IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING SKIDS OR DRAGS TO OMNIBUSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Palmer De la Fons, of 13, Carlton Hill,
St. John's Wood, in the County of Middlesex, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING SKIDS OR DRAGS TO OMNIBUSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Palmer
De la Fons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 25th February 185.
I, JOHN PALMER DE LA FONS, of 13, Carlton Hill, St. John's Wood,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING SKIDS OR DRAGS TO OMNIBUSES"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in applying a skid or drag to an omnibus
by placing the skid-pan on an arm which moves on the axle of the
hinder wheel, or otherwise. To the fore part of the skid is attached a
drag chain, which, as usual, at its other end is attached to the carriage.
The skid is lifted up or dropped on to the road by a chain or strap,
attached to a lever in such position as to be moved by the conductor.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Palmer De la Fons, in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 24th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PALMER DE LA FONS, of 13, Carlton Hill, Saint John's Wood, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Palmer De la Fons, Her
special licence, that I, the said John Palmer De la Fons, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Palmer
De la Fons, 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 Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING SKIDS OR DRAGS TO OMNIBUSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Palmer De la Fons,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 John Palmer De la Fons, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
The object of my Invention is to relieve the horses from the most
serious part of their labour, by checking the momentum of the carriage
when stopping to take up or put down passengers, which, upon a
moderate computation, is about a hundred times in each journey to

page_text: and fro, the strain upon them being immense, besides loss of time,
when, with perhaps a couple of tons, going at the rate of eight miles an
hour or more, they are suddenly stopped.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, represents an omnibus with the skid A, in its place under
the wheel, which is raised from the ground on the point only of the
skid or shoc A, which point being wedge-shaped can be released without
backing the carriage, by pressing down the knob on the top of the rod
B, B, which rod is square, and slides freely up and down in the holes
in the projecting piece C, C, of which Figure 4, is a plan view. It is
kept in its position by the stop D, on the rod B, B, which is forced
towards the side at C, by the spring E, and the skid is thus kept raised
from the ground as at A, Figure 2. To release it, press against the
knob at T, in the direction of the carriage, when the skid will drop into
its place under the wheel, as at K, Figure 1. The lever H, H, is.
round from G, to G; the square rod B, B, having clongated hole at the
lower end, see Figure 3, in which the round end of the lever H, H,
works freely. This is done to allow the carriage body to rack from side
to side without straining the lever H, H. The lever that supports and
works the skid works on the pivot I, Figures 1, and 2, fixed against
the springs a little above the axle-tree, which throws it from the wheel
as it rises, and prevents its grating against the tyre. As the chain K, is
liable to be caught by the front wheel on turning a corner, it is pre-
vented from droping at that part by the spiral spring L, which spring,
yielding when the skid is drawn under the wheel, allow the chain K, to
become straight.
Figure 5, represents the shape of a piece of metal of which to form
the piece C, C, Figures 1, 2, and 3, with the oblong square holes in
which the rod B, B, works by bending it at the dotted lines; see the
view, Figure 4, and a side view C, C, Figure 3.
The skid can be raised and lowered by another method, in which
case the lever from H, to G, see Figure 6, the rod B, B, and the piece
Figure 4, must be dispensed with, and a small but strong chain fastened

page_text: to the skid or to the chain K, see Figure 2, which chain M, M, M, is
attached to the rod N, N, at the end of which is the ring O, which,
when put on the hook P, Figuro 3, keeps the skid suspended as at A,
Figure 2; when unhooked the weight of the skid carries it under the
wheel; the chain M, M, M, passes over the pulley at R.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Palmer De la Fons, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
J. P. DE LA FONS. (L.S.)
Witness, S. CARPMAEL.