Improvements in and relating to Apron-holders for Use on Omnibuses and other Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1894.
Complete Specification Left, 18th June, 1895-Accepted; 20th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apron-holders for Use on
Omnibuses and other Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM MCLAREN, Engineer, and LINDSLEY BYRON PETERS, Engineer,
both of Moorgate Works, Moorfields, in the County of London, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
Our invention relates to improved means for holding or securing the aprons
which are usually provided on omnibuses, tramway-cars and the like for the
protection of passengers in cold or wet weather.
By our said invention, we provide for holding or securing the said aprons in
such a manner that, while they will always be immediately available for use when
required, they will be conveniently stowed away,, when not in use, in such a
position that they will not be liable to be soiled or injured or to have their inner
Burface exposed to the rain.
For this purpose we attach the apron to a self-adjusting bar, frame or holder,
which is so arranged that a passenger when seated can pull it downward or towards
him and make use of the apron, and so that when it is released, it will automatically
resume its original position, and thus move the apron out of the way of the
passenger and hold it, with its outer surface exposed, out of reach of the top of
the omnibus or other vehicle and of the feet of passengers.
We find it advantageous to pivot, the said adjustable bar or frame to a suitable
support in front of the seat and to provide suitable springs for holding it in and
returning it to the position which it is to occupy when the apron is not in use.
And we fold the apron over the said bar or frame and secure it in any convenient
manner thereto at the fold, which should be about the middle of the apron.
In the case of omnibuses or tramway-cars having garden-seats, we pivot the
adjustable bar or frame for each apron, to the back of the seat immediately in front
of the particular seat with which such apron is intended to be used, so that the
apron is at the immediate service of passengers,,and, when not in use, will be held
in a folded condition against the back of the seat to which the bar or frame is
pivoted.
I
In cases where the seats face the side of the vehicle, we pivot the said bar or
frame to the rail or advertisement-board of the vehicle.
The part of the apron which hangs down in front of the said bar or frame is,
if desired, used for advertising purposes.
The aprons arranged as above mentioned can also be used for covering the seats
when not occupied, so as to keep the same dry and clean.
The said aprons are provided with any convenient means for securing them in
position when extended.
Various devices can be used for automatically effecting the return of the movable
bar or frame to its original position when released. In some instances, we provide,
for this purpose, spiral, coiled or other suitable springs enclosed in boxes or
casings and acting upon short arms or tail-pieces on the said bar or frame. In
other instances, we make the ends of the bar or frame in the form of coiled
springs which also serve as the pivots of the said bar or frame. Or we
secure coiled springs to the ends of the bar or frame. We sometimes use
springs each of which consists of a single coil or convolution, or of an S-shaped
piece of steel, one end of the same being firmly secured to the box or casing and
the other end acting upon a short curved arm or tail-piece of the said bar or

page_text: frame. We can, however, if desired, so arrange our self-adjusting apron-holder
in such a manner that it will return to its original position under the action of
gravity instead of under the action of springs.
Dated the 9th day of October 1894.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in and relating to Apron-holders for Use on
Omnibuses and other Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM MCLAREN, Engineer, and LINDSLEY BYRON PETERS, Engineer,
both of Moorgate Works, Moorfields, in the County of London, 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:-
Our invention relates to improved means for holding or securing the aprons
which are usually provided on omnibuses, tramway-cars and the like for the
protection of passengers in cold or wet weather.
By our said invention, we provide for holding or securing the said aprons in such
a manner that, while they will always be immediately available for use when
required, they will be conveniently stowed away, when not in use, in such a position
that they will not be liable to be soiled or injured by being trodden upon or
otherwise, or to have their inner surface exposed to the rain.
For this purpose we attach the apron to a self-adjusting bar, frame or holder,
which is so arranged that a passenger, when seated, can pull it downwards or
towards him and make use of the apron, and, when the said bar, frame or holder
is released, it will automatically resume its original position, and thus move the
apron out of the way of the passenger, and hold it, with only its outer surface
exposed, clear of the floor or top of the omnibus or other vehicle and out of reach
of the feet of the passengers.
We find it advantageous to pivat the said adjustable bar or frame to a suitable
support in front of the seat and to provide suitable springs for holding it in and
returning it to the position which it is to occupy when the apron is not in use.
And we fold the apron over the said bar or frame and secure it in any convenient
manner thereto at the fold, which should be at or a short distance from the middle
of the apron.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice
―:
Figure is a sectional side view, showing the apron and apron-holder in the
position which they occupy when the apron is not in use.
Figure 2 is a sectional side view showing the apron' extended and secured so as
to protect a passenger occupying the seat with which the apron is intended to be
used.
1.I
Figure. 3 is a plan showing the apron extended and secured so as to completely
cover the said seat when unoccupied.
Figure 4 is a sectional side view illustrating another form or modification of our
improved device, the apron being extended and secured in its operative position..
Figure 5 is a sectional view, drawn to au enlarged scale, illustrating details of
construction.
Figure 6 is a rear elevation, and
Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views illustrating further modifications of our said
invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.

