Certain Improvements in Children's Carriages and Mail Carts.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Children's Carriages and Mail Carts.
1, ELI JOHN HCMPHRY, of 105, Oakfield Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham,
Warwickshire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:--
This invention has reference to children's carriages and mail carts and consists in
constructing the said carriages and mail carts as herein described so that they can
more readily be converted from single carriages or mail earts for one occupant
into double carriages or mail carts for two occupants and also be used for a child to
lie down in. My Invention can similarly be applied to convertible double mail
carts or carriages
According to the first part of this Invention I make an apron for a children's
carriage in the way hereinafter described so that the said apron will also serve as a
seat and back rest for another child in front of the fixed seat of the carriage or
will form an extension to the said fixed seat on which a child can lie down. I
make the said apron of a number of parallel wooden papier mache or other rods
tubes strips or bars or bamboo or other canes of a flat or round or other suitable
cross section extending across the apron and secured together by one or more
leather or other flexible strips or bands nailed glued or otherwise secured to the
said rods tubes bars strips or canes at right angles thereto, or by the rods tubes
bars strips or canes being threaded on to wires or strings or by being tied together
with strings, wires or the like or hinged together thus making an apron which is
flexible if bent in a horizontal direction but which is rigid in a direction at right
angles thereto; thus the said apron will readily adapt itself to the curved or
straight ends of the side of the carriage. When required as a seat for a second
occupant the said apron is turned into such a position that one part of the apron
forms the seat and the other part of the apron forms the back rest of the seat this
back rest being supported by the shafts or other part of the frame of the carriage.
The lower part of the apron is in this arrangement hinged or otherwise connected
to the front of the well, or the said apron may be extended down so as to also form
the well or the bottom and frout of the same; or the apron may be hung at the top
from the shafts or handles of the mail cart and be arranged to connect at the
bottom to the body or well of the same.
In another arrangement of this Invention the said apron made of the said rods
tubes strips or canes as above described, is arranged to slide along the curved
shafts or along curved guides fixed thereto and also along curved guides at the sides
of the body of the carriage so that when the said apron is slided in one direction,
that is towards the body of the mailcart, the apron occupies a curved or inclined
position and serves as the apron for the occupant of the fixed seat of the mail cart
and may also answer as a seat and seat back for the second child facing the shafts.
When the said apron is slided in the opposite direction that is towards and along the
shafts, the said apron will then take a curved shape and serve as a seat and seat

page_text: back for the second child with its back to the shafts. Or the said apron can be
elided into such a position that it will form a continuation of the fixed seat to
enable a child to lie down in the mailcart.
The well may if desired as in some other children's carriages be made to slide to
and fro underneath the fixed seat of the carriage, and in this case what I have
described as the apron will when the well is pushed back under the sent turn
down below the well and form a protection to the back of the child's legs. The
said apron will also as above described form the front seat and its back rest when
the well is drawn forward, or will turn up and form an apron.
Instead of making the combined flexible apron and seat and sent back of tubes
rods or bars threaded or otherwise connected together as above described,
I may make the said combined apron and seat of a piece of leather or woven fabric
such as carpet, saddlebag or velvet which is fixed to the front of the well as above
described and will either turn up to form the apron or can be fixed in a forward
position to form the sent and sent back as above described, the upper end being
hooked or otherwise connected on to a cross bar on the shaft or to some other part
of the carriage so as to form as it were a hammock seat in front of the well or
an apron.
According to another part of this Invention I make a children's convertible
mail cart as follows which can readily be converted and used for two children to sit
in face to face or back to back or for a child to lie down in.
I provide a suitable mailcart body and 1 make the two ends and seats of the mail
rart flexible in the manner above described with reference to the aprons and
certain other parts of children's carriages that is to say, I make the combined seat
and one end of the carriage in one piece of the flexible framework and I make the
combined seat and the other end of the carriage in another piece of flexible fraire-
work. Both of these flexible seats and ends will run in guides or grooves in the
sides of the mail cart and can be drawn up to meet at the centre of the body where
the guides or grooves turn up so that those parts which formed the flexible seats
for the two occupants face to face will now stand up and form the backs of the seats
for two children sitting back to back.
