Certain Improvements in Children's Perambulators, Bassinettes, Mailcarts, and other Children's Carriages.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Children's Perambulators, Bassinettes,
Mailcarts, and other Children's Carriages.
I, SAM THOMAS RICHARDSON, of 34 Rea Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in children's
perambulators bassinettes mailcarts and other children's carriages.
According to one part of this invention I construct a children's carriage as
follows so that it can serve and be used either as a bassinette for a child to lie
down in or for two children to sit in face to face or for two children to sit in both
facing the shafts or both facing the opposite direction or for two children to sit
in back to back. In this latter form and when used for two children to sit in both
facing the same direction the carriage is converted from a bassinette into what is
known as a double mailcart. The body of the carriage is supported preferably by
springs forming the second part of this invention from a cross axle on which are
two wheels as in a mailcart and the said body is provided with two shafts by which
it can be pushed or drawn along. These shafts are by preference made adjustable
as hereinafter described for height and so as to turn up to occupy less space when
the carriage is not in use. In order that the carriage may be converted as stated
above I construct the body of the carriage as follows:-The said body consists of
a bottom part provided with a central well as usual and made with two sides the
ends of which slant upwardly somewhat from the bottom of the body towards the
top of the sides the front end and the back end of the body are hinged to
the bottom so that they will either turn up to form the ends of the bassinette body
or turn down hanging in a vertical or inclined position from the body when the
carriage is used as a mailcart as hereinafter described. Each of these hinged
ends has hinged to it near its top a narrow board forming the foot board when the
carriage is used as a mailcart these foot boards being so arranged that they will
either turn down against the ends of the body or turn outwardly at right angles
thereto. Each of the hinged ends of the body has a portion of each of the sides
fixed to it these portions being cut in a slanting direction to match the slanting
shape of the sides. Above the well there is a vertical central movable partition
fitting in grooves in the sides which forms the back rest when the carriage is used
as a mailcart as hereinafter described but which can be removed when the carriage
is being used as a bassinette for one child to lie in. There is also a movable flap
or cover for the well as is usual in other bassinettes.
When the two hinged ends of the body are turned up the portions of the sides
which are fixed to the ends match those portions of the sides which are fixed to the
bottom and thus form a complete bassinette body the said ends being maintained
in this position by small spring hooks or catches or by other means.
The carriage
can now be used either for one child to lie in (the well having been covered up) or
the cover of the well can be removed and two children can sit in it face to face the
said children sitting on the bottom of the carriage body and their feet going down
into the well. When one end of the carriage body is turned down upon its hinges
and the short board which is hinged to the top of the end is turned outwardly one
child can sit with its back to the other child and with its feet resting
on the said
foot board which as stated above is carried by the turned down end of the carriage
body. Similarly when the other hinged end of the carriage body is turned down
the two children can sit in the carriage back to back their feet resting on the two

page_text: footboards carried by the turned down ends of the body as stated above. The
undersides of the footboards are by preference padded so that when the ends of the
body are turned up these padded parts will form the back supports for the two
children who are sitting in the bassinette face to face. Each side of the carriage
body has or may have a curved hand rail standing up a little distance above the
sides the ends being curved downwardly and bolted or otherwise fixed to the sides.
The carriage body above described may like other bassinettes have a reversible
hood jointed to the centre of the sides or otherwise arranged.
The arrangement of the springs which I prefer to use for supporting the carriage
body from the axle is as follows:-I provide two springs one at each side of the
carriage body each of these springs consisting of a strip of flat spring steel fixed
about centrally to the axle each of the said springs being curved upwardly into a bow
shape the upper parts being bent round and curved inwardly towards each other and
the ends pointing downwardly and fixed to the carriage body or to the under frame
of the same.
This arrangement of springs for carrying the body enables the body
to ride very easily and absorbs much of the vibration.
