AN IMPROVED DRAG APPLICABLE TO WAGGONS, OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Parry, of Balham, in the County of
Surrey, and James McHardy, of Edinborough, North Britain, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED DRAG APPLICABLE TO WAGGONS, OMNIBUSES,
AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES."
Sealed the 14th December 1870, and dated the 13th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Parry and
James McHardy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 13th October 1869.
We, THOMAS PARRY, of Balham, in the County of Surrey, and JAMES
M'HARDY, of Edinborough, North Britain, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED DRAG APPLICABLE
WAGGONS, OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to an improved drag or brake acted upon by
levers in communication with the pole chain of the vehicle or the
chain by which the collars of horses and other beasts of burthen are
secured to such vehicles, for the purpose of stopping or retarding the
motion thereof. At or near the end of the pole or shaft is placed in

page_text: 'suitable bearings a grooved pulley, round which passes a chain attached
to the chains leading from the collars of the horses, to the other end of
this said chain is affixed a rod or its equivalent passing through guides
on the pole and terminating in a second length of chain guided by
pullies on either side, or by other suitable means to facilitate the turning
of the vehicle; this said chain terminates in a rod connected by means
of short auxiliary levers to the long ends of other main levers turning
on fulcrums placed at any convenient distance therefrom, the short ends
of the said levers projecting opposite the wheels of the vehicle, and
carrying a brake block or skid which acts upon the said wheels to
retard their rotation when the horses or other animals, on being pulled
up draw the chain around the pulley and thereby act upon the levers
in the manner described. Instead of the rod that passes under the
centre of the vehicle being attached to the ends of the main levers by
small auxiliary levers, the main levers may have their ends slotted and
a pin on the rod passed through the two slots, thus compensating for the
varying distances of the rod from the fulcrum of the levers. The
fulcrums may also work in grooves, or have grooves therein, so that they
can be moved nearer to or farther from the acting ends of the said levers
'as occasion may require. To the end of the said rod or to the inner ends
of the main levers springs may be attached to bring the levers to their
normal position when the wheels are no longer required to be skidded.
According to another modification of our Invention the chain
attached to the end of the rod under the pole passes over or partially
around other pullies close to the body of the vehicle, and is attached to
a cross or transverse bar, to either end of which said bar chains or rods
pass to the long arms of levers working on a fulcrum or fulcrums under
the vehicle, the other ends of the said levers carrying the drags or brakes
which act upon the wheels when power is applied to the arms of the
levers by the horses pulling back as above described.
This form of construction is chiefly applicable to those vehicles that
are required to turn round in a very small space, such as parcel vans,
and other similar vehicles.
According to another modification the chains that act upon the ends
of the levers may be passed over pullies in the side shafts of the vehicle
and be attached to the breeching strap or other convenient part of the
harness, this form of construction being chiefly applicable to two-wheeled
vehicles.

page_text: It will be evident that cords, straps, or any other suitable means
of communication may in all cases be substituted for rods and chains,
and when rods are used compensating screws may be cut on their ends
to take up any wear and tear that may result from the action of the
various parts.
It will thus be apparent that by means of our Invention a considerable
dragging power will be exerted on the wheels by the levers and their
connections, in comparison with which the power exerted by the horse
or other beast of burthen will be extremely small, so that a direct gain
of strength is attained, and considerable loss of time and wear and tear
of materials prevented, and it will be evident that the pressure brought
to bear on the wheels will be in exact proportion to the amount of.
resistance caused by the momentum of the moving body.
This Invention is also applicable to railway trains, the levers in this
case being placed in communication with the engine, so that by its
backward impulse it will act directly on the wheels of any number of
carriages and effectually brake them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Parry and James McHardy in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 13th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, THOMAS.
PARRY, of Balham, in the County of Surrey, and JAMES MIARDY, of
Edinborough, North Britain, 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-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-.
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Parry and James
McHardy, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Parry and.
James M.Hardy, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Thomas Parry and James McHardy, our 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 Ircland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
DRAG APPLICABLE TO WAGGONS, OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Parry
and James M.Hardy, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and
scals, 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 we, the said Thomas Parry and James
M Hardy, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates to an improved drag or brake acted upon by
levers in communication with the pole chain of the vehicle or the chain
by which the collars of horses and other beasts of burthen are secured
to such vehicles for the purpose of stopping or retarding the motion
thereof,
In order that our Invention may be clearly understood we will proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying two Sheets of
Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a coach with our improved brako
and its accessories applied thereto; Fig. 2, a plan of the same; Fig. 3,
a modification of our Invention in plan; and Fig. 4, a view of a second
modification of our Invention.
At or near the end of the pole or shaft a, Figs. 1 and 2, is placed in
suitable bearings a grooved pulley b, round which passes a chain c,
attached to the chains d, e, loading from the collars of the horses; to
the other end of this said chain c, is affixed a rod f, or its equivalent
passing through guides g, h, on the pole a, and terminating in a second
length of chain i, guided by pullies j, on either side, or by other
suitable means, such as carrying the chain around a single pulley acting
either as a guide or on the principle of the wheel and axle, to facilitate
the turning of the vehicle; this said chain terminates in a curved rod k,
of the shape shewn in the Drawing, to enable the wheels to pass under
the vehicle when turning, and the said rod is connected by means of
short auxiliary levers l, m, to the long ends of other main levers n, o,
turning on fulcra p, q, placed at any convenient distance therefrom, the

