THE HORIZONTAL FIN-EXPANDING CANOPY FOR CARRIAGES, BOATS, AND PLACES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Layzell Scowen, of Allen Road, Stoke
Newington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "THE
HORIZONTAL FIN-EXPANDING CANOPY FOR CARRIAGES, BOATS, AND PLACES."
Scaled the 29th September 1857, and dated the 16th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Layzell Scowen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th April 1857.
I, THOMAS LAYZELL SCOWEN, of Allen Road, Stoke Newington, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "THE HORIZONTAL FIN-EXPANDING CANOPY FOR CARRIAGES, BOATS, AND PLACES,"
to be as follows:--
It consists of jointed standards, attached or not, or to fit in sockets (accord-
ing to discretion) to the carriages, boats, and places intended for its reception,
on which the framework of canopy, consisting of a centre rail of wood or iron,
or both combined, is attached and supported, and to this centro rail are
attached ribs, which expand according to the shape of the canopy.
The framework when collapsed and let down with the jointed attached
standards will form a back rail to a double seat, such as seats on roofs of
omnibusses, or seats on boats, &c., and can be raised up and horizontally
expanded over the entire roof or place intended to be covered, with little or
no inconvenience to the passengers.

page_text: By means of the horizontal fin action the canopy can be made to any
shape required, and expanded or collapsed at pleasure by the use of screws,
levers, springs, and cords, or by the hand without either screws, springs, or
cords.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Layzell Scowen in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
LAYZELL SCOWEN, of Allen Road, Stoke Newington, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Layzell Scowen, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Layzell, Scowen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Layzell Scowen, 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 of THE HORIZONTAL FIN-EXPANDING CANOPY FOR CARRIAGES, BOATS,
AND PLACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Layzell Scowen, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Layzell Scowen, 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:―
.
It consists of jointed standards, attached or not, or to fit in sockets" (accord
ing to discretion) to the carriages, boats, and places intended for its' reception,
on which the framework of canopy, consisting of a centre rail of wood or iron,

page_text: or both combined, is attached and supported, and to this centre rail are
attached ribs, which expand according to the shape of the canopy.
The framework when collapsed and let down with the jointed attached
standards will form a back rail to a double seat, such as seats on roofs of
omnibusses, or seats on boats, &c., and can be raised up and horizontally
expanded over the entire roof or place intended to be covered, with little or
no inconvenience to the passengers.
By means of the horizontal fin action the canopy can be made. to any
shape required, and expanded or collapsed at pleasure by the use of screws,
levers, springs, and cords, or by the hand without either screws, springs, or
cords.
And in order that the Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed, to describe the Drawings hereto
annexed :-
Figure 1 is an end elevation of one of the jointed attached standards (or such
as are fixtures on the places where they are to be used.) D, D, shows two
cheeks, flanged or turned out at the bottom I, I, for the purpose of attach-
ment; between the checks are jointed two arms C, C, at HI, H, between which
the middle piece of standard B is hinged at G. At the bottom of the middle
piece of standard B is binged a nut E; at the top of the middle piece of
standard B is jointed the top piece of standard A, in the top of which is a
hollow or concave screw at L fitting the screw, which passes through or is
part of the centre rail.
Figure 2 is a standard in socket. P is a spring catch to fasten it into
socket, or in some cases clasps can be used, and a spring catch in standard.
A is the top piece of standard, provided with concave screw; this joint enables
the standard to fold parallel with the framework. For some shapes of canopy
and for some purposes this joint may be required to be made fast, which can
be done by a tube sliding over joint; sometimes it will be necessary to vary
the position of standards on rail, and sometimes it will be convenient to use
bent standards, according to the place over which the canopy is used, and in
some places standards will not be required.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the jointed standards, to be raised or lowered
by means of screws when the bottom parts are fixtures on the places where
they are to be used. G, G, is a spindle or shaft, on which is a right and left-
hand screw passing through the nuts E, E, which nuts are put in motion by
means of the bent lever K; J are bearings to keep the shaft in its place.
These standards may also be raised up by a cord or gut passing over a pulley,
which cord is attached to each nut, as shown by the red line, the spindle or

