IMPROVEMENTS IN LANDAUS AND SIMILAR CARRIAGES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LANDAUS AND SIMILAR CARRIAGES." A communication
from abroad by Hilaire Fanon, of Pau, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th December 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANDAUS AND SIMILAR
CARRIAGES." [A communication from abroad by Hilaire Fanon, of Pau,
France.]
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of carriages known as
landaus or similar carriages, and consists essentially in a novel arrangement for
supporting the driver's or coachman's seat and the fore carriage, whereby I am
enabled to dispense with the wooden boot or box ordinarily employed, and to
considerably reduce the length of the carriage and consequently its weight. The
cost of manufacture is thereby lessened, and the carriage being of lighter weight,
and the front and rear wheels nearer to each other than in landaus as ordinarily
made, considerably less tractive power has to be exerted, which is a great advantage
under all circumstances, but more especially so when the carriage has to travel over
difficult roads.
My improved landau is very comfortable, and four persons may occupy the
interior of the same with perfect ease; moreover the driver's seat being so arranged
as to be readily taken down and removed, the carriage may be driven from inside
like the carriages known by the name of "Victoria" and "Duke."
In carrying the said Invention into practice, the wooden boot or box upon which
the coachman's seat is ordinarily placed, and which serves to attach the carriage to
the front springs, is entirely dispensed with, and in its place I employ two rods or
bars which are attached to the under part of the front portion of the carriage and
project forward; they rest upon the fore carriage, the latter being such as is ordinarily
used in vehicles of this kind. To the said bars I attach, by means of bolts, uprights
made entirely of metal to support the coachman's seat. The latter is jointed, and

page_text: may be turned over to permit of the front hood being folded back when the carriage
is desired to be opened. When it is lowered the lamps remain fixed to the said
uprights which support the coachiman's seat.
The said uprights may be dismounted or detached by simply removing the nuts
which serve to fasten them to the aforesaid projecting bars, and when this is done,
a person in the interior of the carriage may drive, which has never been heretofore
provided for in a landau. The said improved landau may be driven from inside
even when closed, it being only necessary to provide in the front part of the carriage
an opening for the purpose.
The brake is arranged in the ordinary manner, and a simple mechanical
contrivance of any suitable description will be employed to connect the same with
the interior of the carriage, so that the said brake may be operated from within
whenever the coachman's seat is removed.
It will be readily understood that by means of the construction above described
I considerably reduce the length of the landau, and consequently the distance
between the front and rear wheels is diminished, by which means I provide &
vehicle of light weight without sacrificing any of its advantages with regard to
elegance or comfort.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th June 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LANDAUS AND SIMILAR
CARRIAGES." A communication from abroad by Hilaire Fanon, of Pau,
France.
This Invention relates to improvements in landaus and similar carriages or
vehicles, and consists essentially in a novel arrangement for supporting the driver's
or coachman's seat and the fore carriage, whereby I am enabled to dispense with
the wooden boot or box ordinarily employed, and to considerably reduce the length
of the carriage and consequently its weight. The cost of manufacture of the
carriage is thereby lessened, and the carriage being of lighter weight and the front
and rear wheels nearer to each other than in landaus as ordinarily constructed,
considerably less tractive power has to be exerted, which is a great advantage under
all circumstances, but more especially so when the carriage has to travel over
difficult roads.
My improved landau having its length thus reduced is very comfortable, and four
persons may occupy the interior of the same with perfect ease; moreover the driver's
seat being so arranged as to be readily dismounted, any person seated in the
carriage may drive, as in the carriages known by the names of the "Victoria” and
the "Duke."
The accompanying Drawing represents a convenient method of carrying my
Invention into practice. In this Drawing,
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved landau, and
Figures 2 and 3 represent a modified form of the same, hereinafter described.
It will be seen by reference to the Drawing that the wooden boot or box upon
which the coachman's scat is ordinarily placed, and which serves to attach the
carriage to the front springs, is entirely dispensed with, and that it is replaced
simply by two iron rods, beams, or bars A attached to the body or frame B, and
resting upon the fore carriage, which is of the construction ordinarily employed in
vehicles of this kind. To the bars AI attach, by means of bolts, the uprights C
formed entirely of metal; I thus provide a frame to support the coachman's seat D.
This seat is jointed or hinged, and may be turned over, as shewn in dotted lines in
Figure 1, to permit the front hood to be folded back when it is desired to have the
carriage open, the lamps remaining fixed to the said uprights or supports C of the
coachman's seat.
The uprights C are so arranged that they may be dismounted or detached by
simply removing the nuts which serve to fasten them to the bars A, and when this
is done, a person in the interior of the carriage may drive; this has never been
heretofore provided for in a landau The driving moreover may be effected from
the inside of the landau, even when the latter is closed, it being only necessary to
provide in the front part of the carriage an opening for this purpose.
The brake is arranged in the ordinary manner in my improved landau, and a
simple mechanical contrivance of any suitable description may be employed to
enable the said brake to be operated from the interior of the carriage whenever the
coachman's seat is removed
In the modification illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the supports for the coachman's
seat are shewn hinged to the aforesaid metal bars A, fixed upon the body of the
vehicle to serve as a support for the seat, and for the attachment of the fore
carriage.
As above stated, the wooden boot or box which forms the front part of landaus
is simply replaced by two iron rods or bars A attached to the body B and resting

page_text: on the ordinary fore carriage of vehicles of this kind. Upon the bars A are placed
the supports C, formed entirely of metal, each of the said supports being fixed to
the said bars by a bolt. These supports are hinged or jointed as shewn, and may
be turned over with the seat upon a support to leave room for the lowering of the
front hood E; the lamps and the brake apparatus F which are attached to the
adjustable supports or frame, move with the latter in its adjustment, and by reason
of the jointed connections, shewn in the Drawing, the adjustment of the said frame
may be effected without difficulty, whether the brake is "on" or "off.”
It will be understood from the above description that by this arrangement the
forwardly projecting portions E of the hood can occupy a position partly below the
coachman's seat, which is connected at its front part solely with the two pieces C
which serve as supports; this arrangement has for its principal object to reduce the
length of the carriage, and consequently the distance between the wheels.
The supports C, as above described, may be dismounted and removed by simply
withdrawing the bolts which serve to secure them upon the bars A.; the driving
may then be effected from the interior of the carriage, which has not been hitherto
provided for in this class of carriage.
It will be readily understood that by the method of constructing landaus above
described I considerably reduce the length of the landaus, and consequently the
distance between the front and rear wheels is diminished, by which means I provide
a vehicle of light weight without sacrificing any of its advantages with regard to
elegance or comfort.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
-
First. In a landau or similar carriage, the employment in the place of the ordinary
box or boot, which serves as a support for the fore carriage and the coachman's seat,
of a peculiarly constructed frame consisting of a series of metal bars and supports,
as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. The metal seat supports, mounted upon the aforesaid rods or bars, and
secured thereto in such a manner that the said supports may be readily removed to
permit the carriage to be driven from the interior of the same, as above set forth.
Third. The arrangement of the hinged seat, supported in such a manner as to
leave a space for the lowering of the front hood of the carriage, as above set
forth.
Fourth. The arrangement, as shewn in Figures 2 and 3, of the box serving as a
seat, and provided with supports hinged or jointed to the bars in such a manner
as to enable it to be turned down forwardly to permit the passage of the front hood
of the carriage, by which arrangement I reduce the length of the latter, and
consequently the distance between its wheels, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
EXTRE DANT Tn