page_text: short ends of these levers projecting opposite the wheels of the vehiclo
and carrying the brake blocks or skids r, which act upon the said wheels
of the vehicle to retard their rotation when the horses or other animals
on being pulled up draw the chain c round the pulley b, and thereby
act upon the levers in the manner described. Instead of the rod / that
passes under the centre of the vehicle being attached to the ends of the
main levers by small auxiliary levers the main levers may have their
ends slotted and a pin on the rod passed through the two slots, thus
compensating for the varying distances of the rod from the fulcrum of
the levers. The fulcra p, q, may also work in grooves or have grooves
therein so that they can be moved nearer to or farther from the acting
ends of the said levers as occasion may require. To the end of the
rod k, or to the inner ends of the main levers a spring a is attached to
bring the levers n, o, to their normal position when the wheels are no
longer required to be skidded.
According to another modification of our Invention represented in
Fig. 3, the chain to attached to the end of the rod under the pole passes
over or partially around another pulley x, close to the body of the
vehicle, and is attached to the long arms of levers a', 6', working on
fulcra under the vehicle, the said fulcra sliding in grooves or guides c², d³,
so that they can be moved nearer to or further from the ends of the
said levers as desired. The levers a¹, b', carry at their outer ends the
drags or brakes u, v, which act upon the wheels when power is applied
to the arms of the levers by the horses pulling back as above described.
Or the chain to after passing over the pulley x is attached to a cross
or transverse bar, to cither end of which said bar chains or rods pass to
the long arms of the levers a', b', and act upon the brakes as above
explained. This construction is chiefly applicable to those vehicles
that are required to turn round in a very small space, such as parcel
vans and other similar vehicles.
According to another modification the chains e, f, Fig. 4, that act
upon the ends of the levers g', h', may be passed over pullies j',
under or in the side shafts ¹, A, of the vehicle, and be attached to the
breeching strap m³, or other convenient part of the harness, this form of
construction being chiefly applicable to two-wheeled vehicles.
It will be evident that cords, straps, or any other suitable means of
communication may in all cases be substituted for rods and chains, and
when rods are used compensating screws may be cut on their ends to

page_text: take up any wear and tear that may result from the action of the
various parts, and in some cases chains may be used instead of levers.
It will thus be apparent, that by means of our Invention a consider-
able dragging power will be exerted on the wheels by the levers and
their connections, in comparison with which the power exerted by the
horse or other beast of burthen will be extremely small, so that a direct
gain of power is attained, and considerable loss of time and wear and
tear of materials prevented, and it will be evident that the pressure
brought to bear on the wheels will be in exact proportion to the amount
of resistance caused by the momentum of the moving body.
This Invention is also applicable to railway trains, the levers in this
case being placed in communication with the engine, so that by its
backward impulse it will act directly on the wheels of any number of
carriages and effectually brake them.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of our Invention,
we claim the means and apparatus for arresting the progress of wheeled
vehicles as herein-described and illustrated in the accompanying two
Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James McHardy, for and on
behalf of myself and the said Thomas Parry, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
E. T. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
123, Chancery Lane,
London.
JAMES MCHARDY. (L.S.)