page_text: shaft and nut being in this case smooth, that is without screw, so that the
nuts slide on the spindle instead of screwing, the end of cord when pulled up
made fast. This arrangement of standards must not be allowed to fold
down flat by several inches, or the leverage may be too great to manage
conveniently.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a long centro rail. M, M, are screws for
attaching the centre rail to standards; X, X, are plates, attached to rail for
hinging ribs in; V shows a rib, hinged by the bent end passing through the two
plates, and also through the hole or eye in brace of rib, and fastened by a nut
or pin at S; L shows a second form of fastening in rib; the bent end of the
rib goes through the top plate, and the bent end of brace of rib comes up
through the bottom plate, and are then fastened in by means of a piece of
wire put through the hole or eye, and the two ends twisted together.
Figure 5 is a plan or bird's-eye view of a framework of canopy, A showing
one half of the ribs callapsed, B the other half expanded; X are plates,
attached to rail, in which the ribs are hinged; M are holes for the screws to
pass through the centre rail, and fit into the concave screw at the top pieces
of standards. The bends in the ribs T, T, enables them to collapse parallel
with the rest of the ribs, and also the head rib Y, Y, of each side to close in
juxtaposition when the canopy or framework is expanded, which are then
fastened together by pin and spring socket S. The green line shows the
shape of one half of the covering, the other half being the same shape; the
two halves are seamed together over the centro rail to the notch at M; the
rest part of each side is attached to the head rib Y of its respective side from
T to S, the rest part of covering attached to ribs similar to that of an
umbrella. When the edges are turned down angular slips can be cut out
where required and seamed up, the notched opening at M covered by a piece
of india-rubber, which is attached to the rail at or about M. The red dotted
line shows the position of cords for assisting in expanding and collapsing.
Figure 6 is another manner of hinging ribs to end or head part of rail in
two angular shaped blocks, which turn on their axis P, P, between two plates.
A shows one side or half of the ribs collapsed; B shows the other half
expanded. The head ribs Y, Y, are squared or riveted in their sockets for
the purpose of carrying the angular blocks round with them.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of a short centre rail to be used whero the
same is required to be much shorter than the place to be covered. Part
of the bent ends are provided with screws to fit in the concavo screws in
top piece of standards, the other part plain to form axis for heads to
turn on.

page_text: Figure 8 is the same view as Figure 7, with turning heads. or blocks.
A, A, for the reception or hinging of ribs. On the bottom of the heads are
fastened pulleys for an endless cord C to pass round, which is fastened at one
side of one pulley and at the opposite side of the other pulley, so that when the
cord is pulled right or left the heads turn in the same direction. Two
cords may be attached at each side to the endless cord for the purpose
of assisting in expanding the canopy. This plan of cords may be seen in
Figure 14.
Figure 9 is a plan view of Figure 8, showing the position of holes in heads
or blocks for the reception or hinging the ribs.
Figure 10 is a plan of framework of canopy where a short centre rail is
used. B, B, shows one half of the ribs expanded; A, A, the other half
collapsed. The two ribs T, T, are bent, so that when collapsed they fold
parallel with the rest of the ribs. The guiding rib in each head B5 and A 5
are squared in hole or socket, so that they carry the heads round with them.
The green line N shows the shape of one half of the covering, the other half
being the same shape. The two halves of the covering are seamed together
under the rail F; the covering is secured at the hole in head, and down the
entire rib B 1, and fastened to the end of each rib, and also several places
up the ribs round to B11. The part of covering R, H, G, which is unsup-
ported by ribs, is for the purpose of lapping over part of the other half of
covering from R to H, and buttoning at H; the other half when expanded
will be similarly lapped over from S to V, and buttoned at V when expanded.
The ribs B1 and A 10 are fastened together by pin and spring socket at S,
and the two ribs A 1 and B 10 are fastened together in the same manner at R.
Now for slight covering by attaching a suitable size india-rubber spring near
the button-hole H of the piece that laps over, and carrying it and attaching it
to the edge of the under piece at Z, and by attaching another to the under part
at R, and carrying it to X, the lapping part will be drawn in its place when
expanding; the same to be added to the other side. The red line shows a cord
attached to the rib B 1, and passing through rings or holes in ribs and
through a pulley in arm at c, which arm is attached to standard for the
purpose of closing.
Figure 11 is a plan or bird's-eye view of framework for small or light
purposes where the ribs require no brace, showing one side expanded, the
other side being collapsed is unseen, but may be seen in side view, Figure 12.
Each bend of the bent ends of the three ribs A, B, C, is lowered so that they
fold one under the other.
Figure 13 shows several ribs. A is hinged by a pin passing through the

