IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEDGES OR RUNNERS FOR VEHICLES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Barnard, Lord de Blaquière, Captain in Her
Majesty's Navy, of Springfield, Crawley, in the County of Sussex, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEDGES OR RUNNERS FOR VEHICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Barnard, Lord de
Blaquière at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th
October 1881.
WILLIAM BARNARD, LORD DE BLAQUIERE, Captain in Her Majesty's Navy, of
Springfield, Crawley, in the County of Sussex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEDGES
OR RUNNERS FOR VEHICLES."
This Invention consists in converting wheeled carriages or vehicles into sledges
by furnishing them with adjustable runners applied for their wheels, which when
requisite are further locked by parallel and cross pieces either or both, and the
wheels when desired strengthened to resist strain.
I carry the Invention into effect by making the runners of metal, or of wood
and metal combined, fashioning them straight or nearly so or slightly curved
between the contact points of the wheels or each side of a wheel.
I then bend or otherwise curve up the runners to embrace and hold a segment
of the periphery of each wheel and secure the runners in any convenient manner
to the wheel tires or fellies.
I take straight metal or wooden bars and attach them either at the hub or other
part of the wheels to serve to lock the wheels and take the strain, and for which
purpose I also use metal or wooden discs either on one or both sides of the wheels
and so cover and strengthen them from the hub of the tires, or I couple the axles
or axle boxes. The object being to supply runners that can easily be fixed to and
removed from vehicles without interfering other than described with their
construction as vehicles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by tho said William Barnard, Lord de Blaquière in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th April 1882.
WILLIAM BARNARD, LORD DE BLAQUIERE, Captain in Her Majesty's Navy, of
Springfield, Crawley, in the County of Sussex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEDGES OR
RUNNERS FOR VEHICLES."
This Invention consists in converting wheeled carriages or vehicles into sledges
by furnishing them with adjustable runners applied to their wheels, which when
requisite are further locked by parallel and cross pieces either or both, and the
wheels when desired strengthened to resist strain.
I carry the Invention into effect by making the runners of metal, or of wood
and metal combined, fashioning them straight or nearly so, or slightly curved
between the contact points of the wheels or on each side of a wheel.
I then bend or otherwise curve up the runners to embrace and hold a segment
of the periphery of each wheel and secure the runners in any convenient manner
to the wheel tires or follics. I tako straight metal or wooden bars and attach them
either at or near the hub of the wheels to lock the wheels and take up the strain,
and for which purpose I also use discs of metal, wood, or other suitable material,
either on one or both sides of the wheels and so cover and strengthen them from
the hub to the tires, or I couple the axles or axle boxes. The object being to
supply runners that can easily be fixed to and removed from vehicles without
unnecessarily interfering with their construction as vehicles.
In the accompanying Drawings, which servo to further explain my Invention
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pair of wheels belonging to a fourwheeled carriage
and connected with each other according to my Invention. R is the runner
forming a shoe for the two wheels, and attached to their fellies by means of
screw-clamps, two clamps being for the front wheel, and one for the hind wheel
as shown. Each end is further provided with a pair of lugs which tako the
fellies between them as shown. C is the connecting bar secured to the spokes
and fellies at or near the level of the axles, by means of screw-clamps.
Fig. 2 represents my Invention as applied to a pair of wheels, made solid
by means of discs D of wrought iron or other suitable material laid over the
spokes, the runner R' with screw-clamps and lugs being similar to those of
Fig. 1. The circumference of oach disc is notched where the clamps pass over the
inside of the fellies.
Fig. 3 illustrates my Invention as applied to a two-wheeled vehicle. R³ is the
runner reaching with its curved ends up to nearly the level of the axle, where it is
secured to the fellies by clamps 2, while the centre of the runner has two
clamps, the clamps being in this case made in one piece with the runner and
closed at their open or forked end by a bolt. The iron cross bar C is rigidly fixed
in the centre between the springs and the collar of the axle, while its ends serve
to clamp and hold the spokes at c³ and the fellies at c³, so as to form a solid stay
between the two sides of the wheel.
Fig. 4 shows the ends of the connecting bar attached to the same bolt which
closes the forked end of the runner. The ends of the runner may however be
attached to the wheels at a third or any other convenient part of their height.
It is evident that the shape and strength of the runners and connecting bars

page_text: G
depend on the size of the wheels and the weight which they have to carry,
and that the details of construction may be varied without departing from the .
nature of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Barnard, Lord de Blaquière, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, A.D. 1882.
DE BLAQUIÈRE. (L.S.)