When required for a child to lie down in, the flexible frame works are drawn up
at the ends as when the mail cart is required for two children to sit in face to face
but the space or well between the two seats has to be filled up by a board or by
other means as in other carriages. Or the said space can be filled up by the two
sliding frame works being slided together, along grooves of the proper shape in
the sides of the mail cart or carriage.
According to another part of this invention the said flexible apron is provided with
a spring roller at the bottom so that the apron will wind up when not required for
Suitable tabs hooks or other appliances are provided at the upper end r
corners of the apron to engage with hooks buttons or like contrivances on the sides
of the carriage to keep the apron in position when in use.
Dated this 19th day of August, 1896.
CHARLES BOSWORTEL KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant
Certain Improvements in Children's Carriages and Mail Carts.
1, EL JOHN HUMPHRY, of 105, Oakfield Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham,
Warwickshire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described aad
ascertained in and by the following statement:-

page_text: This invention has reference to children's carriages and mail carts and consists
in constructing the said carriages and mail carts as herein described so that they
can more readily he converted from single carriages or mail, carts for one occupant
into double carriages or mail carts for two occupants and also be used for a child
to lie down in.
I will describe my Invention by referring to the nccompanying drawings on
which Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan of a body of a children's
carriage or mail cart with me form of any Invention applied thereto; Fig. 3
shews the same parts as Fig. 1 arranged for two children to sit in face to face;
Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of a children's carriage illustrating a modifica-
tion of my Invention and Fig. 5 shows a part of the same separately in plan; Fig. 6
is a front elevation and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the apron part of the carriage
shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 on an enlarged seale; Fig. 8 is a sectional side elevation
and Fig. 9 is a plan of a children's carnage or mail cart illustrating another
arrangement of my invention; Fig. 10 shews the same parts as Fig. 8 arrangedi
for two children to occupy the carriage sitting face to face; Figs. 11 and 12
are sectional elevations of a slightly modified form of a mailcart shewn by
Figs. 8, 9 and 10; Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation of a mailcart illustrating another
arrangement of my Invention; Figs. 14 and 15 are sectional elevations of a
mailcart body illustrating another arrangement of my said Invention; and Fig. 16
is a sectional elevation of a mailcart illustrating another arrangement of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures of the drawings.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 according to the
first part of this Invention I make aud arrange the apron for a children's carriage
in the ways hereinafter described so that the said apron will also serve as a seat
and back rest for another child in front of the fixed seat a' of the carriage body A
or will form an extension to the said fixed seat on which a child can lie down.
I employ an apron B made of a number of parallel wooden papier mache or other
rods, tubes, strips or bars or bamboo or other canes & preferably of a round shape
in cross section (although they may be flat or of other euitable shape) extending
across the apron from side to side and secured together by being threaded
wires or strings thus making an apron which is flexible if bent in a
horizontal direction that is parallel with the strips but which is rigid in a
direction at right angles thereto. Thus the said apron will readily adapt itself to
the curved or straight ends of the sides of the carriage or the curved shape of the
shafts. Instead of the rods tubes bars strips or canes being connected together
by being threaded on to wires or strings as above described they may be similarly,
connected together to form the apron by bring glued mailed or otherwise fixed to
flexible leather or other cross strips or bands such for instance as indicated by
dotted lines in Figs. 6 and 7 and marked d. The lower edge 6 of the apron B
is connected to the top of the front of the well and when the apron Bis
required to he used as an apron for the occupant of the fixed scat a' the apron is
turned to the position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 so as to lie upon the curved sides of
the carriage body A and is retained in this position by any convenient means
as by the hooks fixed to the upper edge of the apron and hooked on to
studs g g fixed to the sides of the body A. When the apron B is required to serve
as a sent for a second occupant the apron B is turned to the position shewn in
Fig. 3 and so as to rest upon the curved shafts, the hooks of the apron
being hooked on to the cross bar fixed on the shafts 3 so that the apron in
this position will as shewn in Fig. 3 form a seat and back rest for a child with its feet
in the well E facing the child sitting on the fixed seat. When this carriage
is required for a child to lie down in the usual flap a is turned over as usual to
over the well E.
