AN IMPROVED OMNIBUS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Vital de Tivoli, of 67, Lower Thames Street, London,"
for the Invention of. "AN IMPROVED OMNIBUS."
Sealed the 2nd July 1858, and dated the 19th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Vital de Tivoli at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
January 1858:
I, VITAL DE TIVOLI, of 67, Lower Thames Street, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED OMNIBUS," to be as
follows:-
The object of the said Invention is to afford to omnibus passengers comfort,
security, and independance from one another, each having easy access to a
separate seat in a separate compartment. It consists in constructing the body.
of the omnibus so as to divide it into as many compartments as there are
seats. The seats and compartments are disposed on two rows with backs to
the central line and fronts, facing both the sides of the street; access to the
seats can be obtained by the means of two (or more) steps from the ground,
either divided by a railing for each seat, or surrounded by a rail in the shape
of a general external galery for all the seats. The seats on the top of the
ceiling are also placed back to back from one end to the other of the omnibus,
and in front of it in the usual way. These may also be divided by arm
supports, and the whole sheltered from the rain by a canvass stretching in the
form of a blind. This omnibus shall be called the De Tivoli's cab-bus.

page_text: 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
15th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, VITAL DE
TIVOLI, of 67, Lower Thames Street, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first 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,
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Vital de Tivoli, executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to timè and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
OMNIBUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Vital de Tivoli,
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:
My improvements relate to certain modifications of the shape of the body,
and certain arrangements, combinations, and dispositions of the seats, steps,
and hand rails of omnibuses or other public conveyances, whereby greater.
comfort, security, and privacy is afforded to the passengers.
In order that my improvements may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the same, reference being
had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked.
thereon.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation, of an omnibus
to which my improvements are applied; and Fig. 3, a horizontal section of
the same through the line b, c, (Fig. 1).
3

page_text: Two parallel rows of seats A (Fig. 3) are placed longitudinally in the
central part of the body of the vehicle in such a manner that the passengers of
one row sit back to back with the passengers of the other row, and the
passengers of each row side by side, each passenger of the same row being
separated from the other by a slight partition B, furnished with a sliding or
other door, panel, or window C, which is capable of being fastened on either
side, so as to render it perfectly optional for the passengers occupying adjoining
seats to place themselves in communication with each other or to remain
strictly private.
Access is had to each of the seats by a separate entrance, furnished with
suitable doors D directly from the street, by means of folding steps E and E
on a level with the foot board; extending the whole length of the vehicle, the
latter being fitted with as many handrails F as there are seats or compart-
ments; or there may be a step G at one end of each row of compartments, as
shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the ledge E forming a kind of external gallery,"
surrounded by a railing and affording access to the whole row of com-
partments.
Fig. 2 represents the omnibus as fitted with a peculiar kind of wheels H,
known as De Cristofori's patent conical wheels, by the use of which, owing to
And it is obvious
a resolution of forces taking place, traction is facilitated.
that it would be impossible to adapt this kind of. wheels to vehicles of any
other shape without increasing their height to an inconvenient degree...
Fig. 4 represents in longitudinal elevation, Fig. 5 and 6 in end elevation,
and Fig. 7 in horizontal section through the line d, c, (Fig. 4) an omnibus
similar to that described with reference to the foregoing. Figures, in so far as
the arrangement of the seats in the front portion of the vehicle is concerned;
but the hind part of the vehicle is fitted with seats in the ordinary manner,
so that if such a distinction should be considered desirable, the former may
be used for the accommodation of first-class and the latter for second-class
passengers.
By combining, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, in the same omnibus my
improved arrangement of seats with the system at present in use, that is, by
constructing the seats in the back division in the usual manner, and applying
my new system to the seats in the front division, wheels of the ordinary con-
struction can be used, without increasing the dimensions and weight, beyond
what is usual in vehicles of this kind.
And, finally, a combination of the two systems of wheels is also attainable,
ordinary wheels being placed under the back seats, and the De Cristofori's
patent conical wheels under the front seats.

page_text: As for the seats on the roof of the vehicle, they may either be placed back
to back or facing each other, fitted in the shape of arm chairs, furnished with
a canvas covering as a shelter in rainy weather.
It is evident that my improvements are also applicable to railway carriage
or any other public conveyance.
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 claim as the Invention intended to be secured to me by the above in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
Firstly, the constructing of vehicles having their seats, or some of them,
arranged in two parallel rows placed longitudinally, the passengers of the two
rows sitting back to back, and those in each row side by side, in separate com-
partments facing either side of the road; which arrangement of seats, by
allowing sufficient height between the level of the road and the seats, admits of
the application of De Cristofori's patent conical wheels, or by applying the
improved system of seats to the fore portion of the vehicle only, either kind of
wheels may be employed without necessitating any increase in the width,
height, and weight, as compared with other similar vehicles, affording accom-
modation to the same number of passengers.
Secondly, the peculiar arrangement of folding steps marked E, E', in Figs.
1 and 2 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in combination with the
hand rails marked F, whereby passengers are enabled to have access to each
compartment of the vehicle direct from the street.
In witness whereof, I, the said Vital de Tivoli, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this
day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
VITAL DE TIVOLI. (L.S.)