Improvements in Automatic Wheel Locking Mechanism for Trolleys, Perambulators, Bath Chairs, or other Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
Improvements in Automatic Wheel Locking Mechanism for Trolleys,
Perambulators, Bath Chairs, or other Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK REDFORD, of 7, Storer Street, Carlton Road, in the City of
Nottingham, Whitesmith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
This invention relates more particularly to mechanism for automatically
locking the wheels of vehicles which are propelled by hand, such for example
as trolleys, perambulators, bath-chairs, or the like, in order to prevent said
vehicles from running down inclines when left by the attendant. The inven-
tion may also be applied in a modified form to vehicles drawn by horses or
other animals, in order to prevent the latter running away when left unattended.
According to my invention, on the inner side of the boss or nave of each of
say one pair of wheels, I secure one part of a clutch of any well known form,
or make the inner face of the boss or nave of the wheel in the form of one part
of a clutch. The other part of each clutch is secured to or formed by a boss
which preferably slides longitudinally on the fixed wheel axle, but is mounted
so as to be incapable of rotating thereon.
Both wheels may thus be locked by moving those parts of the said clutches
which are mounted on the wheel axle, into engagement with their corresponding.
parts on the wheel bosses or naves.
The handle for pushing or pulling the vehicle is secured to the upper end of
a lever, which is pivotted on a longitudinal axis at about the middle of its length,
to the body of the vehicle, so that said lever may be moved about its fulcrum
in a vertical plane.
The lower end of the lever is carried under the body of the vehicle and is
provided preferably with a weight that will overbalance and raise the outer end.
This lever is connected by suitable links and levers to the movable parts of the
two clutches, so that they are moved into engagement when the inner end of the
lever falls, and are moved out of engagement when the outer end, to which the
handle is attached, is depressed by the hand of the attendant in the act of push-
ing or pulling the vehicle.
The wheels are thus automatically locked immediately the hand of the atten-
dant is removed from the handle.
Suitable stops are provided for limiting the movement of the weighted lever,
the amount of movement required being merely sufficient to put one part of each
clutch into and out of engagement with the other.
In a four wheel vehicle in which one pair of wheels are mounted on a pivotted
under-carriage, the clutches are preferably applied to this pair of wheels,
and the counter-weighted handle lever pivotted to the under-carriage.
In a vehicle, drawn by a horse or other animal, the clutches may be auto-
matically put into engagement by the action of a weighted lever, which is held
out of gear by the weight of the driver, acting either on a pivotted seat, or on
D
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page_text: a pivotted foot plate or lever, or if preferred an ordinary brake lever may be
employed and be operated by the hand of the driver.
Provisions may be if desirable provided for locking the clutches out of
action, at times when the vehicle is not likely to be left without an attendant.
Dated this day 15th of October 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Automatic Wheel Locking Mechanism for Trolleys,
Perambulators, Bath Chairs, or other Vehicles.
:
FREDERICK REDFORD, No. 7, Storer Street, Carlton Road, Nottingham,
Whitesmith, 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:-
This invention relates more particularly to mechanism for automatically
locking the wheels of vehicles which are propelled by hand, such for example
as trolleys, perambulators, bath-chairs, or the like, in order to prevent said
vehicles from running down inclines when left by the attendant. The inven-
tion may also be applied in a modified form to vehicles drawn by horses or
other animals, in order to prevent the latter running away when left unattended.
According to my invention, on the inner side of the boss or nave of each of
say one pair of wheels, I secure one part of a clutch of any well known
form, or make the inner face of a boss or nave of the wheel in the form of one
part of a clutch.
The other part of each clutch is secured to or formed by a boss which pre-
ferably slides longitudinally on the fixed wheel axle, but is mounted so as to be
incapable of rotating thereon.
Both wheels may thus be locked by moving those parts of the said clutches
which are mounted on the wheel axle, into engagement with their corresponding
parts on the wheel bosses or naves.
The handle for pushing or pulling the vehicle is secured to the upper end of
the lever, which is pivotted on a longitudinal axis at about the middle of its length.
to the body of the vehicle, so that said lever may be moved about its fulcrum
in a vertical plane.
The lower end of the lever is carried under the body of the vehicle and is
provided preferably with a weight that will overbalance and raise the outer end.
This lever is connected by suitable links and levers to the movable parts of the
two clutches, so that they are moved into engagement when the inner end of the
lever falls, and are moved out of engagement when the outer end, to which the
handle is attached, is depressed by the hand of the attendant, in the act of push-
ing or pulling the vehicle.
The wheels are thus automatically locked immediately the hand of the atten-
dant is removed from the handle.
Suitable stops are provided for limiting the movement of the weighted lever,
the amount of movement required being merely sufficient to put one part of each
clutch into and out of engagement with the other.
In a four wheeled vehicle in which one pair of wheels are mounted on a pivotted
under-carriage, the clutches are preferably applied to this pair of wheels,
the counted-weighted handle lever being pivotted to the under-carriage.
In a vehicle drawn by a horse or other animal, the clutches may be auto-

page_text: matically put into engagement by the action of a weighted lever, which is held
out of gear by the weight of the driver, acting either on a pivotted seat, or on
a pivotted foot plate or lever, or if preferred an ordinary brake lever may be
employed & be operated by the hand of the driver,
Provision may be if desirable provided for locking the clutches out of
action at times when the vehicle is not likely to be left without an attendant.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe
same.
With reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig, 1 is a front view,
& Fig. 2 plan of the contrivance.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
A is lower part of wagon bottom or frame.
B are the pedestals carrying wheel axles.
C are the trolley wheels which have the bosses or nave specially formed to
act as parts of clutches.
D. Bosses or the like forming sliding parts of clutches, which fit on the axle
in the usual way with guide for sliding to and fro.
E. Levers or rods which are connected to D & at fulcrum F, which forms a
toggle joint, & by means of lever G and handle H, the position of fulcrum F
may be varied to F" and thus throw the clutches in or out of gear at will.
I is a weight or counterbalance to keep the clutches in gear, which acts so
when the handle is in an upright, or nearly upright position, and to release the
clutch the weight I must be raised and the lever and handle G and H depressed
horizontally as in the act of pulling and pushing the trollies or the like, or the
contrivance may be arranged by fixing fulcrum on the opposite side to that
shown on drawing, on axle K, so that when the handle is dropped as low as
possible on to the track say, the clutch is also in gear, and the wheels are locked.
Arrangement can be utilized for perambulators, bath chairs, vehicles or the
like and effectually prevents any running down inclines when left by the atten-
dant, and also prevents horses running away when left unattended."
The clutches may be of the claw, spring, coil, conical, or the like type.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. The arrangement of locking wheels of trollies, perambulators, or the like
by means of the handle with counterbalance which is used when in motion for
propelling the same.
2. The arrangement of utilizing the bosses or naves of any of the wheels in
combination with a clutch for the purpose of preventing the vehicles from
running down inclines or running away when left unattended.
3. The combination of handles, levers, wheels, bosses, as fully described and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of July 1899