Improvements in Carts for Military and other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left 12th Anr 1898 Accented 14th May 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carts for Military and other purposes.
I, HARRY AUBREY DE VERE MACLEAN, of Morocco, but at present of Church
House, Kew, in the County of Surrey, Kaid (officer) in the army of H.S.M. the
Sultan of Morocco, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object to construct carts, more especially suitable for
military purposes, but applicable to other purposes, which shall be of light draft
and capable of easily passing through narrow or restricted spaces, such as moun-
tain passes, defiles, gorges, nullahs, dykes and the like, which it is difficult, if not
impossible, to accomplish with vehicles as hitherto constructed.
To this end, my improved cart is provided with only one wheel, which is
arranged centrally of the vehicle, or where most convenient, and either below
the floor thereof, or projecting through an aperture, formed for its reception, in the
floor. This single wheel is carried in frames or supports (one on each side of the
cart) which are constructed and arranged to form springs so as to prevent, as far
as possible, vibration or jolting of the cart; and said frames or brackets are further
so constructed as to allow the wheel and its axle to be removed when desired, for
cleaning or oiling.
When the cart is arranged for the wheel to project through its floor, said pro-
jecting part may be covered by a box or casing, to which may be affixed a seat for
the driver, and such seat may be contrived to serve when required as a pedestal
or support for a quick firing machine gun.
The cart is maintained in its horizontal position, when in use, by the shafts
engaging with the harness of the horse, or other draft animal, and these shafts,
which are detachable, may be pivotted to the fore end of the cart, or fit into sockets.
Other sockets may also be provided at the rear end of the cart, so that by inserting
therein a second pair of shafts the cart can be used as a palanquin or doolie.
Furthermore, the use of these rear end sockets renders the cart reversible, as the
horse can be harnessed to either end so giving great advantage when travelling
over a mountainous country where it is often impossible to turn round owing to
the narrow and rocky paths.
The cart so constructed can be used for a variety of military purposes, such for
instance as a gun carriage, an ammunition, an ambulance, or a commissariat
wagon. When used as a gun carriage for a field gun, it is provided with side
cheeks to receive the trunnions of the gun, and owing to there being only one wheel
this will form a pivot about which the cart can be turned when it is desired to
train the gun; and when the shafts are pivotted these may be let down and form
the trail of the carriage. I may further provide the sides with rods or bars also
arranged to let down and form stays or struts to steady the cart.
When the cart is to be used as an ambulance, I provide the same with head and
tail pieces between which cots, or hammocks, may be slung, and said pieces are
advantageously furnished with buffers, or the like, to reduce shock or jar which

page_text: may arise from any undue longitudinal movement, and owing to there being but
one wheel in the centre of the cart, greater facility is afforded to the doctor, or
nurse, to attend to the patient while on the march.
A cart, or gun carriage, so constructed will be found to be of lighter draft than
one having two or more wheels, besides which it can be readily detached from its
wheel, and the wheel, or the body, carried away in case of it being necessary for
military reasons to abandon its use, thus rendering the abandoned portion useless
to an enemy.
My improved cart is also applicable to purposes of commerce, or pleasure, and as
the wheel is in the centre of the vehicle it is less liable to injury, and has less strain
on it.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent, 78, Fleet Street, London, and
5A, Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Carts for Military and other purposes.
I, HARRY AUBREY DE VERE MACLEAN, of Morocco, but at present of Church
House, Kew, in the County of Surrey, Kaid (officer) in the army of H.S.M. the
Sultan of Morocco, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My invention has for its object to construct carts, more especially suitable for
military purposes, but applicable to other uses, which shall be of light draft and
capable of easily passing through narrow or restricted spaces, such as mountain
passes, defiles, gorges, nullahs, dykes, and the like, which now it is difficult, if not
impossible, in many cases, to accomplish with vehicles as hitherto constructed.
The construction, furthermore, is such as to allow of the wheel, or the body, of
such cart, to be readily detached, should it be deemed advisable to carry away one
of these parts and so render the remaining part useless.
And in order that my invention may be readily understood, I will describe the
same fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved cart for military purposes.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a detached view shewing in detail the construction of the axle box.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cart, similar to Fig. 1, but having a machine
gun mounted on it.
For the purpose of my invention I provide my improved cart with a single
wheel a which, as shewn in the drawings, is arranged centrally and in the longi-
tudinal axial line of the cart, but which can be arranged nearer to the fore end,
or nearer to the rear end thereof, as may be necessary, while, however, always pre-
serving the longitudinal axial alignment. This wheel may likewise be arranged
to project through the floor of the cart, as shown, or it may be arranged below the
floor. It is mounted detachably in brackets b, which form, at the same time, the
bearings and springs therefor. These brackets are held in eyes or sockets c
secured to the underside of the floor, or frame, of the cart and are provided, at

page_text: their free ends, with a projection or stop 6* to allow free play thereto without fear
of their becoming detached by jolting or vibration of the cart.
