IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES, AND IN CERTAIN APPURTENANCES AND APPENDAGES WHICH BELONG PROVISIONAL SPFICATION
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Robert Abraham, of 11, Howard Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARRIAGES, AND IN CERTAIN APPURTENANCES AND APPENDAGES WHICH BELONG
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Robert Abraham
at the Office. of. the. Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition on the
19th December 1855.
I, HENRY ROBERT ABRAHAM, of 11; Howard Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES, AND IN CERTAIN APPURTENANCES AND APPENDAGES
WHICH BELONG TO THOSE USED AS HOSPITAL CONVEYANCES OR AMBULANCES, to be
as follows:-
-
In the first place, in the form. and design and construction of the carriage
A, A, A, A, which is shewn in..the Drawings accompanying the Specification,
numbered 1, 2, 3, 4;. and in the formation, of the two separate compartments
and arrangements of the seats, by which either in a full or partial load a proper
balance or equilibrium is ensured to the vehicle;. also in the facility of entering
the fore part of the carriage at either side:; and in. the advantage of classifying
passengers; and also in the lightness of draught obtained by the form of
construction. .
The body of the carriage A, A, A, A, which is on two wheels, is "constructed
with two separate compartments B, B, C; C.

page_text: The fore part B, B, is light and partly open, but capable of being enclosed
in bad weather by doors, or curtains.. Its seats D are immediately over the
axle or nearly so. The floor is near to. the ground, and handles G, G, at the
sides assist the passenger to enter: Splash boards are fixed at H, H. The bind
compartment C, C, has one half or more of its seats nearly over the axle. The
entrance to C is by the door F; K is a step. On the outside of the carriage,
in the front, is the driver's seat and seats for passengers M, M; on the roof
also may be seats. For hilly districts the seat on the roof should be made to
shift on slides and rollers, and adjustable by the coachman or from behind.
Under the fore. part of the carriage two safety rollers O, O, may be fixed to
prevent concussion in case of a horse falling, but these are not necessary on
ordinary level roads.
The carriage is hung on long side springs, the length shewn in the Drawing
being.a serviceable proportion.. A straight axle with a knee or slight crank,
as shewn in the Drawings, is best, but a deep cranked axle may be used, if a
well the whole length of the carriage is required. The springs are clipped or
bolted on or under the axle in the usual way. The carriage may have shafts
or a pole. In the hospital carriage, No. 5, 6, 7, 8, the same mode of hanging
the body is adopted, but the compartments are differently arranged, the two
internal ones being longitudinal for the reception of recumbent patients, the
balance being maintained by a cross seat for sitting patients, or assistants, or
luggage at the back. The Drawings explain the details.
The appurtenances, appendages, and details consist, firstly, in the mode of
hanging, supporting, and converting to different uses the back seat and foot-
board A, A, by a system of chains and hinges and props P, P, P, by which their
position is transposed or altered, and an amputating table or a shelf for
luggage is quickly formed. This is explained in the Drawings No. 5 & 8.
Secondly, the folding canvass hood over the seat at the back of the
carriage B, B.
Thirdly, the sliding perforated zinc, metal, or gauze shutters C, C, C, C, and
the curtains D, D, D, to overhange them, which will roll conveniently up
under the ledge of the roof, and are secured by straps and buttons:
Fourthly, the surgeon's platforms E, E, from which the patients may be
tended while the carriage is in motion.
Fifthly, the lifts F, F, for the patients, which form at once beds and litters,
and which may
be instantly expanded from a rolled-up state and fixed open by
hinged stays or stretching pieces morticed into the sides ready for the reception
of the patients. These litters have strong waterproof or other flexible fabric
fastened to the sides, which are of ash or other strong wood, and have friction

page_text: rollers G at their ends, and may be rapidly and easily run into slides of the
carriage made to receive them, where they are kept by the stops H, H, H, H.
Where lightness is an object the well may be dispensed with, and a straight
axle substituted for the cranked one shewn on the Drawings.
In the Drawings accompanying the Specification the letters refer to the
same parts in each Figure..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Robert Abraham in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th June 1856...
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
ROBERT ABRAHAM, of 11, Howard Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Robert Abraham, Her special licence. that I, the said
Henry Robert Abraham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Robert Abraham, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
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 Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES, AND IN CERTAIN APPURTENANCES AND
APPENDAGES WHICH BELONG TO THOSE USED AS HOSPITAL CONVEYANCES OR AMBU-
LANCES, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Robert
Abraham, my 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 Henry Robert Abraham, 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 (that is to say):-'
A new form, arrangement, design, and construction of a two-wheeled