Or the apron B may be arranged to slide in either direction along the curved
shafts or along curved guides fixed thereto and also along curved guides at the
sides of the body of the carriage so as to either occupy a curved or inclined

page_text: position and serve as an apron for the occupant of the fixed seat (and in this
position also answer if desired as a seat and seat back for a second child facing the
shafts) or when slided in the opposite direction, that is towards and along the
shafts, the apron will then take a curved shape and serve as a seat and seat back
for a second child with its back to the shafts. Or the said apron can be slided into
such a position that it will form a combination of the fixed seat for a child to lie
down on in the mail cart.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate one arrangement of my Invention where the said apron B
is made to slide as aud for the purposes stated above. In this arrangement there
is along each side of the mail cart body and shafts corresponding with the positions
which the apron B is to occupy, two curved rods or tubes marked ' h which at
their onds are fixed respectively to the shafts and to the sides of the carriage and
are also fixed to the same by brackets h these tubes or rods forming guides for
the apron B which in this case is made with the eyes or runners 6 at each side
adapted to slide on the rods or tubes h h so that the apron cau either be slided
up along the rods or tubes h h to occupy the position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 and
serve as an apron, or the said apron B cau be slided in the opposite direction that
is along the curved shafts and occupy a position corresponding with that
shewn in Fig. 3 and serve as a seat and seat back for a second child facing the
fixed seat a'.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 shew another way in which I may arrange the apron B so
that it can be slided along to serve as an apron proper or as a seat and seat back.
In this arrangement of the sides of the apron 1, that is the ends of the strips &
forming the apron, are arranged to slide along curved grooved guides 1' 1' fixed
respectively to the top of the curved sides of the carriage body A and along the
shafts of the same so that the apron B can be slided along the same to occupy
either the position shewn by Figs. 8 and 9 and serve as an apron for the occupaut
of the fixed seat a', or the apron B can be slided along the shafts FF in the
opposite direction to occupy the position shewn in Fig. 10 and serve as a seat and
seat back for a child facing the fixed seat a'. When the 'aprou B, in addition to
serving as an apron proper for the fixed seat and a seat and seat back
for a second occupant, is also required to cover the well E forming an extension of
the fixed seat a' then in this case grooves or runners I have to be made at each
side of the carriage body at the top of the well E from the front of the fixed seat a'
into the guides II as shewn in Figs. 11 and 12, so that the apron B can if desired
as ahewn by Fig. 12, be slided along these guides to serve as a continuation of the
fixed seat a to enable a child to lie down thereon. There is or may be in all cases
the usual hinged flap a which is hinged to the front of the fixed seat al and turns
over and closes the well when the carriage is required for a child to lie
down in.
Figs. 14 and 15 shew another way in which I may arrange the sliding apron B
In this case the said apron B and its guides 1' 1 are extended not only along the
sides of the body A but also down the front and bottom of the well E so that when
the apron B is not required for use it can as shewn in Fig. 15 be slided down along
the guides 1 1 and occupy a position below the bottom of the well E as represented
in Fig. 15.
