Improvements in Coaches.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept.,
1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coaches.
1, EDWIN JACKSON of No. 22 Tower Road, Bohemia, St. Leonards-on-Sea, in the
County of Sussex, Carriage Proprietor and Coach Builder, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in coaches.
The object of the first part of it, is to provide for easy access to the outside
seats. To accomplish this, I dispense with the roof of the coach as well as with
the inside seats. This makes room for more than the usual number of outside seats.
The usual inside of the coach is fitted on each side with a continuation of the usual
steps from the ground, up to the level of a central gangway which extends from one
end of the top of the coach to the other.
The object of the second part of the invention is to enable the fore carriage to
make a full lock with the body. To accomplish this, the front quarter is made hollow
and open to the front, thereby furnishing an open space into which the front wheels
can turn between the front quarter panels.
The object of the third part of the invention is to prevent the tail end of the
coach rocking from side to side. I accomplish this by nearly doubling the length
of the side springs and making their butt ends fast within the hind quarter, near the
transverse centre line and behind the hind quarter panels. The usual cross spring
is retained but I add an elbow spring at each corner from the coach tail to the
respective junction of cross and side springs.
The object of the fourth part of the invention is to provide an improved
receptacle for the passengers' ladder. According to the present invention, this
receptacle is in the fore part of the coach above the fifth wheel and extends from
side to side and opening on both sides of the coach. Antifriction rollers are
provided to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of the ladder. The bottom of
the receptacle is lower than the mouths of the receptacle, thereby providing a stop
at each mouth, adapted to prevent the ladder being shaken out of its place.
Dated this 19th day of August 1895.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, EDWIN JACKSON of No. 22 Tower Road, Bohemia, St. Leonards-on-Sea, in the
County of Sussex, Carriage Proprietor and Coach Builder, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in coaches.
Referring to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as part of this
specification and read therewith:-
Figure 1 is a plan of a coach constructed according to the present invention.
Figure 2-is a side elevation of the same vehicle.

page_text: Figure 3 is a transverse section taken along the line 3-3 of Figures 1 and 2 and
looking to the rear.
The object of the first part of the invention is to provide better and more easy
access to the outside seats than has heretofore been offered. The peculiar means
by which the said access is provided results in an increase of the number of
outside seats as compared with that hitherto provided on coaches. The said
object is effected by and the said first part consists in, dispensing with all the inside
seats as well as with the roof of the coach and providing a continuation of the usual
steps from the ground in combination with a gangway which extends from the
driver's perch to the back seat.
A is the body of the coach. This has the same contour and external appearance
as heretofore, excepting in respect of the roof of it which is absent, of the front and
rear which are cut down, and of the front and hind quarters. The modifications in
the four parts last mentioned are explained further on. a, a¹ are the doors. They
occupy the same position as heretofore in coaches, but as there are not any inside
seats, they are neither sashed nor glazed. Figure 2 shows the near door standing
wide open and the steps (described in detail further on) down on that side.
B is the floor of the improved coach. C is the driver's perch and D, E, F, G
and H, transverse seats for passengers. The back seat H is as long as the floor is
wide, but the remaining four D, E, F and G are divided by the central gangway B¹
which extends from the back and front of the body A up to the perch in one
direction and to the back seat H in the other. I is a single emergency seat as long
as the gangway B₁ is wide. It is adapted to slide in and out of a horizontal recess in
the standard of the perch.
Access to all the passengers' seats is through either or both doors a, a¹.
The front J and the rear J' of the body Å are cut off at the level of the floor B
and approached towards each other till they are separated only by a distance equal
to the width of a door, in which positions they are made fast to the floor of the
body A and to the respective portions of the floor B. K is a landing of the same
width as the gangway B with which it is aligned in plan. It is supported at a
convenient level above the floor of the body A. This level comes below that of the
floor B by the height of an ordinary step riser. These two risers are respectively
portions of the back and front J, J. If the coach were wide enough, the landing
might be on a level with the gangway B'. As it is not, this level is as described.
L, L are two sets of steps, pivotted one on one side, and the other on the other
side of the coach, substantially as heretofore. As their function is to help in
establishing a communication between the ground and the floor B of the coach, there
is combined with each set, a second and fixed set M which extends from the top of
the respective set L to the adjacent side of the landing K. A set L and a set M
thus form a folding staircase. The figures shew each set L pivotted to the respective
set M by a hinge 1, the latter being introduced into a tread divided between the two
sets as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The dimensions of the risers and treads are of
corresponding dimensions throughout in order that those of each set I may fit up to
and lie snugly upon those of the corresponding set M, as illustrated in Figure 3.
The width of the bottom tread of a set L is half that of the landing K for a like
reason. The space under the landing K is advantageously left hollow, and the brake
rod led through it. It is further desirable that the width of the sets of steps
above described, should be less than the distance between the front J and the rear J¹.
This leaves room on the floor of the body A for the conductor, after he has descended
a folded-inwards set I, to stand on, while he opens the door and turns the said set
outwards through the doorway.
It is to be understood that the present invention does not limit me to providing
the folding staircase on both sides of the coach body, but that it may, be provided
from one side only and in combination with either a central or a side gangway B¹.
If the gangway be arranged along one side of the coach, there will be width
enough for the staircase to reach to the floor B of the coach, thereby dispensing with
the landing K.

