Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 5th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th Feb., 1887.
I WILLIAM EDWARD CARMONT of Lime Grove Longsight Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My said Invention relates chiefly to steps for carriages but is applicable also to
stairs, nave-rings, ship and other ladders, mats, flooring and in other situations where
a secure foot-hold is required. To obtain such a foot-hold it has been the custom to
employ rubber fixed to such steps or treads in sheets, strips, blocks, and other forms
but it has been found that in exposed situations such rubber treads become slippery
when wet and afford no security while a purely rubber tread becomes soon worn away.
According to my Invention I make use of the aforesaid ordinary rubber sheets, strips,
blocks, or pieces but in conjunction therewith I employ pins, sprigs, staples, springs
or parts of steel or other suitable metal which are inserted into the rubber either before
or after the vulcanizing process and are allowed to come nearly flush with or to rise
slightly above the level of the rubber the embedded ends resting preferably upon a
plate beneath or on the metal of the step. When the foot is placed upon such a tread
if the rubber should happen to be wet the necessary non-slipping property is obtained
by the contact of the foot with the ends of the metallic pins or springs. When springs
are employed their resilience co-operates with the elasticity of the rubber to render
the tread more soft and yielding as well as secure. In a form of carriage step which
I consider to be useful the rubber with the metallic pins or springs is inserted in the
form of strips into dovetailed recesses formed in the bars of a grid shaped step the
open or grid form of step being preferably adopted so as to allow the dirt to fall
between the bars. Instead of strips I may apply the rubber in any other suitable
form or I might entirely cover the step or tread with a sheet of rubber carrying the
aforesaid metallic pins or springs. When the combined rubber and metal is applied
in separate strips or pieces any single strip or piece which has become worn or damaged
can be removed and replaced without disturbing the others. It will be found that in
addition to the increased security of the foothold the combination of the metallic pins,
springs or parts with the rubber prevents it from wearing so quickly as in the case
when rubber alone is used. Instead of rubber as heretofore described any other
suitable substance or material such as leather might be employed.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Carriage and other Steps and Treads.
I WILLIAM EDWARD CARMONT of Lime Grove, Longsight, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, 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 and accompanying drawings:
My said Invention relates chiefly to steps for carriages but is applicable also to
treads for stairs, nave-rings, ship and other ladders, mats, flooring and in other
situations where a secure foot-hold is required. To obtain such a foot-hold it has been
the custom to employ rubber fixed to such steps or treads in sheets, strips, blocks and
other forms but it has been found that in exposed situations such rubber treads become
slippery when wet and afford no security while a purely rubber tread becomes soon
worn away. According to my Invention I make use of the aforesaid ordinary rubber
sheets, strips, blocks or pieces, but in conjunction therewith I employ pins, sprigs,
staples, springs or parts of steel or other suitable metal which are inserted into the
rubber either before or after the vulcanizing process and are allowed to come nearly
flush with or to rise slightly above the level of the rubber, the embedded ends resting
preferably upon a plate beneath or on the metal of the step. When the foot is placed
upon such a tread if the rubber should happen to be wet the necessary non-slipping
property is obtained by the contact of the foot with the ends of the metallic pins or
springs. When springs are employed their resilience co-operates with the elasticity
of the rubber to render the tread more soft and yielding as well as secure. When the
combined rubber and metal is applied in separate strips or pieces any single strip or
piece which has become worn or damaged can be removed and replaced without
disturbing the others. Any suitably yielding or elastic material may be used instead
of rubber.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I will now
proceed more particularly to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
two sheets of drawings. Fig. 1 sheet 1 of the said drawings is a plan view and
Fig. 2 a cross section, at the line A. B. Fig. 1 of a step or tread suitable for
use as a carriage step or tread or as a step or tread in another situation as
for example on the side of a ship or within the same. The metal foundation or
plate a is preferably of an open or grid form so as to allow dirt to fall through
the spaces b. The bars a' of the gird are cast or formed with an undercut or dove-
tailed recess which may either be closed at the ends as shown in the example or
may extend throughout the entire length of the bars and be open at the ends. Into
these dovetailed recesses we spring, press or fit strips c of india-rubber or other
suitable yielding or elastic material which project above the level of the grid founda-
tion a as shown at Fig. 2 so as to receive the contact of the foot when placed upon the
step. The said rubber strips may be applied to the step either before or after the

page_text: vulcanizing process. In the form of step shown at Fig. 1 it is preferable to place
