IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS, BATH CHAIRS AND OTHER LIKE HAND PROPELLED VEHICLES to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: Напа Fropened vehicles.
I WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY of Jamaica Row Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Perambulator and Carriage Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS, BATH CHAIRS AND
OTHER LIKE HAND PROPELLED VEHICLES to be as follows:-
"
My invention consists of the construction adaptation and combination of parts
hereinafter described for supporting the body of the perambulator or vehicle and
for steering the perambulator or vehicle from the propelling handle of the same.
My invention is applicable to perambulators and other like hand propelled
vehicles having either three or four supporting wheels.
I will describe my invention as applied to a bassinette perambulator having
three supporting wheels.
I support the body of the perambulator by means of a large wheel at one side
and two smaller wheels at the other side the larger wheel being situated at the
middle of the body and the smaller wheels at the ends of the body. The said small
wheels besides supporting the body of the perambulator at one side also serve to
guide or steer the perambulator. The larger wheel is supported on one end of an
axle fixed on the underside of the body as usual. On the other end of the said
axle is a second axle at right angles thereto and situated parallel to the side of the
body for supporting the smaller or guiding wheels. Each end of this second
axle is furnished with a vertical pin on which the fork supporting the guiding
wheel swivels. The two small guiding wheels are coupled together by a connecting
rod crossing the second axle at about its middle the ends of the said rod being
jointed to short horizontal arms on opposite sides of the swivelling forks of the
guiding wheels. The two small guiding wheels are operated from the propelling
handle of the perambulator in the following manner. The said handle turns in
bearings at the top of two uprights at the back of the body. On one end of the
rotating handle is a crank arm which is connected by a link to the top of a vertical
lever jointed at its middle to one of the uprights supporting the handle. The
bottom of the lever is jointed to a horizontal connecting rod the forward end of
which is rigidly fastened to the connecting rod herein before described coupling the
two guiding wheels together.
'

page_text: When the propelling handle is turned through a small angle in one or other
direction by the hand grasping the handle it communicates motion to the lever and
the latter through the second connecting rod gives a sliding motion in one or other'
direction to the principal or coupling connecting rod and the two small wheels at
opposite ends of the body are simultaneously deflected in opposite direction for
steering the perambulator in a curved path. By returning the propelling handle
to its original position the two wheels are simultaneously brought into the same
line for propelling the perambulator in a straight path.
Instead of using three wheels as described four wheels two on each side of the
body may be employed. The two pairs of wheels are arranged and operated from
the propelling handle for guiding the vehicle substantially as described with respect
to the two wheels on one side of the body.
.

page_text: Hand Propelled Vehicles.
I WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY of Jamaica Row Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Perambulator and Carriage Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS BATH CHAIRS AND
OTHER LIKE HAND PROPELLED VEHICLES" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:
My invention consists of the construction adaptation and combination of parts
herein after described for supporting the body of the perambulator or vehicle and
for steering the perambulator or vehicle from the propelling handle of the saine.
My invention is applicable to perambulators and other like hand propelled
vehicles having either three or four supporting wheels.
I will describe my invention as applied to a bassinette perambulator having
three supporting wheels.
I support the body of the perambulator by means of a large wheel at one side
and two smaller wheels at the other side, the larger wheel being situated at the
middle of the body and the smaller wheels at the ends of the boty.
The said small wheels besides supporting the body of the perambulator at one
side, also serve to guide or steer the perambulator. The larger wheel is supported
on one end of an axle fixed on the underside of the body as usual. On the other
end of the said axle is a second axle at right angles thereto and situated parallel
to the side of the body for supporting the smaller or guiding wheels. Each end of
this second axle is furnished with a vertical pin on which the fork supporting the
guiding wheel swivels. The two small guiding wheels are coupled together by
a connecting rod crossing the second axle at about its middle, the en⋅ls of the said
rod being jointed to short horizontal arms on opposite sides of the swivelling forks
of the guiding wheels. The two small guiding wheels are operated from the
propelling handle of the perambulator in the following manner. The said handle
turns in bearings at the top of two uprights at the back of the body. On one end
of the rotating handle is a crank arm which is connected by a pin to the top of
a vertical lever jointed at its middle to one of the uprights supporting the handle.
The bottom of the lever is jointed to a horizontal connecting rod the forward end
of which is rigidly fastened to the connecting rod herein before described coupling
the two guiding wheels together.
When the propelling handle is turned through a small angle in one or other
direction by the hand grasping the handle it communicates motion to the lever and
the latter through the second connecting rod gives a sliding motion in one or other
direction to the principal or coupling connecting rod and the two small wheels at
opposite ends of the body are simultaneously deflected in opposite directions for
steering the perambulator in a curved path. By returning the propelling handle to
its original position the two wheels are simultaneously brought into the same line
for propelling the perambulator in a straight path.

