IMPROVEMENTS IN HANSOM CABS
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD JOHN COWLING WELCH of Palace Chambers St Stephens in the City
of Westminster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN HANSOM CABS" to be as follows:-
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In Hansom cabs as now commonly made the lower half of the opening at the
front of the body of the cab can be closed by a door in either one or two parts
whilst in case of rain the upper half of the opening can be closed by glass windows
or shutters which can be let down from the roof or otherwise supported and
actuated. When however the upper half of the opening is closed in by such
windows or shutters the ventilation of the interior of the cab is very imperfect.
According to this invention I apply to Hansom cabs a hood which can be let
down so as to project forwards in front of the upper part of the front opening and
serve as a screen against rain or sun and at the same time give free ventilation
through the open space beneath the hood.
This hood I make in such manner that it can be folded closed or rolled up so as
to occupy but small space just outside or inside the front portion of the roof and
sides of the cab and not interfere with the side windows with which Hansom cabs
are provided.
The upper part of the hood may be rolled up upon a roller mounted along the
top of the roof of the cab and the side pieces of the hood be rolled up upon conical
rollers at the sides of the cab-but preferably I make the hood in such manner
that its covering when drawn up folds together in narrow folds and is actuated
either from the outside by the driver or from the inside by the occupant. The
hood is also preferably made of a semitransparent material so as to darken the
interior of the cab as little as possible.

page_text: I EDWARD JOHN COWLING WELCH of Palace Chambers St Stephens in the City
of Westminster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HANSOM CABS" and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In Hansom cabs as now commonly made the lower half of the opening at the
front of the body of the cab can be closed by a door in either one or two parts
whilst in case of rain the upper half of the opening can be closed by glass windows
or shutters which can be let down from the roof or otherwise supported and
actuated. When however the upper half of the opening is closed in by such
windows or shutters the ventilation of the interior of the cab is very imperfect.
According to this invention I apply to Hansom cabs a hood which can be let
down so as to project forwards in front of the upper part of the front opening and
serve as a screen against rain or sun and at the same time give free ventilation
through the open space beneath the hood.
This hood make as herein after more fully described in such manner that when
drawn up it folds into narrow folds so as to occupy but small space just outside or
if preferred it might be inside the front portion of the roof and sides of the cab and
not interfere with the side windows with which Hansom cabs are provided.
In the drawing hereunto annexed I have shown a side elevation of the body of
a Hansom cab having fitted to it a hood constructed according to my invention.
A is a casing of an L or trough section secured to the front of the sides and top
of the cab. At the lower end of each side of this casing is a metal arc B with a
series of small holes around its circumference by which the lower ends of a series
of metallic ribs C resembling the ribs of an umbrella are jointed so that when the
hood is let down the ribs come into positions radiating to a common céntre and
when the hood is raised are brought parallel with and lying against one another.
The ribs C are alternately long and short so that the outer edge of each side of
the hood is serrated as shown.
The outer ends of the ribs of one side of the hood I connect by horizontal ribs
with the outer ends of the ribs on the other side. Preferably. I make the side
radial ribs C in one piece with the horizontal ribs.
The fabric forming the covering of the hood is secured both to the side radial
ribs C and to the horizontal ribs which connect them. The front of the hood
when lowered is therefore formed into a number of parallel corrugations corre-
sponding with the serrated outer edges of the two sides. When the hood is drawn
up the parallel corrugations across the front fold together into parallel folds-the
fabric in each fold becoming somewhat slack and the sides of the hood fold into
corresponding narrow radial folds by reason of alternate ribs of each side being
made to move back in a vertical position parallel with the sides of the casing A
whilst the remaining ribs assume a position somewhat inclined thereto so that the
long ribs all lie in front of one another whilst the short ribs similarly lie one in
front of the other.

page_text: When the hood is so drawn or folded up it lies entirely within the casing A and
is thereby protected from injury.
Preferably I provide a cord passing from the lower end of the front of the hood
to the top of the roof of the cab in front of the driver so that the driver may raise
the hood by this cord and keep the hood raised by securing the cord.
When the hood is lowered it may be held down either by its own weight or by
a strap to dash board or otherwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The application to the upper part of the front of what is known as a Hansom
cab of a hood capable of being folded up into narrow folds substantially as herein
before described.
2. The application to the upper part of the front of what is known as a Hansom
cab of a folding hood constructed substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the drawing annexed.