An Improvement in Hansom Cabs and such like Vehicles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1887.
Complete Left, 18th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 21st June, 1887.
An Improvement in Hansom Cabs and such like Vehicles.
I, JAMES HENRY HANNAY, of Porchester Terrace in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction and mounting of the window of a Hansom
cab or such like vehicle in such a manner that a single sash, without jointing, can be
raised freely without interfering in any way with the passenger. For this purpose
I make a window sash of such size that, when it is lowered, it closes the front opening
of the cab from the roof down to the top edge of the doors, and when it is raised, it
lies in a horizontal position, or nearly so, under the ceiling of the cab. By means of
a pin or roller projecting from each side of the sash near its lower edge into a curved
chase formed in the side of the cab, and another pin or roller projecting from each
side of the sash near its top edge into another curved chase formed in the side of the
cab a little under its ceiling, the sash is guided so that when it is raised or lowered it.
passes through a series of positions in none of which does it interfere with the
passenger. Instead of employing pins or rollers at the lower part of the sash working
in curved chases, I sometimes connect the sash near its lower edge to two radial arms,
one on each side, centered near the back of the cab, so as to guide those points of the
sash in circular arcs.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JAMES HENRY HANNAY of Porchester Terrace in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to the construction and mounting of the window of a hansom
cah or such like vehicle, in such a manner that a single sash, without jointing, can be
raised and lowered freely either by the passenger or by the driver, without in any
way interfering with the convenience of the passenger. I will describe my invention
referring to the accompanying drawing, which is a vertical section of so much of a
hansom cab as is necessary to illustrate the construction which I adopt for this
purpose, the window being shewn in an intermediate position, I make the sash S as a
glazed frame curved to suit the arch of the roof R of the vehicle, beneath which the
sash lies when it is drawn up. I also form the sides of the cab with their front
edges E of corresponding curvature. In each side of the cab I form a curved
groove and just under the roof another curved groove H, and on each edge of the
sash I fix near its lower angle a stud A and at its upper angle a stud B, the stud A
projecting into and travelling along the groove G, and the stud B projecting into and
travelling along the groove H. By means of a handle C the passenger can push up
the sash causing it to take a position lying horizontally overhead immediately under
the roof, or he can push it down to the position indicated by the dotted lines S¹
standing nearly vertical and closing the front of the cab from the roof down to the
doors. To facilitate movement, the studs A and B may have on them antifriction
rollers running in the grooves. In order that the driver, seated behind, may work
the window, I attach to the upper and lower edges of the sash cords K and L, and
lead them over guide pullies M, N, over the roof R, over a guide pulley P to two
separate weights W that are free to move up and down in the hollow casing of the
cab body. One of the cords, as it passes along the roof, may be carried obliquely
at one side of the door Q and the other cord at the other side of the door, leaving the
door free to be opened and closed. The driver by pulling the cord K, can lower
the sash, and by pulling the cord L he can raise it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
Constructing the window of a hansom cab or such like vehicle as a single sash and
mounting it with studs projecting from its sides into guiding grooves formed in the
sides of the vehicle, in combination with cords and balance weights arranged and
operating substantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing.