Improvements in Coaches and other Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHAUNCEY THOMAS, of 14, Linwood Square, Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Carriage Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Coaches and other Wheeled Vehicles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
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 :-
This invention relates to coaches and other wheeled vehicles and is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings in which ;
Figure 1, is a side elevation of a four-passenger coach body, embodying my
invention; the side glasses being in position for, service, and the falling pillars raised
and connected with the top.
Figure 2, shows the same body, but with the side glasses and pillars lowered, to
give an open side to the body.
Figure 3, is a view similar to Figure 2, except that it shows my invention as applied
to a two, instead of a four passenger carriage.
Figure 4, is a detached sectional inverted plan view, the section being taken on
line Z, Figure 1, and the view being from below that line, showing one side of
the top.
Figure 5, is a sectional plan view, the section being the same as in Figure 4, but
the view is from above the section line.
Figure 6, is an enlarged section taken on line X, Figure 2, and showing the side
glasses disposed in the door, to give an open side to the body.
Figure 7, shows a portion of the top side-rail, with the pillar-securing dove-tail
secured to the iron reenforce of the rail.
Figure 8, is an inside view of the upper portion of one of the falling pillars with its
securing plate attached to it.
Figure 9, is a detached vertical section taken through the top side-rail, a falling
pillar, and the dove-tail by which the pillar is secured to the rail.
Figure 10, is a detached sectional elevation,-the section being taken in the fore
and aft line of the body, showing the hinge of the falling pillar, in side elevation, and
the adjacent wood work in vertical section.
Figure 11, is a similar view of the same parts, but viewed at right angles relatively
to Figure 10.
Figure 12, is an enlarged detailed vertical section, showing the means and method
of locking the falling pillars in place when raised into position for use.
The object of my invention is to produce a coach or analogous vehicle, which can
at pleasure be converted into a close body in cold or stormy weather, or for any
reason; or may have either or both sides entirely open, thus converting it into a top
vehicle, with an unobstructed view from either or both sides. And it consists in a
carriage having a top fixed in position and supported at the ends thereof, with falling
pillars between the ends of the body, hinged at their lower ends, and interlocked
at their upper ends with the top side-rail; the upper portion or panel of the doors and
the quarter panels of the body being preferably of glass, and all arranged to be
removed; preferably, into the lower part of the door which is formed to receive
them. The top side rail and the devices by which the pillars interlock therewith, being
also novel.
Referring again to the drawings, A, represents the top; B, the back corner pillars;
and C, the front corner pillars; all said parts being constructed in permanent
relation to each other, as is usual in coach building. I form the side rail D, of the
top, with three longitudinal parallel parts or members, to wit; the outer part a,
of

page_text: wood; the inner part b, also of wood, and the interposed or middle part c, of metal ;
this latter being preferably seated in a rebate cut in part b,-figure 9,-and thereto
firmly secured by screws, after which-parts a, and b, are united by means of glue and
screws.
It will be clearly seen by reference to Figures 7, and 9, that the metal part c, of
rail D, extends belów parts a, b; the object of this rail, thus arranged, being three-
fold first, it affords the requisite strength and rigidity, without having the bar of
undesirable size; second, it furnishes a stop or lateral support for the sash of the side
glasses; the top rail of the door sash f, closing against the outer face of c, while the
top rails of the quarter sashes d, e, bear against the inner face thereof; and third, the
dove-tail locks g, to which the heads of the falling pillars are secured, as will be
explained, - are secured to said part c, as is clearly shown in Figure 7.
The falling pillars h, are arranged directly above the pillars i, between which the
door E, is arranged; said pillars h, having secured to their lower ends a hinge-plate j,
having an integral arm k, which passes down into pillar i, and is pivoted at 7, in
cars m, of angle-plate n, which is secured in the rebate faces of pillar i, in a manner
well known, and as shown in detail in Figures 10, and 11. At the upper ends of
pillars h, there is secured to the inner side, a plate p, having an undercut oblique
groove 7, corresponding to dove-tails g, and to receive the same when the pillars are
raised in position, as shown in Figure 1; a kuurl-headed set-screws, being threaded
in plate c, and dove-tail and arranged to enter seat t, in the bottom of groove q,
to firmly lock pillars h, in place and prevent the possibility of vertical vibration of the
top, or consequent rattling; as plate p, is thereby firmly pressed against dove-tail g.
The door-glass, having sash f, is seated in and supported by the old and well known
grooved metallic clappers" w, which are hinged to the top part of the door E, which
constitutes a portion of what is termed the "belt-rail."
When the door-glass is lowered into the pocket in the door, as shown in Figure 6,
said clappers are turned down, as shown in Figures 2, and 3. The rear quarter
glass d, is moved through run way u, in the head of the rear pillar i, to bring it above
the door in order to lower it into the pocket therein; and glass e, is moved in the
same manner through groove v, in front pillar i, see Figure 5.
I am aware that it is not new to employ falling pillars at the sides of the body of
other classes of carriages; nor yet is it new to so arrange the door pocket and the
quarter glasses that the latter may be moved in ways to the door and lowered therein;
but I am, I believe, the first to embody in the same vehicle a permanent top, falling
pillars, and removable side glasses; for heretofore when falling pillars have been
employed, they, with the pivoted bows at the rear of the body, constituted the sole
support of the top, and the portion of the top supported by each pair of pillars rose
and fell therewith, and hence when one side of the vehicle was opened or closed, in
part or in whole, the other side was necessarily in the same condition; but by
combining a permanent standing top with falling pillars and removable side glasses,
either side of the body may be opened entirely and the other side closed entirely,
or to any desired extent; and with permanent ends, as shown at x, y, the occupants
may, in windy or stormy weather, enjoy the pleasures and comfort of both an open
and closed carriage, by entirely closing the then windward side and opening the
leeward side; or the entire carriage may be closed, or both sides entirely opened
so as to give a view at both sides unobstructed by any part of the body.
Instead of hinging pillars h, to the body so as to be turned down, when the side is
to be opened, those pillars may be so connected with the body, at both their ends, as
to be removable, at will; and when so removed may be placed in a properly formed
receptacle in the "neck of the body, or beneath the driver's seat.
But I prefer to
hinge these pillars at their lower ends, as described.
"
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 carriage of the general class described, the combination of a top having

page_text: permanent supports at the ends thereof, falling pillars hinged to the body and arranged
to be secured to said top when raised, and removable side glasses arranged to close
the space between the permanent lower portion of the body and top, substantially as
specified.
2. As an improvement in coach tops, the top rail thereof, formed with the outer and
inner portions a, b, of wood, and the thin metallic bar c, interposed therein and
arranged as the partition or stop of the glasses, substantially as specified.
3. In combination with the falling pillars and top, the dove-tail g, having both
transverse and lineal oblique faces, and plate t, having a groove to receive said
dove-tail, substantially as specified.
4. In combination with dove-tail g, and plate t, grooved as specified, the locking
screw s, combined and arranged as specified.
Dated this 25th day of June 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.