IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ADAPTATION OF INDIA-RUBBER AND THE COM- POUNDS THEREOF TO VARIOUS PARTS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Offord, junior, of 79, Wells Street, Oxford
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Carriage Builder, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ADAPTATION OF INDIA-RUBBER AND THE COM-
POUNDS THEREOF TO VARIOUS PARTS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CARRIAGES OR
VEHICLES."
Sealed the 15th August 1861, and dated the 18th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Offord at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
February 1861.
I, ROBERT OFFORD, junior, of 79, Wells Street, Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Carriage Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ADAPTATION OF INDIA-RUBBER AND THE COMPOUNDS
THEREOF TO VARIOUS PARTS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES," to be
as follows:-
The windows I make with improved noiseless and durable frames for the
glasses of the material known as "hard" india-rubber, chemically united
where desired with the soft or elastic india-rubber or material to prevent
rattling and noise, the glasses to be secured in grooves prepared for that
purpose. I have also an improved isolating block for carriages which I
purpose to make of two or more pieces of the "hard" and "soft" india-rubber
or material chemically united in one, so as to connect the spring to the axle
or the body to the spring by means of the said block, and thus diminish the
vibration caused by metallic connection.
For the wheels and axles of carriages I use an improved washer. This is
formed by uniting a thin disc of the elastic material chemically united to one

page_text: or more discs of hard, so as to give a suitable wearing surface with slight
elasticity when the wheel is screwed up to its place.
To obviate the drumming noise and vibration so often complained of in a
close carriage (especially of the Brougham kind), I purpose to use for parts of
the roof, pannels, and other portions of close carriages, in lieu of wood, sheets
of hard and soft india-rubber, united and arranged in such a manner as to
deaden the aforesaid sound and vibration, or to suitably secure to the present
woodwork pieces of this compound so as to produce the same effect. The
step cover for carriages I purpose to make of india-rubber moulded into the
requisite shape, and vulcanised hard.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Offord in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
OFFORD, junior, of .79, Wells Street, Oxford Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Carriage Builder, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Robert Offord, Her special licence that. I, the said Robert
Offord, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Robert Offord, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE ADAPTATION OF INDIA-RUBBER AND THE COMPOUNDS THEREOF TO
VARIOUS PARTS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Offord, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and 'ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Offord, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My improvements consist, firstly, in constructing the frames for the sashes
and windows of carriages of vulcanized india-rubber, certain parts of such
frames being of hard rubber or vulcanite,, whilst the other parts are of soft or
elastic material chemically united thereto, the object being to prevent the
noise and rattle of such windows when in use or otherwise.
It is well known that the vulcanite will bear a high polish, and may be
worked into a frame or frames with mortices in the manner of wood. I
sometimes make the said frames wholly of india-rubber, and at other times
partly of wood, still retaining such parts of india-rubber as require the attach-
ment of the elastic or noiseless; part thereto. The buttons (see Figs. 18, 1b,)
turns or other fastenings I also make of hard rubber or vulcanite, with a
facing of elastic rubber at the point, by which such fastenings are rendered
more secure and at the same time noiseless.
Fig. I represents a window frame and glass of an ordinary size, say 24
inches by 20 inches, the width of the frame being about 1½ inch, and its
shape shewn (full size in section in Fig. II.) The hard material is left. of
sufficient thickness to allow of the glass being rabbeted in as usual, and the
outer edge of the frame is thickened up for about inch or one-third of its
width with elastic rubber on each side and at the back. The shape of the
window and its frame will vary in width and depth according to the build of
the carriage, and when required it. can be made circular to fit a circular-front
Brougham or other carriage. In such cases the window may open by an
horizontal slide movement in the arc of a circle instead of by the perpendicular
movement.
In fixing the glass into the frame I employ any cement which will harden
and keep out the wet. Another application of the same material is for
washers to the wheels and axles of carriages; leather, gutta percha, and other
compounds are at present used, but yet in almost all a slight elasticity is still
felt as a desideratum. The ordinary vulcanised india-rubber would supply
this deficiency, but will not bear the necessary friction, and is liable, to be
injured by oil or grease; I therefore make my improved washers to consist of
two external discs of the vulcanite with a middle disc of soft rubber, the
whole vulcanised together, by which means a slight.elasticity is preserved, and
the outer surfaces will bear the friction well. In some cases I prefer to use

page_text: a single disc of the hard rubber, and allow the elastic material to fit up tightly
to the shoulder.
Fig. III. represents one of my said washers.
:
Figs. IV. and V. represent sections of the same taken through the centre.
"Another application of the same material is for an isolating block or isolating
blocks to connect the springs of carriages with the axle below or with the
body above, by this means a great portion of the vibration of the axle at
'present transmitted to the body of the carriage is effectually intercepted.
These blocks are constructed of three parts, viz., an upper and under surface
of vulcanite chemically united together by a layer of soft material, and moulded
into suitable shape; this middle part varies in thickness from inch to an
inch in thickness, or even more, when a side motion is required. It will be
seen by referring to the sketch, Fig. VI., that the bolts or clips are inserted
into the vulcanite (which is done before the vulcanizing takes place), conse-
quently there is no metallic connection.
Fig. VI. represents one of these blocks full size; a, c, the upper and under
surface, and 6 the middle layer or stratum; d, d, are the bolts which pass
through the vulcanite, and are fixed in the usual manner by nuts. These
blocks may be moulded to any suitable length, width, or thickness, and may be
made if preferred with reeded edges or otherwise ornamented. They may be
also usefully applied to railway carriages when it is desired to more perfectly
isolate the body of such carriages from the vibration of the wheels and
axles.
Another part of my Invention consists in the adaptation of the aforesaid
material to the framing, pannelling, and other parts of the bodies of close
carriages. The pannels and framing of such vehicles when constructed wholly
of wood transmit sound in the same manner as the sounding boards of piano-
fortes, and some other musical instruments are well known to do. To obviate
this objection I employ in certain parts of the framing and pannelling slips
and sheets of the aforesaid combined material, the effect of which will
effectually remove the drumming noise complained of.
Another part of my said Invention consists in covering the steps of carriages
with the compound material aforesaid, and this I do by using the soft material
as a firm foothold, whilst the hard or vulcanite which bears a high polish will
form the face of the step when not in use.
The Figs. 1, 1, VI., VI., VI., though not herein-before described, will
be readily understood from the notes on the Drawings.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to
secure by the present Patent is, the adaptation of two distinct kinds of india-
rubber chemically united, as herein-before alluded to, viz., 1st, to the con-
struction of window frames of carriages; 2nd, to washers of carriage wheels;
3rd, to elastic blocks for fixing the springs to the axles and bodies; 4th, to
pannels and framing for carriage bodies; and, 5th, to step covers, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Offord, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Signed and sealed in my presence,
ROBERT OFFORD, JR. (L.S.)
F. W. CAMPIN, Patent Agent,
156, Strand.