Improvements in or relating to Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Wheeled Vehicles.
I, HENRY KINDER of Granby Place, Leicester, Carriage Builder, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to wheeled vehicles and embodies improvements
hereinafter described.
The objects of such improvements are,
1. To maintain the seats or body of the vehicle in a horizontal line when
descending hills and thereby to avoid interfering with the comfort of the occupants
of the vehicle.
2. The application to the wheels of a brake for the purpose of retarding the
momentum in descending hills and simultaneously to relieve the extra weight on
the back of the horse caused by the incline of the hill.
3. To apply to the wheels of all carriages a brake so regulated in power as to be
adjustable to varying gradients of road.
In order to maintain the body of the vehicle in a horizontal line when descending
hills the body may be gradually raised by the driver operating a screw lever or
equivalent at preferably the front of the vehicle-communicating with a crank
axle underneath the body of the vehicle mounted in bearings in the shafts and by
which the body is raised or lowered to compensate for the lowering of the shafts
when the vehicle is descending a hill.
Simultaneously with the raising of the body the latter is slid or moved backwards
on spindles or equivalent means secured to the shafts, at the same time bringing
the brake-blocks which are secured to arms connected to the body into contact
with the wheels.
The brake arms are connected to a spiral or other spring or equivalent which
admits of a regulated pressure being applied to the wheels according to the gradient
descended and the power applied.
As an alternative to secure the same end I may reverse the arrangement of the
mechanism before described and cause the crank to lower the back of the vehicle
instead of raising the front part of same as mentioned.
Dated this 24th day of February 1891..
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Wheeled Vehicles.
I, HENRY KINDER of Granby Place, Leicester, Carriage Builder, 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 has reference to wheeled vehicles and embodies improvements
hereinafter described.
The objects of such improvements are, (1) to maintain the seats or body of the
vehicle in a horizontal line when descending hills and thereby to avoid interfering
with the comfort of the occupants of the vehicle; (2) the application to the wheels
of a brake for the purpose of retarding the momentum in descending hills and
simultaneously to relieve the extra weight on the back of the horse caused by the
D017

page_text: incline of the hill; and (3) to apply to the wheels of such vehicles a brake so
regulated in power as to be adjustable to varying gradients of road.
In order to maintain the body of the vehicle in a horizontal line when descending
hills the body may be gradually raised by the driver operating a screw lever or
equivalent, at preferably the front of the vehicle, communicating with a crank axle
underneath the body of the vehicle mounted in bearings in the shafts and by which
the body is raised or lowered to compensate for the lowering of the shafts when
the vehicle is descending a hill.
Simultaneously with the raising of the body the latter is slid or moved backwards
on spindles or equivalent means secured to the shafts, at the same time bringing the
"brake-blocks which are secured to arms connected to the body into contact with
the wheels.
The brake arms are connected to a spiral or other spring or equivalent which
admits of a regulated pressure being applied to the wheels according to the gradient
descended and the power applied.
As an alternative to secure the same end I may reverse the arrangement of the
mechanism before described and cause the crank to lower the back of the vehicle
instead of raising the front part of same as mentioned.
The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in
reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dog cart having my improvements applied
thereto.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mechanism underneath the body of
the cart.
Figure 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the crank handle
and screw-threaded tube and rod by which the mechanism under the body of the
cart is operated, on an enlarged scale.
Figure is a plan, and
Figure a modification of Figure 2.
To carry out my invention a crank handle A. is secured by a nut A' to a vertical
rod B which passes through a boss C' connected to an arm C secured to the side
of the body of the vehicle.
The rod B is welded or otherwise secured to the upper end of an internally
threaded tube B', Figure 3, and is maintained in position by a pin or cotter B
passing through the same and resting on the boss C', so that the said rod B and
tube B are free to rotate when operated by the handle A but unable to move up
or down.
Located within the tube B' is the screwed upper end of a rod D connected at its
lower end to an arm E¹ formed on or with the crank axle E having bearings F
attached to the shafts F
The axle E is also attached to the body of the cart by passing through bearings G
fixed to the underside thereof.
When the cart is travelling along a level road the arm E is in its normal position
parallel to the underside of the body but when the cart is descending a declivity
the driver upon turning the handle A at his side will lower the rod D and the
arm E, the effect of which will be to raise the crank axle E, which being connected
at G G to the body as before described will elevate the body of the cart also.
Simultaneously with the raising of the body the latter is slid backwards so as to
alter the centre of gravity and decrease the weight upon the back of the horse.
As is well known, the weight of the body of the cart and the load or occupants
are borne by the axle when the cart is on a horizontal plane, but when it stands on
a declivity the centre of gravity of the body of the cart and its load is in a more
forward position and an increased weight upon the horse is the result.
By sliding the cart body backwards as hereinbefore described its position in
relation to the axle is varied, the excess of weight is removed from the back of the
horse and increased comfort to the occupants is obtained.
For this purpose there is fixed at the rear end of the cart a horizontal shaft H

