Improved Covers for Outdoor Seats.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Covers for Outdoor Seats.
JOSEPH GILBERT, Engineer, 1 Upper Park Street, Liverpool Road, N. and
HENRY OBORNE BOX, 99 John Street, Barnsbury, N. Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention for protecting passengers from rain and sun heat on tramcars,
omnibuses and other vehicles, garden seats and chairs, is made in such a manner as
to be thoroughly effective in providing for the public a long wanted comfort so as
to dispense with the use of umbrellas when riding outside vehicles of any kind,
especially when other passengers have to be considered, and it also provides a
protection from losses by pickpockets which is so frequent in riding on public
vehicles. The nature of the invention is a flat metallic spring blind or covering
so made and constructed as to be immediately lifted or drawn up from the back of
any seat over the head and drawn down in a curved shape covering over the
person or persons so requiring it in ease of rain or heat of the sun, also by adopting
this system the vehicle is not impeded by the wind as in all present covers do,
umbrellas and other appliances are very detrimental to horses and the progress of
vehicles.
Ma 1041 1000
JOSEPH GILBERT.
HENRY OBORNE BOX.
Improved Covers for
tdoor seats.
We, JOSEPH GILBERT, Engineer, of 1 Upper Park Street, Liverpool Road, N.,
and HENRY OBORNE Box, of 99 John Street, Barnsbury, N., Engineer, 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:-
The invention has for its object, the protection of outside passengers from rain
and sun heat on tramcars, omnibuses, and other vehicles, garden seats and chairs,
and is made in such a manner as to be thoroughly effective in providing for the
public a long wanted comfort so as to dispense with the use of umbrellas when
riding outside vehicles of any kind, especially when other passengers have to be
considered, and it also provides a protection from losses by pickpockets which is so
frequent in riding on public vehicles. The nature of the invention is a flat metallic
spring blind or covering so made and constructed as to be immediately lifted or
drawn up from the back of any seat over the head and drawn down in a curved
shape for covering over the person or persons so requiring it in case of rain or beat
of the sun.
By the adoption of this invention or system, the vehicle is not impeded by the
wind as in all present covers, umbrellas, and other appliances, which are very
detrimental to horses and the progress of vehicles.
Our invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 back end view of an omnibus.

page_text: gure end view of a tramcar.
Figure 3 longitudinal half plan of same.
Figure 4 detached view of one of our spring frame covers.
To carry our invention into practice, we form an open box A along each side of
the guard frame B of such a vehicle before referred to, and within this box or these
boxes A we place a series of spring framed blinds C each composed of thin flexible
material joined or riveted in skeleton shape (square or rectangular for any desired
length) to be slid up and down in such box, the lift being limited by knobs or
stops D so that the blinds or covers cannot be accidentally removed while in position
because of the check stops D'.
These spring frames are covered with some soft waterproof or other fabric, and
when drawn up and nearly out of the box A the exposed end or edge E can by the
flexibility of the steel be pulled down as a roof or hood over the seat F and be held
in such position by straps G looped over studs H of the arms I of the seats as
shown at Figure 1 as a protection to the outside passengers.
We purpose using our invention to what are known as the long seats on vehicles,
as at Figure 3, and preferably at the position shown but if a double box be fitted
along the centre of the vehicle roof the passengers could sit back to back and be
protected by our hood or blind invention when they are raised and the outer
edges drawn and looped down as before explained.
The spring blinds of our invention are arranged fore and aft of the vehicle and
their height when drawn out and down is such that there is room left above for
tall hats to be worn, while the passengers are seated it only requiring a slight
bending of the person's body to enable a passenger to take his or her seat, and in
rising slightly bent for the hat to escape the front edge, there being ample walking
space along the centre for the passengers to pass along, also for the conductor when
taking the fares or issuing tickets.
The outside boxes A, A, are no disfigurement to the vehicle since the outer
face and also the inner face, if so desired, can be covered with advertisements or
announcements of any kind, the rain water flowing from the hoods dripping down
within the box and away as at present.
It is proposed to partition the seats off for say every two or three passengers by the
arms I, I, and fit a blind to each section by making the boxes as in the plan view,
the intermediate battens J, J, serving to fix the outer and inner boards of the
boxes together.
The application of the invention to garden seats and chairs will be readily
understood from the plan view Figure 3 if the part between any two arms I, I, be
considered as separate articles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The manufacture and employment of spring framed blinds of the kind
mentioned locatable within boxes arranged vertically on or to the roofs of vehicles
of the kind named and capable of being lifted and be drawn over above the seat
and be temporarily fixed by straps and studs as and in the manner set forth and
shown on the annexed drawings.
2. The improved appliances as covers for outside seats for the protection of
occupants against rain and wind, said appliances being arranged for action, as and
for the purposes described.
The 17h 1
2005
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Joseph Gilbert and Henry Oborne Box.