Fig. 13 shews another way in which I may arrange the said apron B and this
is like the arrangement last above described but with the addition of the
guides 11 aloug the shafts F so that the apron B can either be up along the
guides and occupy a position shewn by Fig. 14 and serve as an apron for
the occupant of the fixed seat a', or the said apron can be slided down out of the way
underneath the well E, or as shewn in Fig 13 the apron B can be slided up over the
alafts F to serve as a seat and seat back for a child facing the fixed seat a¹
Fig. 16 shews aunther arrangement of my Invention where the single carriage
body A is made with the usual fixed seat a and a well E below the seat and at a
certain distance in front of the fixed seat at the apron B is arranged to slide along
the guides II which are in this case made somewhat of a U-shape so that

page_text: e apron B can be run up along the guides in one direction to occupy the position
hown by Fig. 16 to form a seat and seat back for a child with its back to the
afts facing the fixed seat a', or the said flexible apron 13 can be slided along the
uides I' Is in the opposite direction and thus form à seat and seat back for a child
ith its face to the fixed seat ¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
nvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
laim is:-
1. In a children's mail cart or carriage having the body made with a fixed seat
pposite upwardly curved shafts and a well below the fixed seat, the employment of
in apron such as B which will bend in a horizontal direction but is rigid against
ending in a direction at right angles thereto, jointed at its lower edge to the
arriage body and adapted to turn and lie on the edges of the sides of the carriage
ody and serve as an apron for the occupant of the said fixed seat or turn and lio
upon the curved shafts and form a seat and sent back for a second occupant facing
the fixed seat, and means for fixing said apron in either position all substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a children's mail cart or carriage having the body made with a fixed seat
opposite upwardly curved shafts and a well below the fixed seat, the employment
of an apron such as B which will bend in a horizontal direction but is rigid against
bending in a direction of right angles thereto said apron being made to slide along
guides fixed to the sides of the body and to the curved shafts so that the said apron
will either serve as an apron for the occupant of the said fixed seat or can be slided
forward along the shafts and form a seat and seat back for a second occupant
facing the fixed seat, all substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figs. 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a children's mail cart or carriage having the body made with a fixed seat
opposite the upwardly curved shafts and a well below the fixed seat, the combina-
tion with said carriage body of the curved rods or tubes h¹ he fixed to the sides of
the carriage body and to the shafts and the apron B made to bend in a horizontal
direction but rigid against bending in a direction at right angles thereto and
provided with eyes such as adapted to slide along the tubes h¹h for the purposes
aud substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a children's mail cart or carriage having the body made with a fixed seat
curved shafts and a well below the fixed seat, the
opposite upwardly
combination with said carriage body of the guides II fixed to the sides of
the carriage body and to the shafts and the apron B made to bend in a horizontal
direction but rigid against bending in a direction at right angles thereto, and made
with its sides engaging in said guides so as to slide along the same for the purposes
and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 8, 9 and 10 of
the accompanying drawings.
a
5. In a children's mail cart or carriage having the body made with a fixed seat
well below the fixed seat,
5 opposite upwardly curved shafts and
the combination with the said carriage body of the guides I' II fixed to the sides
of the carriage body and to the shafts and the apron B made to bend in a
direction at right angles thereto
horizontal direction but rigid against bending in
and made with its sides cugaging in said guides so as to slide along the same and
0 occupy various positions for the purposes and substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figs. 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a children's carriage or mail cart having the body made with a fixed seat
opposite upwardly curved shafts and a well below the fixed seat, the combination
with the said carriage body of the guides II fixed to the sides of the carriage
5 body and to the shafts the guides J carried underneath the well and the apron B
made to bend in a horizontal direction but rigid against bending in a direction

page_text: at right angles thereto, and made with its sides engaging in said guides so as to
slide along the same and occupy various positions for the purposes and sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated by Fig. 13 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. In a children's mail cart or carriage having the body made with a fixed seat
opposite upwardly curved shafts and a well below the fixed seat, the combination
with the said carriage body of the guides II fixed to the sides of the carriage
body the guides J carried round underneath the well, and the apron B made to
bend in a horizontal direction but rigid against bending in a direction at right
angles thereto and made with its sides engaging in said guides so as to slide along
the same and occupy different positions for the purposes and substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 14 and 16 of the accompanying
drawings.
8. In a children's mail cart or carriage baving the body made with a fixed seat
opposite upwardly curved shafts and a well below fixed seat, the combination with
the said carriage body of the guides T' I fixed to the sides of the carriage body
in front of the fixed seat a' and the apron B made to bend in a horizontal direction
but rigid against bending in a direction at right angles thereto and made with its
Bides engaging in the said guides so as to slide along the same and either serve as
a seat and seat back over the well E opposite the fixed seat a or form a
Beat and seat back for an occupant in front of the fixed seat a¹ and facing the
shafts, the parts being arranged and combined together in the manner substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 16 of the accompanying
drawings.
9. Constructing children's mail carts and carriages in the several ways 2
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings so that they can readily be converted from a single mail cart or carriage
for one child into a double carriage or mail cart for two children and also to be
need for a child to lie down in.
Dated this 2nd dor of T
100%
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.