page_text: Instead of using three wheels as described four wheels two on each side of the
body may be employed. The two pairs of wheels are arranged and operated from
the propelling handle for guiding the vehicle substantially as described with respect
to the two wheels on one side of the body.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in side elevation a bassinette
perambulator constructed according to my invention and Figure 2 represents in
plan the supporting and steering wheels and steering mechanism, the body of the
perambulator being indicated in dotted lines; Figure 3 represents in front elevation
a portion of the steering mechanism drawn to a larger scale than in Figures 1 and 2.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
a is the body of the perambulator supported upon the large wheel b at one side
and the two smaller wheels c, d at the other side, the said smaller wheels c, d'also
acting as steering or guiding wheels. By an examination of Figure 2 it will be
seen that the larger wheel b is situated at the middle of the body a and the smaller
wheels c, d at the ends of the body. The large wheel b turns on an axle carried
by the plate or bar e supported by the ends of the fixed cross bars f, f, which cross
bars also support the springs g, g of the perambulator. The opposite ends of the
cross bars ff are cranked or bent up vertically and support the longitudinal axle or
bar h situated parallel to the sides of the body a. Each end of the axle or bar h
carries a vertical arm i on which the hollow head of the fork k supporting the
guiding wheel c.or d swivels.
The steering mechanism of the guiding or steering wheels c, d consists of the
following parts-The two steering wheels c, d are connected together by the rod
crossing the longitudinal axle or bar h at about its middle (see Figure 2). One end
of the connecting rod is jointed to the short horizontal arm m on the swivelling
fork carrying the steering wheel c and the opposite end of the connecting rod is
jointed to the short arm n on the swivelling fork of the other steering wheel d.
The two small steering wheels c, d are operated from the propelling handle p of
the perambulator by the following parts; 9, 9 are the uprights carrying the handle p
the said handle turning in bearings in the said uprights. On the end of the
handle P and external to one of the uprights q is a crank arm r (see Figure 3)
which is connected by a pin 8 to the slotted upper end of the vertical lever t
which levert is jointed at t to one of the uprights g supporting the handle. The
lower end of the vertical lever t is jointed at 13 to the end of the horizontal
connecting rod u the inner end of which is jointed to the short arm u² rigidly fixed
to the crossing or coupling rod of the two guiding wheels c, d: v, v are two
springs one end of each of which springs is connected to the connecting rod / and
the other-end of each spring is connected to an adjusting pin on the fixed part of
the perambulator. These springs give the return motion to the connecting rod l,
one spring operating upon the rod when it is moved in one direction and the
other spring operating upon the rod when it is moved in the other direction.
On turning the propelling handle p in one direction through a small angle by the
hand grasping the said handle, the crank arm r acting upon the lever t causes it to
take the dotted position indicated in Figure 1. A forward motion is thereby
communicated through the connecting rod u to the coupling rod and the small
guiding wheels c, d are simultaneously deflected in opposite directions for steering
the perambulator in a curved path as iudicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. By
turning the handle p in the opposite direction to that described, the two guiding
wheels c, d are simultaneously deflected in opposite directions. When the handle p
is loosed or the pressure of the hand upon it relaxed, the elasticity of one of the
springs v returns the connecting or coupling rod and the parts connected to it to
their original positions and the two guiding wheels c, d are simultaneously brought
into the same line for propelling the perambulator in a straight path as represented
in the drawing.
Figure 4 represents in side elevation and Figure 5 in plan steering mechanism
constructed according to my invention applied to a perambulator having a front
steering wheel at the middle of the body and a larger sunnorting wheel on each
4

page_text: side of the body. The large supporting wheels are marked x, x and turn on the
ends of the cross axle x. The front steering wheel is marked y the swivelling
fork y of which turns upon an arm on the end of the middle axle or bar y³.
The steering mechanism of this perambulator is constructed in the manner
described with respect to that of the perambulator Figures 1, 2 and 3 excepting
that the vertical levert is connected directly to the rod which is jointed to the
fork of the steering wheel y. The parts of the steering mechanism represented in
Figures 4 and 5 are marked with the same letters of reference as corresponding
parts in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The perambulator Figures 4 and 5 may have two steering wheels, that is,
a second steering wheel may be placed at the back of the vehicle or in a line with
the front steering wheel y, the second or rear steering wheel being connected by
means of a cross connecting rod with the front steering wheel.
In applying the steering mechanism to a perambulator having two steering and
supporting wheels on each side of the body of the perambulator, I use a longitudinal
axle or bar on each side of the body, similar to that marked h in Figures 1 and 2,
for supporting the two pairs of wheels and I connect each steering wheel to an
opposite one by a lever passing underneath the body of the perambulator the two
pairs of steering wheels being simultaneously operated upon from the propelling
handle in the manner before described and illustrated.
I apply my improvements to bath chairs and other like hand propelled vehicles
substantially in the mauner hereinbefore described and illustrated with respect to
perambulators.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that
I claim as my invention of "Improvements in perambulators Bath chairs and other
like hand propelled vehicles”
First Supporting the body of the perambulator or other like vehicle on three
or four wheels by arranging or combining the axles and supporting parts carrying
the said wheels substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The construction and combination of the parts of mechanism sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings
for steering the guiding and supporting wheel or wheels of the perambulator or
other like vehicle from the propelling handle of the perambulator or vehicle.
Dated this Nineteenth day of October 1885.