CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES TO BE PROPELLED BY ANIMAL OR OTHER POWER
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
AITKEN, of Aberdeen, in the County of Aberdeen, in North Britain, Esquire,
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 Twenty-sixth day of February last, in the
fifth year of His reign, for Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and
grant unto me, the said William Aitken, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said William Aitken, my exors, admors,
and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my and their
deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said William
Aitken, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within that part of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called
England, Our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES TO
BE PROPELLED BY ANIMAL OR OTHER POWER," in such manner as I, the said
William Aitken, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or any of them, should in his
or their discretions scem meet, and that I, the said William Aitken, my
exors, admors, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the
whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time coming,
growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention, for and during
the term of years therein mentioned; in which said Letters Patent there is

page_text: contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Aitken, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereto had,
will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in. compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Aitken, do hereby declare that my said Invention of "Certain Improve-
ments in the Construction of Carriages to be Propelled by Animal or other
Power," is described and set forth in the following manner, reference being had,
for the better understanding of the same, to the illustrative Drawings which
accompany this Specification, in which Drawings the same parts are indicated
by the same letters or numerals in the different Figures. The scale is marked
on the Drawings.
Sheet A presents a side elevation. A is a strong carriage frame, of an
oblong rectangular form, strengthened by cross bars as may be necessary, to
give it due solidity of structure. To the under side of the frame is fixed across
it, about midway, the axletree B, fastened to the frame by a stay with staples
and bolts. On each side of the side bars of the carriage frame, on the under
side, are iron staples or eyes, two or more on each bar, securely fixed by screws
or bolts, on which hang as many closely coiled steel spiral springs C. On each
pair of corresponding spiral springs hangs a strong cross bar of iron D, hooked
or otherwise formed at each end so as to catch into a loop or eye at the lower
end of each spring. On these iron cross bars rests the body of the carriage.
The carriage frame is mainly borne by two wheels of large diameter, say, from
five to seven feet, on which the whole load chiefly rests E, E; but I also use
a third subsidiary wheel of much smaller diameter, which is attached to a
revolving frame under the fore part of the carriage frame, and swivels on a
centre pin. This third wheel, marked F, carries only a small proportion of
the load, the centre of gravity of which is but a little in advance of the
vertical plane of the axletree. The wheel F serves to prevent the load,
on a level or on a descent, from pressing on the horse's, back. In the
side pieces of the framing of the traversing bed of the fore wheel are
sockets G, G, to receive the butt ends of the shafts, which are fixed therein
by pins or cotters. The shafts, thus fixed into the sockets when turned
sideways turn the frame of the fore wheel on its centre pin, and con-
sequently dispose the fore wheel to alter the line of direction of the vehicle;
but when the shafts are raised at their fore ends, they lift the fore

page_text: wheel from contact with the ground, and cause the load to be carried by
the two large wheels only, save that part which is borne by the sup-
porters of the shafts. This change in the support of the load I propose to
effect during the ascent of a hill, in order to throw some small pressure on
the back of the horse at such times, which has been found to be serviceable,
as giving him more command of the load, and a better hold of the ground.
The raising of the fore wheel upon these occasions is effected by the driver
pulling with a trifling force the two ends of a cord, which is reeved through a
pair of pulley blocks attached to the shafts, the intermediate ropes riding over
rollers in the hollow of the saddle, whereby the tackle which serves the office
of a back band is shortened for the time, and the shafts are thereby lifted
being taken away, a portion
up forward, and the support of the fore wheel
of the weight is borne by the horse through the leverage of the shaft s. The
saddle with its set of pullies is marked H. The shafts towards their fore ends
have a squaro bridge of iron, which admits of a bar or bars sliding into or
being fixed in staples or holes at different heights, to accommodate the same
shafts and tackle to horses of different statures. For greater convenience,
the fore part of the shafts connected with the saddle and pullies may be separate
from the back parts attached to the carriage, receiving the ends of the latter
into sockets, in which they will be retained whilst in use by the traces which
attach the horse to the carriage.
To prevent the carriage from being tilted up by the occasional prepon-
derance of the load behind the axletree, as may happen by the accidental
position of passengers, I put a stay beneath the hind parts of the carriage,
which, carrying a small roller a, having vertical play under the pressure of a
spiral spring, will give occasional support without impeding the onward motion
of the vehicle; or the stay may be used without a spiral spring, the springs
supporting the carriage acting for the accomplishment of the object.
The body of the vehicle, of whatever convenient form, is constructed at the
bottom with a hind and fore dropping or well box I, I, below the floor, which
boxes rest upon the iron cross bars D, carried by the springs. In the space
betwixt the two well boxes is room for the axletree, which is thus kept free
from the play of the body. The bottonis of the well boxes are screwed down,
or otherwise fastened to the cross bars. To steady the body in the play of the
springs, and to prevent or check its lateral movement, studs projecting from the
inside of the carriage framic into grooves in plates fixed on the sides of the well
boxes are employed, or friction rollers standing in brackets from the frame,
and projecting against the sides of the well boxes, in order to give lateral
steadiment to the body in its up and down motion, may be used with equal