The lower part of these bearings forms axle boxes b¹, each of which is provided
with hinges at to allow them to be readily opened for the purposes of cleaning,
or for removing the axle and wheel. The end opposite the hinges is provided with
an eye or lug 3 adapted to fit into a similar lug (not seen in the drawings) on the
upper part of the bearing or axle box so as to enable a screw bolt (or other like
contrivance) to be passed through such lugs to firmly secure and maintain the parts
in position.
The outer side of each axle box is advantageously provided with a pivotted
cover plated to prevent the entry of dirt or grit, and to allow, of the axle being
readily inspected or greased.
When the cart is arranged for the wheel to project through the floor, as shown,
I provide a cover e to box in the wheel, and generally mount thereon a seat f
for the driver.
The shafts are secured in sockets h fixed to the floor, or frame, of the cart, and
I find it advantageous to provide like sockets h* at the other end of the cart, so as
to enable the shafts to be detached from one end and attached at the other, should
it be desired to travel in a reverse direction without having to turn the horse and
cart round, which is sometimes impossible in narrow gorges, or the like. In place
of the shafts I may employ handles for manual draft.
By providing an extra pair of shafts g, or a couple of poles, (as shown in dotted
lines) to be inserted into the sockets *, the cart can readily be converted into a
palanquin, or a doolie.
In Fig. 4, the shafts g are shown pivotted to the underside of the cart, and pro-
vided with a segmental bar g', having holes to receive a pin or bolt by means of
which the shafts can be secured at an angle, relatively to the floor of the cart, and
so aid in keeping the cart in a horizontal, or practically horizontal, position when
the horse (or other animal) is taken out, and the cart is to serve as a gun carriage,
or as an ambulance, or like wagon. I also provide a stay g² hinged at g³ to one of
the shafts and adapted to hook into an eye gt on the other shaft, in order to steady
the cart. I further mount, near the rear of the cart, a pair of struts i to form,
when required, an additional means of steadying the cart. These struts are secured
by braces or stays ¹, and when not in use can be turned on their pivots 23 to lie
against the sides of the cart.
When used as a gun carriage, for a field gun, the arrangement of cart is similar
to that shown in Fig. 4, but is provided with side cheeks to receive the trunnions
of the gun. And owing to there being only one wheel this will form a pivot
about which the cart can be turned when it is desired to train the gun. Further-
more, when the shafts are let down, these will form the trail of the carriage.
A cart, or gun carriage, so constructed, will be found to be of lighter draft than
one having two or more wheels, besides which, it can be readily detached from its
wheel and the axle carried away in case of it being necessary, for military reasons,
to abandon the cart, thus rendering the discarded portions useless to an enemy.
When the cart is to be used as an ambulance, I prefer to provide the same
with head and tail pieces (say 2 pairs) between which cots or hammocks can be
slung, and said pieces may advantageously be furnished with buffers, or the like,
to reduce shock or jar which might arise from any undue longitudinal movement.
Moreover, as there is but one wheel, and that arranged as described, greater facility
is afforded to the doctor, nurse, or orderly to get close up to the patient and so
attend him while on the march.
Although I have described and shown my improved cart as being specially
applicable for military purposes, yet it is obvious that it can equally be well used
for commercial or pleasure purposes, and as its only wheel is arranged centrally, it
is less liable to injury and has less strain on it, than have vehicles with two or
more wheels as at present constructed.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A cart for military, commercial, pleasure, or other purposes, having a single
and detachable wheel, arranged in the longitudinal axial line of the cart, and
carried in brackets forming the bearings and springs therefor, substantially as
described.
2. In a cart for military or other purposes, the combination with a single and
detachable wheel, of springs extending from the underside of the floor, or frame,
to the axle of the wheel, bearings on the springs for such axle, and hinged axle
boxes forming the lower half of these bearings, and adapted to be opened for
removing the wheel and axle, substantially as described.
3. In a cart, as above claimed, the combination of a floor or frame, shafts, and
two sets of sockets, one at each end of the floor or frame, for receiving such shafts,
substantially as described.
4. The improved cart, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2
of the drawings.
5. The improved cart so constructed and arranged as to form a carriage for a
field gun, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 4 of the annexed draw-
ings.
UILI
ay
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent, 78, Fleet Street, London, and
5A, Market Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.