IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Offord, of Wells Street, Oxford Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Coach Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Offord at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th January 1855.
I, JOSEPH OFFORD, of Wells Street, Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Coach Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES" to be as follows:-
These improvements have for their object the arrangement and construction
of the several parts of private carriages, in such a manner that the fore and
hind wheels may be brought nearer together, and the draught and weight of
the carriage consequently decreased. Instead of placing the doors at or near
the centre or middle of the carriage, as is now usually the case, I place them
at the front or fore corners, supposing the travellers or occupants of the carriage
prefer riding with their faces towards the horses. The doors may be placed at
the back or hind corners if preferred, by which means the fore and hind wheels
may be brought still nearer each other.

page_text: By these improved modes of constructing the carriage body I obtain
additional room inside, and by a somewhat different arrangement of the
seats the occupants are enabled to sit with more comfort and case than here-
tofore. I also propose to shorten the axle of the fore wheels, and thereby
bring them nearer together. By this means I not only reduce the weight, but
greatly reduce the distance required for locking. In adapting a perch to a
carriage, I greatly reduce the former in length, and employ therewith C springs
with a brace connection.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Offord in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
OFFORD, of Wells Street, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Coach
Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Offord, Her special license that I, the said Joseph
Offord, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Offord, my executors, administrators, 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 miglit 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
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Joseph Offord, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Joseph Offord, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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):-

page_text: "This Invention relates to a novel mode of constructing four-wheel carriages
for common roads, the object being to bring the fore and hind wheels.nearer
together than heretofore, and consequently to lighten the draught of such
carriages. For this purpose, instead of placing the doors at or near the centre
or middle of the carriage body, as is now usually the case, I place them either
at the front or fore corners or at the hind corners of the carriage, and by
this means, besides obtaining additional sitting room inside the carriage, I am
enabled to place the fore and hind wheels very near together, and thus effect
the object desired.
The accompanying Drawings shew various modes of carrying out this
Invention. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a brougham, constructed according
to my Invention; Fig. 2 is a. sectional plan of the same, and Fig. 3 is a plan
of the fore wheels, shewing the mode of mounting the same. a is the body of
the carriage, furnished at the front corners with curved doors b, b. The
carriage is fitted with a back seat c, and a folding front seat d, the two halves
of which are capable of being turned up to a vertical position, and of being
retained in that position when not required to be used. When required for
use they are let down to a horizontal position, and are capable of seating two
persons. It will thus be understood, that in order to gain access to the car-
riage the door at either side of the carriage is to be thrown back to the
dotted position of Fig. 2, and one-half of the seat d is raised or thrown back.
The door will form a shield for protecting from the mud on the hind wheels
the dress of the person entering the carriage, and the space between the hind
and fore wheels, although contracted, will be ample to ensure easy access to the
carriage. The axle of the fore wheels I propose in some cases to shorten, as
shewn best at Fig. 3. This arrangement brings the fore wheels nearer
together, and permits of the carriage being turned in much less space than is
ordinarily required. The bow springs e, it will be seen, carry the splash irons e*,
which consequently turn with the wheels. Fig. 4 shews, in side elevation, a
brougham constructed with doors b, at the hind corners; and Fig. 5 shews the
plan of arranging the seats. In this instance the folding or turn-up seat fis
at the back. The fore and hind wheels, it will be seen, are by this arrangement
brought nearer together than in the former example.
In adapting a perch to a carriage of my improved construction, I am enabled
to reduce the length of the perch considerably, and I employ therewith C
springs with a brace connection. Fig. 6 shews, in side elevation, this arrange-
ment, the doors of the carriage being fitted to the hind corners of the carriage.
Instead of the fore and hind wheels being set apart a distance equal or nearly
so to the length of the carriage body, they are brought very near together,

page_text: and thus the weight and draught of the carriage will be considerably
reduced.
Having now explained the nature and object of my Invention of "Improve-
ments in the Construction of Carriages," I wish it to be understood that, under
the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim the improved arrangement
of parts as herein described, whereby I am enabled to reduce the distance
between the fore and hind wheels of carriages, and thus lighten their
draught.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Offord, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOSEPH OFFORD. (L.S.)