie bar. The bar
is round, and is three quarters of an inch in diameter, and passes over the top of
the hind boot of the coach, about an inch above it. As the springs of stage
coaches are secured to the axles by clips the feet of the uprights B, C, and D
would not bear evenly, and, therefore, the intention of the saddle plate marked
P is to cover the bolts and clips of said springs, and form a bearing for the
feet of the uprights B, C, and D; the depth of the saddle plate is one inch and
half, and the hollows are as the size of the clips and nuts. The bar marked
B is largest at its top, (that is) three inches and three quarters wide, and three
quarters of an inch thick, and is gradually lessened to one inch. The bar
marked C is two inches and one half wide at its top, and three quarters of an
inch thick; the width is necessary to form the joint.
>
DESCRIPTION OF ANNEXED DRAWING MARKED No. 2.
This machine or apparatus for the preventing the overturning and falling
of carriages, as gigs, or other two-wheel carriages not requiring so much
strength, has not so much apparatus as that applied to coaches, but in all
other respects the principle is the same, therefore it is made to consist of only
one upright.
A, a pendulum; B, two bow irons; C and D, a uniting bar E, and a cap
F, and a bent spring G, and a hinge H. The upright A is one foot in length
and one inch square, and is fastened to the shaft by a clip. The pendulum B
commences at the joint, and is three feet six inches in length, or adapted to
the gig to which it is to be attached, and is one inch at its side, and has a
small wheel at its lower extremity six inches in diameter, and three quarters
of an inch over its circumference. The joint is similar to the one before
described in the larger apparatus. The bow iron C differs in no respect from

page_text: the larger ones, excepting in size. The uuiting bar E is attached to the
upright A at six inches from the joint, and is carried across to the opposite
upright and secured at a similar distance from the joint; the end of the
uniting bar is then drawn out with a screw, and carries through the upright
and fastened to the other size by a nut; the other side is similarly secured.
The length of the bar is according to the distance the shafts are asunder, and
is three quarters of an inch in diameter. The cap F is similar to the one
before described, and its intention is the same. The bent spring C is intended
to prevent the gig from falling back on ascending a hill, and is elevated five
inches above the shaft, and is fourteen inches in length, and is one inch and
a quarter in width; it is secured to the shaft at both ends by being turned
round the shaft and screwed on; the elevation of the spring is directly over the
hinge. The shaft at five inches from the upright is cut through and held
together by a strong hinge underneath and screwed to the shaft, it being
intended to prevent the falling of the horse from injuring the gig. Altho' I
have specified dimensions, I do not confine myself to any particular size, which
must necessarily depend on circumstances.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Pyke, have hereunto set my
Land and cool this Eleventh day of Tul..