IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS
Year: 1884

page_text: I MARY JANE REDGATE of the Haymarket, Sheffield in the County of York
Perambulator Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN PERAMBULATORS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
reference being had to the annexed sheet of drawings and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :—
My invention relates to improvements in perambulators, and more particularly
to the adaptation of steering apparatus to such Vehicles, the object being to enable
the Perambulator to be turned in any direction without having to raise the front
wheels from the ground.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I shall refer to the annexed
sheet of drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
the various figures.
In carrying my invention into practice, in applying steering gear to a four
wheeled perambulator, as illustrated in the sheet of drawings, (for example). I fix
under the front of the body A, a spring support F. The front wheels C C are
carried by an axle running in bearings formed in the forks of the arch D, on the
top of which is a spindle E with a supporting collar G. The spindle E is free to
revolve in corresponding holes formed in the spring support F, and is controlled and
actuated through the medium of the short crank H, by means of the lever J
working in the joint K, and the connecting rod I. B is the ordinary handle to
push the vehicle by, and L is the handle of the lever J.
To support the lever J and to retain it in its normal position with the wheels
fixed to run straight, I preferably make the right hand iron from B double, with a
notch in the desired position, and tending to spring together, thus when the lever J
is placed between them it is gripped sufficiently to prevent it slipping about, and
when in the slot, is firmly retained in that position. By moving the handle L,
either backwards or forwards, the front wheels are turned to the right or left as
desired, without having to raise the vehicle upon the hind wheels and twist it
round as is generally done.
The upright spindle E, may be turned by means of a rack and pinion motion,
similar to that used in certain Tricycles and there may be only one instead of two

page_text: front wheels as before described, or a toothed wheel or segment of a toothed wheel
may be fixed upon the upright spindle, and operated by a horizontal rack, or a
simple cord may be used in place of the levers.
Having now particularly described. and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In perambulators the arrangement of steering gear causing the wheels of the
vehicle to swivel or depart from a straight course, and operated by a handle or
handles placed in close proximity to the ordinary handle of. the perambulator, as
shown and described. 2 In combination with perambulators, the arrangement of
the steering gear consisting of a vertical spindle E attached to the wheel bearings,
the Crank H or its equivalent, and levers J and I, substantially as described and
illustrated.