IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO-WHEEL CARRIAGES
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HAYMAN, of Saint Sidwell Street, Exeter, Coach Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at.
Westminster, the Sixth day of May, in the seventh year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George
Hayman, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said George Hayman, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Hayman, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TWO-WHEEL CARRIAGES;" in which said:
Letters Patent is cóntained a proviso that I, the said George Hayman, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's.
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Hayman, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to

page_text: the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists principally in the attaching a double-action elastic
steel spring to the back part of each shaft immediately behind the trends,
which springs (the shafts being fixed in pivots) are so constructed as to act
equally well whether the horse be ascending or descending a hill, coming into
effective play by a pressure from above or below. From the peculiar pro-
perties of this spring the body can be so suspended on the shafts and wheels as
to almost entirely relieve the horse from the weight usually thrown on his
shoulders. He will thus be less liable to fall, and the safety of persons in the
vehicle will be to a great degree insured. The oscillating or knee motion so
much complained of is also to a great extent got rid of, without the necessity
of placing a spring across the back pannel of the body in addition to the one
in ordinary use, thus leaving the back of the carriage quite free, so that a door
might be conveniently made in it without interfering with the motion of the
shafts or that of the double-action elastic steel springs attached to the ends of
them. By this improvement strong full bent or other ash shafts secured with
iron plates underneath may be used as well as lancewood, which wood, though
elastic, is brittle and liable to split from any sudden jerk or concussion. Ash
shafts have this advantage also over those of lancewood, that by their side
sweep or compass they are brought to fit close to the horse's shoulders, and yet
ample room is given for the animal to work freely without chafing his sides.
The fixtures being exceedingly simple, full bent shafts calculated only for a
high horse may be removed without difficulty and shorter ones fixed adapted
for a lower horse, or vice versa. The front cross bar of wood to which the
draft bar or springs are generally attached is in this carriage dispensed with,
and a slight bar of iron placed immediately underneath and close to the bottom
of the body, so that the chance of a horse's striking his hind legs in fast
trotting or galloping (which according to the old construction was a fruitful
source of accidents) is here entirely got rid of. A principle well known but
new as applied to the draught of carriages is adoptéd. A spiral spring capable
of resisting the pressure of from one to sixty pounds is attached to the side of
each shaft so as to move freely, over which is an index plate and pointer as in
the spring balance. From a hook attached to each spiral spring the horse
draws, the pointer will at all times shew what the resistance to the carriage is,
and should this at any time be much increased the owner will have information
that the carriage is out of order, and be enabled to have it rectified before his
horse has suffered from the increased draught. The gentle and pleasant action
of-the spring will tend to prevent the chafing of a horse's shoulder.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a two-wheeled carriage having my
improvements applied thereto, a, a, being the springs to which the shafts are;
connected, and 6 the pivots or axes on which the shafts are capable of move-
ment, in order to partake of the elasticity of their springs; the various parts.
being clearly shewn in the Drawing, a workman will at once perceive their,
nature and object, and will readily apply this part of my Invention to various
constructions of two-wheeled carriages. Figure 2 shews the apparatus to
which the traces are attached and by which the draft exerted at any time may
be known, as above described. Figure 3 shews the section of a wheel box,
and also other of the parts separately, in order to explain another part of my
Invention, which consists in a novel construction of axletree box and mode of
fitting the same to the boxes of two-wheeled carriages. h, h, is the box, which
it will be seen has a screw cut on the inner end at i, in order to receive the
cylindrical clip or collar j, which has also a screw cut thereon by which the
box is securely held on the axletree by the collar k, which is affixed to the axle,
as is clearly shewn in the Drawing; 7 is a stud to assist in holding the clip or
collar j, in order to the box being screwed into the place, which is done by
turning the wheel in the direction in which the wheel turns when being drawn
forward, and the reverse action is employed to get the wheel off the clip or
collar j, being retained during either operation; m is a cap which screws on
to the outer end of the box h, and it has two screw holes to pass into the nave;
by this means and by the ordinary wedging of the boxes into the naves of the
wheels the boxes are retained securely therein, and offers an arrangement by
which the wheel may be taken off and put on with great facility, and at the
same time, from the nature of its construction, it is perfectly secure on the
axletree when in use.
I would remark that I am aware that boxes of a like description have been
before made in cast-iron, but from the nature of that metal the screw i has
quickly been injured and rendered insecure. Now the object of my Invention
is to form the box of wrought iron, which, however, is not a material which is
generally new for such purposes. And the only point of novelty of this part of
my Invention is the combining a wrought-iron box with a screw i at the inner
end to receive the clip or collar j, as above described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I lay no claim to the parts
separately herein-before described, nor in combination, other than has been
herein before mentioned and as hereafter stated; and I would remark that

page_text: variations may be made in the various parts, provided the character of my
Invention be retained; what I claim as my Invention is,―
The mode of applying springs a, a, to the shafts of two-wheeled carriages, as
above described.
Secondly, I claim the application of the apparatus, Figure 2, to two-wheeled
carriages for the purpose of attaching the traces and for indicating the extent
of draft, as above described.
And, thirdly, I claim the mode of constructing the axletree boxes of two-
wheeled carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hayman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
Inrolled the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.