THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE-WHEELED CARRIAGES, AND OMNIBUSES SO CONSTRUCTED TO BE CALLED FIRST-CLASS OMNIBUSES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Richardson, of No. 2, Copenhagen Street,.
Islington, and William Richardson, of No. 5, Ranelagh Grove, Pimlico,
both in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "THE CONSTRUC-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Richardson and
William Richardson, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
.with their Petition, on the 10th February 1858.
We, GEORGE RICHARDSON, of No. 2, Copenhagen Street, Islington, and
WILLIAM RICHARDSON, of No. 5, Ranelagh Grove, Pimlico, both in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE-WHEELED CARRIAGES, AND OMNIBUSES SO CONSTRUCTED
TO BE CALLED FIRST-CLASS OMNIBUSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in putting three wheels to carriages, namely, two
wheels in the front part of: the carriage, in the usual manner of carriages that,
are now constructed with four wheels, and one wheel on the hindermost part,
of the carriage, and near the centre of the carriage or vehicle, and when the
three wheels are attached to the frame of the carriage, then will the wheels
form an angle from each each other like the letter A, and the said wheels can
be worked at any distance from each other, or any part of the carriage, and
the carriage of carriages can be so constructed that passengers or people can
pass into and out of the said carriages carriages from the sides or ends, and
the said carriages can be constructed with a sliding door or doors, or in the.
usual form, or any other description of doors, and round the carriage or omnibus.

page_text: will be placed a step or platform from behind the front wheel on the left side,
round the carriage, passing the hinder part, to the front wheel on the opposite
side, and the third or single wheel of the carriage being placed in the centre
of the carriage or omnibus will be covered in, except the lower part, which
travels on the ground.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Richardson and William Richardson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 7th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
RICHARDSON, of No. 2, Copenhagen Street, Islington, and WILLIAM RICHARD
SON, of 5, Ranelagh Grove, Pimlico, both in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said George Richardson and William Richardson, Her special licence that
we, the said George Richardson and William Richardson, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Rich-
ardson and William Richardson, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should. and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE-WHEELED CARRIAGES, AND OMNIBUSES SO CONSTRUCTED
TO BE CALLED FIRST-CLASS OMNIBUSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said George Richardson and William Richardson, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or one of our
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Richardson, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-.

page_text: or
This Invention consists in putting three wheels to carriages, namely, two
wheels in the front part of the carriage in the usual manner of carriages that
are now constructed with four wheels, and one wheel on the hindermost part,
near the centre; and when the three wheels are attached to the frame of the
carriage, then will the wheels form an angle from each other, like the letter
thus (A), and the said wheels can be worked at any distance from each other,
any part of the carriage, and they can be so built that passengers can pass
into and out of the vehicle from the sides or ends, and the said carriage can
be built with self-acting side doors, or in the usual manner of putting doors,.
and round or partly round the carriage will be placed steps, and the hinder-
most wheel will be covered from view, except, that portion which is on the
ground, as the upper part will work in or near the centre, and can be made
any reasonable size according to the requirements of the vehicle; and we work
the centre of the wheels above or below the framework of the carriages.. The
wheels when made will be built (if necessary) with the spokes attached to the
box at an angle of 45 degrees, and the end of the spokes that are placed in
the box to be bedded in india-rubber, or any other elastic substance, which will
prevent the splitting of the box, as is the case in too many instances with the
wheels as now made, and the box of the wheels to be solid, and the axles
fixed (when necessary) to the ends, and not placed as now in use, videlicet,
through the centre of the box. The springs we use for vehicles or any.
description of carriage will be made of air and water confined in iron or any
other metal or substance that will stand pressure, and of any sizes according
to the requirement..
1
We do not make it absolutely necessary to use the air and water spring, or
to make the wheels with the spokes fixed at an angle of 45 degrees from the
box or to bed the spokes in the box with india rubber, but in using the above-
named for building vehicles, it will be a considerable saving in the expense; a
three-wheeled carriage can be built without this description of spring and
wheels.
In this Invention great advantages accrue from passengers being able to
get into and out of an omnibus without passing over the legs of other passen-
gers, and the seats are so arranged that each person will have two inches
more room than any omnibus now in use for passengers; every person taking
a seat will have the advantage of a corner, and three inches more space for:
their legs, and can alight from either side or behind of the carriage at pleasure,
the doors at the side being made to slide. In consequence of this discovery
the carriage when so constructed will be a saving of nearly one half in the
cost of horseflesh, compared with what is now required for other vehicles.

page_text: Therefore, what we claim as, our Invention is, 1st, the placing of three
wheels to vehicles.by putting. two in the front part of the carriage, and one
to, the hindermost part, and the wheel plate..to be so constructed that the
carriage cannot topple, and on each side will be placed guards, which will at
all times ensure safety.
2nd. The making of wheels with solid boxes and bedding the spokes into
the boxes, or sometimes called a stock, with india rubber or any other clastic
substance, and placed at an angle of 45 degrees, without splitting the box or
stock; and fixing the axletree or arm; which will be put on the ends of the
box or stock, and will be made with a raised part to run in a socket, which
will save (one hundred per cent. friction), an advantage over the common
wheels, ȧxletree arm, and the raised part of the arm to be: so constructed that
oil or grease can be kept to it without allowing grit or sand entering the same..
The making of doors to slide backwards and forwards at the pleasure of
the person in charge, without leaving his seat or position, also that each
passenger shall have more space with a corner seat.
3rd. The making of air and water springs by forming iron (or any other
métal or substance) into a shape necessarily strong for carrying the weight
required'; for example, take a common wine bottle, line the inside with india
rubber, half fill it with water, and fill the other half with air, put a ram on
the top of the air in the inside of the bottle, and suspend your carriage to it
when it is attached to the wheels, or reverse the operation by suspending your.
wheels when attached to your vehicle, and this will give the idea of the
Invention. When iron or other metal or any other substance is used to
supply the place of the glass bottle above described, we do not confine or
limit ourselves to use any particular shape or size, therefore the bottle named
above is only to give some idea as to the manner in which the same will be
constructed and used above or below the axle of the wheels.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Richardson, on behalf of myself
and the said George Richardson, have hereunto set my hand and scal,
this Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
WILLIAM RICHARDSON. (L.S.)