IMPROVEMENTS IN CIVIL AND MILITARY AMBULANCES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Vital de Tivoli, of 18, Stanley Place, Pimlico, London,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CIVIL
AND MILITARY AMBULANCES."
Sealed the 4th December 1860, and dated the 11th June 1860:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Vital de Tivoli at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
June 1860.
I, VITAL DE TIVOLI, of 18, Stanley Place, Pimlico, London, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN CIVIL AND MILITARY AMBULANCES," to be as follows:-
My improved civil ambulance carriage consists of a four-wheel spring
carriage, about eight feet long, and four feet wide in the body. It is divided
longitudinally in two equal well lighted and well ventilated right and left
compartments. The floor of the right compartment has two parallel rails.
through all its length, on which slide some casters under the bed frame.
The bed consists of a very light elastic paillasse with a small mattress,
bolster, and pillow; covered with an impervious stuff allowing washing and
disinfecting operations. The paillasse is fixed on a frame, having casters to
fit on the rails on the floor of the right compartment, and two articulated
handles at each end, rendering it available as a common stretcher. The
articulated handles are pushed in when the stretcher bed is placed into the
carriage.

page_text: The left compartment has no rails on its floor but has instead two lateral
grooves about one foot above the floor of the carriage, to receive some casters
on the sides of a chair bed. The chair bed is composed of three principal
parts, that is, the seat, the back, and the leg support, each formed by a distinct
frame hinged to one another, and each furnished with an elastic apparatus and
cushions as described for the stretcher bed. The seat of the bed chair
has four casters, two on each side, to slide into the lateral grooves in the
carriage.
The back and leg support can be raised or lowered to any angle or to a
level with the seat by the means of graduated guides. The leg support has
also some casters at its lower end touching the floor. Both the stretcher bed
A
and bed chair can be introduced into the carriage head or feet foremost.
flap seat is adapted to the door of the left compartment for an assistant to
watch on the invalids on the road. A portion of the middle partition is made
to open to put both sides in communication when required.
Two assistants or convalescents can be accommodated by the side of the
driver on the box. On the top of the carriage chests of medicines and the
effects of the invalids can be placed. Windows with glass and blinds all
round the carriage provide plenty of light and air for the invalids and their
assistants.
The carriages for the service. of military ambulance are a little different
from these for the civil service. The stretcher bed is the same. The military
ambulance carriages are of two kinds, the heavy containing six stretcher beds,
the light or flying containing four stretcher beds.
The six-bed carriage rests on four wheels and springs; the beds are disposed
in its interior on two tiers. On the lower tier there is room for two beds, a
vertical partition divides that space into two equal compartments or cabins.
Each cabin is about six feet long, two wide, and two and a half high, has on its
floor two parallel rails for the casters under the beds to slide on, and receives
light and ventilation from windows all along its upper portion. The floor is
also slightly inclined towards a central point of the carriage where is a gutter.
The second tier is double the length of the first, and each compartment
contains two beds. The space under the beds in front of the carriage is
occupied by a box or magazine extending through all their width and nearly
all their length, except a small portion left for the locking of the weels. A
seat for five is in front of the carriage. The floor of the first tier extends
outside in the form of a platform at the back of the carriage along all its
width, serving both to reach the second tier and as a table for distributions and
similar purposes.

page_text: The light or flying ambulance carriage rests upon two wheels and springs.
It is constructed on the same principle as the: six-bed carriage, with the
difference that the whole of the front half is suppressed, consequently the axle
and springs are arranged a little differently to give it the proper balance..
Railway carriages could be fitted with these beds. A railing surrounds the
top of the carriages for boxes, effects, arms, or other things.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Vital de Tivoli in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, VITAL
DE TIVOLI, of 18, Stanley Place, Pimlico, London, in the County of Middlesex,'
send' greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Vital de Tivoli, Her special licence that I, the
said Vital de Tivoli, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Vital de Tivoli, my 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CIVIL AND MILITARY AMBULANCES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Vital de Tivoli, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Vital de Tivoli, do hereby declare.
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be.
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
:-
My improvements relate to certain modifications introduced in the construc-

page_text: tion of ambulance beds and carriages with a view to increase the comforts of
the invalids, facilitate the means of succouring and conveying them from
one to another place, and even on railways with the least amount of
sufferings..
The improved ambulance carriage intended for civil service is represented in
the annexed diagrams under letter A.
No. I. Longitudinal elevation of the carriage.
II. Back elevation of the same.
III. Vertical section showing right compartment with stretcher bed.
IV. Vertical section, showing left compartment with chair bed and arti-
culated seat for attendant.
V. Stretcher bed.
The carriage consists of a four wheels and spring carriage, about eight feet
long, and four feet wide in the body, it is divided longitudinally into two
equal well lighted, and well ventilated right and left compartments. The
right compartment] has on its floor (f.) two parallel rails (e) on which slide
the castors (d) under the bed frame.
The bed consists of a very light elastic paillasse (a), with a small mattress,
bolster, and pillow (b) covered with an impervious stuff, or simply air or water
mattress, and cushions, on a plain frame, allowing washing and disinfecting
operations V, A, B. The paillasse is fixed on a frame having castors (d) to
fit on the rails (c) on the floor of the right compartment, and two articulated
handles (o) at each end rendering it available as a common stretcher when
pulled out horizontally or acting as feet when fixed vertically A, B, V (c). The
articulated handles are folded in when the stretcher bed is placed into the carriage
11. The left compartment has no rails on its floor, but has instead two lateral
grooves (v) about one foot above the floor of the carriage to receive some
castors (d) on the sides of the chair bed (u). The chair bed (u) is composed
of three principal parts, the seat, the back, and the leg support, each formed
by a distinct frame hinged to one another, and each furnished with an elastic
apparatus and cushions as described for the stretcher bed. The seat of the chair
has castors (d) on its sides, which slide into the lateral grooves (v) in the
carriage, and besides four articulated handles (c,) two in front, and two
behind like those of the stretcher bed. The back and the leg support can be
raised or lowered to any angle, or to a level with the seat by the means of
graduated guides (w). The leg support has also some casters at its lower end
Both the stretcher and the chair bed can be introduced
into the carriage head or feet foremost.
toucbing the floor (d).
A flap seat (x) is adapted to the door of the left compartment for an

