IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO- WHEELED CARRIAGES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Goodwin, of Buxton, in the County of
Derby, Coach Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO-
WHEELED CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Goodwin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th February 1873.
I, WILLIAM GOODWIN, of Buxton, in the County of Derby, Coach
5 Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN TWO-WHEELED CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention consists in the first place in constructing "Hansom
cabs" and similar vehicles with a portable driver's seat at the back, in
such a manner as to admit of the carriage being readily balanced on the
axle with the driver's seat either fixed or removed.
For this purpose the driver's seat is fixed by means of two plates
underneath the footboard, the inner ends of which plates are turned

page_text: down in the form of a bolt and secured to the frame at the back of the
carriage by nuts easily removeable.
The seat is also fixed by means of a stay at the back, the lower end
of which terminates with a collar bolt passing through a hole in the
stay, to which the hind or cross spring is fastened and being secured by 1
a nut also easily removeable. The driver's seat may thus be easily
removed when required by loosening the nuts above mentioned.
And the vehicle is rendered capable of being balanced as required by
connecting the front end of each side spring to a slide which moves
upon a fixed horizontal rod, and by making the hind stay where it is
connected with the body of the vehicle on each side with a slot in it,
or otherwise adapted to allow of its being moved horizontally a sufficient
distance either backwards or forwards (as the case may be) to balance
the vehicle. When the driver's seat is fixed the hind stay is moved
backwards, and when removed the stay is moved forwards.
My Invention consists in the second place in providing a means of
raising and lowering the front ends of the shafts to suit any size of
horse, by forming at or near the upper part of the stays or edge plates
to which the hinder ends of the shafts are fixed a stop joint, and applying
to the stay for supporting the shafts a regulating nut by means of which
this stay may be increased or diminished in length as required.
And my Invention in the last place has reference to "Hansom cabs,"
with a leather head to turn down similar to a barouche, and consists
in making the side windows so as to admit of their sliding down grooves
into the body of the vehicle, also in making the front windows to fold
or turn on upright pillars fitted to the said body so as to be capable of
turning down on a rul joint, and carrying the windows hung thereon
down into pockets or receptacles made to receive them one on each side
of the vehicle.
When the windows are thus enclosed and the head turned down an

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Goodwin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GOODWIN, of Buxton, in the County of Derby, Coach Builder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Goodwin, Her special licence that
I, the said William Goodwin, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Goodwin, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO-WHEELED
CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Goodwin, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,<should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Goodwin, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Two-wheeled Carriages," consists
in the first place in constructing "Hansom cabs" and similar vehicles,
with a portable driver's seat at the back in such a manner as to admit
of the carriage being readily balanced on the axle with the driver's seat.
either fixed or removed.

page_text: For this purpose the driver's seat is fixed by means of two plates
underneath the footboard, the inner ends of which plates are turned
down in the form of bolts and secured to the frame at the back of the
carriage by nuts easily removeable.
The seat is also fixed by means of a stay at the back, the lower end
of which terminates with a collar bolt passing through a hole in the
stay, to which the hind or cross spring is fastened, and being secured
by a nut also easily removeable. The driver's seat may thus be easily
removed when required by loosening the nuts above mentioned.
And the vehicle is rendered capable of being balanced as required by
connecting the front end of each side spring to a slide which moves
upon a fixed horizontal rod, and by making the hind stay where it is
connected with the body of the vehicle on each side with a slot in it,
or otherwise adapted to allow of its being moved horizontally a suffi-
cient distance either backwards or forwards (as the case may be) to :
balance the vehicle. When the driver's seat is fixed the hind stay is
moved backwards, and when removed the stay is moved forwards.
My Invention consists in the second place in providing a means of
raising and lowering the front ends of the shafts to suit any size of
horse, by forming at or near the upper part of the stays or edge plates
to which the hinder ends of the shafts are fixed a stop joint, and
applying to the stay for supporting the shafts a regulating nut by
means of which this stay may be increased or diminished in length as
required.
And my Invention in the last place has reference to "Hansom cabs"
with a leather head to turn down similar to a barouche, and consists in
making the side windows so as to admit of their sliding down grooves
into the body of the vehicle, also in making the front windows to fold
or turn on upright pillars fitted to the said body so as to be capable of
turning down on a rule joint, and carrying the windows hung thercon
down into pockets or receptacles made to receive them one on each side
of the vehicle.
When the windows are thus enclosed and the head turned down an
open vehicle is formed.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed
to describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be per-
formed by the aid of the accompanying Drawings, in which are repre-
sented the parts of carriages above referred to.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a "Hansom cab" with the improvements
applied; Fig. 2 a back view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a plan or
horizontal view of the same with the body of the carriage removed;
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a "Hansom cab," with a leather head to turn
down; and Fig. 5 is a front view of the same; Figures 6 to 12 shew on
an enlarged scale the several improved parts detached from the carriage.
In these several Figures the same letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts.
A, A, are the two plates fixed underneath the footboard of the driver's
seat, such plates having their inner ends turned down in the form of
bolts and secured by nuts, as shewn in Fig. 6, for the purpose of fixing
the driver's seat. B is the stay which supports the driver's seat at the
back, the lower end of which stay terminates with a collar bolt which fits
into a socket 6 in the stay to which the hind or cross spring is fixed, as
shewn in Fig. 9.
Both the nuts for securing the two plates A, A, and the nut for
securing the stay B may be easily loosened as required, in order to admit
of the driver's scat being removed.
C is a fixed horizontal rod on which moves a slide connected to the
front end of each side spring, and slots are formed in the hind stay D
(as shewn in Fig. 9) in order to admit of its being moved a sufficient
distance backwards or forwards to balance the vehicle as required. In
Fig. 1 the driver's seat is shewn as fixed and the hind stay moved back-
wards, and in Fig. 4 the driver's seat is supposed to be removed and
the hind stay is shewn as moved forwards.
E is the stop joint at the ends of the shafts, and F is a regulating nut
applied to the stay for supporting the shafts. By turning this nut
the length of the stay may be increased or diminished as required, in
order to raise or lower the shafts to suit the height of the horse.
parts are shewn on an enlarged scale at Fig. 10.
These
G is a rule joint and pillar to which the front windows of the vehicle
shewn in Figures 4 and 5 are connected. By this arrangement the front
windows can be turned down into pockets formed in the side of the
vehicle.

page_text: In Fig. 11 the pillar and window are shewn in a vertical position, and
in Fig. 12 they are shewn as turned down by being moved on the
joint G.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is,―
First. The mode or modes of fixing and removing the driver's seat of
"Hansom cabs "and of balancing the vehicle on the axle herein-before
described.
Secondly. The mode of raising and lowering the front ends of the
shafts of such vehicles for the purpose described.
And lastly. The construction and fitting of the side and front windows
so as to admit of their being folded and turned down in order to form
an open vehicle when the head is turned down, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Goodwin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
ALBERT PYLE,
4, Dale Street, Buxton,
Coachmakers' Foreman.
WILLIAM GOODWIN. (L.S.)