page_text: a, a are seats in connection' with which our apron-holders are to be used; b is
the bent bar or frame forming the apron-holder, which is pivoted at b¹ to brackets c,
at or near each end of the seat. These brackets are to be secured to any con-
venient object in front of the seat with which the apron is to be used; in the
arrangements shown, the said brackets are secured to the-seat in front thereof.
die the apron, which is secured to the apron-holder b, preferably by means of a
stripe of leather or other suitable material passed around the rod or bar of the
holder 6 and secured to the said apron. The shorter or upper part d' of the apron
is provided with straps having holes f¹, Figure 3, adapted to be passed over
buttons or studs 9 on the seat a for the purpose of securing the apron in its extended
position for use.
For automatically effecting the return of the movable bar or frame b to its
original position when released, we provide spiral springs h, Figure 5, enclosed in
boxes or casings which are pivoted at to the brackets c, these springs. acting
through rods upon the short arms or tail-pieces 6 of the bar or frame b.
In Figure 4 we have shown an arrangement in which the upper part d' of the
apron is made with an auxiliary or additional flap d provided with perforated
straps, this flap being used for covering the seats when not occupied, so as to
keep the same dry and clean.
This may also be effected with the arrangement shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, by
drawing the upper part d' of the apron closely against the back of the seat, as in
Figure 3.
In the case of omnibuses or tramway-cars having garden-seats, we profer to
pivot the adjustable bar or frame 6 for each apron to the back of the seat a
immediately in front of the particular seat with which such apron is intended to be
used, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, so that the apron is at the immediate
service of passengers, and, when not in use, will be held in a folded condition
against the back of the seat to which the bar or frame is pivoted, as indicated in
Figure 1.
In cases where the seats face the side of the vehicle, we pivot the said bar or
frame to the rail or advertisement-board of the vehicle.
The part of the apron which hangs down from the said bar or frame, facing the
passengers, is, if desired, used for advertising purposes.
Other suitable devices than that shown in Figure 5 may also be employed for
effecting the return of the apron and holder to their original position when
released; for example, we sometimes make the ends of the bar or frame b in the
form of coiled springs 1, Figure 6, which also serve as the pivots of the said bar
or frame. Or we secure coiled springs to the ends of the bar or frame b. We
sometimes use springs each of which consists of a single coil or convolution m, or
of an S-shaped piece » as in Figures 7 and 8 respectively, one end of the same being
firmly secured to the box or casing and the other end acting upon the short
curved arm or tail-piece of the said bar or frame b. We can, however, if
desired, arrange our self-adjusting apron-holder in such a manner that it will return
to its original position under the action of gravity instead of under the action of
springs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The herein described method of providing for the support of an apron in
front of a seat so that, whilst it is always available for use when required, the
said apron will, when not in use, be held in such a position that it will not be
liable to be soiled or injured or to have its inner surface exposed to the rain.
Second. A self-adjusting apron-holder for the purpose above specified, com-
prising a bar or frame pivoted to a suitable support in front of the seat with which
the apron is to be used, and combined with means whereby, whilst it can be readily
pulled back to permit of the apron being secured in its operative position, it will,

page_text: when released, be automatically moved forward away from the seat into such a
position as to keep the apron clear of the floor or other surface on which such seat
is supported.
Third. The modification of our invention wherein we provide the apron with an
auxiliary flap, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth. The improved apron-holder constructed with the rotracting springs
substantially as described with reference to either of the forms or modifications
illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and operating as and for the purpose
specified!
Dated the 19th.d of Lun 100%.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W:C.,
Agents for the Applicants.