Improvements in or relating to Toboggans or Sledges.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd June, 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Toboggans or Sledges.
[A communication by CARL M. VOHBURGER, of Villa Blanca, Innsbruck, in the
Empire of Austria, Landscape Gardener.]
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street, Manchester both
in the County of Lancaster, 18 New Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The sledges or toboggans now employed require a considerable amount of space
for storage when. Poi in use and are difficult to carry about, generally speaking
ewing to their peculiar and voluminous form. In order to remove this drawback,
the vertical supports of the same are made to collapse so that they may be laid
or folded down on the runners.
It requently happens in sledges which are not collapsible that the runners of
the sledge warp during the summer in consequence of the variations in the
temperature, but this is much more the case with collapsible or folding sledges,
as the runners of the same lose their support or stiffening by the taking off of the
uprights so that they warp in all directions. It is very dangerous for the riders,
if the runners haye warped in such a way as to only touch in the centre and the
two ends stand raised from the surface or track, in which case it is very difficult to
travel straight forward on the track, as the carriage at each thrust or push of the
feet tends to swerve on the centre. The object of this invention is to provide a
sledge or toboggan which when not in use can not only be folded up to form a flat
and easily conveyed carriage so that it can be conveniently kept and transported,
but also in which the runners are so kept that they cannot warp under any.
alterations of temperature.
The arrangement for collapsing the sledge or toboggan is as follows at each
of the runners two strong sheet metal jaws are attached between which the vertical
front upright is removably attached by means of screw bolts and nuts. This
upright is also strengthened with metal stays from the runners, which stays on
the one hand are flexibly attached to the runners, and on the other hand are
removably connected with the uprights by means of screw bolts and nuts.
Longitudinal bars of the seat frame are also provided in front with screw bolts
which are passed through the runner connecting bar and fastened to the same by
means of nuts. The rear ends of these longitudinal bars are firmly connected with
a preferably forked revolubly mounted cross piece of the front upright.
At the bottom of the rear upright are attached strong sheet metal jaws which
engage over the runners at the sides. Fixed eyelets projecting into the rear
upright are arranged on the runners. By means of the jaws and these eyelets,
screw bolts are passed through and screwed up tight by suitable nuts. These
uprights are further strengthened by means of removable metal stays or rods
attached to the runners.

page_text: In order to convert this double sledge into a single one it is only necessary to
release the screw bolt and the metal stays of the rear uprights, and the latter can
then be removed and laid aside or they may be connected to the front upright by
means of straps and buckles or any other suitable means. If the connection of
the bottom of the front uprights be released and the bolts of the longitudinal bars
be drawn out of the cross bars, the seat frame and the uprights may be folded
back and laid on the runners. After passing the bolt through and fastening the
uprights and bar together by means of straps, these parts remain in this position
and the sledge or toboggan may be conveniently carried about without being
entirely collapsed.
In order to entirely collapse the single sledge, both runners are loosened from
the frame and are then placed with the sliding surface against one another, and
the curved front portion of the runners are-connected with one another by a bar
or by means of screw bolts and ring screws. The seat frame remains in this case
connected with the connecting bar and its cross piece is laid flat on the runners
after which the upper cross bar of the front upright is connected with tho
longitudinal bars by straps. Bolts are then drawn out of the longitudinal bars
and the runners pressed so far apart that these bolts may be fastened with the sheet
metal jaws of the runners. The rear ends of the runners are then drawn together
by means of a leather strap or other suitable material and connected with one
another in this manner, the runners being kept bent inwards until the sledge is
to be again used, and consequently cannot be bent outwards in the direction of
the running surface nor warp in any other way. As soon as the sledge is to be
again used and the weight comes on the runners they automatically again place
themselves flat on the surface or track. If eventually the rear upright be carried
along with the sledge it may be folded on the sledge and connected with the same
by fastening the loose ends of the stays or rods with the front uprights by means of
bolts which otherwise fastened the stays or rods of the front uprights. A metal
loop or ring is then pushed over the stays or rods and the foot of the uprights and
attached to the supports by means of bolts, after which the upper cross bars of the
uprights are connected with the runners by means of a strap or belt. These
uprights may also be attached to the folded sledge instead of in this manner, by
connecting the feet of the stays or uprights with one another in a suitable manner
and attaching the upper cross bars by means of straps to the rear ends of the runners.