page_text: A further increase of the outside seating accommodation is possible, as a result of
the above described first part of the invention. It is applicable to any of the four
seats E or F being those next to the doors a, a', and is illustrated as applied to the
seats F. e, e are trunnions projecting from the ends of the seat. e', el are a pair of
eyes standing up from an additional seat e². ³ is a rod led through the eyes e¹, e¹ and
bent to the front along the ends of the seat. Its ends terminate in eyes e, et, in
which the trunnions e, e are entered. The outer end of the rod e³ is prolonged to
the rear and terminates in a grip e, thereby producing a hand lever having its
fulcrum in the axis of the rod ee is the back rest for the additional seat e². e' is
a foot board for the occupants of the principal seat, to be used when the above
mentioned increase of the outside seating accommodation is required. When the
additional seats e³ are not required, the hand lovers are swung downwards and
upwards through half a circle, thereby swinging the principal seats E or F out of
the position illustrated by the full lines, on to the respective scats e². The dotted
lines in Figure 2 illustrate the intermediate position of the principal seats and hand
levers. The cushions are omitted from the additional seats so as to indicate more
clearly the final positions of the principal seats under the circumstances. The
foot boards are then swung over on to the floor B as indicated by the dotted lines
in the said figure. The seats E, F and rest partly upon seat standards n, and
partly upon the sides of the body A.
The object of the second part of the invention is to provide for the fore
carriage to make a full lock with the body A. The said object is effected by and
the said second part consists in, making the front quarter of the body A hollow
and open to the front, thereby providing an open space into which one of the
front wheels can turn between the front quarter panels. This hollowness of the
front quarter and its openness to the front as well as the capacity of this second
part of the invention for providing for a full lock, is clearly indicated in Figure 2,
which shews the front axle at right angles with its normal position and one of
the front wheels standing between the front quarter panels o.
The object of the third part of the invention is to prevent the tail end of the
coach rocking from side to side. This is accomplished by nearly doubling the
length of the side springs and making their butt ends fast within the hind quarter
near the transverse centre line of the coach. p, p are these side springs. They are
longer than heretofore in about the proportion of 5 to 3. The necessary room for
this extra length is provided by the hollow hind quarter as indicated by Figure 2, in
which the butt ends are shewn as made fast within the said quarter and between
the panels of it. The usual cross spring r may be retained if desired. 8 & are
elbow springs. One may be fitted at each corner from the coach tail to the
respective junction of cross and side springs.
The object of the fourth part of the invention is to provide an improved
receptacle for the passengers' ladder. According to the present invention, this
receptacle t is in the fore part of the coach above the fifth wheel u. It extends from
one side of the said part to the other opening out through both. Antifriction
rollers ', ' are provided to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of the ladder t.
The bottom of the receptacle is lower than the mouths of it, thereby making the
bottom lip (so to speak) of each mouth, a stop adapted to prevent the ladder being
shaken out of its place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination of coach body not having inside seats, and steps affording
access through the said body to the floor of the coach, as set forth.
2. The combination of coach body not having inside seats, two sets of steps the
one pivotally connected with the other, landing and gangway, as set forth.
3. The combination of coach body not having inside seats, staircase adapted to

page_text: provide access between the ground and the floor of the coach, and gangway, as
set forth.
4. The combination of coach body not having inside seats, fixed set of steps,
pivotted set of steps, standing room on the floor of the coach body, and door, as
:set forth.
5. The combination with coach body not having inside seats, of fixed set of steps,
pivotted set of steps, standing room on the floor of the coach body and door all on
each side of the coach, as set forth.
6. The combination with coach body not having inside seats and provided with
staircase access through the said body between the ground and the floor of the coach,
of the further increase of the outside seating accommodation, as set forth.
7. The combination of fore carriage and hollow front quarter open to the front, as
and for the purpose set forth.
8. The combination of coach body not having inside seats, staircase access through
the said body between the ground and the floor of the coach, fore carriage and
hollow front quarter open to the front, as set forth.
9. The combination of hollow hind quarter and side springs of extra length as
and for the purpose set forth.
10. The combination of fore carriage, hollow front quarter open to the front,
hollow hind quarter and side springs of extra length, as and for the purposes
respectively set forth.
11. The combination of coach body not having inside seats, staircase access
through the said body between the ground and the floor of the coach, fore carriage,
hollow front quarter open to the front, hollow hind quarter and side springs of extra
length, as and for the purposes respectively set forth.
12. The combination with the fore part of a coach, of ladder receptacle, as
set forth.
13. The combination with the fore part of a coach of ladder receptacle having a
mouth on each side of the said part, a bottom lower than the mouths and
antifriction rollers, as set forth.
Dated this 19th day of May 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.