the rubber in the recesses in its soft condition and afterwards vulcanize it in position―
but where the grooves or recesses are open at the ends the rubber may be drawn or
sprung into position. The rubber strips c contain a number of metal sprigs or pins d
preferably of hardened and tempered steel which are inserted into the rubber either
before or after the vulcanizing process and either before or after the rubbers have
been fitted or applied to the steps. These metallic pins or springs rest with
their embedded ends on the bottom of the recess while their upper ends remain
flush with or project slightly above the level of the rubber strips as clearly shown
at Fig. 2. When the foot is placed upon the step the metal pins or springs
provide a secure frictional contact with the sole of the foot even when the
rubber is wet and slippery, while the elastic nature of the rubber in conjunction with
the resilience of the pins combine to form a yielding and noiseless tread possessing the
desired anti-slipping properties. As the steel pins take the greater part of the
frictional contact and weight, the rubber is not so quickly worn, and when worn one
or more of the strips can be removed and replaced without disturbing the remaining
strips. The steel pins & may either be straight as shown or they may be bent or in
the form of staples or coiled springs as hereinafter indicated. Fig. 3 is a plan and
Fig. 4 a cross section at the line CD. Fig. 3 of another form of grid step or tread
suitable for a carriage or for other uses, in which the rubber is applied in the form of
blocks or pieces e, forced sprung moulded or pressed into the respective recesses formed to
receive them. The said rubber blocks e may either be of the form shown or they may
be round, triangular, hexagonal or of other suitable or fancy shape, in all cases being
provided with the metallic pins or springs d or their equivalents. In forming a tread
to be used as a mat or for application to a house or cabin stair the metal or wooden
foundation to contain the strips or pieces studded as described with metal pins or parts
may be cast or made in a single piece or it might be composed of various parts held
together by bolts screws or other suitable fastenings so as to bind the rubber in the
grooves or recesses. Fig. 5 sheet 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 6 a plan and Fig. 7a
section of a riding stirrup to which my invention is shown applied. The foot f of the
stirrup is formed with a dovetailed recess which may either extend entirely around the
tread of the stirrup as shown or may be interrupted so as to receive the rubber c in
separate pieces. The steel pins & remain flush with or project above the rubber and
rest upon the bottom of the recess as in the foregoing examples. A stirrup of this
construction is not so liable to slip from the foot as the ordinary stirrup and affords
increased security in riding especially in wet weather. In Fig. 7 I show a portion
of a section of a stirrup foot into the rubber of which I introduce coiled springs d¹.
instead of straight pins d whereby I increase the softness and elasticity of the tread.
Fig. 8 is a front view and Fig. 9 is partly a side view and partly a section of a
carriage wheel "stock hoop" or nave ring to which my invention is shown applied.
As is well known in several types of carriages the stock hoop is ordinarily used instead
of a step and is generally roughened or notched to afford a more secure foot-hold.
As shown by the drawing I form a series of dovetailed beds g. round the ring h into
which I fit strips c of rubber provided with projecting metal pins d as in the foregoing
cases so as to entirely obviate the danger of slipping in entering or descending from
the carriage. Although I have referred to the strips, pieces or sheets of rubber or
other suitable material used in carrying my invention into effect as being secured by or
dovetailed into undercut recesses or grooves, I wish it to be distinctly understood that
such dovetailing or securing of rubber or similar material in undercut recesses or
grooves is not in itself novel and forms no part of my invention as I might secure the
combined rubber or material and metal springs or parts to the body of the tread by
means other than dovetailing. The illustrations on the accompanying sheet of
drawings illustrate what I now consider to be the most salient uses of my improved
anti-slipping tread but it will be evident that the combination of rubber and metal so
as to prevent slipping, which forms the principal subject matter of my invention
could be used in the construction of treads of a similar nature but not shown in the
drawings or referred to in the specification.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
(1) In the manufacture of anti-slipping treads, steps for carriages, mats, ladder
steps, stair-case treads, carriage nave rings, flooring, stirrups and other similar articles
and appliances the employment of strips, blocks, cushions or pieces of rubber fixed or
held in position in the indicated method or by other suitable means in combination
with pins, springs, staples springs or parts of metal inserted into the rubber and
applied and acting substantially as described and shown.
(2) The construction of anti-slipping carriage steps and nave rings having tread
surfaces composed of a combination of rubber and metal pins or springs substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 on sheet 1 and in Figs. 8 and
9 sheet 2 of the accompanying drawings.
(3) The anti-slipping stirrup described with reference to Figs. 5. 6 and 7" of the
drawings.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.