In order that the height of the ends of the shafts may be adjusted so as to suit
different persons who are pushing or pulling the carriage I do not rigidly fix the
shafts to the carriage body as is usual but the back ends of the shafts are jointed to
cross pins fixed by preference immediately over the axle so that the shafts can be
turned up or down upon these cross pins and in order to fix the shafts at any required
height there is at the front of the carriage body or under frame and at each side
thereof a small quadrant bracket for each shaft to which the shafts can be fixed in
various positions by cross pins or by spring pins on the shaft which engage in holes
or notches in the quadrant or the shafts may be fixed by other means.
When using
the springs and shafts and couvertible body in the same vehicle I make an under-
frame for the carriage body consisting of two wooden horizontal side bars which are
each a little longer than the carriage body which are fixed to the ends of the springs
as above described these two side bars being also connected together by cross bars
underneath the carriage body and to which the carriage body is fixed and there is a
narrow space between each cross bar and the carriage body where the said adjustable
shafts are situated the said shafts when in their lowest position resting on one of the
said cross bars which fix the side bars together.
Dated this 20th day of January 1894.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
Certain Improvements in Children's Perambulators, Bassinettes,
Mailcarts, and other Children's Carriages.*
I, SAM THOMAS RICHARDSON, of 3 Rea Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturer, 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 consists of the herein described improvements in children's
perambulators bassinettes mailcarts and other children's carriages.
According to one part of this invention I construct a children's carriage as
follows so that it can serve and be used either as a bassinette for a child to lie
down in or for two children to sit in face to face or for two children to sit in both
facing the shafts or both facing the opposite direction or for two children to sit in
back to back. In this latter form and when used for two children to sit in both
facing the same direction the carriage is converted from a bassinette into what
known as a double mailcart.

page_text: I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawing on which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a children's carriage constructed according to this
invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is an end view of the same and
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the same arranged for two children to sit in both
facing the shafts.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures..
The body A of the carriage is supported by two springs B' B' hereinafter more
fully described from the cross axle C on which are the two wheels D' D' as in a
mailcart and the said body A is provided with two shafts marked respectively E' E'
by which it can be pushed or drawn along. These shafts are by preference made
adjustable as hereinafter described for height and so as to turn up to occupy less
space when the carriage is not in use. In order that the carriage may be converted
as stated above I construct the body of the carriage as follows:-The said body
consists of a bottom part forming two cross seats a¹ a² and made with a central
well a as usual and also made with two sides marked respectively a* a' the ends of
which slant upwardly somewhat from the bottom a¹ a² of the body towards the top
of the sides as shewn on the drawing. The front end F1 and the back end F' of
the body are hinged to the bottom a a² so that they will either turn up to form the
ends of the bassinette body as shewn Figs. 1 and 2 or turned down as shewn by
Fig. 4 hanging in a vertical or inclined position from the top a¹ a when the
carriage is used as a mailcart as hereinafter described. The hinged end F' has
hinged to it near its top a narrow board G forming the footboard when the
carriage is used as a mailcart and the end F has a similar narrow board G' hinged
to it near its top these boards G'G' forming the footboards for the occupants when
the carriage is used as a mailcart and these footboards are as shewn upon the
drawings so arranged that they will either turn down against the ends F¹ F³ of the
body as shewn in Fig. 1 or turn outwardly at right angles thereto as shewn in
Fig. 4. The hinged end F¹ of the body has a portion of the sides of the body fixed
to it these portions being marked respectively f¹ f' and cut in a slanting direction
to match the slanting shape of the sides a a³ and the hinged end F2 of the body
has similarly a portion f³ f4 of each of the sides fixed to it also cut in a slanting
direction to match the sides a a³. Above the well a³ I provide a vertical central
movable partition ¹ fitting in grooves in the sides so as to be readily removed and
replaced this partition forming the back rest when the carriage is used as a mailcart
as hereinafter described but when the carriage is being used as a bassinette for one
child to lie in the crossbar h¹ can be removed. There is or may be also a removable
flap or cover for the well (not shewn upon the drawing) as is usual in other
bassinettes.