page_text: passing through bearings J J connected to the underside of the body and provided
with tubular ends H capable of sliding backwards and forwards on spindles K
when the body of the cart is raised or lowered as before described.
The spindles K are fixed rigidly in lugs L L formed on plates L' attached to the
underside of the cart shafts F and parallel thereto and the extent of such spindles
may be determined by the greatest length to which it is desired to slide the body
of the cart.
Simultaneously also with the raising and sliding backwards of the body of the
cart, the brake is applied to each of the wheels to retard the momentum of the
vehicle when descending a hill.
The brake blocks or shoes M' are fastened on the ends of arms M' connected to
or formed integrally with a shaft M running crosswise of the body of the cart and
movable in the bearings G screwed to the underside of the latter.
The brakes are maintained in contact with the wheels, by a spiral spring N
attached at one end to a hook. M on the shaft M and at the opposite end to a
hook O screwed to the body, the hook M³ being allowed to rest or abut against the
block N' when the spring is in tension.
In the modification shewn in Figure 5, the mechanism is arranged so as to lower
the body of the cart at the back instead of raising it at the front as hereinbefore
described.
The arrangement of the mechanism, except that its position is reversed, differs,
very little from that herein before described.
P is the crank axle at the rear of the cart passing through bearings P¹ on the
underside of the latter and having end bearings P2 in plates which are screwed to
the shafts F¹.
H is a shaft at front of the cart furnished with tubular ends H¹ fitting over and
capable of sliding backwards and forwards on horizontal spindles K the ends of
which are rigidly connected to lugs QQ depending from plates Q which are
secured to the underside of the shafts F'.
:
The brake blocks M³ are connected to arms on the shaft M having bearings in
the plates R, the spring N being attached to the hook M³ on the shaft M and to
the hooked plate O on the underside of body.
A slotted bell crank lever S is fulêrummed at Q³ and attached at one end to a
pivot T on an extension on the plate R and at the other end to the bottom of the
screwed rod D within the internally screw-threaded tube B' connected to the rod B
and crank handle A.
On the rod D being lowered by the turning of the crank handle A, the end of
the bell crank lever attached thereto is depressed and the opposite end elevated,
thereby causing the pin T to travel in the slot S' of the lever S and the tubular
ends of the shaft H to slide on the spindles K and move the body of the cart
backwards, the effect of which will be to move the crank shaft P in its bearings
and thereby lower the back of the cart body.
Instead of the slotted bell crank lever S I may employ other suitable inter-
mediate mechanism between the screwed rod D and the body of the cart or some
of the mechanical parts described in order to lower the cart body at the back.
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. In a two wheeled vehicle the arrangement of mechanism for varying the
position of the body of the cart relatively to the shafts and thereby altering the
centre of gravity of the body of the cart in its relation to the axle and of
simultaneously applying the brake to retard the momentum of the vehicle sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a two wheeled vehicle the combination of crank handle A, screw-threaded
rod D, tube B', crank axle such as E, and arm E', constructed and operating

page_text: substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a two wheeled vehicle the combination of crank axle E shaft M, arms M',
brake shoes M², and spiral spring N constructed and operating substantially in the
manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a two wheeled vehicle a shaft such as H H attached to the rear of the
body of the cart and capable of sliding to and fro on spindles such as K on the cart
shafts substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
5. In a two wheeled vehicle the combination with a shaft H attached to the body
of the cart and capable of sliding to and fro on spindles K on the cart shafts, of a
slotted bell crank lever such as S S' screwed rod D, tube B', and crank handle A
constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In a two wheeled vehicle the combination and arrangement of mechanism for
raising the body of the cart at the front and sliding it backwards or for lowering
the body of the cart at the back and sliding it backwards so as to vary the position
of the body relatively to the shafts and to alter the centre of gravity of the body
in relation to the axle and of mechanism for simultaneously applying the brake to
retard the momentum of the vehicle substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of October 1891.
HENRY KINDER.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.