As various screw bolts may be used in the collapsing of the sledge in these peculiar
ways and for folding together and strengthening the collapsed sledge, there is
necessary in addition to these at the most only three straps and a pair of metal
clamps or rings, which when not in use may be placed in a pocket formed beneath
the seat. The tread boards which may be covered with felt behind the rear support
or handle are attached thereto by means of suitable hinges and these uprights may
when not in use be folded back on the former and held together by means of small
books or the like.
Dated this 5th day of August 1806
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Toboggans or Sledges.
[A communication by CARL M. VOHBURGER, of Villa Blanca, Innsbruck, in the
Empire of Austria, Landscape Gardener.]
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in the County of

page_text: Warwick, and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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:-
The sledges or toboggans now employed require a considerable amount of space
for storage when not in use and are difficult to carry about, generally speaking
owing to their peculiar and voluminous form. In order to remove this drawback
the vertical supports of the same are made to collapse so that they may be laid
or folded down on the runners.
It frequently happens in sledges which are not collapsible that the runners of
the sledge waip during the summer in consequence of the variations in the
temperature, but this is much more the case with collapsible or folding sledges,
as the runners of the same lose their support or stiffening by the taking off of the
uprights so that they warp in all directions. Moreover the conveyance and putting
together of the various parts, by means of separate straps is very inconvenient
and requires much time. It is very dangerous for the riders if the runners have
warped in such a way as to only touch in the centre and the two ends stand raised
from the surface or track, in which case it is very difficult to travel straight forward
on the track as the carriage at each thrust or push of the feet tends to swerve on
the centre..
If the runners warp laterally it is impossible to travel in a straight line and
when they warp inwardly so that when unloaded they lie more hollow on the
ground than is usual the steering of the sledge is too difficult as the runners dig
too deeply into the track in front and behind, and the sledge always travels
straight along the resulting furrows which renders travelling impossible more
particularly on soft ground.
The object of this invention is to provide a sledge or toboggan free from the
above named drawbacks, which sledge when not in use can not only be folded up
without the use of tools to form a flat and easily conveyed package so that it can
be conveniently kept and transported in one or more parts, but also in which the
runners are so kept by means of an extremely simple and practical device that
they cannot warp under any alterations of temperature either at the ends or at any
other part.
This sledge or toboggan is also capable of being combined that is to say it may
be employed as a single, tandem or triplet sledge without thereby necessitating
undesirable alterations in the construction of the single sledge.
This improved sledge is provided with a practical foot brake which renders it
possible to suitably check and steer the sledge from the seat itself during a rapid
descent of a hill or on smooth ice, an advantage which means an important
improvement and applicability of the sledge or toboggan for all purposes. As
further the combined sledge is in no way weakened by wood pegs and all parts
may be taken apart and changed without tools, the sledge is never useless owing
to the ease of repairing it as is the case with solidly built sledges, even with a
simple fracture of the runner.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a single sledge, and Figure 2 a similar
view of a double one; Figures 3 and 4 are front and rear views respectively of a
single sledge taken apart and Figure 5 a view of another way of collapsing the
sledge, Figure 6 is a view of a double sledge collapsed, whilst Figures 7-13 are
various views of details of the sledge.
The arrangement for collapsing the sledge or toboggan is as follows:-
At each of the runners a two strong sheet metal jaws b, Figures 1 and 9,. are
attached, between which the vertical front uprights r are removably attached by
means of screw bolts d and nuts. This upright is also strengthened with metal
stays e from the runners, which stays on the one hand are flexibly attached to

page_text: the runners and on the other hand are removably connected with the uprights c by'
means of screw bolts and nuts. The uprights c are removably connected at top
by the longitudinal bars of the seat frame a', the said seat heing formed of a simple
skin or leather, but preferably of a pouch.
The front ends of the seat fork fare provided with winged projections, Figure 8,
which are passed through slots in the runner connecting har g and then turned at
right angles to said slots so that they cannot slip out again but are held fast
therein. The bent or curved cross connection of the seat fork has its ends let
somewhat into the supports e and fixed to the said supports by means of insertion
bolts and wing nuts in such a way that the seat fork, on the sledge being folded
up may be laid in one plane with the supports, as shown in Figures 5 and 8 or
may be folded down on the supports.