page_text: advantage. The well boxes are receptacles for luggage or goods. The fore
box is entered by a trap door in the floor of the carriage. The hind box is
more conveniently got at by doors opening backwards, for the convenience of
which I commonly make the hinder ends of the side bars of the carriage frame
to drop in a curve downwards, so as to carry the cross rail below the level of
the well box floor, see Sheet B, Fig. 2; or the cross rail may be avoided by
giving strength and lateral steadiment to the side rails through the straps of
the axletree stay.
In order to give the driver full command of the carriage, as regards its
possible action on the horse under varying circumstances, I attach to the fore
part of the carriage frame a brake, by means of which graduated pressure can
be made at pleasure on the peripheries of the two large carrying wheels, so as
to retard in any degree the motion by gravity of the carriage down hill, or to
give increased resistance to the efforts of a runaway horse. The brake consists
of two horizontal levers, having their fulcra one on each of the side rails of the
carriage frame; the outer are the shorter arms, which carry the cushions or
friction blocks to be pressed against the tire; the inner longer armis project
towards the middle line of the carriage frame, and have attached to the
extremity of each of them a strap or cord, both of which pass to and are fixed
to a cylinder on the lower end of a vertical spindle which rises up through a
socket in front of the driving seat, and has a winch or cross head at the top
coming conveniently within reach of the driver's hand. The toe of the vertical
spindle runs in a step. In the fore cross rail of the carriage frame and
near the upper end of the shaft is a fixed ratchet, by means of which
and a spring click any quantity of pressure made on the wheels by turning
the spindle may be retained or relaxed at pleasure by releasing the click,
which allows a reacting spring to draw back the long arms of the brake
levers, and thus to remove the pressure from the wheels. The tail of the click
is placed within reach of the driver's foot. This power of momentary graduation
of the friction pressure enables the driver to adjust his resistance to the descent
of the carriage according to the varying inclination in the angular line of a hill.
This consideration determines the superior advantage of confiding the manage-
ment of the brake to the coachman rather than to a guard, when such an
attendant is employed; but should it, however, appear desirable in any of the
various forms of carriages to which my Invention is applicable, the brake may
with equal ease be transferred to that part of the carriage which would place
it solely under the command of the guard.
I have likewise provided a means by which great facility is acquired of
changing the horse or horses, which, both as regards economy of time and ease

page_text: a
of execution, is greatly to be preferred. The means employed for this purpose
is at the same time exceedingly efficient for the purpose of disengaging the
horse or horses in the event of their becoming unmanageable. The apparatus
for the accomplishment of this purpose consists of a lever attached in the most
convenient position to the frame of the carriage, at the shorter end of which is
pin, which fits accurately into a corresponding apperture in the iron piece to
which the trace is attached. The lever, towards the longer end and near its
fulcrum, is bent at right angles, which admits of a spring being placed to
preserve the pin in its place for retaining the trace. To the extremity of the
longer end of the lever is attached a chain or other mode of connection, passing
over a pulley attached in some convenient manner to the frame of the carriage,
so as to produce a vertical action of the lever, varying of course in position
according to the different forms of carriage to which it is applied. The chain
is then continued to an upright spindle, which terminates in any place within
convenient proximity to the driver, and being turned by him when necessary,
takes up a portion of the chain or other connecting material, in consequence of
which the longer end of the lever is drawn upwards, which, producing a corre-
sponding depression at the other extremity, withdraws the pin which is attached
to its upper surface, and allows the iron piece connected with the trace to be
immediately withdrawn, the brake being at the same moment applied, the
carriage becomes instantly stationary, although on the steepest declivity. A
side elevation of the apparatus for disengaging the trace, with a plan shewing
the manner of its attachment to one of my forms of carriages, is exhibited in
Sheet D, Fig. 10, 11.
I have likewise devised a means of liberating a horse or horses by another
contrivance, which I here describe as applicable to four horses. It consists
of a cylindrical bar placed across the front of the carriage, in which there are
four appertures for the reception of the traces; at each extremity of this bar is
fixed a ratchet wheel, which, by being turned, causes the bar to revolve. The
ends of the traces, which are armed with metal pieces, are placed through the
appertures made for their reception. The bar is then made to turn a short
distance, and is retained, when turned, by the ratchet wheels, by this means the
traces are effectually secured. It will therefore be easily understood, that for
their liberation nothing more is required than to allow the bar to resumes its
former position; the middle pole being, as formerly described, provided with a
socket, which is secured in its place by a trace proceeding from each side of it
to the two middle appertures in the revolving bar being released at the same
moment with the other traces. This is accomplished, as in the former case,
by conveying a chain or other connecting material from the end of the catch,