When the two hinged ends F1 F2 of the body are turned up as shewn in Figs. 1
and 2 the portions ffff of the sides which are fixed to the ends F' F' match
the portions at a of the sides which are fixed to the bottom a' a' and thus form a
complete bassinette body the said ends F1 F2 being maintained in this position.by
small spring hooks or catches or other convenient means such for instance as the
hooks shewn by Fig. 1. The carriage in the form shewn by Figs. 1 and 2 can be
used either for one child to lie in (the well as having been covered up) or the cover of
the well a can be removed and two children can sit in it face to face the said
children sitting on the bottom a¹ a³ of the carriage body and their feet going down
into the well a³. When one end say the end F1 of the carriage body is turned
down upon its hinges as shewn in Fig. 4 and the short board G¹ which is hinged to
the top of the end F¹ is turned outwardly one child can sit on the part al of the
bottom of the body with its feet resting on the footboard G¹ and with its back to
another child sitting on the back part a³ of the bottom of the body with its feet in the
well a³. Similarly when the other hinged end F2 of the carriage body is turned
down as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 the two children can sit in the carriage
back to back on the same part a¹ a² of the carriage with their feet resting
respectively on the two footboards G' G carried by the turned down ends F F
of the body as stated above. The undersides of the footboards G' G' are by

page_text: preference padded at g so that when the ends of the body are turned up as shewn
in Fig. 1 these padded parts will form the back supports for the two children who
are sitting in the bassinette face to face. Each side of the carriage body has or
may have a curved hand rail L standing up a little distance above the sides the ends
of the hand rail being curved downwardly and bolted or otherwise fixed to the
sides a a. The carriage body constructed as above described may like other
bassinettes have a reversible hood (not shewn upon the drawing) jointed to the
centre of the sides a a' or otherwise arranged. As this hood forms no part of my
invention it is not shewn upon the drawings.
The arrangement of the springs which I prefer to use for supporting the carriage
body above described from the axle C is as follows:-I provide two springs B¹ B'
one at each side of the carriage body each of these spring consisting of a strip of
flat spring steel or other suitable metal fixed about centrally to the axle C each of
the springs B1 B2 being curved inwardly as shewn into a bow shape the upper parts
of the springs being bent round and curved inwardly towards each other and the
ends pointing downwardly and fixed by pins 6¹ to the longitudinal rails I' 12 of the
underframe these longitudinal rails being connected together by crossbars J¹ J*
underneath the carriage body and to which the latter is fixed. This arrangement
of spring and underframe for carrying the body enables the body to ride very
easily and absorbs much of the vibration.
The shafts E E' may either be rigidly fixed to the carriage body by a con-
tinuation of the longitudinal rails II or be otherwise arranged as in other
children's carriages and if desired may be adjustable for height by being jointed at
their inner ends e to the longitudinal bars I¹ 1 so that the shafts can be raised
about their ends e and by pins passing through the quadrant like brackets k and
through the shafts the height of the shafts E' E' can be varied. It is to be under-
stood that this construction of the shafts so that the height of the same can be
adjusted and so that they can be turned right up above the carriage when not in
use forms no part of my present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In a convertible children's carriage the combination with the carriage body
consisting of a bottom a¹ a² and a well a* and sides, of the ends F1 F and foot-
boards GG adapted to either turn up (Figs. 1 and 2) or turn down (Figs. 3
and 4) for the purposes and substantially as set forth.
2. In a children's convertible carriage the combination with the carriage body
consisting of a bottom a¹ a² a well a³ and sides a a³, of the ends F¹ F' hinged to
the bottom and arranged to either turn up (Figs. 1 and 2) or turn down (Figs. 3
and 4) each of the said ends F¹ F' having a portion such as f f f f of the sides
a Gadapted
against the inside of the ends FI F' when they are turned up as shewn in Figs. 1
and 2 and to turn outwardly and form footboards when the ends F' F' are turned
down as shewn in Fig. 4 all substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. The combination with a convertible carriage body denoted under Claim 1 of
the springs B¹ B' and underframe 1' 1' J' J' substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
4. The improved children's convertible carriage taken as a whole substantially
as described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 21st day of Nazambar 1901
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.