IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES FOR COMMON ROADS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Hinde Brockelbank and Benjamin Palmer Laws,
both of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Coach Builders, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES FOR
COMMON ROADS."
Sealed the 28th May 1880, and dated the 5th December 1879.
Sealed the 28th May 1880, and dated the 5th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Hinde Brockelbank
and Benjamin Palmer Laws at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 5th December 1879.
ROBERT HINDE BROCKELBANK and BENJAMIN PALMER LAWS, both of Islington,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE
in the County of Middlesex, Coach Builders.
TO CARRIAGES FOR COMMON ROADS."
Our improvements relate, firstly, to improved means of fixing the shafts of
carriages in any required position, either upright or oblique, when the carriage is
not in use.
In carrying out this part of our Invention we fix underneath the
futchells or bars of the under carriage a spring, to which is attached a pin or catch;
a hole is made in the end of the shafts, so that when the shafts are lifted up the pin
attached to the bereinbefore described spring slips into the hereinbefore described
hole, and firmly holds the shafts in the required position. To release the shafts it
is merely necessary to pull the shafts down, or to press down the spring catch by
the thumb piece provided on the end of the spring; or the herein before described
pins may be placed in the ends of the shafts, the springs being provided with
suitable holes to receive them.
•
Our Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in step covers for carriages,
whereby we obviate the necessity of fixing the covers (as is now done) on the
carriage doors, which has hitherto been a source of damage to the bottoms of the
doors, causing them to become loose, and strained out of shape. In carrying out
this part of our Invention we hinge the step cover to the back part of the tread by
a short lever fixed thereon, and working through a slot formed in the stem of the
step, where it is attached to levers fixed under the bottom of the body, and working
through an opening in the bottom of the body, and connected to the door by means
of a rod and joints fixed to the frame. By opening the door the said rod is made

page_text: to pull, thus setting the two levers in motion, thereby raising the hinged cover to a
convenient position, and by placing a moveable catch on the door rod it acts as a
door stop by catching against the hind standing pillar, thus regulating the opening
of the door, the raising of the step cover, and effectually preventing the door hinges
from being strained. On the closing of the door the parts are carried back, and the
hinged cover is closed down tight upon the step, and there held firm by the short
lever attached thereto, making the step proof against mud, and if the tread and the
inside of the cover be lined with any suitable soft material, such as india-rubber,
carpet, or leather, the inside would be rendered watertight, and the usual vibration
and noise be avoided.
Lastly, my improvements relate to seating the bodies of carriages upon india-
rubber cushions, so as to assist the springs in producing an easy motion of the
carriages, and to lessen the vibration and noise produced when travelling in carriages
constructed with metal and wood connections as hitherto.
For this purpose we firmly. attach a metal box or pan with a number of lugs
on the sides thereof to the bottom parts of carriages; in this box we place an
india-rubber cushion constructed so as to line each side of the said box or pan, into
which are placed the bearings and iron work requiring to be fixed, such as the
undercarriage parts, "pump handles," stays, and scroll irons; the whole of which
are secured by coupling plates bolted to and under the lugs of the boxes or pans,
with layers of india-rubber placed between.
In the case of the "pump handles" used on carriages we reduce the vibration by
forming an eye or opening in the front ends, into which is placed an india-rubber
cushion or tube, and the whole is then fixed into a metal head, and secured by a
bolt passing through to keep it in position; the said open head can be made in
one piece, or solid with the box or pan, or made separate from it, and so fixed in
any required position.
Our improvements can be applied to carriages as at present constructed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Hinde Brockelbank and Benjamin Palmer Laws in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 5th June 1880.
ROBERT HINDE BROCKELBANK and BENJAMIN PALMER Laws, both of Islington,
in the County of Middlesex, Coach Builders. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE
TO CARRIAGES FOR COMMON ROmps."
Our improvements relate, firstly, to improved means of fixing the shafts of
carriages in any required position, either upright or oblique, when the carriage is
not in use; secondly, to improvements in step covers for carriages, whereby we
obviate the necessity of fixing the covers (as is now done) on the carriage doors,
which has hitherto been a source of damage to the bottoms of the doors, causing
them to become loose and strained out of shape; and, lastly, our improvements
relate to seating the bodies of carriages upon india rubber cushions, so as to assist
the springs in producing an easy motion of the carriage, and to lessen the vibration
and noise produced when travelling in carriages constructed with metal and wood
connections as hitherto.
But to make our Invention better understood we will proceed to describe the
same by reference to the accompanying Drawing.
Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a part of the futchells and shaft of a
carriage provided with our improved means for fixing the shaft in any required
position when the carriage is not in use, Figure 1 shewing the shaft raised and
fixed in an upright position, and Figure 2 shewing the shaft in its working
position.
In carrying out this part of our Invention we fix underneath the futchells at a
a spring b (shewn in detached view at Figures 3 and 4) such spring b being pro-
vided with a pin or catch c, and when required with a knob or thumb piece d;
and in the end of the shaft e we make a hole. By this arrangement if the shaft e
be lifted up the pin or catch c on the end of the spring b will slip into the herein-
before described hole in the end of the shaft e, as shewn in Figure 1, and the shaft
will be held in an upright position, or by altering the direction of the hole the shaft
may be held in any other desired position. To release the shaft it is merely
necessary to pull the shafts down, or to press down the spring b by means of the
knob or thumb piece d. It will be understood that the pins or catches c may be
placed on the ends of the shafts e, and the springs b provided with holes, whereby
the same effect may be produced to that herein before described.
We sometimes provide a socket or shoe, shewn in perspective view at Figure 5,
which we fix on the hind end of the shaft, the said shoe being provided with a
hole f, as seen in the end view at Figure 6, into which takes the hereinbefore
described pin or catch c, when the shaft is raised; Figure 7 is a side view of the
shoe or socket; and Figure 8 a view of the other end of the same, e being the shaft
placed therein, and k a groove to receive the bottom plate of the shaft.
The second part of our Invention is illustrated in Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
and 14.
Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views of the improved self acting step cover
and door step, Figure 9 shewing the step closed, and Figure 10 shewing the step
open, and Figure 11 is a perspective view of part of a brougham with the improved
step cover and door stop applied thereto.
In carrying out this part of our Invention we hinge the step cover i to the back
part of the tread j at kˆ by a short lever fixed thereon, and working through a
slot m formed in the stem n of the step; the lever Z is attached, as shewn, to the
jointed levers o and p fixed under the bottom of the carriage body, and working
through an opening 9 in the bottom of the body, and connected to the rolling
bar q moving on centres at t, u, such bar being connected to the door r by means

