Improvements in Bassinette Perambulators and other similar Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1893-Accepted, 1st July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bassinette Perambulators and other similar
Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM ASHTON of 74 Sankey Street, Warrington in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be
as follows:
My invention relates to bassinette perambulators and other similar vehicles and
consists, first, of a simple and efficient brake appliance operating automatically to
arrest or prevent the movement of the vehicle when left standing upon the pavement
or upon an incline, secondly, my invention consists of a simple method of mounting
or suspending the body of the carriage so that it may be readily removed from the
under carriage or springs say for the purpose of storage or transit and thirdly, my
invention consists of means for suspending the body of the carriage so that it is
capable of being oscillated to and fro and of being used as a cradle.
According to my invention I mount a pair of handles, supplementary to the
ordinary handle, upon the handle rod, one of which is fixed rigidly to the handle
rod and assumes an angular position suited to the natural grasp of the hand, whilst
the other handle is loosely mounted on said handle rod and is formed with a
projection or finger connected by a cord, chain or rod to a brake appliance beneath
the carriage.
The brake appliance consists of a lever by its own weight coming into play
with the spokes of one of the wheels or engaging with notches in the hub of the
wheel.
The cord, chain or rod connecting the loose handle and the brake appliance
together is of such a length that when the brake appliance is in gear with the
wheels the loose handle is pulled down say to the position of its fellow handle the
brake appliance is raised out of gear with the wheels.
It will therefore be seen that by laying hold of such handle and pulling it down,
the wheels are unscotched and the carriage may move forward but as soon as such
handle is released or "let-go "the brake appliance of its own weight falls into gear
with the wheels and the carriage is effectually scotched. A stop or shoulder is
formed on the loose handle to limit its movement when pulled down.
According to the second part of my invention employ a pair of rails or rods,
one at the front and the other at the back of the carriage to which the body of the
vehicle is strapped at each corner and which rods are dropped loosely into hooks
secured to the under carriage or springs of the vehicle and thus serve to support
and suspend the carriage body instead of its being strapped directly to the springs
or handles as heretofore. In order to transport the body of the carriage the
two rods are simply lifted out of the supporting books. Two or more sets of
hooks may be used to allow of the carriage body being suspended at different
heights.
These same rods in the centre of their lengths are cach provided with a projecting
stud having a narrow shank and an enlarged head which studs when dropped into
narrow slots in the brackets which brace the two springs together (and the said
rods being removed from the supporting hooks) constitute the centres of suspension
and enable the carriage body to be used as a cradle.
Deted this 30th day of June 1892
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bassinette Perambulators and other similar
Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM ASHTON of 74 Sankey Street, Warrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to bassinette perambulators and other similar vehicles and
consists, first, of a simple and efficient brake appliance operating automatically to
arrest or prevent the movement of the vehicle when left standing upon the pave-
ment or upon an incline, secondly, my invention consists of a simple method of
mounting or suspending the body of the carriage so that it may readily be removed
from the under carriage or springs, say for the purpose of storage or transit, and
thirdly, my invention consists of means for suspending the body of the carriage
so that it is capable of being oscillated to and fro and of being used as a cradle.
On the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 an end view and Fig. 3 part plan view of a bassinette
perambulator with my improvements shewn applied thereto.
In accordance with my invention mount a pair of handles A, B upon the
handle rod C, the handle A being rigidly fixed to such rod at the angle shewn in
the drawing and the handle B being loosely mounted upon such rod. Said
handle B is formed with an extension or finger D which extends beyond the rod C
and is connected by a rod E to the end of a lever F beneath the carriage.
This lever F forms part of a device for locking the wheel and is pivoted at X to
a bracket G secured to the axle-tree H as seen more clearly in Fig. 4.
In the
length of this lever a stepped tooth or projection I is formed designed to engage
with the peculiar notched hub J when lowered by the rod E and so prevent the
wheel rotating in either direction. The notches in this hub are, by preference, of
the special form shewn in the accompanying drawing as I have found that if a plain
opening or notch is formed the tooth or projection I will frequently slip past them,
whereas by forming them of a slightly dovetail form and stepped the tooth will not
fail to enter the notch.
The lever F and notch I by their own weight come into play with the notched
hub, hence in order to propel the carriage it is necessary to raise them out of
contact with the hub.
The rod E which connects the handle lever D to the brake lever F is of such a
length that when the tooth or projection I engages with the notched hub the
handle B assumes almost a vertical position as illustrated, hence when it is desired
to start the vehicle it is necessary to pull down such handle to a position or angle
corresponding to that of the fast handle A and thus the notch is raised out of gear
with the hub and the vehicle is free to move.
As soon as the handle B is "let-go" again the tooth or projection I will auto-
matically engage with the notched bub and so "scotch" the carriage, bringing the
handle up to the elevated position again and rendering it always imperative to pull
down the handle in order to release the wheel and propel the machine.
To limit the movement of the handle B and prevent its being brought down too
far I provide a shoulder or stop K formed on the handle lever which when the
handle is pulled down engages with the frame L.
In lieu of employing a notched hub, a lever may be employed engaging with the
spokes of the wheel, or other equivalent means may be employed, the essential
feature of my invention being a brake which will scotch the wheel automatically
and in so doing cause the pushing handle B to tilt up and necessitate such handle
being pulled down to start the machine. The brake may be arranged to operate
upou two of the wheels of the vehicle.

page_text: My improvements are applicable to bath chairs and all similar vehicles.
In accordance with the second part of my invention I employ a pair of rods M, M
one at the front and the other at the back of the carriage to which is strapped the
vehicle body N at each corner as illustrated, by straps O, O and which rods are
dropped loosely into hooks P, P secured to the under frame L of the carriage and
thus serve to support and suspend the carriage body instead of its being strapped
directly to the springs or handles as heretofore. In this way I allow for the
carriage body being removed from its supporting frame, all that is necessary to
remove it being to simply lift the two rods out of the hooks P. Two or more sets
of hooks may be used to allow of the carriage body being suspended at different
elevations. This method of mounting affords an elastic and springy suspension of
the carriage body and serves to somewhat nullify the jar or vibration of the
carriage wheels and frame.
In accordance with the third part of my invention the rods M. M in the centres
of their lengths are each provided with a projecting stud Q having a narrow shank
(as illustrated more clearly in enlarged detail view Fig. 5) and an enlarged
extremity, which studs are dropped into a narrow key shaped slot W in the
brackets R, R, which brace the two frame springs L, L together, (the rods M, M
being removed from the supporting hooks) and said studs constitute the centre of
suspension and enable the carriage body to be oscillated to and fro and so be used
as a cradle.
Having thus 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:-
1st. In automatic brake apparatus for bassinette perambulators and other similar
vehicles the use of a handle B, capable of working radially on the handle rod C and
of being brought to the position of the fixed handle A and also formed with an
extension D connected to a brake, automatically engaging with one of the wheels
of the vehicle which causes such handle to tilt up substantially as herein before
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
2nd. In bassinette perambulators and the like the use and employment of
rods M, M supported by hooks P on the spring frame or other similar portion of
such vehicles from which is suspended by straps O. O the vehicle body substan-
tially as and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated on the accom-
panying drawing.
3rd. In bassinette perambulators and the like the use of rods M. M secured to
the body of the carriage by straps as aforesaid and provided with studs Q in com
bination with brackets R having slots W formed in them into which said studs
may enter or take and so support or suspend the vehicle body substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
4th. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting my improve-
ments as applied to bassinette perambulators and other like vehicles substantially
as set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 20th der of March 1893
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
Agents.