page_text: assistant to tend the invalids on the road. A portion of the middle
partition (h) is made to open to put both sides in communication when
required.
Two assistants or convalescents can be occasionally accommodated by the
side of the driver on the box (o). Chests of medicines or other things can be
placed on the top of the carriage within the railings (r). Windows with glass
(k), and blinds (1) all round the carriage, and if desired some openings in the
roof provide plenty of light and air for the invalids and their assistants.
One or
more compartments might be fitted on that system, and set apart in some railway
carriages on all lines so that they might receive and exchange the stretcher
beds and chair beds from or to the ambulance carriages without disturbing
the invalids from their beds.
The civil ambulance carriages might be simplified into one single compart-
ment to receive alternately, as required, either the stretcher bed or the chair
bed, which last might be also so modified as to run on the same rails or grooves
as the bed.
The carriages for the service of military ambulance are somewhat different
from those for the civil service. The stretcher bed is on the same principle.
The military ambulance carriage are of two kinds, that is, the heavy, contain-
ing six beds; the light, containing four beds, as represented in diagrams under
letter B.
No. I. Longitudinal elevation of a heavy ambulance carriage with six
stretcher beds, for six invalids inside and five outside.
II. Back elevation.
III. Front elevation.
IV. Horizontal plan.
V. Stretcher bed.
VI. Longitudinal elevation of a light ambulance carriage.
VII. Back elevation of the same.
The six-bed carriages rest on four wheels and springs. The beds are disposed
in their interior on two tiers. On the lower tier there is room for two beds
only. A vertical partition (h) divides that space into two equal right and left
compartments or cabins; each cabin is about six feet long, two and a half
high, and two wide; has on its floor two parallel rails (f) or grooves for the
casters (e) under the beds to slide on, and receives light and ventilation from
windows with glass (k) and blinds (1) all along its upper portion, or openings
on the roof, if preferred. The floor of each cabin is also slightly inclined
towards a central point of the carriage, where is a gutter (g) for the issue of
liquids.

page_text: The second tier is double the length of the first, and in each compartment
contains two beds instead of one, so that the second tier holds in all four beds,
two in front and two at the back.
The beds are all introduced through the doors (i) behind, and those in front
are pushed in their places by those at the back. All can be introduced head
or foot foremost.
The floor on which rest the two beds in front form the roof of a box or
magazine (p) beneath, for the use of pharmacy. This rests with its lower plan
on the fore springs, and extends through all the width of the two beds above
and nearly all their length, excepting only a small portion allowed for the
locking of the wheels. The front part of this magazine has a door (1) with
lock and key. A seat (o) for five invalids or assistants is placed in front of the
carriage. A lateral platform (m) on each side runs along the pharmacy box a
little above the fore wheels, and serves to facilitate the loading and unloading of
the boxes on the top of the carriage and to the tending of the invalids through
the windows on the road.
The floor of the first tier extends outside in the shape of a platform (m) at
the back of the carriage along all its width, serving both to facilitate reaching
the second tier and as a table. for distributions of food, medicines, and such
purposes, Below this is a lower step (y).
The light or flying ambulance rests upon two wheels and appropriate.springs.
It is constructed on the same principle as the six-beds carriage, with the dif-
ference that the whole of the front half is suppressed, consequently the axle (2)
and springs (s) are arranged a little differently, to give it the proper balance
and perfect security in the rapid movements to which it is destined on every
kind of roads and grounds.
Two horses are sufficient to draw the heavy ambulance carriages, and only
one in the shafts is quite sufficient to draw the light in ordinary circumstances,
but when one or two additional horses may be required, they may be easily put
to by the means of splinter bars (t). Railings (r) are placed all round the top
of the carriage to contain medical and surgical chests, arms, effects, or any
other objects.
Having now described the nature of my improvements, and the manner in
which the same are carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I.
clain as inventors intended to be secured to me by the above in part recited
Letters Patent are,-
First, the construction of such carriages for the service of civil ambulance.
Second, their division in single compartments or cabins with stretcher beds.
and bed chairs.

page_text: Third, the special construction and application of the said stretcher and
chair beds.
Fourth, the special construction of military ambulance carriages with
stretcher beds in single compartments, having floors with rails or grooves, and
slightly inclined towards a point where is a little gutter for the descent of the
liquids, and all the arrangements of construction and materials intended to
secure the greatest possible amount of comfort, ventilation, cleansing, and dis-
infection.
Fifth, the addition of a pharmacy magazine in the same carriage where the
invalids lie, and besides the railings on the top to contain medical and surgical
chests, arms, and other effects.
Sixth, the arrangements of having so many as six beds in the heavy
ambulance carriage and four in the light field ambulance, with plenty of air,
ventilation, and room for each invalid.
Seventh, the application of this system of ambulance beds and chair beds to
railway ĉarriages for the conveyance of civil and military invalids.
In witness whereof, I, the said Vital de Tivoli, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
VITAL DE TIVOLI.
(L.S.)