CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES, AND OF THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE SAME
Year: 1855

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CILO
application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Uriah Scott at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th March 1855.
I, URIAH SCOTT, of Duke Street, Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare, the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES, AND OF THE VARIOUS PARTS OF
THE SAME," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to combine an improved method of construct-
ing wheels, axles, springs, and bearings in general, with a better disposition
and arrangement of such. wheels, springs, body, and framework, as shall afford
greater facility of motion, greater ease and accommodation to the occupants
of the carriage, and greater resistance to the wear and tear of traffic; and my
principle is by increasing the height of the front axle to bring it nearer to the
line of draught, and also to raise the line of draught to a nearer level with
the direction of motion than the present method of construction will admit
of; and also by an improved method of intersecting the metal or other portions
of the principal. bearings with india-rubber, or other similar elastic material, to
reduce the severity of the concussion, vibration, and noise, and thus to increase
the durability of all the parts in connection with them.
I will now proceed to describe my method of carrying out the above, and

page_text: first, as applied to such vehicles where four wheels are at present employed,
and where the principal weight or bulk is thrown on the hind wheels; and
consists in the employment of three wheels, one in front and two behind,
and the driving seat to be placed in preference behind, and the front wheel to
be as high or higher than the hind ones, and the front axle to extend on either
side not beyond half the diameter of the wheel, and to be brought as near to the
body of the carriage as possible without interfering with it; and to allow of its
being locked or turned within its own circle, the springs must be so constructed
and arranged as not to extend under any circumstances beyond the radius of
the axle, and which brings me, in the second place, to describe my improved
spring, which thus differs from an ordinary spring:-Instead of being straight
it forms two half segments of a circle, either plain or angular, their connexities
extending outwards, and their ends meeting or pointing towards the periphery
of the wheel, and does in appearance resemble an ordinary elliptic spring,
bent in a latéral direction to the shape of a bow, and the two extremities
forming an angle as in the ordinary spring; and the bearing taken as usual
from their centres, and to be so placed on the short axle above described as
to admit of their being turned within in the actual diameter of the wheel,
whatever it may be. The extremities of my spring will be likewise discon-
nected by the employment of india-rubber or other elastic bearings, to be so
attached as to avoid the use of the through pin or bolt, and thus to allow no
metal connection whatever between the upper and lower portions of the springs;
and on the same principle do I arrange the turn plate, pin, or bolt, which is
made to pass through a socket cncased with india-rubber or elastic material.
But again to revert to the subject of three wheels, I should mention that in
the case of omnibuses, cars, vans, &c., I would reverse my arrangement as
applied to broughams, street cabs, &c., and place my single wheel behind, and
so arranging the seats that the passengers sit back to back, and the single
wheel would therefore revolve through a space that would form the leaning
back of the passengers, and thus enabling the body to be very much lower
than at present; and the distance between the wheels being materially
shortened, the draught will be lighter, as the resistance caused by the friction
of the wheels will be diminished in proportion of one-fourth in the case of
the vehicles thus constructed.
I will now proceed to describe my wheel; first, as to its centre or nave,
and, secondly, as to its periphery or filly. In the construction of its nave,
which I recommend should be of iron, though this does not affect the
principle, I first take a metal case or tube, which may or may not form and
be used as the axle box; if the former, its size must of course be proportioned

page_text: to the size of the axle to be used; but if the present or an independent axle
box is to be retained, my metal case must be large enough to admit the other
to be keyed into it, as it would otherwise be into an ordinary nave. On and
around this case is attached a metal flange or washer, near to the larger end
or shoulder; then against this flange or washer I place a ring of india-rubber,
or other similar elastic material. I then introduce upon my case a half round
ring or false nave of wood or metal, as may be desired; the latter I would
much prefer, and in which are cut or cast the mortice beds for the spokes;
then with another ring of india-rubber or other elastic material, and another
flange or washer, I complete my wheel.
I will now proceed to describe my periphery or filly, which like my nave
may be either constructed of wood or iron; if the latter, it will simply resolve
itself into a double tire, and between which I introduce cushions of india-
rubber or other elastic material, secured by screws both from the inside and
from the outside, in such a manner as shall not admit of the slightest metallic
connection between the outer tire and the inner or filly of the wheel. If, on
the other hand, I require no metal tire, I employ certain lengths of india-
rubber instead of the blocks or cushions before mentioned, and secure them
by screws in the same manner as before to the filly of the wheel; the screws
will have a firm hold in the rubber by first having inserted a light piece
of metal or small nut into that part to which the screw is to be applied.
Lastly, I proceed to describe the method of applying my elastic principle to
axletrees, which is almost similar to that as described for the wheel, and like
it contains in the same body a combination of metal and india-rubber, or other
elastic packing, introduced in the following manner:-Having determined the
required length of my axletree, I take a corresponding metal rod or shaft, or
rather longer but not quite so stout as under ordinary circumstances, and I
also take a wrought-iron tube, round or angular, of a larger diameter than the
main shaft by about half an inch or five-eighths, but of sufficient length to
take the bearings of the springs in ordinary vehicles, or the wheels if applied
to railway carriages; and the intermediate space that would exist upon the
introduction of the main axletree or shaft above described, is the part which
it is my object to fill up with my elastic or non-conducting packing, which
I do in the following manner :-I first introduce into the hollow tube the
quantity of packing I shall require by means of a small mandril; I remove
the mandril, and use it again to introduce a thin lining or coil of metal,
I again
corresponding in width to the circumference of the main shaft.
remove the mandril, and in its stead introduce permanently my main shaft or
axletree, which may be forced in sufficiently tight to compress the packing as

page_text: much as possible; and this method can be varied according to the description
of packing that is used.
I by no means confine myself to the particular employment of all the above
methods of constructing the several parts collectively in the same vehicle, or
to any particular class of vehicles. I may use the wheels or springs I have
above described, together or separately, in the same vehicle, without reference
to the number of wheels or the class of vehicle to which it belongs; or I may
use three wheels, independently of the particular construction of the wheels,
springs, or bearings, I have described.