page_text: eye of rib, and through the blocks or plates on rail, and also through tho
brace, fastened at the bottom by a pin or nut; G shows a rib, which for
some purposes may be wanting, with cord and india-rubber spring; the spring
is attached at D. The cord B passes through a ring or pulley at C, the end
of cord attached to spring having a knot too large to pass through the
pulley C. Now, if several ribs round a canopy are provided with these
spring cords, they can, when required, bo-drawn down, and attached to any
convenient part.
Figure 15 is an end elevation of Figure 6, showing the manner of placing
the cords for assisting in expanding or collapsing this part of framework.
Two cords are attached at their halves to the two blocks at A, A. The outer
ends are carried back and tied together at equal lengths, as seen at A in side
view, Figure 16. The outer ends are brought over pulleys and pass through
between the two blocks, and are then tied together at equal lengths at B,
Figure 16; now, by pulling the cords at B the two blocks will be brought
together, and thus the framework will be expanded; or, by letting loose the
cords at B and pulling them at A the blocks will be drawn back, and thus the
framework will be collapsed.
Figure 17 is a plan showing a manner of arranging ribs, where the centro
rail is the entire length of canopy. The openings for collapsing being at
cach side are, when the canopy is expanded, fastened by pin and spring
socket at B.
"
Figure 18 is another manner of arranging ribs, where the centre rail is the
éntire length of canopy. The canopy is kept expanded by two stretchers A, A,
jointed at S; their other ends are attached to a ring for a rod to pass through,
which rod is attached at each end parallel, and as close as convenient to the
centre rail for the ring to slide on. The ring with stretchers is kept up when
the canopy is expanded by a click or spring catch on centre rail; or, the
stretchers may be much shorter, as seen at B, B, which are jointed to a nut
under the rail, the nut working on a screw, which screw is supported in its
place parallel to the centre rail by a bearing at each end; the screw can be
put in motion by a bent lever at one end.
Figure 19 shows different modes of expanding ribs of canopy where such
are suitable and required.
Figure 20 shows an arrangement of screws, with pinions A, A, and the
bent lever K for raising standards, which can be used when the centre rail is
too short for the standards to fold in one line or upon one shaft; or, they can
be raised by a cord and pulley, as shewn in the latter part of description of
Figure 3.

page_text: Figure 21 is a plan or bird's-eye view of framework of canopy; F, the
centre rail; Y, the two head ribs, where the opening is for the purpose of
collapsing, the red line shewing the edge of covering. Sometimes an india-
rubber spring round the edges will be useful. From this illustration and from
what has been described of the horizontal fin action, a workman or qualified
person will readily perceive how by varying the shape, the position, length,
and number of ribs, and by spliting the ends of ribs, or adding side pieces
thereto, and by varying the length and shape of rail the canopy can be made
to any shape required.
The standards and ribs can be made of spring steel or other suitable
materials combined. The covering and lining can be made of any suitable
fabric or material according to the shape and purpose for which it is
required.
The nature of my Invention consists in the horizontal and fin (like)
principle of action of the ribs attached to one or various parts of a centre
rail, which ribs expand and collapse the canopy thereto attached, as berein
above described, and the means of working the same, that is, raising, spread-
ing, and closing the canopy, as also herein described.
I do not claim the parts separately; but I do claim the arrangement and
combination of parts herein above described, forming the horizontal fin-
expanding canopy for carriages, boats, and places.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Layzell Scowen, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
THOMAS LAYZELL SCOWEN. (L.S.)
Witness,
RICHARD LANE HILLS.