IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAGS OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO CARRIAGES
Year: 1833

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
REES, of Brecon, South Wales, Woollen Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Seventh day of August, in the fourth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
David Rees, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said David Rees, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said David Rees, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAGS OR APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO
CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said David Rees, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled
in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
David Rees, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 represents a side view and so much of the back of a
carriage as is necessary to exhibit the application of my improved apparatus,
which consists of a drag. In the side view the drag is attached in a working
position as having shod the wheel, which does not require to have the progress
of the vehicle impeded to render it beneficially useful. A is the frame
attached to the axletree of the carriage; B, the shoe; C, the strap or chain
which is attached to the frame at E passing over the friction pullies D, D, to
the fixed catch at the back of the carriage, where it is made fast by the
coachman or guard; G is the drag chain. To apparatus when out of use
will assume the position under the carriage as shewn by the drag and appen-
dages in red colour. To put the apparatus in motion, the driver or guard of
the coach has only to slip the strap or chain off the catch F and it will of
itself fall down into action, as represented.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of another construction of drag intended
to raise the wheel and support the carriage so that it may diminish the speed
of the vehicle going down declivities.
In all the Figures similar letters distinguish the respective parts. A is the
frame; B, the skid; C, the strap or chain which is attached at E passing over
the pullies D, D, to the fixed catch F on the front of the coach, where it is, as
in the before-described Figure, made fast by the coachman or guard.
Figures 5 and 6 is a side and back view of another description of drag
constructed for the purpose of being drawn up whilst the carriage is in motion.
These Figures are drawn to represent the apparatus in operation in the same
manner as before described.
The manner of effecting this will be seen on reference to Fig. 7, which
exhibits a side view of the drag with the catch H unlatched. To unlatch this
catch it is only necessary for the driver or guard to pull the strap I attached
to the eye of the lever K, as seen in Fig. 6, when it becomes sufficiently
removed to allow the catch to liberate itself from the latch L, which is kept
down in position by the spring M. The guard or staple plate O is intended to
retain the lever in its proper situation. On removing the catch by the means
described the wheel of the carriage again comes in contact with the ground to
support the vehicle, and the drag may be taken up to the position shewn in red
color under the body of the carriage.

page_text: Now. whereas it is evident by the foregoing description that my improve-
ments on drags or apparatus to be applied to carriages are applicable to every
description of wheeled carriages, only varying the length and substance accord-
ing to the diameter of the wheels and weight of the carriages, and I therefore
claim as my Invention the application of the whole of the above combination,
as herein represented and described, without limiting myself to the use of any
particular material.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Rees, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.