IMPROVEMENTS IN HANSOM CABS AND SIMILAR VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, AUGUSTUS CHARLES ARGLES of 11 Queen Victoria Street in the City of
London, Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN HANSOM CABS AND SIMILAR VEHICLES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this Invention is to enable the driver of a Hansom cab to close or
open the doors from his seat with ease and facility, and the Invention consists in
a novel arrangement of levers in combination with racks and pinions or equivalent
means for effecting this object.
The inconvenience attendant upon getting into a Hansom cab at any time is
considerable, but it is greatly increased when the doors are shut, and it frequently
happens that the opening of the doors causes the horse to start or move, to the
danger of the intending passenger.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn at Fig. 1 a side elevation of a
Hansom cab with my Invention adapted thereto, Fig. 2 being a plan view of the
same.
A is the cab body and B B are the doors. To the bottom of each door is fixed,
in a line with the pivot pins of the hinges, an axle or pin which projects downwards
through the floor of the vehicle, and carries on its outer end a spur pinion C. Ia
gear with the pinion C is a rack D, which is supported in any convenient manner
from the floor of the vehicle, and is suitably connected to the shorter arm of a bell
crank lever E, which has its fulcrum in a bracket secured to the body A of
the cab.
The longer arm of this lever E projects rearwards, and is attached to a rod F
conveniently arranged to slide in guides secured to the back of the vehicle, and
provided at its upper end with a handle which is so placed as to be within reach of
the driver's band.
It will thus be seen that the driver, by pushing on the rod F, will rock the bell
crank lever E, and actuate the racks D, which will cause the pinions to rotate, and
thus turn the doors on their hinges to open, and by pulling up the rod F, the doors
will be closed in a similar manner.
Instead of, or in addition to the handle, the rod F may be provided with a foot
piece, so that the driver may actuate the apparatus with his foot, or means may be

page_text: provided whereby he may operate it with his knee. The longer arm of the lever E
may be connected by a spring to the bottom of the vehicle, so that the normal
position of the doors will be closed, the rod being provided with a catch by which
the doors may be maintained open when desired.
Instead of connecting the rod F direct to the lever E, it may be connected
through a bell crank or other lever, or in any other convenient manner, whereby
the power may be increased.
In place of the rod F, a chain or strap may be employed in some cases.
Although I have stated that the object of the Invention is to enable the driver
from his seat to open and close the doors, yet this will not prevent the passenger
from opening or closing the doors.
The doors will be adjusted so that one will open or close slightly in advance of
the other,
The apparatus above described can be readily applied to vehicles at present in
use; it is of a simple and durable nature, and can be applied at such a price as to
put it within the means of all cab proprietors, and it will enhance the comfort of the
public by enabling the driver to keep his vehicle dry in damp weather.
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
The arrangement of apparatus as herein shown and described for enabling the
driver from his seat to open and close the doors of Hansom cabs and similar
vehicles.
PR
.onl