A NEW METHOD OF COVERING STREET OMNIBUSES AND VEHICLES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHELTERING PASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON THE TOP OF THE SAME."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to August Friedrich Gallis, of 71, Dean Street, Soho,
London, for the Invention of "A NEW METHOD OF COVERING STREET
OMNIBUSES AND VEHICLES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF
SHELTERING PASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON THE TOP OF THE SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said August Friedrich Gallis
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on. the
13th October 1862.
I, AUGUST FRIEDRICH GALLIS, of 71, Dean Street, Soho, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW METHOD OF COVERING
STREET OMNIBUSES" AND "VEHICLES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION POR THE PURPOSE OF
SHELTERING PASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON THE TOP. OF, THE SAME," to be as
follows:-
..'s
The construction of the London omnibuses and those in use in the different
parts of the United Kingdom is, as far as the top passengers are concerned,
in the highest degrée inconvenient and even dangerous; for instance, it is
very difficult to ascend the top, as the feet of the passengers have no
regular hold. The rails of the present omnibuses which are intended for the
safety of the top passengers are too low, and therefore quite useless, as one
cannot take hold of them without stooping very much. The feet of the

page_text: passengers are always placed in an oblique position with the foot tops down-
wards, so that they are obliged to take hold of the back to prevent their being
thrown off when the omnibus shakes much.
My method, however, which may be applied to all the omnibuses which are
at present in use, offers to the passengers great advantages and convenience,
as the iron rails are much higher, and the height is still increased by the
curtain which goes all round the omnibus. When bad weather comes on, the
The ventilators of
conductor wants only two minutes to raise the cover.
the latter check the influence of the wind.
F
The chief advantage of my method is the following:-Two handles being
placed at the back of the omnibus, and communicating with the roller on each
side, enable the conductor as soon as it begins to rain to raise the iron bars at
the four corners of the omnibus which are to support the curtain. The handles
likewise enable him to lower the curtain alongside the omnibus, and to fix it
to the rails intended for the safety of the passengers. The top part of the cover
being rolled up behind the driver is to be drawn back by the conductor by means
of a thin chain or a string, and to be fixed to two hooks above the entrance of
the omnibus. The rain can by no means penetrate the curtain above the
passengers, being drawn through narrow plates of sheet iron, which are for
this special purpose fixed above the two side curtains, and prevent them at the
same time from being tossed about by the wind. To prevent the rain from
gathering on the top the cover is made sloping, the two iron bars near the
driver being 1-2 inches higher. The top, which is at present always empty,
will be full, and both passengers and omnibus proprietors will profit by it.
The Invention consists in a cover to be constructed on the top of street
omnibuses and vehicles of every description for the purpose of sheltering
passengers travelling on the top from the inclemency of the weather, and
eventually from the sun heat. This will be more clearly shown by the
Drawing. E contains a roller, the handle of which being close to the .con-
ductor enables him to wind the cover up and down without interfering with
the passengers. Bar A, C, B, rests when the cover is let down. in B, D, so
that point A rests in point B. To A, A, is fixed a curtain, which, by the
button-hole F, may be lowered at pleasure to points G. In undoing the
curtain, the latter goes up by itself. Space E lies at the foot of the top
passengers and above the inside passengers. The bar A, G, 1, is, when let
down, to be fixed to point H. The part of the curtain forming the cover
is fixed to the bar A, A, behind the driver, and drawn back by. a string or
chain leading thence to the bar A, A, close by the conductor.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said August Friederich Gallis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUST
FRIEDERICH GALLIS, of 71, Dean Street, Soho, W.C., London, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said August Friederich Gallis, Her special licence that I, the said August
Friederich Gallis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said August Friederich Gallis, 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
"A NEW METHOD OF COVERING STREET OMNIBUSSES AND VEHICLES OF EVERY
DESCRIPTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHELTERING PASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON THE TOP
OP THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said August
Friederich Gallis, 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 August Friederich Gallis, 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 :-
The Invention consists in a new method of covering street omnibusses,
stage coaches, and vehicles of every description, with a view to shelter
passengers travelling outside the same from rain, snow, bail, and rays of the
sun, &ca.
The construction of the London omnibusses, as well as those in use of the
different parts of the United Kingdom, is, as far as the outside passengers are
concernd, in the highest degree inconvenient and even dangerous; for

page_text: instance, it is very difficult to ascend to the top, as the feet of the passengers
have no regular hold. The rails of the present omnibusses, which are intended
for the safety of the outside passengers, are too low, and therefore of but little
use, as persons cannot lay hold of them without stooping very much. The
feet of the passengers are always in an oblique position with the toes down-
ward, so that passengers are obliged to take hold of the back to prevent their
being thrown off when the omnibus shakes much.
My method, however, which may be applied to all the omnibusses, &c. at
present in use, offers to the passengers great adventages and considerable con-
venience, as the iron rails are higher, the actual hight of them being still
When bad
increased by the curtain which passes all round the omnibus.
weather comes on, the conductor requires only a few minutes to raise the cover,
and a still shorter time to let it down together with the upper rails after rain
has ceased. The lateral openings in the cover serve to check the action of the
wind. These openings can easily be closed and opened again by the passengers.
When properly sheltered by the awning, which forms the principal part of my
Invention, the top of omnibus, &c., which at present is always unoccupied in
rainy weather, will be full outside passengers, which must of course greatly
tend to benefit both passengers and omnibus proprietors, &c*.
The Invention consists in a mechanical contrivance by which a number of
solid iron or other bars contained within iron or other tubes may by means of
chains, &c. worked over rollers with a handle, within easy reach of the con-
ductor, be raised to the proper hight to support the covering or awning. The
water-tight covering or awning lies folded up in fine weather behind the
driver's seat. When required for use, the conductor simply draws a string
attached to the cover, which then glides easily over the bars by means of rings
or anything else; when no longer required, the driver pulls it back by another
string behind him. The Drawing will more clearly illustrade the nature, of
this Invention.
lowered
E is a roller with handle close to the conductor, which enables the latter to
wind the bars up and down in the tube B, D. When the bars are wound up
the point A rests in B. To A, A, is attached a curtain, which may
at pleasure by putting the string attached to it and fastening it by means of a
knot or button E. The curtain flies back of its own accord the moment the
button is released. The other parts are worked as already described. The
rollers, chains, and tubes can be placed either inside or outside the omnibus,
&c. The bars and tubes may of course be made longer than the Drawing, or
shorter. The bars may be raised by means of one, two, three, or more rollers

page_text: and chains, &c., and the apparatus may be worked by one or by two handles.
To stretch the cover or awning some hoops are fixed to it, which may be of
wood, iron, vulcanised indian-rubber, gutta percha, or other material.
What I more particularly claim as my Invention is, the system of bars and
tubes, chains and strings, rollers and handles, by which the awning can be
stretched over the omnibus, &c., or thrown back again at pleasure, may the
bars to be raised out of the tubes by chains or by elasticity.
In witness whereof, I, the said August Friedrich Gallis, hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord 1863.
AUGUST FRIEDRICH GALLIS. (LS.)