IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn, of 169, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS,”
by Jules Eugène Poinsot, of Paris, France.
A communication from abroad
Sealed the 15th June 1880, and dated the 19th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th December 1879.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS." [A
communication from abroad by Jules Eugène Poinsot, of Paris, France.]
The object of this Invention is to construct perambulators so that they will fold
up into a small compass when not in use; this is effected by an arrangement of
jointed parts, as hereinafter described, by means of which the width of the
perambulator can be reduced to, say, about 8 inches.
The improved perambulator is constructed as follows:-At the middle of the back
18 a strong rod forming as it were the back bone of the vehicle. The top of this
rod or back bone has the handle of the perambulator attached to it; laterally it is
connected to the two side frames at the upper part by jointed rods, one of which
has a sliding sleeve for keeping the rods rigid and the side frames at the proper
distance apart when the perambulator is open; at the lower part two jointed bars
connect the back bone to vertical rods depending from the side frames, these rods
play in the bearing springs; the back bone is also connected to the side frames
horizontally by jointed rods. The bottom of the body of the vehicle is formed by a
flat bar, and the seat by an arm or piece attached to this bar by a connecting rod.
The said flat bar is connected by a rod to the back bone, and in front to the sido
frames by rods; these latter should be mounted so as to slide at the end of the flat
bar, which is prolonged to allow of the folding of the side frames, because the vehiclo
is narrower at the front than at the back, and consequently the last named rods are
shorter than the rods at the back. The seat piece is connected to the side frames
by a sufficient number of jointed cross pieces. The bottom bar carries a fork which
receives the front wheel; this fork is jointed under the bottom bar, and is supported
laterally by rods attached to the side frames.

page_text: As the side frames are made movable, the rigid axle which is generally used to
connect the hind wheels is done away with, its place being taken (so far as concerns
the keeping of the wheels apart) by the jointed bars before described which connect
the lower part of the back bone to rods depending from the side fiames. The said
jointed bars are jointed at their outer ends to pieces to which the bearing springs
are fixed; these pieces are prolonged outside by the wheel journals, and they are
continued vertically by arms having eyes or holes to guide the vertical rods of the
side frames; these rods are further guided by holes in the pieces to which the springs
are fixed. The hood of the vehicle is kept distended by arms pivoted to the side
frames.
The side frames may be made of basket work, wire, sheet metal, or other suitable
material, and may be covered with cloth, leather or other substance.
In order to fold the perambulator when open, the sliding sleeve before described
is first disengaged, and then the seat piece is pulled upwards; this piece draws with
it the bottom bar, the back bars, and other parts, so that the side frames and hind
wheels are moved towards each other; the front wheel at the same time moves a
little under the vehicle, and the handle which has a sleeve joint is also folded. To
open the vehicle, the seat piece is simply pushed down and the sleeves drawn over
their respective joints. The cushions in the inside do not interfere with the move-
ments, because they fold upon the jointed parts to which they are fixed.
In a modification of the perambulator before described, the seat piece is fixed to
the back bone, which is prolonged and connected directly to the bottom bar by a
the bottom bar is rivetted to the fork of the front wheel. The fork can also
be prolonged upwards, and with jointed pieces assist in forming the body of the
vehicle.
rod;

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Clayton Mewburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1880.
(A
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS."
communication from abroad by Jules Eugene Poinsot, of Paris, France).
The object of this Invention is to construct perambulators so that they will fold
up into a small compass when not in use; this is effected by an arrangement of
jointed parts, as hereinafter described, by means of which the width of the
perambulator can be reduced to, say, about 8 inches.
The improved perambulator is represented in the annexed Drawings. Figure 1
shows the perambulator half folded; Figure 2 shows it opened out and the cushions
removed; Figure 3 shows it folded and fitted with cushions; Figure 4 shows it
opened out and fitted with cushions ready for use. The construction is as follows:-
At the middle of the back is a strong rod a forming as it were the back bone of
the vehicle. The top of this rod or back bone has the handle of the perambulator
attached to it; laterally it is connected to the two side frames A, A, at the upper
part by jointed rods t, t, one of which has a sliding sleeve & for keeping the rods
rigid, and the side frames at the proper distance apart when the perambulator is
open; at the lower part, two jointed bars j, j, connect the back bone a to vertical
rods k, k, depending from the side frames; these rods play in the bearing springs;
the back bone a is also connected to the side frames A, A, horizontally by jointed
rods,l. The bottom of the body of the vehicle is formed by a flat bar b, and the
seat by an arm or piece all attached to this bar b by a connecting rod n. The bar b
is connected by a rod m to the back bone a, and in front to the side frames A, A,
by rods i, i; these latter should be mounted so as to slide at the end of the bar b,
which is prolonged to allow of the folding of the side frames A, A, because the
vehicle is narrower at the front than at the back, and consequently the rods i, i,
are shorter than the rods 1, 1, at the back. The seat piece all is connected to the
side frames A, A, by a sufficient number of jointed cross pieces i, i¹. The bottom
bar b carries a fork d, which receives the front wheel f, this fork is jointed
under the bar b, and is supported laterally by rods 1, 1, attached to the side
frames A, A.
As the side frames are made movable, the rigid axle which is generally used to
connect the hind wheels, is done away with, its place being taken (so far as concerns
the keeping of the wheels apart) by the bars j,j. These bars are jointed at their
outer ends to pieces g to which the bearing springs 7 are fixed; these pieces g are
prolonged outside by the wheel journals, and they are continued vertically by arms
having eyes or holes to guide the vertical rods k of the side frames A, A; these rods
are further guided by holes in the horizontal part of the pieces g. The hood of the
vehicle is kept distended by arms o, o, pivoted to the side frames.
The side frames may be made of basket work, wire, sheet metal, or other suitable
material, and may be covered with cloth, leather, or other substance.
In order to fold the perambulator when open the sliding sleeve a is first
disengaged, and then the seat piece all is pulled upwards; this piece draws with it
the bottom bar b, the back bars j,j, and other parts so that the side frames and
hind wheels are moved towards each other; the front wheel at the same time moves
a little under the vehicle, and the handle which has a sleeve joint is also folded.
To open the vehicle the seat piece is simply pushed down and the sleeves drawn
over their respective joints. The cushions in the inside do not interfere with
the movements because they fold upon the jointed parts to which they are
fixed.
In a modification of the perambulator before described the seat piece a is fixed
to the back bone a, which is prolonged and connected directly to the bottom bar b

page_text: by a rod, the bottom bar is rivetted to the fork of the front wheel. The fork can
also be prolonged upwards, and with jointed pieces assist in forming the body of
the vehicle.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the arrangement or combination
of parts forming an improved perambulator, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown in the annexed Drawings; the essential features in the said arrangement
or combination being the back bone a terminating in a jointed handle; the bottom
barb carrying the fork of the front wheel and connected by a rod to the back bone;
the seat piece all connected by a rod to the bottom bar and acting as the means of
folding and opening the vehicle; the two side frames A, A, connected transversely
to the various parts above named by jointed rods, and the arrangement of the
pieces carrying the journals of the hind wheels and on which the bearing springs
are mounted, all substantially as described and shown.
In witness whereof, 1, the said John Clayton Mewburn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty
J. C. MEWBURN. (1.8)
(LS)