page_text: carriage and its parts, as shewn in the Drawings accompanying this' Speci
fication, marked Number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, exhibiting a front view, side view, back
view, plan, and section, by which form, arrangement, design, and construction,
the following advantages are obtained:-Amore uniform balance with a full ör
partial load of passengers, and more easy and agreeable motion and lightness
of draught than in any other two-wheeled carriage; the capability of classifying
or dividing passengers from one another by the formation of separate compart-
ments, by fixed or moveable partitions D, D, with separate entrances at either
of the sides, of the front of the carriage, or'at the back..
The carriage body is constructed in the ordinary way, with pillars and
fraining, but requires a strong bed plate A, A, A, A, and framework to 'carry
the fore part, assisted by iron-work or bent timber at B, B, B, B. The front
pillars carrying, the shafts should also be strongly framed .and connected by
bolts and iron plates to the shafts. The carriage is hung on long side springs:
with strong shackles; the axle is best slightly kneed or crancked, except when
a-straight bottom or well is required, when the crank must be deep; a com-
pound axle of wood and. iron is safest, and works with least vibation...The
springs are clipped or bolted on or under the axle in the usual way:
The fore part E is partly open, but may be enclosed with doors or curtains ;
its floor is near to the ground. P; P, are splash boards;Q; Q, are handles to
**
assist the passenger to enter.
. The seats of the fore part are nearly over the axle, in a line with it, and the
hind compartment F has two seats, or three, of which can be arranged nearly
over the axle,.and. this compartment. may be constructed open also. The
driver's seat G is at the front; and at the front and on the roof: are seats for
passengers. For hilly districts the roof seat should be moveable, so as to adjust
the weight of the passengers and prevent undue pressure on the horse.
Two safety wheels are fixed at 0, 0, under the fore part of the carriage,
which prevent concussion in case of a horse falling, and also to arrest his fäll
and assist his rise should he trip.
The carriage may be used with a pole for two horses, or shafts for a single
horse. If a pole be used, a strong splinter bar and staple will be required
at S, S.
In the hospital carriage, No. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, the same mode of hanging the
body is adopted, but the compartments are differently arranged, the two internal
ones being longitudinal for the reception of recumbent patients, the.balance
being maintained by a cross'seat for sitting patients, or assistants, or luggage
at the back. The Drawings explain the details.
The appurtenances, 'appendages, and details consist, firstly, in the mode of
;

page_text: hanging, supporting, and converting to different uses the back seat and foot-
board A, A, by a system of chains and hinges and props P, P, P, by which
their position is transposed or altered, and an amputating table or a shelf for
luggage is quickly formed. P, P, are iron stays, which form props when an
amputating table is formed by doubling A over on K. The stays G, G, are
turned on to rests fixed at H, when a luggage tail is required. Chains L, L, L,
are used to carry the weight from hooks M, M, M. This is explained in the
Drawings No. 7 and 10.
Secondly, the folding canvass hood or colosh over the seat at the back of the
carriage B, B.
Thirdly, the sliding perforated zinc, metal, or gauze shutters C, C, C, C, and
the curtains D, D, D, to overhang them, which roll conveniently up under the
ledge of the roof, and are secured by straps and buttons.
Fourthly, the surgeon's platform E, E, from which the patient may be
tended while the carriage is in motion.
Fifthly, the lifts F, F, for the patients, which form at once beds and litters,
and which may be instantly expanded from a rolled-up state and fixed open by
hinged stays or stretching pieces morticed into the sides ready for the reception
of the patients. These litters have strong waterproof or other flexible fabric
fastened to the sides, which are of ash or other strong wood, and have friction
rollers G at their ends, and may be rapidly and easily run into slides of the
carriage made to receive them, where they are kept by the stops H, H, H, H.
Where lightness is an object the well may be dispensed with, and a straight
axle substituted for the cranked one shewn on the Drawings. India-rubber
or other springs are fixed at Y to prevent concussion; india-rubber springs are
also fixed at X, X, on the carriage to resist concussion. The outrigger Z, Z,
for an additional horse may be fixed on either side of the carriage.
In the Drawings accompanying the Specification the letters refer to the
same parts.in each Figure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Robert Abraham, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
HENRY ROBERI ABRAHAM. (L.B.)