Improvements in Carriages or Road Vehicles chiefly Employed for Pleasure and known as Char-a-bancs and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1898.
Improvements in Carriages or Road Vehicles chiefly Employed for
Pleasure and known as Char-a-bancs and the like.
I, EDWIN THOMAS WAINWRIGHT, of "The Eagle Carriage Works," Aston Road,
Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention for improvements in road carriages and used for pleasure and known.
"char-a-bancs" and the like consists substantially in the construction and
arrangement of parts whereby greater facility and comfort is afforded to the
passengers and convenience in the removal of each chair and of each back indepen-
dently if desired and to a required position.
as
For a char-a-banc constructed according to my invention the vehicle is .of.the.
usual pattern that is the ascent is made from steps at the rear to a central path
which divides the chairs to right and left which are of the required number I
construct each chair with two sides or supports for the seat of a cruciform shape
by preference with a cross bar at the top of each side or support from the point
of intersection of each support I arrange a rod or stay which holds the two sides
or supports together each of said sides or supports have extension pieces also
forming sides or supports of a required configuration for carrying two brackets
preferably of a trilateral figure which supports the back rest two corresponding
points of these brackets are engaged to each side. at the top formed as pivots
which admits the back rest being moved from front to back and from back
to front controlled in its fall at a position comfortable to the passengers by a
stop:
The platform of the vehicle is provided with two sets of short rails or their
equivalent (inetal by preference) and of the "bull head" pattern laid near the sides
longitudinally that is to say one set of rails to each chair or one set of rails
for each row of chairs and bolted down in the usual manner each leg of each chair
is grooved correspondingly to the rail and admits of a to and fro movement thereon
but not to tilt or part from the rails when in use. To fix the chair in a desired
position I arrange to one of the legs a "drop pin" which would engage with a hole
or slot in the rail this pin may be actuated by a spring or by the hand or foot.
The seats I employ are of the ordinary kind and with the extension sides
which support the back rest are bolted down together to the cross bar beforé
named.
:
The parts before named I prefer to cast in iron for cheapness and the outer service
channelled in cross section for lightness and strength but if preferred the said parts
could be worked out in wrought iron or other material I do not limit myself to any
particular design as these I may vary.
The aim and object of the above invention is that by the movement of the
chairs upon the rails and back rests two persons may engage in conversation facing
each other.
Dated 16th December 1897.

page_text: Figure 8 is a side view in elevation longitudinal of a char-a-banc and shewing the
order arrangement of chairs on the rails on the platform, as constructed according to
my invention.
Figure 9 is a side view in elevation of a chair and a mode of changing the position
of the seat only, as a modification.
Figure 10 is a back view of same.
Figure 11 is a side view in elevation of a chair and the mode of changing the
position of the seat only as a modification.
Figure 12 shews the changed position of the seat from Figure 11.
The same letters of reference upon each of the figures indicate like or corresponding
parts where they occur.
a indicates the chairs, each chair constructed of two sides or supports bb for the
seat c, provided with the cross bar d, and upon which the seat c finds its bearing.
e is the rod or stay for holding the two supports bb, together. ff are extension
pieces or sides for supporting the brackets gg, which carry the back rest g¹ and

page_text: move on the pivots h h from front to back and back to front controlled in its fall by
the stops i shewn at Figure 1 and 2 and in plan views Figure 4, also in Figures 8, 11
and 12.
The supports b bare provided with legs jj which terminate with the grooved
claws forming an intervening space which corresponds in form to the rails the
said rails being bolted down or otherwise secured to the platform m.
To fix the chairs a in a desired position upon the rails I employ to one leg
of each chair. a drop pin n which moves vertically in the barrel or socket o and
falls by its own weight and engages in the hole p or its equivalent a slot, in the
rail 1. 22 may be actuated by a spring q or by the hand or foot.
In Figures 6 and 7 I shew a modification of my invention employing the legs jj
provided with the rollers which find their bearing upon the grooved rail and in
place of the drop pin na stop is effected by the rollers r, engaging in the recess 8
in the raill.
In Figures 9 and 10 I shew a modification of my invention, in this case I construct
the sides or supports bb with the cross bar d as above set forth but to the upper part
d, d I arrange bars or rods t t of angle. iron, or other shape in cross section for the seat c
to slide thereon.
In Figures 11 and 12 I shew a further modification of my invention in this case I
construct the sides or supports bb with the cross bar d as above set forth, the
movement or transpose of seat c is effected by the employment of the guiding link u
one end of which pivoted to the cross bar, while the other end is pivoted to the
seat c.
By preference I should make the several parts before named in cast iron for
cheapness and durability and of any shape in cross section but I may work out the
same wrought iron, or wood, separate or combined, and I may vary the designs
according to taste, or circumstances, and I may modify the same without departing
from the principle of my said invention.
Although I describe and illustrate my invention as applied to a char-a-banc I do
not limit myself to this as I can employ the same to other road vehicles, and either
to the outside or inside.
The rails I employ may be of any shape in cross section and of a length either to
receive the whole of the chairs, or in sections for each chair.
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:-
:-
In "Improvements in carriages or road vehicles, chiefly employed for pleasure and
known as char-a-banes and the like."
1. The combination, the chairs a consisting of the sides or supports bb, having
cross bars & for supporting the seat c, and held together by the stay e, the extension
pieces ff supporting the brackets gg and the back rest g¹ which move on the
pivots hh controlled by the stops ii, the legs jj having grooved claws kk (or their
equivalent the rollers) the rails, the platform m, the drop pin n moving in
the socket o engaging in hole p (or the equivalent of n by the roller engaging in
the recess 8) in the rail as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described.
2. The combination, the chairs a, consisting of the sides or supports b b having
cross bars d, with rods t t, for receiving the seat c, the stay e, the extension pieces ff,
the brackets g g with back rest gl moving on the pivots h h, controlled by the
stops ii, as shewn in Figures 9 and 10 substantially as and for the purposes herein
before described.
3. The combination, the chairs a, consisting of the sides or supports b b, having
cross bars d for supporting the seat c the stay e, the extension pieces ff, the brackets g g
with back rest g¹ moving on the pivots h h, controlled by the stops i i, the
guiding link u pivoted to d and c as shewn in Figures 11 and 12, substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described.

page_text: 4.: The general construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially
as hereinbefore described in the foregoing specification and illustrated by the
drawings.
T