page_text: which moves on a fulcrum situated about one-third of its entire length from
its acting extremity over a pulley, in order that it may have a perpendicular
motion to an upright spindle, situate conveniently for the use of the driver.
This contrivance is illustrated in Sheet D, Fig. 12, 13.
I have spoken of the carriage as being drawn by one horse, it is because I
consider that it would under such circumstances be more extensively useful, as
from the experiments which I have made I am led to the conclusion that a
greater proportionate quantity of labour will be done by horses working singly
and for short distances in these carriages than by two running together; but
my carriages are equally adapted to draught by one or more horses, a pole
being substituted for shafts when two are employed. It is merely for simplicity
of elucidation, therefore, that I speak commonly of one horse in the present
description of carriage.
When it is wished to hang the body of a carriage lower than the usual
elevation, it may be done, in accordance with the general principles of construc-
tion adopted in my carriages, by using a bent axletree, as is shewn in section,
Fig. 1, 2, Sheet D. In such cases it may be practicable, if more convenient,
to have only one compartment in the box below the floor of the carriage body.
For waggons, carrying goods for hire, such a form of construction presents
the convenience of affording a receptacle for smaller goods, accessible at any
time in the journey without disturbance of the other parts of the cargo, a
separation being made between the upper and lower cavatees of the vehicle by
a moveable floor or trap doors, the well box having doors opening behind. See
section, Fig. 2, Sheet D.
Sheet A shews a side elevation of the carriage in connection with the
draught horse; Sheet B, a front and back elevation; Sheet C, plan of the
carriage frame, shafts, and wheels, and a section of a saddle with the tackle;
Sheet D, sections of bodies with bent axles, modes of attaching springs and
cross bars, jointed shaft roller and flexible roof, sections of roof, and plan of
ratchet and click.
In all the Sheets and Figures the same parts are distinguished by the same
letters.
A, the carriage frame, to which the stays or bed pieces of the axletree are
fixed, and also the bearing springs which carry the body; B, the axletrec,
which may be either straight or cranked; C, helical steel springs coiled close,
the ends turned into loops or hooks in the line of the axis, so that the load
may bear equally upon the spring. These springs are acted upon by the load
in elongating the helical cylinder, not in compressing it, so that there is no
certain check to the elasticity. They may be employed in any number on