page_text: "
of a rods and joint t' fixed to the door frame. By opening the door r the said rod s
is made to pull, thus setting the two levers o and p in motion, thereby raising the
hinged cover i to a convenient position, as shewn in Figure 10, and by placing a
moveable catch r on the door rod s it acts as a door stop by catching against the
hind standing pillar w, as shewn in Figure 11, thus regulating the opening of the
door and the raising of the step cover, and effectually preventing the door hinges
from being strained. On the closing of the door the parts are carried back, and
the hinged cover i is closed down tight upon the step j, and there held firm by the
short lever attached thereto, making the step proof against mud, and if the tread
and the inside of the cover be lined with any suitable soft material, such as india-
rubber, carpet, or leather, the inside would be rendered watertight, and the usual
vibration and noise be avoided.
A modification of this arrangement is shewn in Figures 12, 13, and 14, in which
Figures 12 and 13 are side views of a door step with the mechanism for operating
the cover, the former Figure shewing the cover closed, and the latter Figure
shewing the cover raised, and Figure 14 is a front view of Figure 12.
In these Figures i, j, k, l, n, and o, refer to similar parts to. those described in
Figures 9, 10, and 11, but in this case the lever or connecting rod o is jointed to a
lever B placed close inside of the bottom of the doorway, and jointed at the other
end F, Figure 14, to a fixed pin or other suitable attachment; O is a spring of
suitable form and placed in any position convenient to operate the lever B up or
down, and for that purpose a suitably shaped lever D is placed at right angles with
the said lever B, with one of its ends resting on or below the lever B at a suitable
distance from the fixed point, the other end of the lever D rising from its fulcruin G
and extending over the rocker or threshold E of the doorway, the end H thereof
standing (when the door is open) outside the same a suitable distance, as shewn in
Figure 13, so that when the door of the carriage is closed it presses against the
end H, Figure 13, of the lever D, and pressing it raises the arm which raises with
it the lever B, thereby compressing the spring C, Figure 14, and lifting the rod o,
which by its connection with the hinged cover i causes the same to close down upon
the tread j of the step, and upon the door being opened the spring O being released
presses the lever B down, which acting upon the parts herein before described causes
the cover to open again.
The last part of our Invention is illustrated in Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, of
the accompanying Drawing.
In carrying out this part of our improvements we firmly attach a metal box or
pan with a number of lugs on the sides thereof to the bottom parts of carriages; in
this box we place an india rubber cushion constructed so as to line each side of the
said box or pan, into which are placed the bearings and iron work requiring to be
.fixed, such as the under carriage parts, "pump handles," stays, and scroll irons, the
whole of which are secured by coupling plates bolted to and under the lugs of the
boxes or pans with layers of india rubber placed between.
In the case of the " 'pump handles" used on carriages we reduce the vibration
by forming an eye or opening in the front ends into which is placed an india rubber
cushion or tube, and the whole is then fixed into a metal head and secured by a
bolt passing through to keep it in position; the said open head can be made in one
piece or solid with the box or pan, or made separate from it, and so fixed in any
required position.
"J
"pump
Figure 15 is a view of the hind part of a carriage shewing a "pump handle'
attached to the body according to our Invention; J is the "pump handle"; K is
the eye or opening in the front end, in which is placed the india rubber cushion or
tube; L is the box or case (shewn in section at Figure 17) with the "
handle" J embedded therein; M is the india rubber cushion. Figure 16 is an
enlarged view of the box or case detached; Figure 18 is a view shewing a cross
spring fixed; N, shewing the india rubber cushion, and Figure 19 shews the half
of a top bed with the cases containing the india rubber cushion O.
Our improvements can be applied to carriages as at present constructed.
"
.2

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the best means with
which we are acquainted for carrying the same into effect, we would have it under-
stood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein laid down, as
the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of our
Invention, but what we claim is,―
Firstly. The construction and application to carriages of a spring catch arrange-
ment for holding the shaft in any desired position when the carriages are not in
use, substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 1 to 8 of the
accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for raising and
lowering the covers of carriage steps by the opening and closing of the carriage
doors, as herein before described and shewn in Figures 9 to 11 of the accompanying
Drawing, or the modification of the arrangement shewn in Figures 12 to 14 of the
Drawing.
Thirdly. The combination with the mechanism for raising and lowering the step
cover of the self acting door stop, as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figure 11
of the Drawing.
Fourthly. Seating the bodies of carriages on india rubber cushions, as and for
the purpose herein before described and shewn in Figures 15 to 19 of the annexed
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Hinde Brockelbank, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Benjamin Palmer Laws, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
R. H. BROCKELBANK. (L.S.)