Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1887
Complete Left, 12th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th Apr., 1888
I Colonel WILLIAM MARSHALL COCHRANE of Farnham House, Farnham Royal,.
county of Bucks, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
For the purpose of my invention I apply a jointed foot plate to a stem, rod, or
bar which projects slightly above or is flush with the ordinary foot board, the foot
plate being folded down to be about flush with the foot mat when not required for
use, such as when the vehicle is travelling along a comparatively level road or district,
but which foot plate can be lifted or thrown up or over into position to be acted
upon by the driver while travelling over a hilly district or roadway, to put the break
on, the connecting bars or rods of which are kept as much out of sight as possible
by arranging them under the fore carriage, or under the body, or under both
according to the construction or form of the vehicle.
The connecting bars, rods, cranks, straps, pullies or other appliances between the
jointed foot plate and the break may be enclosed if desired or they may be covered
by a screen.
By this invention the present unsightly stiff angled foot plate with its bar standing
up through the foot of an ordinary vehicle can be dispensed with as can also the
inconvenient outside hand lever which the driver has to manipulate with his whip
hand.

page_text: •
Improved Method of Fitting Break Appliance to Road Vehicles.
I, Colonel WILLIAM MARSHALL COCHRANE, of Farnham House, Farnham Royal,
County of Bucks, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :–
This invention relates to a novel folding appliance as a foot plate so connected to
the break bars that it i.e. the foot plate, can when the break is off, fall down upon the
foot board or upon the mat provided with an aperture for its reception, but so
arranged that by a sliding-forward-pressing-action by the foot of the driver the plate
can be brought into position for a downward thrust to ensure the application of the
break and when released by the removal of the foot, the plate falls or folds down
again to be flush or nearly so with the foot mat. The bar to which the plate is jointed
passes up through a slot hole in the foot board, so that it is almost invisible. The
rods or bars connected to this fold down foot plate are concealed under or within the
bottom framework of the carriage.
For the purpose of my invention (see Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the annexed drawings)
I apply a jointed foot plate A to a stem rod, or bar B, which projects slightly above
or is flush with the ordinary foot board C the foot plate A being foldable down to be
about flush with the foot mat, or the foot board as at Figure 2 when not required
for use, such as when the vehicle is travelling along a comparatively level road or
district, but which foot plate A can be lifted, or thrown up or over into position as
at Figure 1 to be acted upon by a sliding-thrust-forward-action of the foot of the
driver while travelling over a hilly district or roadway, to put the break on, the
connecting bar B (which is pivotted at D) as also the rod E, are kept as much out of
sight as possible by arranging them under the fore carriage or under the body G,
or under both according to the construction or form of the vehicle.
The connecting bars, rods, cranks, straps, pullies, or other appliances between the
jointed foot plate A and the break may be enclosed if desired, or they may be covered
by a screen.
Figure 3 shows a foldable foot plate A slightly modified from that previously
described and in the two positions, one shown in dotted lines, having its nose resting
on the footboard C and its shoulder at a slight distance above the level of the mat the
edge of the plate A being roughened to enable a firm grip of the foot to be obtained
and instead of the bar B being jointed to the underfront carriage as at Figures 1
and 2, the bracket by which it is supported is attached to the transom plate, or it
may be otherwise arranged.
By this invention, the present unsightly stiff angled foot plate with its bar standing
up through from the boot end of the footboard with the lever stretching over the
mat and having its front end cocked up to an inconvenient height is dispensed with.
The height of such a stiff foot plate in many cases being such that unless the driver
throws his body forward with a rising motion as to almost stand up for the weight of

page_text: his body to be thrown on to the foot plate, he has little or no control over the brake
neither can he well regulate the touch because he has to balance himself while
standing on his other leg. The outside hand lever which generally requires a lot of
manipulation to place in the notches of the rack bar and which the driver has to
operate with his whip hand is also dispensed with.
The bar B to which the foot plate A is attached according to my invention passes
up through a hole in the forward end in the footboard consequently the driver in
getting up to take his seat has no impediment or obstruction in his way.
By this novel arrangement of the foldable foot plate A and under lever B the
driver has the advantage of feeling the touch of the brake upon the wheel very
readily, and he can with facility regulate the action of the brake according to the
gradient. He has also full power over the brake without shifting from his seat, this
being obtained by the thrust-forward-action of the leg from the hip joint from which
action the down thrust motion follows in a natural manner, due to the distance the
pivot D is from the plate A and from its position under the carriage body.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The foldable foot plate A attached to a bar B working through a slot in the forward
end of the footboard C of a vehicle to enable the break to be operated as set forth
and substantially as shown by the annexed drawings, the foot plate when not in use
lying flush or nearly so with the foot mat as described.
1
дне до day or braге 1000.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Col. W. M. Cochrane.