page_text: each of the side rails of the carriage frame which may be deemed sufficient
to present a force of resistance in excess to any degree over the pressure of
the load to be borne. The greater the number of these carrying springs
which may be used in any case, the less the degree of tension exerted upon
the springs individually, and consequently the smaller the risk of fracture.
In the event of any spring breaking it can be replaced in a few minutes by
another, even on the road. The attachment of the springs to the carriage
frame may be either by staples and plates screwed to the under side of the
rail by eye bolts passing through the rail, and held by nuts on the upper
side, or by straps clipping the rail, with a shackle pin and link below, as
may be least likely to impair the strength of the rail, see Fig. 3, Sheet D.
D, the bearing bars, which carry the body of the carriage, the bottom floor
of which is screwed or bolted to them. These bars may have their ends
hooked, to catch into the loops or eyes of the springs, or they may have
straight ends shouldered on the under side to enter the loops, which may be
prevented from slipping off by an elbow spring fixed to the under side of the
bar, and notched at its turned up end to admit the bar, see Fig. 3, x, Sheet D.
E, the two main bearing wheels of the vehicle, which I prefer to be of as
large diameter as the general dimensions of the carriage will conveniently
allow; this will commonly be from five to seven feet diameter. To give
them strength adequate to their enlarged dimensions, I set the spokes
alternately to dish on opposite sides of the wheel, which enables them to
resist a considerable lateral strain from either side of the plane of the wheel.
I make, by preference, the two bearing extremities of the axletree in tho
same right line, in order to keep the planes of the two wheels parallel. F,
the third subsidiary wheel, which carries or does not carry at pleasure the
anteriorly preponderant portion of the load, as the fore ends of the shafts
may be elevated more or less by means of the pulley tackle connected with
cach shaft and riding across the saddle. This third wheel runs in a frame
of the fore bed J of the carriage, which is connected with the carriage frame
A by a centre pin b, on which the fore bed swivels as the shafts are turned
on either side, as is usual in the ordinary construction of four-wheel carriages.
The office of this third wheel for occasional support might be performed by
two on one short axletree, but I think less commodiously than it is performed
by the single wheel. G, sockets on the sides of the framing of the fore
bed, to receive the butt ends of the shafts or trams, which are held therein
by pins, so that they may be displaced at will. The shafts should fit closely
they may command perfectly the traversing motion of
the fore bed, and when raised or depressed at their fore ends may act as
into the sockets, that

page_text: unyielding levers, moving the whole load on the centres of the two large
wheels as fulcra. K, the shafts, which may be either framed together in the
usual way by one or two cross rails at the back part, and each shaft entire
to its fore end, or the two shafts may have a socket joint about midway in
their length, so that the fore ends may be separated from the hinder framed
part of the shafts. When the shafts are entire, it will be necessary that the
whole framework of them should be supported anteriorly by the tackle across
the saddle, and posteriorly by two shaps, marked c, Sheet A, like kicking
straps from the crupper band, in order that they may be drawn from the
sockets, and carried away by the horse on the occasion of every change at
the ends of the stages, each fresh horse being furnished with a pair of shafts,
suspended by the harness and tackle, and only requiring the butt ends to be
introduced into the sockets and pinned. But this method would be attended
with some inconvenience, which may be avoided by making the fore part
of each shaft separable from the hinder by a socket joint, as shewn at a,
whereby it will be necessary to connect with the harness only the fore ends
of the shafts, which will be no great incumbrance to the horse on being
liberated from the carriage. In either of these modes of constructing the
shafts, I propose to fix on each shaft, on the part which corresponds with
the saddle, when the horse is attached to the carriage, a rising bridge piece
of iron e, with two or three cross bars to which to attach the pulley blocks,
in order that the same tackle may be easily adjusted to horses of different
heights. A pulley block, one of the pair, may be attached to each shaft,
through the cross bars of the bridge, by means of straps and buckles or
other convenient attachment, and the running rope of the tackle betwixt
the blocks must ride over the ridge of the saddle on rollers or through guide
holes in a plate. Either both ends of the rope may be made to act as
falls, being turned off at right angles from the middle of the saddle through
the guide holes or over pullies, to be brought within reach of the hand of
the driver, in order to enable him at pleasure to raise thereby the fore ends
of the shafts, and so to lift the third wheel from contact with the ground;
or only one end of the rope may act as a fall, the other end being fastened
to the opposite block, as usual. Three, four, or five sheave blocks may be
adapted at discretion when the driver relaxes his pull upon the fall, the
shaking of the load soon draws back the blocks, and allows the third wheel
to become again a bearer. L, the traces; I connect the eyes of the traces,
about the common situation of the ends of a splinter bar, with the two ends
of a cord or band f, which passes backwards, and is reeved over pullies in
two blocks projecting from the upper or lower side of the axletree. By

