Improvements in and relating to Mail Carts or Children. 11 Go-carts
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
[Communicated from abroad by ISAAC NEWTON DANN, of 5:39, Orange Street, New
Haven, in the County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of
America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in and relating to Mail Carts or
Children.
11 Go-carts" for
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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: -
"children's go-carts";
My invention relates to that class of vehicles known as
and it has for its object to provide a vehicle of this nature so constructed that
it can be quickly and readily converted from a go-cart adapted to carry a child
of sufficient age to sit upright, into a wheeled crib adapted to carry a very young
child in a reclining position, and vice-versa.
To this end my invention consists in the go-cart constructed and operating as
hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals designate like parts in both
views, Figure 1 is a side view of a go-cart embodying the invention, with the
near wheel removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.
Upon the axle 1 of the two wheels 2 is supported, through suitable springs 3,
the frame of the go-cart, consisting of two side bodies and an intermediate con-
necting-seat 4. Each of the side bodies is preferably composed of a rail 5,
extending horizontally along one side of the seat 4 to the rear of the vehicle,
and thence curved upwardly and rearwardly to form the propelling handle, a
rail 6 connected at its rear end to the rail at the proper height to secure the
desired width of side and extending thence forwardly parallel with the horizontal
portion of rail 5 to the front end of the vehicle, and thence curved downwardly
nearly to the floor-line, where it carries a small wheel or roller 7, and suitable
intermediate wicker-work 8 or other material filling the space between said
rails 5 6. A handle-bar 9 unites the projecting ends of the rails 5, and two
braces 10 extending rearwardly and downwardly from the frame nearly to the
floor-line, retain said frame in a position when the vehicle is at rest in which the
seat 4 is substantially horizontal, while the depending ends of the rails 6 and
their wheels 7, serve to prevent any undue forward tilting of the frame. At the
rear end of the seat 4 a back 12 is pivotally connected to the frame at a point a
short distance above its lower end, and at the front end of said seat a foot-rest 13
is similarly connected at its upper end to the frame, whereby said back and foot-
rest are adapted to be moved to an angular position to the seat, and connecting-
rods 14, connecting the lower end of the back with the foot-rest, cause the
movements of said parts to be simultaneous. A rod 15, projecting rearwardly
from the back 12 at its lower end, has a sliding movement through a clamping-
073

page_text: hub 16 on the frame, said hub having a set-screw, by tightening which against
said rod the back and foot-rest are locked in any position of adjustment.
I prefer to provide the foot-rest with an adjustable step or foot-board 17,
which can be set at different heights upon said rest, and, as herein shown, such
adjustment is secured by means of links 18, which embrace the side rods of the
foot-rest, and a series of teeth projecting from the under side of said rods, with
which the links are adapted to successively engage to hold the footboard at any
desired height.
When the vehicle is to be used as a go-cart, the back 12 and foot-rest 13 are
locked in a substantially vertical position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1,
whereupon the vehicle is adapted for all of the uses to which a go-cart is
usually put.
To convert the vehicle into a crib, it is necessary simply to loosen the set-screw
of the clamping-hub 16, and tilt the back, and through the latter the foot-rest
to the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1, locking them in such position
by again tightening the set-screw. A mattress or other bedding can now be
placed in the vehicle, being retained therein by the side bodies of the frame, and
it is adapted to answer all of the purposes of the ordinary crib, with the added
advantages that it is on wheels, and takes up much less floor-space than the latter.
By making the side bodies of the frame in the manner described, I secure great
strength with little weight, give to the frame a pleasing and graceful appearance,
and reduce the cost of manufacture to a minimum.
My invention is applied to go-carts having a single axle with a wheel at either
end thereof, the seat and back being arranged so that when the go-cart is being
used as a vehicle the weight of the body will be balanced over the axle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is: —
1. In a go-cart, the combination with a frame mounted between two wheels
and supported above the axle of said cart, and having a stationary seat and
rearwardly projecting handle, of a back pivotally connected to said frame at the
rear end of said seat, substantially midway between the ends of the sides of said
frame, and in substantially a direct line above the said axle, a foot-rest pivotally
connected to the frame at the front end of said seat, intermediate connections
between said back and foot-rest for causing them to move in unison, and means,
as a rod and clamping-hub for locking said back and foot-rest at any angle to
said seat, substantially as described.
2. In a go-cart, the combination with the axle and wheels, of a body supported
above the said axle substantially midway of its length, intermediate springs
between the said axle and body, the said body comprising a stationary seat, sidé
frames projecting substantially the same distance to the front and rear of said
axle, rearwardly projecting handles forming part of the side frames, a tilting
back pivoted to the said body in substantially a direct line above the said axle,
a foot-rest and lever connections between said back and foot-rest, substantially
as described.
3. In a go-cart, the combination with the stationary seat, pivotally supported
back and foot-rest, and means for communicating the motion of one of said latter
parts to the other, of a foot-board, as 17, adjustably mounted upon said foot-rest.
and means, as the links 18, and series of teeth on the foot-rest, for securing said
footboard at different heights upon the foot-rest, substantially as described.
4. In a go-cart, the combination with the frame and the back and foot-rest
pivotally supported upon said frame, of the clamping-hub 16 on said frame, and
the rod 15 projecting rearwardly from said back and adapted for a sliding move-
ment through said clamping hub, substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. In a child's go-cart, the combination with the two wheels and their axle, of
the frame supported upon the said axle and having two side bodies, each of which

page_text: is composed of a single rail 5 forming the bottom boundary thereof and bent
upwardly and rearwardly to form a handle, a single rail 6 forming the upper
boundary of said side body, secured to said rail 5 above the level of the seat and
extending in a plane substantially parallel therewith nearly to the front end of
the vehicle where it is curved downwardly nearly to the floor-line and carrying
a wheel at its front end, and suitable intermediate filling material between
said rails, substantially as described.
11
قت
1
e T 1200
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.