IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
JOHN SWAINE HEPBURN, of Notting Hill Terrace, in the County of Middlesex,
Captain H. P. unattached, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of June,
in the fourteenth year of Her reign, did give and grant unto me, the
said Francis John Swaine Hepburn, my exors, admors, and assigns, our
especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Francis John Swaine Hepburn, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Francis John Swaine Hepburn, my exors, adiñors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES," within that part of
Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the
Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her
said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad; in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso requiring that I, the said Francis John Swaine
Hepburn, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument

page_text: in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be enrolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis John Swaine Hepburn, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by this present Instrument, reference
being had to the accompanying two Sheets of illustrative Drawings, that is
to say:-
My Invention consists in ventilating carriages, and other vehicles and
conveyances, by constructing them with a second or interior roof or lining in
addition to an ordinary or other exterior roof, the said interior roof or lining
being composed of perforated metal, cloth, or some other substance or material
permeable to air, or having apertures therein, and the chamber or chambers
between the roofs having apertures in its sides, or being otherwise constructed
to communicate with the external atmosphere. And, having now set forth
the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to describe the said Drawings,
in illustration of the manner in which it is to performed.
In Drawing No. 1, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carriage, commonly
known as a "Clarence." Figure 2 is a back elevation. Figure 3 is a longitudinal
and vertical section of the body, taken through the line Z, Z, in Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the upper portion. Figure 5 is a transverse
section of the upper portion, taken through the line Y, Y, in Figure 1. Figure 6
is an inverted half plan view of the interior roof or lining. Figures 7 and 8
are sectional views of one of two apertures (furnished with valves) which form
a communication, when desired, between the external atmosphere and the
chamber or chambers before mentioned, the former Figure shewing the valve
open, and the latter shewing it closed. a is an ordinary external roof,
supported on the upper part of the hoopsticks or framing b. c is the interior
roof supported on the framing d, and by the under side of the hoopsticks.
This roof is shewn most clearly in the detached view, Figure 6, where it is re-
presented as composed of a piece of perforated zinc covered with cloth, a corner
of the latter being turned back, to expose the former to view. e is the chamber
between the two roofs. f,f, are apertures in the sides of the chamber which com-
municate with the external atmosphere. g,g, are valves for closing these aper-
tures when desired. These may be opened by pulling the looped cord h, with
which they are furnished (see Figures 7 and 8), and passing it over the stud i.
On releasing the loop, the valve will close by the action of the spring k. The

page_text: constructing the interior roof in the manner set forth and described effects a
division of the current of air into minute streams, which avoids the incon-
venience of direct and strong currents; but if in any case it should be
desirable to increase the circulation of air to a greater extent, the valves I, I,
in the interior roof may be opened for the purpose. m is a valve in the
lower portion of the front of the carriage, which may be opened when
desired. The other parts of the carriage are constructed in the ordinary
manner.
In Drawing No. 2, Figure 9 is a side elevation of a first-class railway
carriage, a portion of the roof being represented in section, to shew the mode
of constructing it according to my Invention. Figure 10, a transverse section
through the line X, X, in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a similar view through
the line W, W, Figure 9. Figure 12 is a transverse section of the over-
hanging portion of the roof, drawn to a larger scale, to shew more clearly
the valve between the chamber and the external atmosphere. In this carriage
a series of these chambers are formed by fixing the interior roof c of perforated
zinc, covered with cloth, on to and against the under side of the several
hoopsticks or framing b which support the planking or external roof a; and
as the ends of the several hoopsticks rest upon the top rail or upper longi-
tudinal framing p of the carriage, it is evident that between each there will
be an aperture or communication with the atmosphere, which may be closed
by a valve g, as shewn in the transverse section, and most distinctly in
Figure 12. The closing may be effected by a cord, as there shewn; and
when this is released, the weight of the valve will cause it to fall and lie open,
as shewn in dotted lines. In order to give as much head room as possible
opposite to the door in each compartment of the carriage, the interior roof
need not be fixed or applied at those portions, and in such case, if the
perforated zinc and cloth should not afford sufficient circulation of air a more
direct communication with the external atmosphere may be established through
the sides of the two middle hoopsticks of each compartment. The transverse
section, Figure 11, and the compartment shewn on the extreme right hand in
the elevation (Figure 9) shew the manner in which I construct the hoopsticks
for this purpose, that is to say, of two strips of iron with blocks of wood placed
between them; and if desired, a sliding plate with orifices in it may be made
to act as a valve, to open or close the passages between the blocks when
necessary.
I would wish it to be understood, that, although I have described perforated
zinc covered with cloth as the material I prefer to use for the interior roofing,
the same may be made of perforated metal only, or cloth only, or of wire

page_text: gauze, or of wire gauze and cloth, or of any other suitable substance, material,
or combination of substances or materials which will serve to divide the air into
minute streams, and avoid violent or strong currents. The valves may also
be shewn in any other convenient modes than those represented in the
Drawings. It is also to be understood, that, although I have only shewn my
Invention as applied to a Clarence and to a railway carriage, the same may be
adapted to a passenger canal boat, or to a palanquin, or to an omnibus, or
any other description of roofed or enclosed carriage or vehicle.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis John Swaine Hepburn, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.