page_text: these means traction is made from the line of suspension of the load, and
there is a considerable avoidance of strain and racking on the framework of
the carriage. The pullies on the axletree allow the traction band to run
casily in accordance with the traversing movements of the fore bed of the
carriage.
The arrangement of the brake levers is shewn in Fig. 1, Sheet C; 1, long
arm; 2, short arm of the brake lever; 3, centre pin in the side rail of the
carriage, serving as the fulcrum; 4, friction block; 5, section of a cylinder
at the lower end of an upright spindle g, which in turning takes up or lets
out two straps 6, 6, attached to the extremities of the long arms of the levers,
which are drawn back on loosing the click by the reaction of the spring 7,
connected with the lever arms by links or bands. The ratchet and click on
the upright spindle g are shewn Fig. 9, Sheet D.
Sheet D, Fig. 1, transverse section of a carriage body on a bent axletree;
Fig. 2, transverse section of a waggon body on a bent axletree; Fig. 3,
springs and bearing bars; Fig. 4, shaft with socket joint; Fig. 5, spring
roller and flexible waterproof roof; Fig. 6, section of roller and flexible roof;
Fig. 7, transverse section of flexible roof, shewing the method of sliding the
lateral margins in slits of the hollow tubular capping, through which the
water falling on the roof is conveyed away and conducted downwards by
descending pipes. Below is shewn how the entire sash frame on each side of
the body is dropped into the pannel box when it is intended to have an open
carriage. Fig. 8, an enlarged section of the tubular capping, which receives
the side margins of the roof; Fig. 9, plan of the ratchet and spring click on
the brake spindle; Fig. 10 is a side view of the apparatus for disengaging the
m is a spring for preserving the pin q is its place; p, the iron piece,
to which the trace is attached, which is withdrawn the moment the pin q is
removed; o, chain, connected with the pulley and upright spindle; n, long end
of the lever; s, short end of the same. Fig. 11 is a plan of the same appa-
ratus attached to the carriage; Fig. 12 is a plan of the mode of liberating
four horses by means of the revolving bar. u, revolving bar; s, ratchet
wheel. Fig. 13, side view of ratchet wheel.
traces.
The principles on which I have based my arrangements in the construction
of a carriage, and on which this my Invention chiefly rests, are the carrying of
the load mainly on one pair of wheels of larger than the commonly adopted
diameter, but still retaining the place of the centre of gravity of the load anterior
to the line of support of the axletree, in such a way that a small proportion of
the load will have to be borne either by a third wheel in front of the carriage, or
by the horse through the leverage of the shafts, which anterior preponderance of

page_text: load may be thrown at pleasure on one or the other means of support, according
to the exigencies of the case. In addition to this, I have provided the means
of counteracting by a pressure of friction, graduated at will, the descent of the
load by gravity on an inclined plane, so that under such circumstances it can
never incommode or press injuriously upon the horse.
The construction of a carriage, and the necessary contrivances which I have
described, or any modifications thereof or substitutions, which are designed to
embrace the same principles, I hereby claim as forming the basis of this my
present Invention. The several parts which enter into the construction of a
vehicle and its appendages, on the principles above recited, are susceptible of
great variety of form, and as it would be impossible to exhaust such a variety
by descriptions, I give the above as a general exemplar, from which may be
deduced such special forms as may be suitable to diverse purposes, or agreeable
to a variety of tastes, connected with the arrangement of the parts of a
carriage on my general principles.
I have introduced some subordinate contrivances, which are alike applicable
to vehicles of different constructions, and which, as being new and generally
useful, I claim as parts of my present Invention, under the title of these my
before recited Letters Patent. One of these contrivances if a roof, which
can be readily drawn over and as readily displaced, being made of flexible
varnished waterproof cloth, and connected with a spring or other roller at one
end of the body. The sides of the cloth slide along grooves in metal plates
or tubular cappings on the tops of the sides of the body, so constructed as to
conduct off the water which may fall upon the roof. This kind of roof I
claim as of my Invention, to be applied to carriages of whatever construction,
whenever it is required to have them convertible at pleasure into close or open
vehicles.
The suspension of the body of a carriage or other vehicle on cross bars, the
ends of which are supported by spiral springs banging from the under side of
the carriage framing, as above described, I also claim as of my Invention, and
to be applied to carriages of whatever description.
The facility of attaching and detaching the traces, as described in Figures
10, 11, 12, and 13, Sheet D, as applicable to one or more horses, and to any
peculiar construction of carriage to which the principles herein contained in
my Invention may be applied, I also claim as of my Invention.
I do not claim such parts as enter into the construction of carriages, as
herein described, which are in common use in carriages and have been long
known, my claim to such common parts being restricted to the employment of
them under the peculiar arrangements which I have described as constituting

page_text: and being essential to the several parts of this my Invention. This I declare
to be my Specification, and I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive rights and
privileges to the Invention herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the within-named William Aitken, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1835, the aforesaid William Aitken, came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand oicht hundrad and thirty-five