In order to convert the single sledge into a double one, a rear support formed of
uprights is removably fixed on the rear part of the runners, Figure 2.
At the bottom of these rear uprights are attached strong sheet metal jaws j
which engage over the runners at the sides, Figure 11. Fixed eyelets & Figures 3, 4,
6 and 11 projecting into the rear uprights are arranged on the runners. By
means of the jaws and these eyelets k, screw holts m are passed through and
screwed up tight by suitable nuts. These uprights are further strengthened by
means of removable metal stays or rods 7 attached to the runners.
At the top, the uprights i are also connected by hars with one another, which
allow of the attachment of a second pocket or sent a. The uprights are also
provided with handles. A cross handle a2 may, if desired, be removably arranged
on the rear supports as shown in Figure 7.
In order to use this sledge as a single one it is only necessary to release the
screw bolt and the metal stays of the rear uprights and the latter can then be
removed, as shown in Figure 7, and laid aside, or they may he connected to the
seat fork under the seat by means of straps and buckles, as shown in Figures 1
and 13, or any other suitable means when it is desired to take them along with the
sledge. If the connection of the bottom of the front uprights e be released and the
winged projections of the longitudinal bars. f he drawn out of the cross bars
the seat frame and the uprights may be folded back and laid on the runners, in
the manner shown in Figure 5. After passing the bolt through and fastening the
uprights and bar together by means of straps these parts remain in this position
and the sledge or toboggan may be conveniently carried about without being
entirely collapsed.
In order to entirely collapse the single sledge both runners are loosened from the
frame ca fg and are then placed with their rinner faces against one another,
Figures 3 and 4, and the curved front portion of the runners are connected with
one another by the har g by means of the same screw bolts by means of which
when previously in a position for use the runners were fastened to the said bar g.
The seat frame f remains in this case connected with the connecting har g and
its cross piece h is laid flat on the runners a, a button or winged piece h¹
being inserted between the runners and turned so that the latter are then held
firmly against the cross har h by means of the same, see Figures 3 and 10. The
supports c are then laid laterally on the runners in the manner shown in Figure 3,
and the revoluble eyed levers 7 mounted on the cross har hare turned out,
Figures 8 and 13, and then the bolts d are passed through the eyes, the jaws band
the supports c and then secured by means of the wing nuts. By this means the
supports are not only held tightly on the runners but the latter, when not in use,
are prevented from bending or warping in the direction of their running surface.
In this the two revoluble levers 7 are assisted by the bolts of the button h¹ which
prevents such a bending under any circumstances. The runners are prevented
Fending in the opposite direction by elbow pieces p', Figures 3 and 10, fixed on
the cross har h. The rear ends of the runners are held together by means of a
ring n.
The collapsing of the double sledge is effected in a similar manner, the rear

page_text: supports i with the parts belonging thereto being fastened under the seat cover in
the manner shown in Figure 13, and the ends of the supports being connected with
the cross bar h of the seat fork by means of the connecting pieces p.
Straps 9 are preferably releasably arranged on the seat covers a¹, by means of
which straps, as shown in Figure 4, the leather a¹ is held wrapped over the seat
fork and the supports when the sledge is collapsed.
The tread boards v which may be covered with felt, indiarubber or the like
behind the rear supports i are attached thereto by means of suitable hinges and
may when not in use be folded back on the uprights and held together by means
of small hooks w or the like, Figure 7.
Behind each of the tread boards of the front supports there is a brake capable
of being operated by the foot. It consists, as shown in Figure 12, of a spring s
fixed on the runner and guided by a headed pin, on the upward springing end of
which spring a brake claws is fixed in such a way that it can be replaced by a
fresh one on its becoming blunted or requiring repairs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by:
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
A sledge or toboggan capable of being used as a single or tandem sledge which
is constructed and put together in such a way as to be capable of being collapsed
so that separate parts of the same may be easily changed and the whole sledge
fully taken apart without tools and collapsed into a single conveniently portable
packet, whilst by means of a suitable device (h' p p¹) the runners may be
simultaneously kept taut in such a way as to entirely prevent them or the entire
arrangement from warping under mechanical or climatic influences substantially
as described and illustrated.
T 1207
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,.
Agents.